[0:09] All right. So I will call the meeting to order it at 6.33. And let's just do a round of attendance. Laura,

[0:18] are you here? Jack?

[0:23] Ryan present and attending virtually. Okay. I'm saying that because we just got an email from the town manager in Sudbury, who in turn had heard from town council in Sudbury, who said we're apparently supposed to, or the chair.

[0:40] You're supposed to say not only who is attending, but whether they are in person or virtual.

[0:47] Even if we are all virtual. I don't know whether the individual say it or you were

[0:55] chair or supposed to say who's virtual and who's in attendance. Maybe I can cover that and just say

[1:03] for today, where you are all virtual, and then maybe when we're hybrid, we can say whether

[1:09] there any person or virtual. Okay, but to continue attend this, Robbie.

[1:15] Simon, present and virtual, I can.

[1:18] I'm fit in here. Okay, so next order of business is public comment. Do we have anybody

[1:25] in the waiting room for public comment? I have, it looks like Jason's coming in and I'm promoting

[1:32] him to panelists. Okay, awesome. Jason's coming in as Ira McClure.

[1:39] Yeah, that's his son.

[1:41] Sorry about that.

[1:43] Sorry.

[1:46] The parting my account.

[1:50] Jason, we just did attendance.

[1:53] If you want to do so, you're here.

[1:54] Yes, Jason, present virtually.

[1:58] Oh, you caught that.

[2:00] Okay.

[2:01] No other public comments.

[2:03] No public comment.

[2:04] Okay.

[2:04] So we will move on to the next order of business,

[2:08] which is information and discussion and the first bullet

[2:12] is acceptance of class of 1976 donation.

[2:16] Nothing and attachment there, Andrew,

[2:19] so I don't know if you want to just describe

[2:20] what that is or that's something we need to hold up on.

[2:23] This came in, I think I put it in my update,

[2:26] I sent you all, you might have.

[2:30] That, this came in about less than a week ago.

[2:34] The class in 1976 is having a big reunion

[2:37] and they actually have over 200 and something

[2:41] alums that are going to be getting together,

[2:43] which I think is amazing.

[2:45] And a bunch of years ago,

[2:47] they donated a tree that has a plaque

[2:50] that's located if you look at,

[2:53] if you were on the drop off road,

[2:55] you know, they goes,

[2:56] where parents drop off,

[2:57] if you were standing there and looking at the

[3:00] sea building and the courtyard that's right there,

[3:03] on the grass that's right next to the road

[3:05] is a tree that the class in 1976 donated a while ago.

[3:11] And so for their 40th reunion, what they want to do is pay for the cost is they price it

[3:18] out that it's approximately $2,500 that they will cover and thus the donation where they

[3:24] want to be able to put a small grant of bench by that tree.

[3:31] And these were like iron, and they look very nice, and it's not a big god-y type of thing,

[3:38] just a small thing, and next is Memorial Tree. Kevin Rossley thinks it's a great idea,

[3:44] he's looked at it, it's good. And so in essence, the acceptance would be a

[3:59] or Memorial Tree. And I'm hoping that you will accept it. So moved.

[4:07] I'm happy to second it,

[4:09] but is it okay that we don't have like a dollar amount estimate? Like a reable of $1,500.

[4:14] That's $1,500. Okay. And that's give or take. There may be some flux within that.

[4:19] They will cover all of it. Okay. So moved with the flux.

[4:24] Not a second. Any questions or discussion?

[4:33] All right, so we do a vote.

[4:35] Morea? All right, yeah. Jack.

[4:39] Right on. Robby.

[4:41] Son there.

[4:42] Um, but almost said ira.

[4:44] Jason.

[4:46] I like reading the names.

[4:49] And bitter eye.

[4:51] Okay, so that passed again.

[4:52] I'm asleep.

[4:54] And I don't know.

[4:57] nice. Yeah, nice. A good bench. There's nothing better than a good bench. Very nice.

[5:04] Okay, so next is the draft LSLSSC meeting calendar. So this is the calendar. It's linked in the

[5:15] agenda of our meetings this year.

