[0:00] I am calling to order the uh Middleton School Committee meeting.

[0:06] Today is Monday, June 1st. And please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

[0:15] [multiple voices] I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States

[0:19] of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation

[0:23] under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[0:28] Thank you.

[0:30] Um, seeing no remarks from the public.

[0:35] We will uh move on to approval from previous minutes, so in

[0:39] your drive and Ari, if you need help.

[0:44] Sure. Let me know.

[0:46] Um, in the drive are meeting minutes from the last meeting

[0:50] from uh May 4th.

[1:11] We will need a motion to approve the minutes.

[1:14] Yep, I will make a motion to approve the minutes from May 4th.

[1:17] I'll second that motion.

[1:19] Perfect, all in favor? Aye, Aye.

[1:21] Any opposed?

[1:23] Great.

[1:24] Okay, moving on.

[1:27] Um, next will be reports from other committees.

[1:33] Um, anything that we want to report on? We haven't met.

[1:36] We're time, yeah, those are, yeah, those meetings are on a little

[1:38] hiatus now until the budget's done.

[1:39] Okay.

[1:40] So PTO received that.

[1:41] Yeah, so PTO. Yep. Yep.

[1:43] So just a couple of things, um, PTO encourages the families to

[1:46] follow up on the social media, um, just to follow them and then

[1:50] as well as to click in and, um, to register for their newsletter

[1:53] just to get all of the information.

[1:56] I know this year they started doing like a monthly calendar and it's

[1:59] been sent home, it's at least phenomenal for myself.

[2:02] Yeah. Um, I know other parents have said great things about it.

[2:05] So that's like where you'll start getting any like newsletter

[2:07] information.

[2:08] They've been sending out a lot of information.

[2:11] Um, as for over the summer, they're really hoping or just in the next

[2:16] couple weeks too that everyone can start, um, going in that has

[2:21] a child in an elementary school to submit their t-shirt size so

[2:23] that they can get their fun run shirts ordered, um, and then info

[2:26] for their sponsorship opportunities will be coming out shortly.

[2:30] Um, and then I did talk to the president and she's just she said

[2:34] like the PTO's incredibly grateful for the support of the families,

[2:36] staff and community and just

[2:38] making everything possible for the kids this year.

[2:40] Um, and the teachers and the staff.

[2:42] And then I personally like just kind of want to throw it out there

[2:46] as well is like, I going to their meetings every other month, um,

[2:50] have just seen like how much they do and how incredible they are to

[2:53] like work with, how much they do for the teachers, for the staff

[2:57] and even the students, like one of the biggest things that I saw

[2:59] this year was we were on a budget freeze, but they were putting, they

[3:03] were going and like doing grants for the teachers and they were getting

[3:06] like the I'm gonna blank on what it is called if anyone wants to help

[3:09] out, but it's like the boards for the classrooms.

[3:11] Um, like the electronic boards and, um, like smartboards.

[3:16] Okay.

[3:17] I just feel like, I know, my son's in four, so he didn't see it, but

[3:20] like that is a big help for the teachers and for the students to

[3:23] like be getting new things even though like we were on a budget freeze.

[3:27] Um, so just very thankful for the PTO and how great they are,

[3:31] um, to the students and the teachers and the staff.

[3:34] So they got a grant for SmartBoards?

[3:36] So, yeah, so they were doing like throughout the year and they started

[3:40] it last year, I believe, um, they were like, like the fun run

[3:43] money and all the sponsorships that they do.

[3:44] They did like a grant program for the teachers, so they sent it out

[3:48] to the teachers, the teachers could apply for the grants and then I

[3:51] believe it was fifth grade that they got two or four of the

[3:53] smart boards.

[3:55] Wow.

[3:56] Um, and then yeah, like the pumpkin fest, like the PTO supplies all

[4:00] those pumpkins, the one of the grades wanted to do a science

[4:03] experiment with pumpkins this year,

[4:05] so they did all of those, um, just like the little extra asks that

[4:08] the teachers want to do with the students.

[4:10] They've just been able to really support.

[4:12] Okay. I don't remember approving that in like the gifts and grants.

[4:15] Because it wasn't...

[4:17] Did we have to approve that?

[4:19] Because I know that we have like gifts and grants sometimes.

[4:20] Yeah. Go ahead, Patina.

[4:22] So I don't think did that come through us?

[4:24] That's what I'm wondering if it comes through the PTO is that

[4:26] like separate?

[4:27] Yeah.

[4:28] I think it would be because they're part of our organization.

[4:30] It's not like an outside agency giving us like a gift per se.

[4:33] Not that I would like, yeah, refuse it.

[4:36] Okay.

[4:37] No, that's awesome.

[4:40] That's it. Okay. Excellent.

[4:42] And then as far as an update, um, from the CPack, our June meeting

[4:47] will be uh June 20th and um at 7 o'clock at Flatbread in Georgetown,

[4:51] it'll be more of just like a social end of the year.

[4:59] gathering. Um, at the May meeting we,

[5:01] um, did elections and so there's a new, a new board there.

[5:06] Um, myself and uh Stephanie, I say your last name wrong, but

[5:12] Bonape. Oh yeah, ba- yeah. Yeah, Stephanie from Boxford.

[5:15] Stephanie B from Boxford. Yeah, Bonape.

[5:17] Um, are are going to co-chair.

[5:19] And then secretary and treasurer, um, Aaron, um, Kreet from Boxford is

[5:26] going to step into that role. And then we had a few different people in the

[5:29] member at large. So for the first time in several years we actually have a

[5:34] full board, which is amazing. Um,

[5:35] and then lastly is uh Spotlight Awards. It's been out on our social media,

[5:39] it's gone out in, um,

[5:41] school newsletters, I believe.

[5:44] And families can nominate a staff member.

[5:47] It doesn't have to be a special education uh staff person,

[5:50] but it's somebody who has had a positive impact on your child who receives special education services.

[5:56] And um, we will um, provide them a little gift and the

[5:59] like the family's quote of appreciation, um, before the end of the school year.

[6:04] And the link is out on social media,

[6:06] but if anybody has trouble with it or needs the link,

[6:09] they can uh message me directly or find us on social media.

[6:12] And um, those will be going out in the next couple weeks.

[6:15] as well and staff always really appreciate the recognition of of that.

[6:19] And a nice little gift kind of separate from teacher appreciation week.

[6:22] Uh and that's all for CPAC.

[6:26] And any other committees, I don't think so.

[6:29] Uh moving on to reports from the superintendent.

[6:32] Thank you, Jackie. Good evening, everybody.

[6:34] Uh nice to see you all.

[6:36] Tonight's our re-organization meeting. Um, and uh,

[6:39] before we get into that, I'll just read into the record

[6:43] uh what our policy is on reorganization.

[6:46] Just wanted to welcome uh Ari uh to the team.

[6:49] Ari joining us uh on the school committee,

[6:52] uh just got elected for a three-year term.

[6:53] And Ari and I had a chance to connect earlier today briefly just to put

[6:56] a name and a face together, so I enjoyed the conversation

[6:59] and look forward to you being a part of the team, so welcome.

[7:01] Thank you. Of course.

[7:03] Um, so school committee organizational meeting, that's uh document that's in the drive,

[7:07] it reads school committee organizational meeting.

[7:09] For the purpose of organizing the school committee at its first regular meeting

[7:13] following the district's annual elections,

[7:15] we'll elect from its membership a chair, a vice chair and a clerk.

[7:19] All of whom will hold their respective offices for a term of one year,

[7:23] or until a successor is elected.

[7:25] In the event the chair and vice chair are no longer members of the school committee,

[7:28] the senior member will act as the chair pro tem.

[7:30] A majority of the members of the school committee will constitute a quorum.

[7:34] The election will proceed as follows.

[7:36] Nomination for the office of the chair will be made from the floor,

[7:38] the chair will be elected by a majority roll call vote of the

[7:41] members present and voting.

[7:43] If no nominee receives a majority vote,

[7:46] the election will be declared null and void and nominations will be reopened.

[7:49] Upon election, the new chair will then preside,

[7:51] calling for the election of the vice chair and the clerk in that order,

[7:55] and the procedure used for their election will be the same

[7:57] for that as electing the chair.

[7:59] Any vacancy among the offices occurring between organizational meetings will be

[8:02] filled by a member elected by the school committee.

[8:05] The election will be conducted as described above,

[8:07] following the election of offices,

[8:08] at its organizational meeting, the school committee then can proceed

[8:11] into its regular or special business as scheduled on the agenda.

