001All right, we're going to call the meeting to order of the Dudley-Charlton Regional School Committee at 6.31 p.m. We're meeting Wednesday, June 17th at the Charlton Middle School Library. Chair declaration in accordance with Mass General Law, Charter 30A, Section 20, accordance with Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023. We announce this meeting is being recorded by DCRSD on Vimeo. And we ask that if there's anyone else present that's recording today's meeting. All right, seeing none, we'll let the minutes reflect, and we'll move on to the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. We'll take a moment of silence, especially for Leo Byron, who recently passed away. On to happier news, which is the recognition of the 2026 Covatus recipients. Madam Chair and School Committee, as you know,
002we started recognizing the Covatus recipients last year. We are doing the same again this year at the school committee meeting. And what I have asked, I've asked the principal of the school where the Covatus recipients receive the Covatus award to come up and say a few words about the Covatus recipients this year. So I'd like to welcome up Principal Darren Elwell. from Sheppard Hill Regional High School. Thank you. Good evening. It's nice to be here tonight talking about something other than NEASC or corrective action plans or other things, which are, of course, important, but tonight is really an occasion for celebration. This year, the Quo Vadis Club of Webster and Dudley presented two awards to Sheppard Hill educators. After many years, it is well known that the Quo Vadis Awards are highly coveted. by educators
003in our district and we very much appreciate the cuovatis club's continued generosity including their financial support for our annual first honors dinner in accordance with the club's wishes the faculty conducted a vote by ballot and i'm pleased this evening to present mr sean ducharme who is not with us tonight and dr corey stefan as the 2026 cuovatis award recipients mr sean ducharme also known as duke is a graduate of Shepherd Hill Regional High School, class of 1989. Mr. Ducharme has been teaching since 1994, and he began teaching at Shepherd Hill in 2003. Mr. Ducharme coached varsity baseball at Shepherd Hill for eight years, and he has transformed the industrial arts program into a true 21st century manufacturing program. Mr. Ducharme's repertoire of courses includes computer integrated manufacturing, wood construction and design, woodworking technology, world of
004construction, and mechanical drawing and computer aided design. And if you were to look up the definition of a renaissance man in the dictionary, you would see Mr. Ducharme's picture. From the wood lathe to the 3D printer, Mr. Ducharme's talents are varied and impressive. We are fortunate that Mr. Ducharme shares these talents with our students, many of whom are desperately craving hands-on vocational learning opportunities. Beyond the classroom, Mr. Ducharme has a meaningful impact on the school community at large. He generously shares his time and talents by designing and creating signs, banners, and furnishings in wood and print, lending the skills he has refined as an instructor. These contributions not only enhance the school environment, but also reflect his pride in his alma mater. In addition, every year, Mr. Ducharme takes initiative in organizing holiday gatherings and
005events that bring staff together, fostering a sense of connection and camaraderie. Mr. Ducharme is consistently generous with his time and energy, always willing to lend a hand wherever it is needed. He has a constant presence in the hallway during transition times, and when an administrator is unavailable, Mr. Ducharme willingly steps forward to supervise the cafeteria during arrival and lunches. His positive attitude is both genuine and contagious, inspiring colleagues and students alike. Through his actions, he helps cultivate a positive school culture, making him a valued and respected member of the Shepherd Hill faculty. There's a seat right here for you, Dr. Stefan. Thank you. Dr. Corey Stefan has been a teacher for 12 years, with 10 of those years spent at Shepherd Hill. Throughout his career, Dr. Stefan has taught 10th and 12th grade English across
006all levels from inclusion to advanced placement. In the 2019 school year, Dr. Stefan spearheaded the creation of the Advanced Placement Capstone Program, a prestigious diploma program through which high achieving students have the opportunity to earn a second diploma through the College Board. And this is really a crown jewel for us. Dr. Stefan has taught AP seminar and AP research for the last six years, maintaining an impressive 100% College Board passing rate. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Stefan has advised the school newspaper, the Hill Telegram, as well as the Student Council and National Honor Society, the latter of which won the Commended Chapter Award four years in a row, recognizing the best chapters in the state. Most recently, as if being a full-time educator wasn't challenging enough, Dr. Stefan earned a doctoral degree in English education
007in May of 2024. As a professional, Dr. Stefan feels strongly that being a teacher is the most important job he has ever done and will likely ever do. Most importantly, he feels fortunate to have many colleagues, both past and present, who have taught him about professionalism, dedication, and self-reflection. Equally, he feels fortunate to play a role in his students' lives as they grow and move forward. I congratulate both Dr. Stefan and Mr. Ducharme on this noteworthy and well-deserved achievement. Congratulations. Thank you very much. So in first edition, we give you flowers. Congratulations, Dr. Stefan. Thank you very much. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. madam chair next up is the recognition of those that are retiring from the w tolton regional school district i will ask principal alwell to stay stay
008there but i'm going to start if i could the first person i'm going to start with is elaine garapie who could not be with us this evening she is retiring this year and i did ask mr greenberg to write up a a little information about elaine garapie who's been with us for quite some time So in recognizing Elaine Garapie and her retirement, for over 40 years, Elaine Garapie has been a dedicated, hardworking, reliable, friendly face to all of the students and faculty who have passed through Shepherd Hill over the years. And her presence in the kitchen will be missed dearly by all. We hope that her retirement is filled with plenty of time with family and friends and plenty of time to do what she loves. From everyone at DCRSD, we thank her so much
009for her years of service and what she has done and for the community at large as well. We wish Elaine Garapy well. So that's a special retirement. The next retirement that I'm going to talk about is Miss Mary Ellen Sabone from our district office who is retiring this year. Now I thought about trying to write something and I just you know I could easily write something I could have thrown into JET GPT come up with all these nice adjectives to talk about Mary Ellen Sabone But I'm gonna do a little off the cuff because I've had the pleasure of working with Mary Ellen since I came here and Mary Ellen Sabone for those that may not know she is the when I first started she was a benefits coordinator and then the school committee was
010very supportive in rolling into HR director because of all of her experience and all the stuff that she does provide us as a district as well. Mary Ellen Sabone, when we have new hires, I always tell them when I meet with them that Mary Ellen Sabone, our HR director, has the best bedside manners, like a doctor. She will care for you. She will talk you through things. She will help you. She is so dedicated to the individual in front of her at the moment in which she's meeting with them that it's impressive. It's always impressive. And she knows everybody in the district. She knows what's going on. But also her management of our benefits. Benefits is a very tricky area for individuals because it's very personal to all of us. So Mary Ellen knows, and
011I know, that if you get someone's benefits wrong, we're going to hear about it. I can tell you over the last seven years that I've been here with Mary Ellen, I think I maybe had one person who just raised a question or something like that. In addition, Mary Ellen also manages, I don't know if that's the right word, she is really the liaison for all of our retirees. And when I first started, we had a number of retirees, but we have ballooned to over 350 retirees now, and they all go through Mary Ellen Sabone for their support, for their benefits, and she is, again, even with retirees, her bedside manners, to care for them, to support them is just outstanding in every way. Now, when Mary Ellen let me know that she was retiring, I