[5:20] And I think we've both kind of double-checked that there are

[5:23] correct days but who knows more on. I mean that's day bad as the date. So I think there's a

[5:34] it says Tuesday March 10th but I think it's supposed to be Wednesday March 10th.

[5:46] Tuesday is March 9th. Yep, you are correct. I'm fixing it right now.

[5:52] Okay, let me just check and then I like you guys I've looked at this and I just couldn't find

[6:02] and it could be here. So just correct me. Is there a Lincoln meeting?

[6:08] Oh, from yes. There is okay. What's it somewhere where the heck is it? I thought I had it in here.

[6:17] Hold on, usually we do that. Maybe I don't have it in there.

[6:22] Could have done it could be here. I just didn't see it you know why I didn't even think to look for it

[6:28] So I could do this is why we do this is Lincoln town meeting. Okay. Yeah, give me a second here

[6:38] Let's see here

[6:43] Yeah, when do we usually run that? Oh

[6:47] That actually if we did it this year. I'm sorry this past year

[6:54] It looks like I have that slated and I apologize for March the March 10th meeting. Actually, I runically enough, that's similar to when we had it last time and so I can actually do this and I'm going to go back to the 10th meeting March 10th.

[7:19] And boom, so I just put that in for Lincoln Town Hall, March 10th Wednesday.

[7:32] And that does is consistent with how we did it this year in past years.

[7:39] And can we do the other thing that will be in the Donaldson room?

[7:43] Yeah, so what we'll do is, is this gets approved and then we'll, will, should we all get on, ensuring, yes, best we can with the Donaldson room.

[7:53] All of the Donaldson room is the one with all the, that is, we have to...

[7:59] We actually like to the smaller room better. Yeah, so I don't know if that unless I change the owl

[8:06] I think that this is our room. This is the better owl room actually is better tech-wise

[8:11] The Donaldson room if you remember when we had

[8:14] Oh my gosh, so yeah

[8:16] We kept losing it. Yeah, that was the owl. That's why I kept hooting at us

[8:25] Okay, so whatever room is better. Yeah, and yeah

[8:29] can do hybrid if necessary. Yes. Yeah, they're the only two things that I noticed.

[8:37] Thank you. Yeah, thanks for catching that. And I put as many things in, like, for instance,

[8:44] like in December, usually around mid December is when we do the Lincoln budget workshop for

[8:51] the FY28 budget, and then right, I think last year it was on the same day, but they usually right next

[8:59] each other and then there's the Sudbury FY this year's budget FY27 budget pressure's meeting.

[9:08] And so one looks at next year for Lincoln and one looks at this year for Sudbury is how that goes.

[9:13] I just don't know when that's going to be. We just need to wait for it to hear from them.

[9:17] I put a tentative date for the Lincoln one. Just know that the Sudbury one usually is within

[9:22] right around that if not the same week and I'll put those in as soon as I get that from Sudbury.

[9:32] While we are on the topic of calendar, the workshop, so we have it right now for August 26th,

[9:46] but Jack has ended up with a conflict that can't be changed. The next best day was August 27th.

[9:55] I'm wondering if everyone could just quickly check their calendars now and see if August 27th would work rather than August 26th

[10:06] It may be that somebody else. I can't quite remember there was someone else who couldn't make it, but

[10:19] Yeah, I can do it

[10:22] I can make it

[10:23] It's time would be

[10:24] Is starting a five o'clock is that correct?

[10:27] Mm-hmm. Yeah

[10:29] It'd be not a conference for me

[10:32] Should work for me too unless I, there's something that wasn't on my calendar.

[10:38] Yeah, that's fine.

[10:40] So, for it's really just the variable would be Charles.

[10:45] Yeah.

[10:46] I feel like I might have asked him, but okay, so let's, let's not change it yet.

[10:53] Let me check with Charles and see if the 27th works, then why don't we plan to switch it to the 26th.

[10:59] set could not make it on the 26th. So I will ask if she can make it on the 27th.

[11:06] I think she was a no on the 26th and the 27th. Yeah, I think she's gone that whole. Yeah.

[11:13] Okay. All right. Thank you. So I think we should vote to approve this calendar.

[11:21] Anybody have a motion? Yeah, move to approve the calendar as presented

[11:30] earlier with the edit.