[8:15] And so to begin, I'll see if we have a nomination for the office of chair

[8:18] by anybody.

[8:23] I nominate Jackie.

[8:25] Okay.

[8:26] Do we have a second? I will second that.

[8:29] Do we have any other nominations for chair for the Middleton School Committee

[8:32] for the 26-27 school year?

[8:37] Seeing none, we have a motion and a second, so we have to do a roll call vote.

[8:40] Dave. I. Jackie. I. Michelle. I. Ari. I. Patina. I.

[8:44] Jackie. Congratulations.

[8:47] Back to you. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay.

[8:50] So now we just moved down through.

[8:52] So we'll need uh a nomination for Vice chair. For Vice chair. Yep.

[8:57] And I need to go find the right document here.

[8:59] And that's a PDF, yep.

[9:02] Um, I will need a, a motion, a nomination for a vice chair.

[9:08] I'll nominate Dave.

[9:09] [tapping]

[9:12] I'll second that. Yeah, thank you. Okay, see if there's any other nominations.

[9:15] Any other nominations for vice chair?

[9:20] Cool. Okay, and then we'll need a roll call.

[9:22] So uh, Dave, we'll start with you.

[9:25] I. Jackie. I. Michelle. I. Ari. I. Patinana. I.

[9:31] There we go. Okay.

[9:32] Thank you very much.

[9:34] And then next we will need a nomination for uh, clerk.

[9:39] And clerk is just kind of third in succession.

[9:43] Uh, should the chair or the vice chair not be available,

[9:48] um, for some business.

[9:53] Um, and who was our clerk for this year?

[9:58] I'm forgetting. Michelle. Okay.

[10:00] Was it me? Yes. Oh, okay. Okay.

[10:02] Um, and and I guess

[10:09] Is there anybody who is me ask if anybody is interested?

[10:14] We'll see if there's a nomination for clerk first.

[10:16] Okay, okay, we go there. Okay.

[10:18] Um,

[10:20] I will

[10:22] I'll nominate Patina. Okay.

[10:23] [laughter]

[10:26] I'll second that.

[10:28] And then is there any other nominations?

[10:31] [laughter]

[10:32] Okay.

[10:33] Shall you want to do that?

[10:34] Thank you, Michelle.

[10:35] Um, okay, then we're going to do a roll call.

[10:37] Yeah.

[10:38] So Dave,

[10:39] I.

[10:40] Jackie, I.

[10:41] Michelle.

[10:43] I,

[10:44] sorry.

[10:45] Ari, I.

[10:46] Do my vote? Yes.

[10:48] Yeah.

[10:49] Patina, I.

[10:50] Okay.

[10:51] And congratulations.

[10:52] Correct.

[10:53] Okay.

[10:54] Okay.

[10:55] And then

[10:56] So these Jackie are we don't do votes and nominations

[10:58] for these.

[10:59] These are just looking for people to raise their hand.

[11:02] Sometimes people like, 'I really like this committee.'

[11:03] I'll do it again.

[11:05] next year or whatever the case may be.

[11:06] And we can provide a little explanation.

[11:08] For each one as we go through.

[11:10] Just to kind of make sure everybody is aware of

[11:12] the full scope of what they are.

[11:14] So the first one is

[11:15] a TTU and it's usually the chair plus two. Yeah. Yeah.

[11:18] Um, so I I will take one of the the seats.

[11:22] Um, is anybody else interested?

[11:24] Usually it's uh for TTU, it is what is it quarterly?

[11:29] Yeah, four meetings.

[11:30] Um, so four meetings a year.

[11:32] Um, this year was really nice in Middleton.

[11:35] Because it was immediately following our meeting,

[11:37] but next year it's going to Topsfield.

[11:39] Uh, Boxford.

[11:40] Why am I out of order?

[11:41] Okay, so yes, it's going back to Boxford.

[11:43] Um, so it would be immediately following one of their meetings.

[11:46] So, um, for whoever takes the role,

[11:48] it'll likely be on a different night.

[11:51] So we would have our meeting on a Monday night, say,

[11:54] and then we would have to attend a Boxford meeting

[11:56] four times a year.

[11:59] Um,

[12:00] What night what night of the week do they typically have those meetings?

[12:03] Uh, they they haven't decided for next year,

[12:05] but it's typically been the second and fourth Thursday.

[12:07] But it's they only have two meetings a month

[12:09] like maybe three or four of the months out of the year.

[12:12] So but it's usually the second,

[12:14] I would say is the more logical second

[12:16] Thursday of the month.

[12:17] The second Thursday.

[12:18] Yeah, the fourth usually gets

[12:19] I can volunteer for one of those spots.

[12:20] Okay.

[12:22] Um, and is anybody else interested in that third position?

[12:28] I'd take the third position.

[12:30] Okay.

[12:31] Excellent.

[12:32] Okay.

[12:33] And are you all available tonight?

[12:35] Tonight?

[12:36] Yeah, for the TTU meeting.

[12:38] Sure. I didn't know

[12:39] Will dinner be served?

[12:42] Maybe not.

[12:43] Um, I am available for tonight.

[12:45] I don't think that I am.

[12:46] Okay.

[12:47] As long as we I mean we need five total.

[12:49] I can still go tonight.

[12:50] Three committees, would that work?

[12:51] Can Patina go where she was on it last year?

[12:53] Um,

[12:57] It's good question.

[12:58] I you'd have to nominate her to I think

[13:00] go back to TTU for one more meeting

[13:02] or something just to make it official.

[13:03] And so for Michelle to start on in the 26, 27 school year.

[13:08] So why don't we do this, why don't we if you can go tonight,

[13:11] I can go tonight.

[13:12] I just Why don't we say Patina is the third member?

[13:14] Okay.

[13:14] And then I'll make a note on our summer meeting.

[13:16] Okay.

[13:17] We'll just elect Michelle as a member of the TTU.

[13:18] Okay.

[13:19] And I guess you have questions.

[13:20] Ari, are you able to stay for the next

[13:23] Yes, I am.

[13:23] Then do we need Patina if if the two of us can go?

[13:26] Um, it's

[13:27] It's always good to have three

[13:28] if we can cuz the other two towns show up with one,

[13:31] then we would have five.

[13:32] Okay.

[13:33] Okay.

[13:34] So knowing that I have we have three is not a bad thing.

[13:37] Okay.

[13:38] Okay. Thank you.

[13:39] Yeah.

[13:39] So I'll make a note. So let's yeah, so we have our three people.

[13:42] Yes.

[13:43] And then I'll make a note that Michelle and Patina switch at the summer meeting.

[13:46] Okay.

[13:47] Okay.

[13:49] And then next

[13:50] is the uh policy review subcommittee.

[13:54] Um, I'll state.

[13:55] Yeah.

[13:56] Okay.

[13:57] Perfect.

[13:57] Thank you, Dave. I'll for that.

[14:00] Um,

[14:01] and then uh next is CPAC liaison and I will keep uh the CPAC.

[14:08] Uh,

[14:09] roll.

[14:09] And then next is uh school committee recording secretary.

[14:14] Is anyone interested in that?

[14:16] I think it's

[14:16] Yeah.

[14:17] It is.

[14:18] It is, Colleen, she's waving.

[14:20] Yes.

[14:21] Um, so Colleen will continue in that role.

[14:23] Thank you, Colleen for all you do.

[14:26] And then negotiation subcommittee.

[14:27] And can somebody just remind me where we are in the cycle?

[14:30] Yeah.

[14:31] So we are in so that'll be a light year

[14:33] this coming year, 26, 27, should be

[14:35] little to no lifting.

[14:37] Um, next year at this time when we're volunteering for that,

[14:41] you know, that personal need to be prepared for like

[14:43] every Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30

[14:46] like we did this past go around from January to June

[14:47] kind of a thing.

[14:48] We'll follow the same format as we did,

[14:50] you know, three years ago at that time

[14:53] and I think it'll be very similar.

[14:55] Um, but yeah, so this year I think if you're looking to be on a very light committee, that's a good one to raise your hand for.

[15:00] Yes.

[15:01] Um, I am interested

[15:03] So the chair

[15:03] just um as one of the seats.

[15:06] So we're going to need a second person again.

[15:09] very light this year and then the alternate again in the

[15:12] event that one or two cannot cannot make it.

[15:15] I can do it, I'll be an alternate either way.

[15:18] Same. Okay, Dave. And Bettina. Perfect.

[15:23] I can continue being the communications liaison.

[15:27] Okay.