012said no. I'm not accepting it. No, I don't want to think about it. But I know that people's time comes to a certain point and they need a new chapter. They need something different. And Mary Ellen has certainly earned what's coming next for her in the space and time in which she's going to have after she retires from us here in Dudley-Charlton. But it is with great appreciation, recognition, and acknowledgement that I recognize Mary Ellen Sabone as a DCRSD retiree in 2026. So congratulations, Mary Ellen Sabone. So for each of the retirees, we have a small little token of appreciation. We started this last year. We have a pin in there. It could be like a lapel pin or a blazer pin. And it says 2026 on it, the year that you're retiring, in very
013small print. It's unfortunate because, like, if I was retiring, my eyes are already bad. But it says you have touched the future, DCRSD. So you've worked with people that have worked with children who are going to do amazing things in the future because of your support and because of what you've done. And the other token of appreciation, which I'm testing one out right here. is a little fan, a little air-conditioned fan for retirees. It really actually worked pretty well. I've had it on for a little while here now. And it does have the D.C. Dudley Charlton shield on it, but it says children and community as well. And so all the retirees are receiving that token of appreciation as well. now move towards Sheppard Hill Regional High School and recognize retirees from Sheppard Hill I'd
014like to ask Mrs. Samia and Mr. Morway to come forward one more consultation A few weeks ago, we bid farewell to the class of 2026. And with the end of the school year upon us, we now bid farewell to seven educators who have cultivated the talents of not only the class of 2026, but thousands of other students at Shepherd Hill through the decades. Through a remarkable 31-year career at Shepherd Hill, Mr. Chris Stowe was a dynamic, captivating instructor, helping students to understand the relevance of history in today's complex world. Mr. Stowe promoted thoughtful civic engagement, and he consistently held his students to the highest standards, standards that he himself modeled. Above all else, mutual respect was a hallmark of Mr. Stowe's classroom, and I've spoken to a number of former students who credit Mr. Stowe
015with their decision to enter into the field of education. As a social studies department coordinator and member of my leadership team, I am personally grateful for the ways in which Mr. Stowe supported teachers in his department during recent election cycles, ensuring that all voices were heard and respected, even on the most controversial subjects. For 20 years, Ms. Judy Narocki was a passionate advocate for environmental science and an early leader in project-based learning, long before it became a common practice in education. Her commitment to hands-on, authentic learning experiences inspired many students to pursue further study and careers in environmental fields. Ms. Narocki proudly maintains a homestead of gardens and livestock, and her personal experiences helped to bring the subject matter to life in the classroom. For 26 years, Mrs. Susan Breer was an educator in the
016Dudley-Charlton Regional School District. In recent years, Mrs. Breer served as Shepherd Hill's school librarian. helping students discover a favorite novel, navigate research projects, or simply find a quiet place to study or enjoy a craft project such as a friendship bracelet or a peace dove. Mrs. Samia, as a Shepherd Hill alum, Mrs. Deb Samia exemplifies the lifelong values of pride, unity, and excellence, returning to serve her alma mater. As a special educator for the past 10 years, Mrs. Samia worked to help students reach their fullest potential by teaching the skills that lead to greater independence and self-confidence for success after high school. For 26 years, Mrs. Patty Colville contributed to Shepherd Hill in meaningful ways both in and beyond the classroom. Whether teaching, scoring at basketball and volleyball games, leading mathletes, yes, I said mathletes, that's
017a term. to competitions or driving countless hours with driver's ed students, Mrs. Colville has been dutiful in fulfilling her obligations. Especially noteworthy is the fact that Mrs. Colville has chaperoned more global studies trips abroad than any other teachers through the years, which I believe the total was 13, 12 or 13 trips. Mrs. Sammy and I traveled together two years ago. Since the 1980s, Mr. Matt Morway has been one of Shepherd Hill's most enthusiastic and proud supporters. Mr. Morway has been a constant presence at sporting events, lending his voice, golden voice I should say, as the announcer at football and basketball games. Mr. Morway has worked to build character in his students, always offering a unique perspective, a humorous anecdote, and on many occasions, complimentary mints during lunches. For a remarkable 17 years, Mr. Andy Leach
018served as one of Shepherd Hill's assistant principals. Mr. Leach has worked to keep students and staff safe and focused for learning, while promoting an atmosphere of respect, accountability, and encouragement, especially for those in most need of an adult in their corner. On occasion, although his voice loomed large in certain settings, primarily the cafeteria and the boys' bathrooms, To be in his presence is to be in the presence of someone who truly cares about the well-being of each student. Having hired and served with a number of assistant principals through my 13 years as an administrator, I can safely say that the team of Mr. Leach and Mr. Reznor is unrivaled. And we will miss Mr. Leach's Jedi mind tricks, invisible restraining orders, Santa Claus references, and above all else, his integrity. On behalf of the entire
019Shepherd Hill Learning community and in recognition of their decades of dedicated service and lasting contributions, I express my profound gratitude for these seven educators. Thank you all. Madam Chair, if we could bring up, how about Dudley Elementary School? Principal, I'm sorry, I didn't say your name. Okay. Understood. All right. Good evening, everyone. It is an honor to be here this evening to recognize two amazing humans, two colleagues and friends. I'm going to let them sit and listen to my words because I know that's more their style, but I'll call them up when I'm done. So first, I'm going to start with Mrs. Dawn Davey. Today, we celebrate the retirement of our wonderful grade four teacher, Mrs. Dawn Davey, with an incredible 35-year career in education. Mrs. Davey has been part of the Dudley-Charlton Regional School
020District since 2001. Mrs. Davey truly embodies the teacher as warm demander, building a classroom family where she is always on her students' side while also pushing them to meet her high expectations. Her commitment to family includes her own parents, who have been a cherished part of our community over the years as well, volunteering their time to assist with classroom setup and supporting at school events. For Dawn, teaching is truly a family affair. Dawn, we thank you for your dedication, and you'll be deeply missed. Come on up, Dawn. Thank you. It's been an honor. Thank you very much. all right and next i would like to recognize mrs and miss anne mcelroy it is a true honor to celebrate miss anne mcelroy as she retires a dedicated grade 2 teacher at dudley elementary school and has
021spent over 30 years in public education including the last 21 years in the dudley charlton regional school district ann is a dynamic educator who has consistently made learning come to life for her students On many occasions, walking into her classroom and finding not Miss McElroy, but the goddess Athena leading a lesson, or Pecos Bill captivating the class with a tall tale. By bringing such joy, creativity, and imagination into her work, she has made school truly magical for her students. and you have made Dudley Elementary a better place for all of us and we thank you for your incredible heart and your dedication. And McElroy. All right, I also just want to take a quick moment to recognize someone who's not with us here this evening, but Mrs. Lisa Billis, our L teacher, is also retiring
022this year. We will miss her and we wish her all the best in her future. As well as Mrs. Lisa Petro-Dulude, our special education coordinator, has also retired earlier in the school year. So she is enjoying the retired life, and we wish her all the best. Thank you. Why don't we skip around and bring up Principal Bogosh from Charlton Middle School. Good evening. I'm really excited to do this, but really sad at the same time. Even though I've only known all these individuals for less than one year, really, they've really made an impact. So I'll start with Mrs. Patricia Kozerski. She's been at CMS for over 24 years. She is our main administrative office assistant and she began her journey with Charleston Middle School in 2002 as a special education secretary. Her dedication of students