[11:34] All right, I'll second that.

[11:36] All right.

[11:37] All right.

[11:41] All right.

[11:42] All right.

[11:42] Ryan.

[11:44] Bobby.

[11:45] Simon.

[11:46] And Jason.

[11:48] McClure.

[11:49] And better eye.

[11:50] So that is proved.

[11:53] All right.

[11:54] Moving right along.

[11:55] Student rights and responsibilities handbook.

[11:58] Andrew, you want to just give us an update.

[12:00] on that and what we just need to take attention to in those documents.

[12:04] So I put a few things in. One was just the comparison chart that you've already seen before.

[12:12] The other is the student rights and responsibilities handbook that has specifically

[12:19] all of the changes in it including the attendance and the academic integrity, which

[12:26] When you were viewing it in June had not been crosswalked in that so that is in the complete handbook that you have

[12:36] The main item I know that there was some questions on was if you actually clicked on to the link for the attendance procedure

[12:46] I also highlighted it in the big student handbook, but this is just you know if you just went to the attendance when it's easier to find

[12:54] So we have language. There were two areas in terms of feedback. One was connected to ensuring that we are compliant with state law with regard to parent notification of absences.

[13:08] And so the in yellow is the and this is for verified absences, okay.

[13:16] indicates that that's language that applies to that, and then we also for unverified or for, you know, unverified absences and or cuts.

[13:29] That is a procedure that we have, I think actually in our school committee policy, that there's a parent notification piece with regard to that.

[13:40] and so the two of them together have us compliant with that aspect of that more ahead found of the

[13:47] state law regarding parent notification of blocks of absences that kids may have. The other

[13:55] piece was feedback that came down if you scroll down to the second page of that of the attendance

[14:02] procedure. I'm sorry page three. I think ultimately, Ravi, this was something that I think you suggested

[14:09] this language and we agree right where we're looking at what the the absences that do not count

[14:17] towards the the the caps that were put in place by the new regularly by the new procedure and

[14:24] we had we only had we had four things religious holiday state man attesting special

[14:29] head testing or at a school suspensions we added another piece that is in rare circumstances

[14:35] is other absences at administrators discretion that then provides cover and ability to be able

[14:41] to address those things that might be unique, that would fall under the totally reasonable.

[14:48] And those were the main two areas with regard to the finalizing the rollout communication.

[15:00] Because that's some of the peace that we need to do, but wanted to hopefully be able to have the handbook with these particular changes and the academic integrity and the attendance updated in there.

[15:15] Approved so that then we have the final approved handbook for this year that then we can roll out with regard to getting it out to families and students.

[15:24] because we have a sign-off aspect of it.

[15:28] And so that's why I wanted to get it on to this meeting

[15:32] with the hope of approving it.

[15:37] No, I go ahead.

[15:38] Yeah, I appreciate the listening part of the feedback

[15:43] that the school committee gave.

[15:45] And I was just curious,

[15:47] I don't know how this happens.

[15:49] So once this goes in,

[15:51] is this something that we can look at at the end of the year

[15:54] And just from just a perspective from you and staff to see how it went.

[16:00] Yeah, I think that that's fair.

[16:02] I think the same thing would be true with academic integrity as well.

[16:06] In terms of just looking at the update of how did it go?

[16:10] You know, just feels like there could be feedback from the parents.

[16:15] So I would just hope we can put it on in June, even give us a full year and you might say it went fine.

[16:21] or you might draw here some places where we could tweak.

[16:24] That would be my only suggestion if we can look at it at the end of the year.

[16:28] I'm putting in an our tentative topics for June.

[16:33] Oh, awesome.

[16:35] So just so we don't lose it.

[16:37] Yeah, exactly.

[16:41] And yeah, putting it in right now.

[16:44] And sorry, you said that you were working on how best to communicate this to parents?

[16:51] Yep.

[16:51] Yeah, I think that will be really helpful, because I think we're reading it again, because every time I'm like, okay, yeah, this is what needs to happen.

[17:02] And to be honest, we're purposely waiting until we get close to the year, totally honest, nobody's going to be paying attention until they have to pay attention, you know what I mean?

[17:13] and that includes staff administration, parents, students, everybody, as we get closer to it.