[15:32] Okay, and then school handbook, um,

[15:35] is another one that's that's pretty light.

[15:39] it just entails reviewing the handbook

[15:43] before school starts, um, with the principles and

[15:47] providing any feedback as far as typos or if it's

[15:49] missing something.

[15:54] Is anybody interested in that?

[15:56] I can do that. Okay.

[16:02] And then, uh, Fincom, oh, we already have one

[16:05] person listed here for the Fincom.

[16:07] Yeah, I think that what we did, um, we had the

[16:10] chair kind of be like an automatic.

[16:11] Okay, if you can still do it, and then we had, yep.

[16:13] I'll I'll do it if you want alternate.

[16:16] Perfect. Dave. Okay.

[16:21] Okay. And then, uh, PTO Liaison.

[16:26] Anybody interested in the PTO Liaison?

[16:29] I'm happy to do it again, unless you want to join,

[16:31] or unless you want to do it.

[16:33] Do do you have to go to the meetings as a PTO

[16:35] Liaison? Are they meetings?

[16:36] I went to every other, and then I just, um, would

[16:38] check in with the president.

[16:40] Okay. It might be tough for me just because my wife

[16:42] is at the meeting too, and finding child care for

[16:44] that would be.

[16:45] Oh, okay, fair enough. Yeah.

[16:47] I'm happy to do it again. Okay.

[16:50] Okay. And then, um, next is Facilities Liaison.

[16:56] I can do that.

[16:58] I can do that with C. Yeah.

[17:00] Okay. And, um, Health and Wellness Liaison.

[17:07] Who was that this time around? I mean Colin.

[17:11] Yeah. I can look it up.

[17:14] I thought it might have been Joe.

[17:16] Let me look.

[17:22] 29 25, I want.

[17:43] All right, here it is. So it was

[17:48] Joe. Yeah.

[17:52] I know for the Trittown because we had like, um,

[17:55] Sherice and all that for the Trittown but what what

[17:58] does that look like? Can you remind us?

[18:00] Yeah, so that has been in the past, you know, they had

[18:02] to rewrite the Health and Wellness policy. That was

[18:04] something that that group did, um,

[18:06] it's a lot with food services, any of the

[18:08] programming around recycling or

[18:10] any activities, after school programs and night programs

[18:13] like the Get Moving night that we used to do and

[18:15] things like that.

[18:17] So it's just liasing with Sherice and other folks

[18:19] from across the tricity area on things related to

[18:20] health and wellness.

[18:22] And how often do they

[18:24] It's pretty light. I think it's maybe maybe

[18:25] four or five times a year.

[18:28] Yeah. Is anybody interested in that?

[18:32] I can do it. Okay.

[18:36] Sorry.

[18:40] Um, and next is Safety Liaison.

[18:46] what that all entails. Yes.

[18:48] Yeah, that has been in the past any of the work we've

[18:50] done around crisis communications.

[18:52] It was a heavier lift years ago when we were trying to

[18:54] get everything on board with Crisis Go and

[18:56] any of our school crisis planning that we do or if

[18:58] a situation emerged and

[18:59] we needed, you know, the chair and someone else from

[19:01] the committee to serve as like a school committee rep

[19:04] on navigating through some type of an emergency

[19:05] situation, those folks would step in.

[19:08] I'm happy to do that.

[19:13] And then, so the Crest Board of Directors will

[19:15] continue to be

[19:17] Dr. Morrison, the North Shore Education Consortium,

[19:19] um,

[19:20] will continue to be Dr. Morrison and legislatively

[19:23] as on, will continue to be Dr. Morrison.

[19:26] Uh, the last piece is the signatory, um,

[19:28] authorization, um,

[19:30] which is being available to sign payroll or other

[19:34] documents, um,

[19:36] as needed outside of the meetings.

[19:39] Um, I'm happy to keep one of those.

[19:43] I can do the all if you want.

[19:47] And do we have a printed copy of that for tonight?

[19:49] I need someone to be primary specifically and

[19:51] someone to be secondary specifically.

[19:53] Oh, for this? So I'll I will primary.

[20:01] And then do we circulate that for signature

[20:02] afterwards, calling?

[20:04] Correct. Okay.

[20:06] So we need to nominate

[20:08] Jackie and Dave for that?

[20:10] Yes. Oh, okay. Okay, great.

[20:11] Okay, so I'll nominate Jackie Dubois to be primary

[20:14] signatory authorization, um, for town hall compliance.

[20:21] Second.

[20:23] Okay, all in favor?

[20:24] I. I.

[20:25] Any opposed?

[20:26] Oh, it says roll call vote.

[20:28] Okay.

[20:28] Yeah.

[20:29] I.

[20:30] Apparently I should have been wearing my glasses.

[20:32] Uh, Jackie, I.

[20:33] Uh, Michelle, I.

[20:35] Ari, I.

[20:36] Bettina, I.

[20:37] And do we need to vote the secondary one? Okay.

[20:40] Thank.

[20:41] Um, I will nominate Dave De Bonas to be the secondary

[20:45] signatory authorization per town hall compliance.

[20:48] And I will second that.

[20:50] I.

[20:51] Roll call.

[20:52] I.

[20:53] Jackie, I.

[20:54] Michelle, I.

[20:55] Ari, I.

[20:56] Bettina, I.

[20:58] Thank you.

[21:01] All right.

[21:02] Okay.

[21:06] And close that out.

[21:11] And moving on to um next.

[21:18] Uh, chatting the course.

[21:19] Starting the course.

[21:20] Yeah.

[21:21] Yes.

[21:22] Mhm.

[21:23] So chatting the course is just uh probably mostly for Ari at

[21:27] this point. Uh, chatting the course is MASC is the name of your

[21:30] sort of parent organization. It's the Mass Association School Committees.

[21:33] Yep.

[21:34] Mine is MASS Mass Association schools superintendents.

[21:37] So MASC offers a number of trainings and sessions throughout

[21:41] the year. You'll start getting emails from them, um,

[21:43] once we get you all sort of cued into the system.

[21:45] But one of the ones is called charting the course.

[21:47] And it's basically the primer on how to be on a school

[21:51] committee and what are all the motions and what are the votes

[21:53] and just all the sort of the ins and outs of being

[21:54] a school committee member.

[21:56] So Antonette will do some outreach to you, Antonette's

[21:58] in uh the Superintendent office.

[22:00] and she'll do some outreach for you.

[22:02] there never seems to be a convenient location, it's always

[22:05] like Bellingham and, you know, like really far away.

[22:08] But it kind of is what it is.

[22:10] A couple years they did offer them online. I don't know if

[22:12] they're still doing that.

[22:13] But if you can just sort of put charting the course and Antonette

[22:15] in your head and those connections will be made.

[22:17] in the coming weeks and when you see one of those courses,

[22:19] the goal is always to try to get it done sometime within the

[22:22] first year of your school committee service.

[22:24] Just helps with all the kind of understanding all the technical

[22:26] parts of the meetings and and things like that.

[22:29] Okay.

[22:30] Yep.

[22:32] And then just last thing from me. Um, so Dessie, um,

[22:35] has been collecting student attendance data. I

[22:38] they collect staff attendance data as well.

[22:41] Um, and so in the drive, you'll see a PowerPoint slide, it says

[22:44] 2526 student attendance.

[22:47] And I just grabbed our three towns.

[22:50] And so go to the bottom part of the slide first, so that's

[22:53] the 24 25 data.

[22:55] It was as of March 1st in 2425.

[22:59] And if you dial in on Middleton, our attendance rate was 94.6.

[23:04] The average number of absences was 5.9.

[23:08] Um, absent 10 or more days, um, 17.7. These are uh percentages.

[23:15] Um, chronically absent, 10% or more, so that would be obviously

[23:18] 18 or more days.

[23:20] Uh, that's 13%.

[23:22] And then chronically absent, 20% or more, which would be 36 or

[23:26] more days. That was 1.3.

[23:29] So if you compare that to the top part of the slide, so in

[23:33] 2526, so Dessie just sent an email out on this a

[23:35] couple of weeks ago.

[23:37] And so I grabbed the data for 2526, and again, Middleton,

[23:40] the attendance rate was 93.5.

[23:44] The average number of absences was seven.

[23:47] And then absent 10 or more days, 26.5.

[23:52] And then chronically absent, which is 10% or more was 21.2.

[23:56] And then chronically absent, uh, 20% or more is uh 2.3%.

[24:02] So a bump, uh, in the numbers across the board, uh,

[24:04] just more of an informational item just for us to be aware of.