023and staff quickly became clear and in 2003 she transitioned into a paraprofessional position where she supported students while alternating between seventh and eighth grade classrooms. In 2015 she became the administrative assistant at Charlton Middle School, a role where she truly became the heart of CMS. She has been a welcoming face, a helping hand, and a constant support for our students, families, staff, and principal. Along with her administrative role, Mrs. Kay also took the responsibility of yearbook advisor, helping to preserve memories and milestones for countless students throughout the years. If you don't know Mrs. Kay, she has been... a real dedicated member of our community. She is extended way beyond CMS. When her children attended here in district, she was actively involved as a member of the Charlton PTO. She served on the Shepherd Hill Regional
024High School Advisory Council, and she also served as the Shepherd Hill Booster Club president, continuing her commitment to make a positive impact. Outside the school, she... gives back through her involvement at St. Joseph's Church, where she serves as a Eucharistic minister, as a lector, sharing readings. For over two decades, Mrs. Kay has shown what it means to serve the community with kindness, dedication, and heart. Her impact on CMS, the students, families, and staff will be remembered for many years to come. Thank you. It's been the best time. Next here we have tonight is Mr. Lou DiCataldo. Mr. DiCataldo is an honored educator here. He has an unwavering commitment to his students. As an original member of the CMS staff, he helped shape the culture and traditions of the school from the very beginning. Whether serving
025as a team leader, coaching baseball, or chaperoning the memorable Washington, D.C. field trips, he consistently led by example. He's known for being meticulous, reliable, and organized. He held students to very high expectations while providing the support and guidance they needed to succeed. His influence extended beyond his own classroom as he became a trusted mentor to countless new teachers, helping them navigate the challenges and rewards of the profession. His impact on CMS was not only felt through his work, but also through the relationships he built along the way. Students remember him as the teacher who left a lasting impression, challenging them to do their best, and inspiring them to reach their potential. Colleagues fondly remember him. in his lively lunchroom conversations, entertaining stories, and outside of school, his talents continue to shine. He's spent years playing
026competitive men's baseball with a reputation for being quite talented, I hear, to his impressive skills as a handyman, renovating his now former home, I think it's on the... It's going to be sold next week, right? And his new retirement home in Westerly, Rhode Island. As he begins this well-earned retirement, we thank him for the countless ways he contributed to CMS, and we wish him many years of happiness, adventure, and maybe a few more home improvement projects. His legacy will remain part of our school and community for years to come. Thank you, Lou. I'd like to honor two other retirees that weren't able to make it tonight. Next up is Mrs. Patricia Fitzgerald. As we celebrate the retirement of Mrs. Fitzgerald, we recognize the lasting impact she's had on generations of students, colleagues, and families. Throughout
027her career, she's brought creativity and innovation. and enthusiasm to everything she did, always finding engaging ways to make learning meaningful and memorable. Whether it was through a perfectly timed movie quote, a clever Harry Potter reference, or a personal story that connected classroom lessons to real life, she had the special ability to capture students' attention and make them feel valued, welcomed, and inspired. Her classroom was a place where learning about science was fun and her genuine care for students helped countless young people grow both academically and personally. Her dedication to our district is remarkable. Over the years, she's served in many roles, including paraprofessional, parent, teacher, team leader, and coach. This demonstrates her unwavering commitment to our school community. She also led with compassion, supported colleagues with generosity, and was always willing to go the extra
028mile for students and staff alike. Her teammates will fondly remember her homemade amazing cookies she baked on a regular basis while others came to appreciate her legendary collection of Mr. Potato Heads and her enthusiastic support of the New England Patriots. Above all, she takes immense pride in her role as Grammy to Gus and Quinny, a title she wears with great joy. as she begins this new chapter we thank her for her contribution she's made to our school and we wish her many happy years filled with family football sundays baking and all the adventures retirement has to offer so thank you mr sherald and last but not least we want to honor krista mancer Throughout her career, Krista has gone far beyond the classroom, serving as a dedicated cross-country coach, a Girls Who Code advisor, and
029a PLTW-certified teacher who inspired students to think critically, solve problems, and embrace new challenges. Whether helping organize dances and socials, volunteering her time for the school play, or simply lending a hand whenever needed, she would... always approached every opportunity with enthusiasm, generosity, and a genuine commitment to students and colleagues. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she's known for passions and traditions that make her uniquely memorable. She is a devoted Fleetwood Mac fan. She loved the band so much she named her daughter Rhiannon, a fact that perfectly captures her spirited personality. She is an adventurer at heart. always planning her next travel destination and returning with stories of new places and experiences. She enjoys taking in performances at the Hanover Theater, cherishes Friday morning gatherings with friends, especially when suites are involved, and as she begins this new
030chapter, we wish her many wonderful journeys, memorable shows, delicious treats, and all the happiness retirement can bring. So thank you, Krista. Okay, before we get to last but not least, I want to recognize a couple of other retirees that are not in the room this evening, and the principals are not here either. I don't have anything written on them, but I just want to mention them and wish them well with retirement. We have Andrea Berman from Charlton Elementary School, who's officially retiring this year. We have Karen Hoke out of Mason Road Elementary School, who's retiring this year. Michael Manske out of Dudley Middle School, who's retiring this year. And Patricia Seagrave out of Dudley Middle School, who's also retiring this year. So we wish them a lovely retirement too. So again, last but certainly not
031least, I would like to invite up Principal Olson to speak about the retiree at Heritage Elementary School, which is going to create a big void in that building. Yes. I congratulate all of you. I feel like we've been in this journey together. I've been here since 2000, so I think I've worked with every single one of you just about, so congratulations. I will say what makes me feel very happy, because I was a little nervous with Ms. Houghton's retirement, is that I found out she got a job already, and it's outstanding, and that's why she was late. Her boss kept her a little longer than she needed to. Now, it was her granddaughter, but so be it. She's hired. And it is with great gratitude, admiration, and mixed emotions that we recognize the retirement of
032Mrs. Pam Houghton. After 23 years of dedicated service to our district, throughout her remarkable career, Pam served as a classroom teacher, math coach, and most recently as our math interventionist. And I have to tell you, I wish that position was in place longer because she became an expert at that, has built a great foundation. In every role, she brought passion, expertise, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child she worked with. Pam had a special gift for making learning come alive. She inspired confidence in her students and instilled in them a can-do attitude and empowered them to tackle challenges and achieve success. I loved walking by the classroom when she has a little child outside, and the little child's got tears going down. and it's because the child's frustrated, and she had that
033magic of being able to get down to their level, pick them back up, get them back in the room, and prove that they can do. And at least once a week, you saw that. It was magical. She is their greatest cheerleader. She helped countless students believe in themselves and discover what they were capable of accomplishing, while her impact on academics was tremendous. I am going to tell you her greatest gift was love. The love she shared with her staff, the love she shared with her parents, the love she shared for her children. I'm going to go off script for a second. The most amazing thing I saw, I walked into the school about a week and a half, two weeks ago, and turn a corner and there's a tree. There's a tree on the wall.