[17:19] So we don't want to send it out too early and have crickets chirping.

[17:24] So we're looking into the next, probably, not next week, but the week after getting that out.

[17:33] Robby.

[17:35] Thanks, Andrew.

[17:36] I appreciate the, you know, the in-depth presentation earlier this year on this and also,

[17:43] that you guys consider the feedback we gave. Just a super minor thing. It looks like the formatting

[17:51] got a little screwed up on one of the pages. Page six maybe. You know, before it's sent down.

[18:00] Are you in the standalone? Yes. Yeah, so that's not what's going to go out. It'll be the total

[18:09] handbook. Okay, so that's actually, yeah, and that's a double share and just regard it.

[18:15] Yeah, but I thought the prior two continents were also, but I agree with them, and I just fixed it

[18:21] in the stand alone too. I don't know why I did that, but should be fixed.

[18:28] Great. Okay, I asked what last question, and maybe it's in here. I'm just not seeing it.

[18:34] absence for visiting a college like after you're accepted and you go back and visit. Is that considered

[18:43] unverified? Because it's not, I think it's actually in there. College because it's aren't

[18:50] excused. I thought it would include college narrative. I feel like I saw it the first time around

[18:56] that I'd come find it again. Okay, there it is. And it's one where, you know, that then

[19:03] would be given the fact that there's a pretty, pretty reasonable cushion, you know, of the number

[19:11] that that that's not going to be an issue for the kids that are, you know, many of the kids that are

[19:17] that are tied to that. If it is, it's something that needs to be communicated with regard to family

[19:22] kid if that's something coming up, but that would be I would be very surprised if that impacted folks.

[19:29] Right. Right. And that way. Okay. Any other questions on this attendance policy?

[19:39] Any other questions

[19:40] on the student rights? So we would be voting on that within voting on students rights and

[19:54] all of the all of the changes they're in. Okay. Include attendance and that would include academic

[19:59] integrity and all the other changes that were presented and we're in that crosswalk document.

[20:06] I like to have one vote. I like the communication summary. That was helpful. The bill will be helpful.

[20:15] Tracy and Susan are very proud of that visual.

[20:23] Okay, so I guess if there aren't any other questions on the handbook, we can do a vote for the hand on the handbook, is there a motion to approve the final student rights and responsibilities handbook for our 2023 627.

[20:44] More.

[20:44] remove.

[20:46] And second feedback, all right roll calls vote more up.

[20:52] Pretty, Jackie.

[20:54] Jaz.

[20:55] Robby Simon

[20:56] Duncan

[20:57] G incapable arrived.

[20:59] depth.

[21:00] Okay.

[21:02] Uh.

[21:02] approved.

[21:02] Thank you very much.

[21:05] All right October 10.

[21:07] Post Trip.

[21:08] Uh, this was also a last week thing that I'm sneaking in.

[21:13] Um, but we,

[21:14] The German Exchange is occurring at the end of next year as do up.

[21:21] I don't know, for those of you that were on the committee two years ago, the last time this was school committee approved a posh sponsored trip in October and this is that same trip again.

[21:37] So it's timed with the German Exchange.

[21:39] completely paid for through Posh. So there's no cost to students, there's no cost to

[21:45] Shaperone, no cost to the school and anyway, Shaperform. It is actually a trip for two students,

[21:54] up to two students, so it's a much smaller trip to out to Esdis Park, Colorado. It's a German

[22:04] immersion weekend, focus on team building, interpretive and

[22:08] personal presentation skills, the criteria for student

[22:12] eligibility must be German two or three. And so yeah,

[22:16] the planned number of student participants is to with

[22:19] regard to that. And we would obviously have it would be

[22:24] Nathan Pritchard would be the adult chaparon, because

[22:27] he's up this year for the German.

[22:31] So, this is a revisitation of a prior-approved trip that was very positive for the participants. So, I'm hoping that you will approve that for it's slated for October 8th through the 11th in 2026. But I want to get that in. Is there always possible? So, he can start looking for people who might be interested in doing that. Who fit the criteria?

[22:59] What, Andrew, what is the motion you need?

[23:03] Motion, it's an overnight field trip request.