[24:08] Always says nobody's going in the right direction.

[24:09] Yeah.

[24:10] Yeah, they all seem to go up.

[24:13] Do we have a sense, is it like vacation related? Is it illness

[24:16] related?

[24:17] It's a combo.

[24:18] Is it families, most like if you have one sibling out and

[24:20] then the other?

[24:21] Yeah, I think Jeff and Mike could probably attest to that, um,

[24:24] that it's typically uh if you have one sibling out, it's

[24:26] it's typically another.

[24:27] I think, you know, coming out of COVID, the travel piece of it is,

[24:30] you know, just not traveling on February vacation and traveling

[24:32] the week before or after is economically. Yes.

[24:35] Way more viable for people.

[24:38] Um, so again, it's just an informational point.

[24:41] nothing more, just something for us to keep be aware of.

[24:44] I think as we think about, you know, when we get into the

[24:46] fall and we look at assessment scores and we look at data,

[24:48] student data and things like that, this just becomes a piece

[24:50] of the puzzle, right?

[24:51] If someone's absent 18 days, 10%, right? That's almost a

[24:54] month of school.

[24:56] When you think there's anywhere between like 18 and 22 days in

[24:59] a in a month of school.

[25:01] Uh, and 20%, you know, that's almost like two months of school

[25:04] if you think of like 36 days, roughly, give or take.

[25:08] So it's just, you know,

[25:11] informational just sharing, I think,

[25:12] you know, as you guys talk to your

[25:14] colleagues and and in your fellow

[25:16] citizens in town.

[25:17] You know, it's just something that

[25:19] to be mindful of as we navigate through a school year more than

[25:23] So, not to deliver it with a finger wag, just deliver it as

[25:25] a piece of data.

[25:27] Okay. That's all. Thank you. Yeah.

[25:32] Okay, moving on to the report

[25:34] of the assistant superintendent of operations.

[25:36] Hmm. Good evening, everyone.

[25:38] was including the drive

[25:40] is the financial report for June.

[25:42] And message remains consistent.

[25:46] And we have been in the as you know, been in the spending freeze

[25:48] for this fiscal year.

[25:51] and we are starting the process of closing the books,

[25:55] schools out June 16th

[25:57] and the goal is to wrap things up by the end of June.

[26:00] Don't want any encumbrances if I can avoid it.

[26:04] Um, there will be some outstanding

[26:07] invoices uh that we know will be coming

[26:11] And again, overall, the goal is to

[26:14] preserve the revolving accounts and

[26:16] create some consistency over the next few years,

[26:19] especially as we look at

[26:23] FY28, FY29 and possible

[26:25] exposure for an override.

[26:29] So with that, I will stop talking

[26:31] and answer any questions the committee may have.

[26:36] And I will do a a 101, and we'll go over, I'll go over all of it.

[26:41] And see just in the interim just for tonight and for now,

[26:43] so I can come prepared when he meets with you.

[26:45] If you go to page three, just talk about the cost categories and how

[26:47] those are the nine cost centers and just about that.

[26:50] So when we talk about this, those nine categories

[26:53] on page three. I'm sorry? Just by on page three of the. Yeah. Yeah.

[26:58] So when we talk about the cost categories.

[27:01] Those are like the major areas of our budget.

[27:06] And when we go through it, it's salaries,

[27:09] supplies,

[27:11] in district special education costs, insurance,

[27:15] out of district tuitions,

[27:18] facilities, utilities,

[27:21] transportation,

[27:22] and take them home, PD.

[27:24] And professional development.

[27:28] So, those are the main areas when we talk about our budget

[27:31] and the main areas of of expenditure.

[27:35] Salaries of course being the largest.

[27:37] about, you know, if you don't if you factor in insurance, it's

[27:40] about 60 somewhat percent, without

[27:42] insurance, it would be like 80 somewhat percent.

[27:45] So when we go through these financial reports and you see

[27:48] those nine class categories, we try to sort all those budget

[27:50] expenditure lines. We do sort them by those cost categories.

[27:56] So, you'll see detail line by line by line.

[28:00] And there's like 260 expenditure lines for the general fund,

[28:03] and then we summarize those into the nine lines,

[28:06] and then that all feeds up into the major summary report, which is not

[28:11] that so everything I just said is the general fund.

[28:15] And then we have grants.

[28:17] So, a you know, multiple grants.

[28:20] Then we have what's called revolving accounts, which are really fee-based

[28:22] uh types of programs.

[28:25] And then we have what's called warn articles, things that are voted

[28:27] outside of the budget for specific purposes.

[28:31] And so, you'll see those in the financial report and it goes in

[28:33] that order.

[28:35] Major summary, breakdown to nine categories, and then detail

[28:38] line by line.

[28:41] All right. But again, when we do a budget 101, we'll go over all of it.

[28:45] Anything else, Dr. Morrison, any other

[28:48] questions, thoughts, feedback?

[28:53] All right. So we'll we'll keep everybody posted as we go through

[28:56] the the close out, so Dr. Morrison will be communicating,

[28:58] we'll we'll both be communicating with you. We get to that point

[29:01] probably sometime in July

[29:04] to say this is where we're at, and this is the strategy

[29:06] we're recommending to go.

[29:09] Thank you. Thank you.

[29:13] Okay. Next is report of the principles.

[29:14] We have um May updates.

[29:19] So, at how Manning, it has been

[29:21] busy and gets busier as we get closer to the end.

[29:27] Um, in May uh we did

[29:30] [cough] pardon me, we did finish

[29:38] We were able to

[29:39] Yeah. Yeah.

[29:41] finish MCAS, um,

[29:44] We did not have 100% participation rate this year,

[29:48] um, but we will be in the high 90s.

[29:50] We had um more this year, um

[29:53] parents asked that their student not take the MCAS this year,

[29:58] uh than we have in the past.

[29:59] There is no technical opt out,

[30:01] um but they will just not receive a score and we will um

[30:04] it will affect our participation rate.

[30:09] Um, so that is done.

[30:11] We had our fifth and sixth grade spring musical Finding Nemo.

[30:16] Kira Clemenzi and Michael Joyce, um, put on a great show.

[30:20] They did it four or five times,

[30:22] twice for families and twice in school.

[30:26] one for Fuller Meadow kids and one for Hamaney kids.

[30:30] Um, so it was very good.

[30:32] Upcoming, tomorrow is Field Day.

[30:35] Uh, and for the first time it will be actual Field Day

[30:38] and not field hour for the grade levels.

[30:40] We used to do it. PTO used to put the whole thing on themselves.

[30:45] Um, each grade level got an hour outside.

[30:47] Tomorrow, I had some teachers that wanted it to be a day.

[30:51] I said, go ahead.

[30:53] Um, they actually took me up on it and planned it in conjunction with PTO.

[30:58] So tomorrow is either going to be a great day or it might be

[31:01] the last time we have

[31:03] Field Day. That remains to be seen.

[31:06] The weather's going to cooperate though, so that is, um, a good thing.

[31:10] So, um, stay tuned on that.

[31:14] Uh, Friday the 5th is the sixth grade Walk to End Childhood Cancer.

[31:19] So all of our sixth graders will be walking around the reservoir.

[31:23] They've been raising money for the last month or so, um, for that.

[31:28] Friday, March 5th is also Howie's fourth birthday, if you're interested.

[31:32] Um, he's actually this sixth grade class has had Howie all the way through

[31:37] elementary or how Manning.

[31:40] So, it's a momentous one, I guess you could say.

[31:44] Um, fourth grade...

[31:45] What are you doing for the for the party?

[31:48] Nothing. Oh, okay. Yeah.

[31:50] He'll get a cake at home, I guess.

[31:53] I'm sure my wife will do something.

[31:54] Pup, pup.

[31:55] He gets to go to work.

[31:57] That's what he loves. Yeah.

[31:58] Uh, on Tuesday the 9th, our sixth grade's going to Cedarland.

[32:03] Um, over in Haverhill,

[32:06] I believe it is. Yep.

[32:08] Uh, and our fourth grade's going on their Tidepool, their annual Tidepool.

[32:11] And then fourth grade on the 12th has Comicon.

[32:15] The 15th is the moving on ceremony for sixth grade.

[32:18] That'll be at 9:30 on our baseball field.

[32:22] Uh, it will be a nice day that day as well.

[32:25] There is a backup plan, but we don't talk about it out loud

[32:27] because that's bad luck.

[32:29] Um, and the 16th is the last day of school that is an early

[32:32] release day for students at 12 o'clock.