034And Mrs. Houghton spent time writing notes about each and every staff member in the building. And it was, I instantly turned, walked to her room, and I cried. It was that beautiful. And that shows each and every day. That's the impact she will always have. It goes far beyond the classroom. She is located at the beginning of the third grade hallway, has always been there, and when she became the interventionist, there was a thought I was going to move her downstairs into the interventionist wing, and absolutely not, because Mrs. Houghton sits at the end of that third grade hallway and greets every single third grade student that comes down the hallway each and every day, encouraging words and genuine care, and it's set a positive tone, not just for her students, but for every third
035grade student in the hall. Her legacy will not be measured solely by the lessons she taught, but the life she touched, the confidence she built, and the kindness she modeled every day. Her spirit, compassion, and dedication will continue to be felt throughout the halls of the Heritage School for years to come. And she gave us a lot of plaques to hang up, to remember that. On behalf of the school committee and the entire school community, we thank Pam for her extraordinary service, her commitment to children, and the countless ways she has enriched our district. We wish her retirement filled with happiness, good health, and all the joy she has so generously given to others. And once again, I know you'll be spending a lot of time with those grandbabies. You talk about them all the
036time. Congratulations, Pam, and thank you. We were lucky to have you. So those are our retirees. Please stand up and give them a round of applause. Thank you very much. Now you have to stay for the rest of the whole meeting. No, I'm just kidding. There'll be a quiz after. Thank you. Thank you. Trisha, don't forget your little, your appreciation. Luckily it's in your building. Thank you everyone. Before moving to the next agenda item, we did have one request because we still have one more guest, which is Mr. David Isenthal from Unibank is to have him go next. So without any objection, is everyone okay with that? Okay. And Madam Chair, just a brief introduction for Mr. Eisenthal. Mr. David Eisenthal from Unibank is here to discuss the capital borrowing process. He has visited the
037district in the past for our previous capital requests and capital projects, so we are familiar with him and he is familiar with us as well. As you can see, the ceiling tiles look really good in here today, in part because of the financing that we went through Unibank to fund our middle school roofs. So we thank him for his hand in that process as well. The district's been reviewing its capital needs for several years, continuously ongoing and evaluating our needs. The facilities condition assessment from Habib and Associates in 2024 detailed the specific deficiencies of each DCRSD building and an associated urgency level for each category. As a result, an updated capital plan was created to finance these capital projects and prioritize capital projects. DCRSD entered statements of interest with Massachusetts School Building Authority several months
038ago for both Shepherd Hill School and Heritage School to address the capital projects that are MSBA eligible. The information being presented tonight by Mr. Isenthal is a funding plan and timeline to address the capital needs at each building that are not MSBA funding eligible projects. the full capital detail and project list was presented to school committee as part of the meeting held on february 4th 2026. so with that i turn it over to mr david eisenthal to go through the project deck thank you Thank you. Through you, Madam Chair, I am David Isenthal. I am Vice President and Senior Fiscal Advisor with Unibank Fiscal Advisory Services. My role here is to advise the district on the authorization, planning, and execution of financings. As a municipal advisor, I work, we work, only for a client's best
039interest. I'll also mention, as some of you know, in my off hours, I'm a member of the, actually the secretary of the Board of Education in Manchester, Connecticut. So I feel some of your pain as a school board member. So I'll go to the next slide. So I'm going to talk about the proposed capital projects and then the authorization process, how the district will execute its financings, give you an example of how the timeline worked for the previous capital financing. I was last here before this body in 2022. I will also mention that this building, I noted the plaque. in 2000. I was involved in the financing back in 1999-2000 for this building. After that, I'll talk a little bit about the financing plan that dealing with Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Lamica. We've developed a
040tentative financing plan, projected impacts, and then through you, Madam Chair, I'd be happy to answer any questions. So next slide please. So as things stand the district has a little less than 11.2 million dollars in proposed capital projects. The major ones, they're drives and walks here at the Charlton Middle School is about 2.2 million of that. The Dudley Middle School drives and walks about 1.4 million. And then there are several, actually more than several other capital projects, as Mr. DeSantis pointed out. There are, I think in 2022, there were fewer larger projects. Here we're talking about... many different smaller projects being proposed. So going to the next slide. So based on the projected cash flow, it looks like A little less than $11 million of this will be spent during fiscal year 2028. I'll point
041out, though, that if things slow down, we will adjust the financing plan accordingly. But the plan is to do most of the project work in fiscal 2028 and then a little bit in 2029 and 2030. Next slide, please. Now, the way that the school district authorizes debt, it's specified in the regional agreement under Chapter 71, Section 16N. The school committee authorizes a debt election. And this district only has that method of authorizing debt. Many other districts have the method under Chapter 71, 16D, where the school committee would take a vote and then give the member towns the opportunity to veto the debt authorization. But that's not available under the regional district agreement here. So I believe that there's language that has come or will come from bond council to offer that this body will vote
042on to authorize the debt election. The school committee will decide the timing and location of the vote. The district will fund all election costs and the district will coordinate with the clerk, the town clerks in Charlton and Dudley to conduct the election. Next slide, please. If the towns decide to exclude the assessments for the debt service that the district incurs, it would be up to them to vote debt exclusions or capital assessment exclusions for that debt service. It is contemplated the debt service would be paid by the district and assessed to the member towns. It's possible to make another arrangement where town the member towns could finance under an inter-municipal agreement but i don't believe that anybody is contemplating that here i just mentioned that as a something that massachusetts law allows um in executing
043the financing uh bond council which is uh in this case your bond council is trump and pepper lock uh boss their Boston office. Their role is that they review documents, give you the school committee vote authorizing election, the election ballot, and other documents. The purpose of their review is to make sure that the proceedings are consistent with state law and the regional agreement. And they also look at tax exemption, making sure that whatever you do complies with the Internal Revenue Code. And they would approve the legality of borrowing would render legal opinions. Next slide, please. In doing the issuances, I'll point out that our role at Unibank Fiscal Advisory Services, we assist the district in preparing disclosure, in working as a liaison with the rating agencies, and in managing and settling the sale of securities.