[23:05] So it's just to approve the overnight,

[23:07] the posh sponsored overnight field trip

[23:11] for October 8 through 11 to 26.

[23:15] So moved.

[23:18] Second.

[23:21] What's that?

[23:22] Any discussion, questions?

[23:30] Let's vote.

[23:30] Laura, ready? Jack?

[23:34] Ryan, I.

[23:35] Robbie, Sam and I.

[23:37] Jason?

[23:38] McClure, I.

[23:39] And better ride.

[23:41] Great.

[23:42] All right.

[23:43] And so you know why I ask you for the motion

[23:45] is like, so we don't get called at midnight

[23:46] for a meeting at 1 a.m.

[23:48] because they were waiting at the airport.

[23:51] I get those calls.

[23:56] All right.

[23:57] So the last thing we just wanted to touch on,

[23:59] only a few minutes left, but wanted to just review some potential topics for the workshop.

[24:05] I'm coming up on the 26th and see if there's any additional feedback on that.

[24:11] So what we've been planning so far, thanks to those of you who have offered suggestions for things to

[24:18] include, but thought we could start with a review of our norms and protocols, and I think that seems

[24:25] like a useful thing to do each year just to double check that we're all on that we are all

[24:31] up to speed on what the norms are and if there's anything that we want to adjust for this year

[24:35] based on our experiences last year. And then a discussion of the goals like we do each year and set

[24:43] some goals for the year. And then we have so we don't have like a professional development session

[24:51] planned or anything like that, but more of a series of discussions that kind of relate to,

[24:57] I think, where we're going to end up with our goals to check in on things and think about

[25:01] some strategies for meeting those goals. But actually, before that, one thing would be to also

[25:10] review the updated LSSC webpage to get some feedback more out of things for working on that.

[25:18] And I see that LSS, the LSS web page, is all website, is all at the state, and so you've been working on the LSS page, specifically is that correct.

[25:32] Andrew Kirida and I have a meeting this summer and just speaking it and they've been really helpful.

[25:42] So some of the other topics we thought that would be useful to touch on in terms of planning for the year include advisory update and are there areas that we want to think about this upcoming year for collecting data or looking at data related to advisory.

[26:00] Also, some follow-up discussion around planning to assess the calendar implementation and how that works during the year, so something that's going to be new this year and we want to try and think about how do we see how it's going as a year goes along.

[26:18] to other topics that were raised was academic integrity and AI proofing is there something

[26:26] around AI that we might want to touch on or discuss equity and hiring is their information

[26:34] that we want to collect during the year or procedures and protocols that we want to think

[26:39] about and how would we want to approach that topic moving forward.

[26:44] health insurance was also brought up as a potential topic and there are things that we want

[26:49] to look into given obviously high cost and escalation of health insurance.

[26:56] And then just have

[26:57] some discussion around planning ahead for PD. So I think the other the other two chairs so

[27:03] at the Lincoln and Sudbury chairs I met with it and we thought maybe an interesting thing rather

[27:09] then doing. So every year we typically have a try district meeting to discuss a topic, and

[27:15] we thought maybe this year it might make sense to do a common PD session. If there's a PD topic

[27:21] that both of that all three committees are interested in. So it would be great to spend some time,

[27:26] I think during this workshop thinking about some possible PD topics, and then we can see if that

[27:31] aligns with what the other two committees are looking at.

[27:38] So those are some of the things that we've

[27:39] about and you want to try and organize it into a nice agenda, but just wanted to get some initial

[27:46] feedback and see if anyone had other thoughts. It's a lot of things, so I think we may need to

[27:53] like hold in on a few topics, Jason. Yeah, I'm interested in an update on the cell phone policy

[27:59] and what the administration will were anticipating doing about that, whether that's something

[28:07] that's going to get tackled this year. I haven't seen anything happening in the legislature

[28:11] about that recently. So I don't know if that's something that made across the finish line or if

[28:16] it's still still waiting. Oh, I see Ravi's raising his effort. Yeah, Ravi, you're never going to

[28:20] call me. Because we had talked about it a bit and then we were like, well, you know what's happening for

[28:24] that. So I was, I was also going to bring that up, Jason, so I appreciate you doing it. Yeah,

[28:31] I still expect it will get through the legislature,

[28:35] you know, normally the formal sessions where they vote on kind of important substance

[28:41] of bills end at the end of July. So that's usually the deadline for things to get passed

[28:47] and be something that the governor's desk. But this this time around they changed the rules

[28:52] so that they haven't till January that started the next legislative session to get bills

[28:58] done that are in conference committees so when they're negotiating the differences between the

[29:02] House and the Senate, because the House worked in that proposal to ban miners from using

[29:07] social media,

[29:10] I assume they're negotiating over that and that that may take a while.