[32:36] Uh, one other thing that I did skip over, this past Wednesday the 27th,

[32:42] um, Masco seniors returned to Hamanning.

[32:46] Um, we did a clap out for them and then they got a chance for

[32:49] about a half an hour to

[32:51] just walk around and visit their former teachers.

[32:55] Um, I think that's quickly, this is the second year in a row

[32:57] we've done it.

[33:00] We did it once or twice pre-COVID, never really was a solid thing,

[33:03] but, um, I think now it's become one of the favorite days of the year

[33:06] for at least for the staff anyway

[33:08] to see that they're all digging through their old pictures and

[33:11] putting them up on the doors and everything for the kids.

[33:14] Um, so it was a lot of fun to to see them. This one was also special

[33:18] because this is the class that walked out on March 11th, 2020,

[33:22] um, not knowing that they would never return to Hamaning again.

[33:25] So, they got, That's crazy.

[33:28] They did not get to have their clap out in sixth grade.

[33:30] So this was a good thing for them.

[33:34] And that's my updates. We'll save the zip. Good night.

[33:37] Oh, the 9th, sorry.

[33:38] Uh, June 9th.

[33:41] Uh, we are sending some students, no, the 9th or the 8th? The 8th, sorry.

[33:47] June 8th, Monday, June 8th, a week from today.

[33:49] We are sending students to Special Olympics.

[33:52] Over at North Andover High School.

[33:55] Um, very excited to be a part of that and am happy that they

[33:59] have asked us to join them this year.

[34:02] You have that penciled in your calendar. I think I had sent

[34:04] an email early on about Howie possibly being part of the

[34:09] He'll be there. Excellent.

[34:10] Even just for the like the opening ceremony.

[34:13] It starts at nine, correct?

[34:15] Um, everybody's arriving at nine.

[34:17] The ceremonies are going to be closer like 9:30.

[34:20] 9:30.

[34:22] Yeah, I have it. Okay.

[34:23] 9:30.

[34:24] You will be there.

[34:25] Excellent.

[34:27] I just attended, they did a junior one with just Andover

[34:29] and North Andover.

[34:31] Um, we said we're going to start slow, just with the older

[34:33] kids this year.

[34:35] Um, and it was a super fun, fun day event. Family showed up.

[34:39] Um, so looking forward to that.

[34:41] What's the location again, Jackie?

[34:43] North Andover High School.

[34:44] The big field out behind North And over.

[34:46] Okay.

[34:47] They will send us a map and I'll share that out with everybody

[34:49] that's coming.

[34:52] Um, thank you, Jeff.

[34:55] Anything else, or we're good to move on to Fuller Meadow?

[34:58] Oh, good.

[35:00] Go for it.

[35:01] Good evening, everybody.

[35:03] Uh, so May was a quick month and here we are in June.

[35:06] Tomorrow, our kindergarten.

[35:07] Students are going to visit uh uh actually the Firefighters Z is coming to visit the kindergarten students tomorrow for their fire safety training.

[35:15] Uh on the fifth, kindergarten has their serenade and picnic, which I'm excited to learn about.

[35:21] Uh June 8th, we have our field day with the rain date of June 10th.

[35:26] On the 11th, our first and second graders will be walking to the fire station and the police department and checking out the new buildings over here.

[35:33] Um June 12th, we have a the grade two Luau, which is new to us this year, kind of a little bit of a kind of a party celebration moving on for them.

[35:42] Uh which will only include uh students and staff, no parents.

[35:47] Uh the 16th is the last day of school and on June 22nd, the roof project kicks off.

[35:54] So, and you have a few students attending special Olympics because it it um overlapped with field day.

[36:01] So we gave our students the um the choice.

[36:04] The choice. And I think we have two.

[36:05] I think so, yeah. Yes.

[36:08] That's exciting. We'll try and plan differently for next year.

[36:10] Yeah, but still.

[36:13] Um, okay, well, thank you very much. Anybody have any questions for the principles?

[36:19] Um, moving on to SIP year one update.

[36:24] Yep, so as part of the uh school improvement plan uh policy work that we did,

[36:28] uh we had two-year plans written at the schools with the idea of a an update at the end of year one.

[36:33] So in the drive, uh you will see the approved plans, the SIP

[36:38] approved plans for both Fuller and Howe.

[36:40] And uh Jeff and Mike just want to give us an update on uh

[36:42] how the plans are going at each school.

[36:44] So I don't know who wants to start.

[36:47] I'll start. I'll stay in our our order.

[36:49] Okay. If that's all right. Uh.

[36:51] Um, so on page starting on page six of our plan, um,

[36:55] is our goals for the year. We had three goals:

[36:58] one inclusive practices,

[37:00] social emotional learning and innovative teaching.

[37:05] Um, just focusing really on the actions.

[37:09] Uh many of them are uh in process.

[37:12] There are some that we have not started and are holding

[37:14] for year two.

[37:16] Uh so on the top of page six, um,

[37:19] the first one is one that's we're holding on on for year two.

[37:24] Um, the review and implement the updated Tri Town School Union D cap.

[37:28] Uh we have reviewed it uh and implemented it on some levels.

[37:31] We have further uh implementation work to do particularly as it

[37:34] um relates to our IST process.

[37:40] Um, the rest are

[37:45] fully in process.

[37:50] And goal number two, the social emotional learning, um,

[37:53] continue to implement PVIS structures is ongoing.

[37:57] Uh, the relationship mapping is ongoing. We completed the student

[38:00] or the the the teacher portion of the relationship mapping, um,

[38:04] back in November.

[38:07] and we will conduct the student portion of that in the next

[38:11] week or two, uh, week or and a half.

[38:15] uh before we leave for the summer.

[38:18] Uh, the rest um are also all in progress.

[38:27] And then goal number three, under the innovative teaching, um,

[38:33] all of those continue to be in process as well, uh,

[38:38] and we'll continue into next year.

[38:41] The last one, the the create opportunities for teachers to explore AR and VR within the classroom setting.

[38:47] is a little bit stalled that it happens in in some places.

[38:52] Um, one aspect of that is

[38:54] um the availability of the sets.

[38:59] Uh we have one really class set to use.

[39:02] Um, and so people have to pass that around,

[39:04] but it's also a matter of finding things that are

[39:06] of actual education value and not just entertainment value.

[39:12] Um, we want to make sure that we're using it for the former and not the just the latter.

[39:16] Um, though it is interesting to be introduced to it.

[39:19] I think all of the kids have experienced the

[39:23] the entertainment aspect of AR and VR

[39:26] and it's really hammering what's available and it's

[39:28] what's quality um instructional practices with that.

[39:36] And I think that's it unless somebody has questions.

[39:41] I like how this is laid out.

[39:44] Yeah. Kind of ties in with district work.

[39:47] Yep. Yep.

[39:48] Um, and then the two-year plan again, at the end of year one, we do the update here and then

[39:53] they'll start working on uh by May 15th of 27, the next two-year plan

[39:59] uh will come together.

[40:04] Anybody have any questions?

[40:06] About the How Meaning plan.

[40:09] Moving on to Fuller Meadow.

[40:11] Okay, Fuller Meadow, if you want to look on page five,

[40:15] uh, with our goal of one inclusive practices, uh, utilizing database

[40:19] decision-making to identify and meet

[40:20] the dynamic diverse academic and social emotional behavior needs of students.

[40:25] Uh, under actions, continue grade level data meetings.

[40:29] We've done that. We do that three times a year. We're just finishing up our last one now.

[40:33] We continue with our monthly collaborative meetings. We're doing that.

[40:36] Our EL learners meeting with teachers. Uh, that is something that is ongoing.

[40:42] Uh, the next page down facilitate destruction regarding inclusive practices.

[40:47] Members of the MTSS team will communicate.

[40:50] Uh, that's something that is always ongoing.

[40:53] Um, the next one, team investigates grade forms.

[40:56] to be used in linked it.

[40:58] Uh, anything that you see that says linked it will be kind of, um,

[41:02] switching gears toward

[41:03] um, open architecture.

[41:07] Open arc. Architect? Architecture, yes.

[41:09] Architect, which is the the platform that will be using next year.

[41:13] We found that linked it was a little bit not so user-friendly, so

[41:17] um, a lot of this stuff, you see linked it, you can just substitute open architect there.

[41:22] Uh, student records forms, SEL, TAT, 504, we continue to work on those forms

[41:28] to put those make them electronic.

[41:31] Our TAT team, teachers assisting teachers, they're always uh, continue to create these forms.