044We are talking about here first issuing bond anticipation notes. The district last issued bond anticipation notes in the summer of 2023, fiscal 24. It's temporary borrowing one year or less and it provides project cash flow. Generally, the interest is due at maturity. In this case, given the size, we're going to be looking at issues with legal opinion disclosure and a rating. The likely bidders would enjoy a national market for resale to the secondary market people who buy the bonds from the underwriters. I mentioned bond counsel and the rating agency. The other vendors involved in these types of financings are the paying agent and printer. The costs of all of these VENDORS ARE PAID FROM PREMIUM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY, YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS BEING A, IF YOU THINK OF MORTGAGE POINTS IN REVERSE, BECAUSE
045INSTEAD OF YOU PAYING MORTGAGE POINTS, THE UNDERWRITER WILL PAY THE DISTRICT, AND THE DISTRICT COULD USE THOSE FUNDS TO PAY ISSUANCE COSTS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. At the end of the process, the district, actually you can go back one slide, the district would issue general obligation bonds. That's the permanent financing. Mass law allows up to 30 years, but they also specify that for different purposes there are limits that might be less than 30 years, and it's our expectation that the longest... repayments for the um for these projects would be 15 years which is in fact what was the case with the issue that was done in july of 2024 and generally interest is payable semi-annually principal annually and you know disclosure legal opinion and rating next slide so Four years ago, the way that this worked,
046almost exactly four years ago, I was sitting here talking to you about the election. I think actually at that meeting, the school committee may have authorized the election. September 6th of 22, the district held the election. The bond authorization passed. The district issued bond dissipation notes July 26th of 23, issued bonds July 24th of 24. First interest was November 15th of 24. First principal, May 15th of 25. Last payment will be May 15th of 2039. Next, please. So based on the current projection of spending which as I say could change Most of the spending is currently expected to occur in fiscal year 28 is our expectation that if this passes and if things go as we are currently expecting that they will the district would issue 10.9 million dollars worth of bands on anticipation notes
047in August of 2027 to come due in August of 2028 would renew and issue a little bit of new money with some pay downs, principal pay downs in August of 28 to be due in 29 and that the long-term financing would happen in August of 2029. And there are a couple of ways that the district can structure repayment. There's level debt service, which looks more like a mortgage, or a level principal, which is where the principal payments are level and the overall debt service decreases over time. The 2024 issue was structured on a level principal basis. Next slide, please. So on a level principle basis, we see that the first two years, the impacts are roughly the same, and we've structured this so that the impact on the member towns would be a little bit
048more gradual than just hitting them all at once with the impact of this financing. Level principal peaks in 2031, fiscal 31, about a little less than $2 million. The total debt service is about $17.2 million, that is the projection. With level debt service, the peak is a little lower, about $1.8 million, but the total debt service is about $200,000 higher. Again, these are all projections at this point. Through you, Madam Chair, I'd be happy to answer any questions. Thank you for coming. I'm wondering on the level principal versus level debt, and maybe you just said this, is that something each town can decide separately, or is that something we as a school committee decide for the towns? So from a legal point of view, it would be the school committee deciding, the treasurer and the
049school committee deciding on the structure. However, I think that... I'm not going to, well, I will advise you. Politically, you may want to talk with the towns and see what their preferences are as far as how they want to proceed. But legally, it is your decision, the treasurer's decision, district treasurer's decision, as to what the structure of the issue will be. Okay. I think I'm a little confused as to, like, I thought for our last project, we put out the ban. and then the towns themselves went out to bid for however they wanted to finance that, no? Nope. Okay. The district issued bonds and is assessing the member towns. Got it. And, I mean, that would be an option, though I don't think any, I haven't heard anybody seriously suggesting that the... member towns would
050be wanting to issue the debt rather than the district. I mean, there are cases where it can make sense, but I'm not sure that, you know, I guess, you know, if Mr. DeSantis and his lemmica come back to me and say, well, people are saying maybe the towns will want to do that. Does the rating of the towns, like... Does it like does the rating of the school's financial security differ from what the ratings of the town has yes So the current rating of the district is double-a. Okay Town of Charlton is double a plus and I believe Dudley is double a minus I have a question on the earlier party presentation. You were alluding to the review of the election results and all the legalities to make sure that that was proper to move
051forward. Is there a general timeline on how long that process takes? Through you, Madam Chair, I'm not sure that I understand the question completely. So I think it was one of the earlier slides. Bond Council revealed documents to me about a votes authorization of election and And then you said purpose of review, consistency of proceedings with state law and the regional agreement, compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, and regard to tax exemption borrowing. So I'm assuming that that means after it's been sent to have an election and we've done all those things, they're reviewing to make sure that all the T's are crossed and I's are dotted? Right. There are two, you know, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for the clarification. There would be two. reviews here. After the election, before any financing happened,
052Bond Council would prepare a letter called a legal requirements letter that would address the authorization at the election and other proceedings that happen with your body just to make sure that... the proceedings were carried out consistent with state law and your district agreement. And then they review. various, I mean, they review various facts about the projects just to make sure that the district can borrow on a tax, federally taxed and state tax exempt basis. That's generally municipalities and school districts issue debt where the interest on that debt is exempt from taxation to the holder of the debt. But there are times when that is not the case. I think that unless there was a good reason, I mean, there are times when it may actually make sense to issue taxable debt, but I don't think
053that's going to be the case here. I think what we're going to want to see is that bond council will want to help the district to structure things so that the borrowings, the interest on the borrowings is tax exempt. So my question. Thank you for that clarification. But my question is, how long does that process take, generally? I would think that it could happen within a matter of weeks. Okay, so it's pretty quick. Yeah, I mean, you're going to have the election. My understanding, through you, Madam Chair, election late September of 26. I think we're looking at a borrowing almost a year after that. I think that that's... I don't think there's going to be any problem going through the legal requirements process. Now, as part of the financing itself, the bond counsel will look
054at the particular facts. They'll review the disclosure document. They'll make sure. Mean an example and this is not so sometimes well actually it could have been the case and it was the case that they the bond council would have reviewed when you did this the roofs here and at Dudley middle school Had the district Decided to get solar panels put solar panels on the roof They would want to for example look at that any arrangements you that the district has had or has to make sure that There wasn't what's called private activity which could Theoretically make and maybe not theoretically make the bonds taxable, right? So it makes sense I think it's going to be important for the town's people to understand that when we do these, Dudley pays for the Dudley price of it.