[29:15] So I think the expectation on Beacon Hill is that, I mean, everyone thinks the cell phone ban

[29:20] will go through and get done, but yeah, I assume they're going to push the implementation date

[29:26] that back because I don't know what it's going to come out of conference. But I agree it's worth

[29:31] discussing and planning for because I think that's still very likely to be an end it.

[29:37] Okay. Well, that did. Laura,

[29:43] we've had a touch upon this. I'm not sure if it's really a workshop topic,

[29:47] but vocational. And I'm not sure what to really talk about, but what is LS's role is their role.

[29:54] So, how can we help, um, so it's really a broad.

[30:00] It's a start of conversation. In our district, I don't know where it's going to go, but maybe it's not appropriate for this meeting, but just a thought.

[30:11] Could be a interesting thing, actually, to have a session where we bring in someone who knows more about it, it can talk to them about it.

[30:21] That's a critical topic and there's one way of looking at those.

[30:26] We could include SPS, both SPS and LPS, since it's technically their jurisdiction.

[30:37] And the select boards for each time, since they're the ones that are moving ahead with the issue.

[30:43] But it's certainly an important topic.

[30:47] I just, I don't think, it's probably enough for us

[30:50] to talk among ourselves without talking

[30:53] to the, including those folks as well,

[30:55] because that's the other ones that actually have to do it,

[31:01] but like I'm a better word.

[31:03] But I think it's, I think it's a,

[31:04] it's like a part of the, like, getting within the minute man.

[31:08] Yeah, but I know that the agreements

[31:11] between the select boards and the vocational schools.

[31:14] I was thinking more along a line of how can we help our students?

[31:19] I know they're not our students yet, but is there a role that we can play to assist in that?

[31:24] And yeah, just to educate ourselves on it, you know, I hear things, but I don't know

[31:30] what's accurate, what's not. So I'd just love to learn more about how many kids applied, how many kids

[31:36] got in how can we help next year if they're working and who didn't get in. I'm really just

[31:42] looking to learn and see if there's a place for us to help. And also learn if we can help

[31:53] you know get a agreement. Who knows? I don't know is the point I just left to learn more.

[31:59] Okay. Let's add it to the list and then I think Andrew maybe we can

[32:05] kind of figure out what it's feasible to do within that one session and what we might want to have a special session for later and all of that.

[32:14] I am conscious of time and I think it would be good for us to move on to executive session.

[32:21] So I am going to ask for a motion to enter into executive session without return to open meeting.

[32:28] Um, pursuant to general law, the 30A, section 21A, uh, one to discuss the reputation character

[32:37] physical condition or mental health rather than professional competence of an individual,

[32:42] or to just discuss the discipline or dismissal of or complaints or charges brought against

[32:46] a public officer employee staff member or individual, um, and to to conduct strategy sessions and

[32:53] preparation for negotiations with non union personnel or conduct collective bargaining sessions

[32:57] is a contract negotiations with non-union personnel

[32:59] with respect to the Metcode director role.

[33:03] Um, so moved.

[33:07] Is there a stuck in it?

[33:09] Second.

[33:10] Thanks.

[33:11] A roll call vote, Laura.

[33:13] Party I.

[33:14] Jack.

[33:15] Right, I.

[33:16] Robbie.

[33:17] Simon I.

[33:18] Jason.

[33:19] Clara.

[33:20] And bitter I.

[33:21] So we will move into a second session.

[33:24] You all have the Google Me information for that in the email

[33:28] that I sent and it is 7 p.m.

[33:33] We'll see you there.

LS School Committee - Meeting of August 13, 2026

Transcript