[41:38] The Mental Health team, we'll be working with the Desa screening, um,

[41:41] to identify students that are in need.

[41:46] Uh, the next one, linked it, we can skip that.

[41:51] If you go to page eight,

[41:54] um, continue to grade level data meetings.

[41:56] Yeah, we're doing that. Oh, that's year two, so, I'm sorry.

[41:59] Uh, we can skip over to goal number two, SEL.

[42:05] Um, continued discussions regarding SEL skills at data meetings, that's ongoing.

[42:10] Establish chair one school wide expectations, that is ongoing.

[42:14] Uh, implement SEL second step curriculum.

[42:17] We implemented that this year, that will continue next year.

[42:20] Uh, continue to pilot Desa. We're open to continue that screener.

[42:25] And if you look at goal number three, exploring opportunities for

[42:27] innovation practices.

[42:29] Uh, within our new into reading program, that will continue.

[42:33] Uh, lots of PD on that this year.

[42:35] Discuss that. I mean, you're meeting how to, um,

[42:38] integrate project-based learning.

[42:40] Uh, each grade level is probably doing one project-based learning lesson per year,

[42:44] so that's ongoing.

[42:46] And then we'll continue the next steps for, um, next year.

[42:58] Anybody have any questions about Fuller Meadow plan?

[43:04] I thank you. I really like how it's broken out too.

[43:07] It just looks really clear and understandable.

[43:09] able to report on it.

[43:13] Thank you. So moving on to new business.

[43:18] Um, gifts and grants.

[43:20] You guys don't have any, do you?

[43:22] I don't remember seeing anything in there.

[43:23] No. Good. Okay.

[43:24] Um, and then next is the annual town meeting uh follow-up.

[43:28] Yeah, just a thank you uh to the community just for the continued support of our

[43:32] schools, whether it be the operating budget or when we have items that are, you know,

[43:36] capital in nature like the roof project.

[43:39] As you know, the roof project was both um a town meeting item and a ballot item as well.

[43:44] Uh, and we just very much appreciate the community support. The community has

[43:48] always been tremendous supporters of the work that we do at the elementary school.

[43:50] and that shows on all year long, but particularly on those two days in May

[43:54] when we have town meeting and we have the ballot.

[43:56] So just more so just to thank you to all the members of our community for the

[43:59] continued support and

[44:00] uh, we'll talk a little bit more about the roof in a minute,

[44:03] but I don't know if anyone else had anything they wanted to add to

[44:06] town meeting or the ballot.

[44:08] It was, it was very nice and rewarding to sit at town meeting

[44:12] and to hear the support and see the support. Really,

[44:17] um, I think at least for us, like, very few hesitations, just we have a

[44:21] really supportive community, and

[44:24] knowing that some other towns are struggling with that, that was, you know,

[44:27] we were very fortunate that

[44:30] um, we continue to have such great support.

[44:32] So, I second the thank you.

[44:36] Perfect. And then, um, connected to that, uh, is the roof project.

[44:39] So the roof project uh has been moving along.

[44:42] There's a asked to do a a quick little summary.

[44:45] So in the drive, you'll see a document that S says that reads FM roof project

[44:48] as a title.

[44:50] And, uh, I'll talk to you about the picture on the bottom of that in a second.

[44:54] give folks a minute to get in there.

[44:57] Uh, so basically, article 22 passed unanimously.

[45:01] Uh, there were zero no votes for the remaining project funding of two

[45:04] 0.2 million.

[45:05] As the committee may recall, there was 300K in initial funding

[45:08] back in 25, that was for the schematic design phase and getting

[45:11] the drawings done and so on and so forth.

[45:13] So a total funding package of 2.5.

[45:16] The measure was also approved at the vote on May 19th.

[45:20] The project has been awarded and contracted with Stanley roofing company.

[45:23] Uh with a price of 1.7.

[45:26] Project kickoff meeting will be held on or was held on 527. Steve led that meeting last week.

[45:32] That was a multi-hour meeting.

[45:34] Contractor and his management team currently busy and engaged in material equipment, middle phase and shop drawing reviews.

[45:40] And then as Mike referenced on site mobilization will be 623,

[45:44] which I believe is the Monday or the Tuesday rather, uh after we get out.

[45:49] So the kids are out on the 16th, we just want to give teachers and

[45:53] the school enough time to kind of wrap up and get classroom situated

[45:56] and so on and so forth.

[45:58] Um, good that we came in, you know, you know, you the bid comes in under because as you start to take a roof off, you never know what's underneath.

[46:03] So there's a little bit of, you know, ability there to navigate any surprises that may come along.

[46:09] And then just that overhead view, I grabbed that off of uh Google Earth

[46:13] and so you can see the new roof, the new roof is all the white sections

[46:16] of the roof, that's the fill roof that was done.

[46:19] Um, I think that was back in, was that 14 or 15, Steve?

[46:23] The the Fuller Fuller roof.

[46:29] Or 11? I don't, it was somewhere in that time frame.

[46:32] Yeah, no, I'm sorry because I'm just trying to wrap my head around uh, yeah, I got to look.

[46:37] And so the, the areas that will get done on the roof, anywhere

[46:41] where you see let's call it like a black shingle almost, that's

[46:44] the part of the roof that will now match the white Sona fill

[46:47] roof that we currently have. So,

[46:49] the cafeteria uh is done.

[46:50] So you can see to the left of that is the left of that is the gym on the top left hand corner, that would be the gymnasium.

[46:55] And then as you come, you know, down that uh hallway there, uh

[46:59] the portables, and the the um the portables in the back rather,

[47:02] and then the classrooms there uh in the back as well will also get done.

[47:06] So I think Michelle, you and Natasha and Natasha and I were on that roof a couple years ago.

[47:12] Uh walking it all.

[47:14] So it's multi-level and multi-layered.

[47:15] And, you know, the goal is to obviously have it all buttoned up,

[47:18] you know, there'll be punch list items that go into the school year,

[47:22] but substantial construction complete.

[47:23] It's nice that we have an extra week this summer.

[47:25] That's a helpful thing for sure, it's a helpful thing for sure, it's a little bit of a longer summer with labor day being so late.

[47:29] So, we'll keep you guys updated, uh throughout the process.

[47:32] But this is kind of a standard operating business for uh Stephen

[47:35] Steve, we've done a number of these projects across the Trinitown over

[47:39] the past, you know, 25 years and certainly in my 10 years, we've done,

[47:42] I think maybe five or six at this point.

[47:45] So, um, we've had good success with MSBA and it's nice to get the reimbursement as well. So.

[47:50] Happy to take any questions, but it's pretty straightforward process.

[47:55] questions? Uh, just is like the playground going to be closed off for the summer too?

[47:59] Yeah, the campus will be shut down.

[48:01] Yeah, uh because they'll have the lay down area for all the equipment.

[48:04] And so the town is trying to find a different spot for the wreck uh this year because that's usually at the Fullermetal.

[48:09] But yeah, the campus will be pretty much closed.

[48:12] because it just there'll be a lot of construction happening.

[48:18] Okay, um next on to the policy sub committee. Yep.

[48:22] So, in the drive, uh you'll see policy J K A A uh so a little bit

[48:26] of background on this policy.

[48:30] So, back in 25, um MASC uh had updated the restraint policy,

[48:35] the restraint of student policy.

[48:40] And our current policy reflects those, um, 2025 changes.

[48:45] And so then Desi, excuse me, not Desi, MASC sent out their normal

[48:49] newsletter and they said, um, hey, we've updated the, the restraint

[48:53] policy again.

[48:55] And it's based on, and I'll show you the laws that it's based on in the second, and um, I said to Antonette, do me a favor, can you compare the two?

[49:01] Because I just want to see like how they're a lot of differences between 2025 and now.

[49:06] And she said, I don't even need to compare it, that one's two pages, this one's nine.

[49:09] So I can tell you that there's differences in terms of the policy itself.

[49:12] Uh, if you scroll to the very end of this policy, you can see the reference section that we always see on these.

[49:20] And after we approved it in like March of 25, you can see the revised

[49:23] there, it was revised in Middleton, uh, we ended up approving it on

[49:26] May 5th, but the process started in March.

[49:30] They came out with some new references, timeout practices from

[49:33] Desi from February of 26, and then prevention of physical restraint

[49:37] and requirements if used, Desi amended June 24, so there were

[49:40] some new documents that had come out.

[49:42] And so this policy, uh, was sent to us.

[49:47] And we brought it to the policy subcommittee, we tried to have a

[49:51] policy subcommittee meeting on shot order, uh from the time we

[49:54] received this from the state until the date of this meeting.