055Charlton pays for the Charlton schools. And that, yes, we share the cost of the high school according to the regional agreement. I think it would be helpful in the slides to make sure that when we do the two proposals, That we kind of split. What would it the actual Dudley? Impact be what's the Charlton impact? Right? So I didn't include that in the slides the Analysis that I provided to mr. DeSantis and great Lamica, but they have both the projected total debt service and the split between the town of Charlton and the town of Dudley shares Well, thank you for having me. Take care now. Okay. So moving on to school committee reorganization because, hey, Dudley had their election. And Maureen is here. I'm sorry. It was the CMS. The last one was at Shepherd
056Hill. I'm sorry. You won your election. Congratulations. It's coming. It's coming. Well, there's a workshop next month in which there will be food. Okay? All right? But right now there's a reorg. So it goes back to Stephen. Always wanted to do that. So I will do my small part here, and I will take nominations for the chair of the school committee for the 2026-2027 school year coming up. I always forget. Do I have to ask Kelly if she accepts the nomination? Kelly, do you accept the nomination? Check. Any other nominations? Gene, do you accept that nomination? Yeah. Okay. Any other nominations for chair? Okay, I believe here the next step we do is we have the two individuals speak or state their case. I think that we've done that a couple of times, but I
057could be wrong as to why you so choose to accept the nomination to be chair. So since Kelly was nominated first, I would ask Kelly to speak first. Sure. I've been involved with the schools in various ways for many years. I don't have many left on the school committee board, I don't believe, so I would like another opportunity. I was a chair when my son graduated, so my daughter is graduating this year. It would be kind of cool to have that same opportunity, I guess. So I'd look forward to serving one more time as chair. I like, let's see, this term I have one year left, and I have, I think we did a lot of work this year. doing a lot of processes, streamlining a lot of things, doing a lot of work with
058the agenda, setting goals, moving things forward. And I'd like us to continue doing that. And that's really what I would like us to really work on over this year is to really move that forward. and take more of that to the next step. And I'd really like to be able to bring a lot more feedback and a lot more collaboration and that's now that we have a more consistent foundation throughout the year. Sorry, I'm just setting up my folder. So I believe the way that Dudley Charlton has done this is we go with the first nominee. and we ask if they're for a vote, a positive or negative vote, and if it succeeds, then we don't ask for a vote for the second nominee. I think that's the way we've done it in the past,
059correct? Okay. So we have a nomination of Kelly Zeller to be chair of the committee, and we'll take, I believe, a roll call vote. Oh, I'm sorry. I will not take a roll call vote. I will open it up for discussion. Let's open up for discussion. I think it's important to understand, obviously you're both very strong women and have done this job. I think there were differences in your leadership styles, and I think I definitely know I've appreciated both those differences. And I think that, you know, I feel like Kelly when you led, you led with a passion that I think our faculty and staff really got. Like we did a lot of different things. I felt like we were more seen in the community. And we were seen as a unit in the community
060that I didn't necessarily see this year. And I think that when you've been a leader, like I've seen I think we've kind of streamlined some different processes. And we've seen growth in both. So for me, this is a very hard decision. The thing that I'm wondering is moving forward, we have a year where we're going to have to go out to the communities again and really state our point and be present and be present in both towns. And who is the best person to lead that? Because I remember, I think that when I was doing it, I had to go and be present at every single meeting. That meant going to Charlton, going to Dudley, and just understanding that that is going to be very important and making sure that you both feel that you
061have the time to do that and do it well and represent us in a way that's... positive and like which you've all done in the past anyways so I guess I think you know knowing that do you have anything any thoughts on that I mean I wouldn't disagree it's gonna be a big year there's a lot of work to be done and we do need to be an approachable committee and you know able to get the message across clearly and to to a lot of people as well as have the time so now that the kids are getting a little bit older it's a little bit easier um you know and i've always committed myself i've given a lot like i said a lot of time to the district so i plan to continue to
062do that regardless i think it's true yeah um it's also great having my kids get older and leave the house you know but um it's but it's it's also not just one of us It's really about having more than one of us and being a united front when we go out and really talk about as a committee, as a whole, as a board, and really presenting that face out to the community. Not last year, the year before last. We're continuing through it. We work together as a team to get it done. There's a lot of stuff on our plate, but we did get a lot done, a good direction, and a lot of work was done. And Jean, you carried it last year? So this is your second year in there, or was it someone
063else? I'm sorry? Is this your second? This would be, so were you the chair last year, and then this year as well? I was the chair for just this past year. So who was it? It was me for Kelly. I just, I don't know how people feel that too. Like, I know that other boards rotate their chairs and I wonder about, you know, like I feel like the year that like I wasn't, like that was a big shift, like that was a shift. But actually it was a well, like for me personally, it was a good shift. And I think it's always good for the committee to keep shifting. and keep thinking new things. So I don't know. I'd love to hear from everybody what your thoughts are on that. And it's not that I
064don't value what you do or what anybody does. I just wonder if keeping leadership going around the committee is a good thing. Like you said, everyone has their own... style but also their own strengths and weaknesses so constantly moving people around into that role gives us whether it's a new set of eyes or a new thought process or new priorities I don't know I think it's a benefit to have a different chair from year to year as long as you don't look at me I'm not doing it no way no how Any further discussion? Maureen's looking for another three years before she becomes chair. At least. I'd like to make it a moment, like a job interview here, but what would you see as the single most, so not to, maybe don't say communication about
065the budget, what would you see as your next top level priority, as it's within the control of the position? I'm sorry. Like what's your what would what would be my top priority what like as we're going through is it more processes is it? For me, I think it would be more like consistency and cohesion like really getting because it's because what we've had as a board is the history has been Where it's very much seven individuals and it's been well more of a history of this is how we've done it but it but it's more about where are we going where how are we getting there how are we doing it together and I'd like this to be more like these are our processes but then it's how we're getting there together like how are
066we doing it as as seven people becoming a board Even though we're seven different personalities, how do we become one board moving forward for the 3,400 students, for the seven buildings, for the over 500 staff, the two towns, one community? It's like that laying groundwork to move forward. For me, I guess it's, you know, we have a lot of capital plans. I mean, obviously the budget is always in, but I'm talking like capital. There's some things that need to happen. There's some discussions that need to happen. There's some people we need to continue to get on board through the towns. So that's obviously going to be a priority. I think with a lot of our, we have a lot of new administration. I'd like to kind of see us focus on, you know, starting at
067the top and working our way down, but also putting the kids first because that should be our motto is, you know, students first. I think we're, as a board, even though very different personalities, headed in a good direction. We have a good foundation. um you know through all the reports and planning that we've done over the past few years um you know we have a good district plan we have these things in place we just need to start acting on them and not just talking about them and kind of see what that looks like so i look forward to helping do some of that and being involved and i just like being involved and getting into the schools and supporting our teachers and staff and our committee so i'd like to do it one more