[49:57] We tried to get a policy subcommittee meeting together.

[50:00] Excuse me, we couldn't just because of schedules.

[50:03] But what I had said to Dave and the folks from Topsfield and Boxford,

[50:07] um, read it and review it. There's really not a whole lot here to change.

[50:11] Like this is the policy from the state and it's about a topic that

[50:15] um, you know, it's not something that we want to mess with anything

[50:18] that's legally obliged.

[50:20] And so Dave, I appreciate your timely feedback on the policy

[50:24] in terms of having read it and reviewed it.

[50:28] Um, we are under an obligation by the state across the whole state,

[50:33] not just the tritown, to have the policy approved by August 17th.

[50:37] And I'm assuming that's a start date for some school district

[50:38] somewhere maybe in the state or whatever.

[50:40] I don't know why they, you know why they picked the 17th?

[50:42] I don't. Yeah, it's kind of a an odd date.

[50:45] And so my thought was that, um, we should approve it to get it on the books.

[50:51] And then we can say it's on the books for August 17th.

[50:54] And then if anyone from across the three towns has any little tweaks,

[50:57] we got some feedback late today.

[50:59] Yep. That, um, you know, I need to review and look at, we need to have legal look at.

[51:02] It was like real minor processy type stuff.

[51:05] But my recommendation from the committee would be that we should approve it that way,

[51:09] we have it in the books by August 17th. It's there.

[51:13] We're doing trainings this summer on it. Matt, you want to talk a little bit about that

[51:15] and the work that you have to do through your office?

[51:18] Sure. So we, um, I've already had staff attend several trainings throughout the year.

[51:22] I've been to a few our BCBAs and a few other staff members.

[51:26] We have BCBAs attending an intensive training next week where

[51:30] it's not only the training, but they'll also, um, as part of the training, you get the materials.

[51:35] You can replicate them, you buy basically the training materials.

[51:39] So we'll be getting that all in next week. We plan to do a full administrative training

[51:43] um, at the end of June.

[51:46] And then what'll happen is the at one of the two staff days when we come back.

[51:51] Uh before the kids come back, there'll be a full for every staff

[51:54] in the district, there'll be a full training for every staff member in the district as one of those

[51:57] um during one of those two days.

[52:01] So, definitely all school districts are are navigating this right now.

[52:04] Actually I had a crust meeting and an AC meeting

[52:06] and I brought it up at both those meetings.

[52:07] Like, hey, this needs to be on the books by August 17th.

[52:10] We might want to have a summer Zoom just to make sure that those two organizations

[52:13] also get it on the books.

[52:16] And then again, if we have any little minor tweaks or little process things that we want to change,

[52:20] uh, at least we have it. It's like posting a school committee agenda once you get it in under the 48 hours.

[52:25] You can make edits to it, right?

[52:27] So, my recommendation and again, Dave has reviewed it as the policy subcommittee member

[52:31] would be for us to approve it tonight.

[52:34] That way we don't get hung up. I know we'll have a summer meeting, but if for any chance the summer meeting gets

[52:38] scheduled or rescheduled to move or we can't get people there and now it's August 18th for some reason.

[52:43] I think we just want to make sure that we are under the guideline

[52:45] of their time frame.

[52:48] So, if it's the will of the committee to do so,

[52:51] we're happy to take any questions.

[52:52] But I put BGB in there.

[52:54] Uh BGB.

[52:56] Right, it would be waving it and then uh motioning to approve this to get it

[52:59] uh get it in the books.

[53:03] Um and do I have

[53:06] other than saying we need a motion to wave BGB.

[53:09] Is there a piece I need to read?

[53:13] Uh no, it's just wave BGB. Yeah.

[53:15] Okay, so we will need a motion to wave uh to wave BGB.

[53:22] I'll make the motion to wave policy BGB.

[53:25] I'll second that motion.

[53:26] Okay. All in favor? Aye.

[53:28] Okay. And then we will go to the JKAA.

[53:35] And so we are looking for a motion to approve JKAA

[53:38] as presented. Yep.

[53:43] I'll make the motion to approve JKAA as presented.

[53:47] I will second that motion.

[53:48] Um, before we vote, can I just ask a question?

[53:50] Um, I'm just trying to read through this as much as I can.

[53:54] Under the restraint procedures and training.

[54:00] What page are we on, Michelle?

[54:01] Um, I think I'm on page the end of page six going into seven. Yep.

[54:06] Is does it say anywhere about like what type of restraints are being used?

[54:10] Because I I think I just said including prone restraints otherwise permitted under

[54:16] 603 CMR.

[54:20] So are we talking like, what what are we talking?

[54:24] Yeah. Uh you want to take that?

[54:25] Yeah, so, um, it talks about, um, the types of restraints are not significantly changed in this policy.

[54:32] It's more about the timeout procedures and what the then what the definition is regarding what a timeout is.

[54:36] So restraint, no mechanical restraint, no mechanical restraint, no medical restraint, all that is always been in the policy.

[54:40] That's something that's in our procedures, it's in your current policy that we we couldn't any

[54:45] the prone restraint is because of breathing.

[54:49] Um, that was one of the major components of it.

[54:54] We do not we any staff member that potentially could be involved

[55:01] involved in any situation with hands on in this district is

[55:05] yearly trained in safety care.

[55:07] And they get certified and trained in safety care.

[55:09] If they are not, they are no, they are not in that situation.

[55:12] That being said, we still any

[55:15] any of the, um, delineated prone medical or other restraints that

[55:19] are listed as cannot do regardless.

[55:22] That's already in your policy and already in our procedures. Okay.

[55:25] That's not the new part.

[55:26] The significant new part that everybody's trying to navigate is

[55:30] what the definition of time out in seclusion is.

[55:33] and specifically time out.

[55:34] Which, you know, it's this is where we're doing a lot of the training

[55:37] and really trying to work with the attorneys to get interpretation of the

[55:40] language around, um,

[55:44] not only just cool down spaces, but even if a student is

[55:47] really walking in the hallway, and if they choose that they don't

[55:50] want to be walking in the hallway,

[55:54] are they allowed access to anything they want now,

[55:56] and if you don't allow them access, then it's considered a time out

[55:59] and that could lead to other interventions which is what we don't want.

[56:04] The biggest one to be honest with you is students leaving the building.

[56:07] Whereas in the current, in the current regulations and in current approaches you can

[56:11] you're not putting your hands, but you can stand in front of a door.

[56:14] So you could stand in front of the exterior door.

[56:17] Um, the new regulations around these procedures say that you

[56:20] cannot block doors.

[56:22] Which means that student if they chose to, could walk right through the exit door and right outside.

[56:28] And our requirement is just to follow.

[56:30] The feedback that we not only us, the whole state has given,

[56:34] um, a lot of the districts and frankly a lot of the private

[56:36] special ed schools are very concerned about this.

[56:39] because the byproduct, the concern is the byproduct to what

[56:42] is that it could lead to actually more restraints.

[56:45] because if a student is now allowed to exit the building,

[56:50] after not being restrained, just a block of that door.

[56:53] Now if you can't do that, the student leaves the building

[56:55] and they get into a, then they get into a, then they get into a safety issue outside of the building,

[56:59] the staff is going to make it a safety issue and maybe a restraint occurs.

[57:03] Again, not just us. This is every building, every in the state.

[57:06] And so, that seems like the byproduct of what's happening here,

[57:10] so we're getting a lot of legal interpretation of

[57:13] what does this actually mean about the timeout piece?

[57:15] But like I said, a lot of private special ed schools are

[57:17] are significantly concerned about this as well.

[57:22] Thank you. Yep.

[57:31] Got a motion. I had a motion and a second.

[57:33] Okay, so then just uh, um, all in favor.

[57:36] of approving JKS, say I.

[57:40] I. I.

[57:43] Okay, and I like the idea of revisiting it.

[57:46] Any other updates we might get or

[57:49] Thank you for doing that.

[57:52] And then, do we need

[57:55] I forget how it works. Do we need to

[57:59] Yeah, that's good. Let's just move on.

[58:02] Okay, next is moving on to FY27 Summer MSC data for everything.

[58:07] So last year, you guys are always get the kind of kick us off

[58:10] because you're usually the first out of the gate.

[58:13] So let me go back to last August.

[58:18] Uh, let's see.

[58:20] Last year we did like the first week of August, we had Middleton on the fourth,

[58:24] we did Boxing on the fifth, we did Topfield on the seventh. We try to

[58:28] tuck them in all into the same week.