068time I have another question for you. I just have to say I think this is really good for us as a board to have these conversations like this because this is not a popularity contest. It's really about who we want to see as our leader going forward. I would much rather have these conversations than when I first get on the board. And there was no conversation whatsoever. Yeah, there was never a conversation. So this is good. I guess my question to both of you would be, you've both done this chair for a whole year. And so what were you most proud of when you were the chair? And then what have you learned about and would want to see as like, what's your area of growth that you're like, well, you know what? This is
069what I wanted to do differently. And this is how I'm going to move forward. Oh, I'll go. I'll go. All right. Because that one, I know that one. Sorry, you are in a job interview. I am, right? Ooh, that's fair, yeah. You know, I get paid so much for it. So for me, you know, and it's so silly, but it's actually one of the silliest things I am actually proud of is being able to go home and still have energy to hang out with my kids at the end of one of the school committee meetings. Because when I first started, those meetings were so long. Do you remember some of those? They were so long. But we have a good update. We have a good rhythm. It's solid. You know it's it's efficient it moves
070it moves through you know and then and it's just it had you know it just has like a really good solid flow like we really get business done and where where and we're home and then I get to still have energy to like actually be with my kids and and Bedtime routines and it's nice, you know But as for And then of course there's everything else, like all the other things that happened. But I look at that more as a board, as a whole, of cool things that we as a DCRSD board has done. And then what I would like to grow is more spending a little bit more time. out in the community because I did have a lot of health scares this year and I had to spend a little bit more time
071inside. For me, I think out in the community and out in our schools a lot. So it was good to hear honest feedback and input as far as when we were moving forward with district plans, with capital plans, with the building reviews. A lot of those things. I like that we've started to implement some surveys to teachers, to questions. We've put different programs in place over the past few years, and not just the year I was there, because we've been on the board for many years. So I feel like my involvement certainly has... you know shown in records that we've we've been doing the things that we've come out to do this is why we're here is for the schools and there is a lot that still needs to be done I am a teacher
072as well, so I can relate. Granted, my kids are pre-school age, the population that I work with, but they come to our schools, so I see all gamuts, and I do have four kids, so we've worked through the district. So I've seen a lot of things and see some things come into place, and being able to put some input in and have it actually be heard. by our administration and our leadership and our principals is kind of paramount to moving forward together as a committee. So I'm proud of the work that we do as a group and I hope that we can move forward and continue to kind of work together and have a lot more open discussion because on any committee that I've ever been on besides this one, it's constant. discussion that's all
073it is is roundtable discussion and that gets you get a lot more work done so it'd be nice to as formal as we need to be still kind of be reminded that we're all just volunteers and we all just want kind of what's best for the school Moving forward what's gonna you know, well the decisions that we make today are absolutely going to affect These kids for years our school for years the community It's just very impactful. So I just want to be Okay, I apologize I did say roll call vote is not a roll call vote it's a simple majority So the first nominee is Ms. Kelly Zeller. All those in favor of Ms. Zeller? Three, that's one less than a majority. So we will work on the next nominee, which is Gene Costello.
074All those in favor of Gene Costello as chair? Okay. So congratulations, Ms. Costello. You are now the chair for the 2026-2027 school year, and I turn that gavel and piece of wood back over to you. You're welcome. Congratulations. Moving on to vice chair. All right, so nominations for vice chair, please. Caitlin, do you accept the nomination? Yes. Any other nominations? Nominate Kathy. I'm going to say no. No? I'm going to let some people change it up. Because I already know Maureen is a no. Oh, for being a vice chair? I thought you were going to give it to Caitlin. I'm like, no. And we already know from previous years it feels like bad form to have Charlton and Charlton. Any other nominations then? All right, hearing none. So all those in favor of Caitlin, unanimous.
075Listen, I'd switch it up. You earned it. Go for it. Oh, she gets a pay raise. Congratulations, Caitlin. Yeah, congrats. Okay, all right. And continuing down all the ones that we have to do according to policy. So the next one is treasurer. Our treasurer is Kami Lamica, which I'm assuming is going to continue. So for the rubber stamp of the 2027 year, can we please continue with Kami Lamica? Mrs. Kami Lamica, yeah. So nominate, and then we're going to just take it? Okay. All those in favor? You can tell it's unanimous again. According to policy, our secretary is Superintendent Stephen LaMarche. It's actually written somewhere. Or designee somewhere. It's going to say designee somewhere in there. It's superintendent or designee. Do you accept that? Oh, sure. Sure? All those in favor? It's unanimous again. Aren't
076you lucky? Oh, yeah. All right. And then we also have to nominate a SWAC representative, which is also for Steve. Yep. Part of my role. Yeah, it's part of his role. So I nominate Stephen LaMarche to be the SWAC representative. Anybody else want to make a run for it and take it? No? Okay, I didn't think so. All those in favor? And then, let's see. All right, and then moving on to the last of those. And then moving on was the standing policy, the standing subcommittees is the Budget and Finance Subcommittee. Must be formed tonight everything else can kind of like wait, but budget and finance has to be formed tonight So who would like to be on budget and finance? Yeah Last year it was Anthony Caitlin and Kelly so three Do you want
077to be on it you haven't been on it before All right, so budget and finance would be Anthony Avi, Maureen Chickering, and Kristen Martin. Technically, according to policy, you also need to come up with your chair for the budget and finance subcommittee right now. Oh, so you're already saying Anthony? Okay. If you want to find out, it's in policy BDE, by the way. All right, policy sub? No one wants to kick us out? No? Okay. No one wants to kick us out? Come on, that's where all the happy is. All right. So policy sub, Maureen, myself, and Kristen. Capital outlay and safety. Last year it was Anthony Auby, Maureen Chickering, and Kelly Zella. So who wants it this year? Caitlin, Anthony. Has room for one more. Kelly, did you have your hand up? I didn't
078see it. All right, so Anthony, Caitlin, and Kelly. All right, curriculum for teaching and learning. Last year it was Kathy, myself, and Jamie DeLovo. I know Kathy wants it. You want to continue? Caitlin, anybody else want it? Room for one more? No, no, no. Oh, I was going to put myself on it. Oh, yeah, that's fine. All right, executive sessions review. Last year it was me and Maureen. All right, I'll be on it too. All right. Has room for one more? Kathy. All right. Thank you for noticing. All right. CPAC. It's where all the cool people hang out. CPAC liaison. Maureen. I'll do that at the end. I'll bring my memo out. It's okay. I'm still suckered in as a board member, so I'm there every time anyway. Okay. All right. Do people still want
079to do school councils? Did we feel like that was really good and want to continue because I would like to I was only thinking maybe we should change it up from what we had last year Don't be on the same council twice Kelly do you have a preference? You want a Shepherd Hill? All right, Anthony well i love peter but i'm gonna give him a break yeah you gotta give peter a break um all right all right all right kathleen kathy all right charlton middle I'm sorry, I'm getting old because I thought Kayla said Charlton Middle. I said Dudley Middle. She said Dudley. Dudley Middle, sorry. All right. It's okay. I got it. Maureen. Dudley, yeah. Dudley. There's Charlton Elementary and Dudley Elementary left. Dudley. All right. Dudley meets with Charlton Elementary twice. That? Oh.