[58:31] Doesn't mean we have to do that again this year,

[58:33] but wanted to check schedules with folks so we could get a summer meeting

[58:38] on the books. If we would have followed that same sort of thought process,

[58:42] that would put us on like August 3rd.

[58:45] So I guess it would be to check to see if folks maybe

[58:48] around, not around, zoom, in person, all that fun stuff.

[58:53] August 3rd works for me. It works for me. Works for me. Works for me.

[59:01] Um, do you want to earlier or later in person zoom?

[59:05] Just kind of nail all those things down.

[59:06] Typically this is zoom when people are traveling,

[59:08] everyone's around, we can certainly

[59:10] Um, and

[59:13] For I prefer if we can stick with the 5:30 time just because it's consistent.

[59:18] How's everybody feel about that?

[59:19] Yeah, that works for me.

[59:24] So I'm going to do Middleton School Committee Summer meeting.

[59:28] Um, Colin, can you just take a note to do a calendar invite and put everybody on it?

[59:35] August 3rd at 5:30.

[59:37] Just all the school committee just so everyone has it in their calendar

[59:40] and Steve and me and Matt and the principals and everybody.

[59:45] I have to book the room anyways.

[59:53] Oh, that was easy.

[59:53] So that will be Middleton Town Hall.

[1:00:00] Let me just save that in my calendar.

[1:00:02] And then the other one is, um, does the meeting day and time still work?

[1:00:07] Uh, we have historically,

[1:00:09] for as long as I've been here,

[1:00:11] it's been the first Monday and it's been 5:30.

[1:00:13] Uh, we just wanted to check to see if that's still good for everybody.

[1:00:15] as we start to lock it down for the 26, 27 school year.

[1:00:20] Does for me? Yes. Yes, for me.

[1:00:22] Yes. Okay. Great.

[1:00:23] All right, so we'll stay with that, first Monday at 5:30.

[1:00:27] So to that end, Colleen anticipated that.

[1:00:30] So in the drive, um, you'll see a document that says Middleton.

[1:00:33] FY 27.

[1:00:35] Uh, meeting dates, and so if you want to get them all into.

[1:00:37] your calendar,

[1:00:39] uh, you'll see that we have there all of the first.

[1:00:42] The September one's actually weirdly late because of Labor Day.

[1:00:45] Oh, wow. Yeah.

[1:00:46] Right, so it's the 14th which is super late for Middleton.

[1:00:48] school committee.

[1:00:49] Oh, wow. Yeah.

[1:00:50] Uh, because the first Monday is the seventh.

[1:00:52] Um, and so you can see on there all of the dates for the month.

[1:00:57] So you have October 5th, so on and so forth.

[1:01:00] And then we just tucked in for now the potential TTU date.

[1:01:03] So for those of you that raised your hand to be on TTU.

[1:01:05] It would most likely be October 8th, which is the first.

[1:01:07] third, second Thursday in October.

[1:01:11] December 10th, which is the second Thursday in December.

[1:01:15] Um, and so on and so forth.

[1:01:17] It will kind of follow that process.

[1:01:21] Did you say September is the seventh?

[1:01:22] Uh, no. Okay.

[1:01:23] September, for the school community date.

[1:01:26] Yes.

[1:01:26] For TTU or for us?

[1:01:28] For TT for us.

[1:01:29] Uh, September 14th for the first one.

[1:01:31] Okay. Yeah, because of uh, the seventh is Labor Day.

[1:01:33] Okay.

[1:01:34] So in that document, Middleton FY 27 school committee dates.

[1:01:37] Just so everybody has it.

[1:01:39] If you want to tuck those into your calendar, then we're good to go.

[1:01:39] for, um, next year.

[1:01:44] And I'm going to have Antonette put all those in my calendar.

[1:01:49] Yeah, one thing to note on the September 14th, they have to.

[1:01:51] confirm if the space is available.

[1:01:54] Okay. All right. Okay. Right.

[1:01:56] Thank you, Colleen.

[1:02:01] This was approved.

[1:02:04] tonight.

[1:02:11] Great.

[1:02:13] Everyone good on that?

[1:02:14] Yes. Thank you for putting this list together.

[1:02:16] Yeah, thank you, Colleen. Very helpful.

[1:02:21] Um, okay, and next is correspondence folder.

[1:02:23] which, um, is going around.

[1:02:25] Uh, yeah, perfect.

[1:02:27] And then other, I just have one other, uh, just for the.

[1:02:29] for all that goes around.

[1:02:31] Um, so, and I meant to say this during the superintendent update.

[1:02:35] Uh, have been meeting regularly with Heather Galante.

[1:02:37] she's the new, uh, Masco Superintendent.

[1:02:40] Um, and trying to get her to meet as many people as she.

[1:02:43] possibly can.

[1:02:45] whether it be school committee or select board.

[1:02:47] or Fincom, uh, folks.

[1:02:50] And so she's already met with the Boxford liaison team.

[1:02:53] she met with the select board reps, the Fincom reps.

[1:02:55] and the uh, school committee reps in Boxford.

[1:02:59] And we've got Topfield lined up for next week.

[1:03:02] Um, a week or so ago, we jumped in the truck and spent a half day.

[1:03:05] together.

[1:03:07] And, um, I drove around to all three town halls and she spent.

[1:03:10] about 30 minutes with each town administrator.

[1:03:13] And then we went to the elementary schools to shake hands.

[1:03:15] and meet the principals at the elementary schools.

[1:03:17] And then this Thursday, I've got a lunch meeting set up.

[1:03:19] with her, myself and Kevin Tierney, who's the MTA rep.

[1:03:23] Masco will be going into negotiations in January 27.

[1:03:26] So just trying to get her to meet as many people as she can.

[1:03:29] possibly before she starts on July 1.

[1:03:31] To kind of hit the ground running, um, and off she goes.

[1:03:34] So,

[1:03:35] the one final meeting we still will need to set up, we were just.

[1:03:37] kind of waiting for tonight's reorganization to happen.

[1:03:40] Will be with uh the Fincom rep now?

[1:03:42] Yes. Yeah.

[1:03:43] So it'll be with Dave and Jackie and then Costa and Richard.

[1:03:47] And so I'll coordinate with you guys, I'll find a date for you.

[1:03:50] to meet with Heather so you can have some FaceTime as well.

[1:03:52] and uh have an opportunity to talk to her and get to know her.

[1:03:54] a little bit more.

[1:03:55] But just really trying to get a lot of scaffolding under her.

[1:03:58] and support.

[1:03:59] so when she comes in, she's as I said, really hit the ground.

[1:04:01] running and, um, knows a lot of people.

[1:04:03] before she even walks in the door, so.

[1:04:05] I think that'll be such a wonderful connection, um.

[1:04:08] to make, so early.

[1:04:10] Yeah, important. I really appreciate that you've done that.

[1:04:12] Yep, no problem at all.

[1:04:14] Um, okay.

[1:04:16] Then, um, the last thing that we need to do then is, um.

[1:04:20] just approve bills and payroll, so I will need a motion.

[1:04:23] to approve bills and payroll as presented.

[1:04:27] I'll second that motion.

[1:04:30] I'll need a motion.

[1:04:32] I'll make the motion. Thank you.

[1:04:33] And then Dave will second.

[1:04:34] I'll second the motion. Okay, thank you.

[1:04:35] All in favor?

[1:04:36] Aye. Aye.

[1:04:37] Okay, thank you very much.

[1:04:39] Um, and we actually won't need an, we thought we needed an.

[1:04:40] executive session tonight for, we had some old minutes that we.

[1:04:43] thought we had to approve.

[1:04:45] Okay.

[1:04:46] But. We're good.

[1:04:46] Okay, we put it on there wondering if we did.

[1:04:48] and we don't have any.

[1:04:49] Good. So we're good.

[1:04:50] We will just need a, um, motion to adjourn.

[1:04:52] Yes. Unless we have anything else.

[1:04:55] Nothing else. Nope, that's it.

[1:04:56] Okay.

[1:04:57] Um, so a motion to.

[1:04:58] earn.

[1:04:59] I'm make a motion to adjourn.

[1:05:01] Thank you.

[1:05:02] And a second?

[1:05:04] I second that motion.

[1:05:05] And all in favor?

[1:05:06] Aye.

[1:05:08] Excellent.

[1:05:09] Thank you.

[1:05:10] Thank you all.

[1:05:11] Thanks everybody.

[1:05:12] I'll stay for

Middleton School Committee 06-01-2026

Transcript