080She went to Charlton last year, so she wants to, we kind of switched out. Oh, okay. All right. Can you take Charlton Elementary? Where the hell is it? It's actually literally right next to my house. What? It's literally right next to my house. You'll have to show me. But, no, the school counselors are also usually done via Google Meet. Oh, okay. So you can. All right. That's what makes it real good. DMS is in person. All right, so I'm doing Troughton Elementary. Yeah. It's like four meetings a year. All righty. I know what Troughton is, but... Select board liaisons. Do we want to try that again this year? I met several times with the select board. Yeah. But someone else would like to vote. I think it's better off if we work as a team.
081Was thinking that because when I talked to the Dudley's like board they were just kind of like well if you have someone that Can come give us an update once in a while like so it might need to be like scheduled or something. Yeah So I think the last one is the Dudley Charlton para Association for contracts think what three years ago that was you me and Jamie does anybody else want to be on the DCPA I can do that with Caitlin. Anyone from Charlton would like to do it? It's usually right after school, around 3, 3.30, 4 o'clock tops. It's usually not until January. Kelly? I believe... No. I believe that is it. Madam Chair, it doesn't say in the policy but you also have to appoint the assistant treasurer for the district as
082well. So there's a treasurer and an assistant treasurer. Doesn't have the assistant treasurer. No. No, there's two different policies about it. BDE and BDA. Yeah. Neither one of them say it but I know that that happens each year. And the only reason why I really know that is because it's me. Oh, right. Right, you're the backup designee, just in case. I'm the backup assistant treasurer, yes. All right, so. It can't be Mr. DeSantis. All right, here, how about this? Just to, like, rubber stamp and just make our lives easy, I nominate Superintendent Stephen LaMarche to be our assistant treasurer. All in favor? Everyone but Kelly, because she stepped out for a second. And then moving on to consent agenda items. Approval of minutes for regular meeting. You can vote yes just because you weren't here
083you can still vote on the minutes if they were an accurate reflection of the minutes so that way you can understand them I think you can still just put a bit with that housekeeping moment. So yeah, I know. Yeah. So yeah. Vote to accept? Yeah. All those in favor? Yep. OK. 6 yes. Any communications? So yesterday I had the pleasure of participating at Heritage School at an epic water balloon fight. And we all went home wet, including the adults that filled the balloons. And I would love to do it again because it was a blast. And the week before that, I have to tell the committee that there were so many famous people at Heritage. There was Neil Armstrong and Betty White. and Taylor Swift and a whole slew, Simone Biles at the amazing wax
084museum exhibit. It was so hot but so much fun. So many kids put so much time in and so many smiling faces. It's a treasure to go to every single year. I really, really enjoyed it. My hat's off to the kids. a few weeks ago i did make my way over to doubly elementary to go to their school council meeting we talked about a school improvement plan we finalized a stakeholder survey which went out to staff the students and parents and it mostly asked questions about the strengths weaknesses of the year and about safety for each and every student and staff member And then I also participated in a CLE meeting as a parent. Two things that I took away from both meetings is that, especially for Dudley Elementary, there's definitely a need for more
085parent involvement and parent participation. So I'm hoping as we head into next school year, more willing participants come out and share their thoughts. Because I learned a lot from a lot of the parents that did come to the CLE, but it was very apparent that there's... definite need for awareness around a lot of the initiatives that we're doing as a committee and so it was very informative as a committee member too I was at the Dudley middle school school council meeting last month and also they also worked on their school improvement plan talked about just different ways of really working with families and students reimagining what like fifth grade orientation looks like. So they did a nice job. And also I was able, and mostly because of my own child, be able to attend the
086travel day exhibits at Dudley Middle School. And it was nice to see the amount of work they did in that, but they also just... going around and being able for them to talk about their projects was great. I will say that my mother-in-law, former teacher in the district, quizzed a lot of kids and we had to move her on. But it was great and the kids did a great job and so did the teachers as well. moving on to the superintendent's report madam chair and school committee i do have a report this evening as we prepare to close out the 2025 20 20 25 20 26 school year i would like to thank our students staff families school committee members and community partners for their continued support throughout the year the final weeks of the
087school year provided an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments recognize service honor our graduates and reflect upon another successful year in the dudley-chelton regional school district In addition, I want to provide an update on the Marfan Foundation Walk or the Marfan Foundation Awareness that I present to the school committee in May. I would like to provide this update regarding Heritage student Monty, who has worked to raise awareness, as I've shared with you in the past, for the Marfan syndrome throughout this past school year, doing multiple presentations in advocacy efforts within our district. I did present that there's a Marfan Foundation Walk that happened on June 14th. The event provided an opportunity to support individuals and families impacted by Marfan syndrome while increasing awareness and understanding of the important medical conditions. We are very proud of Monty's leadership,
088courage, and commitment in advocacy because she was recognized for her efforts and she actually cut the ceremonial ribbon to begin the walk this year. And I provided a picture in my report of her cutting the ribbon. which is incredible and fantastic. She also presented to some staff at Charlton Middle School as well in preparation for her transition to Charlton Middle School. The next item I have is recognizing Quo Vadis, recognition again in my report. After that, I do have State Graduation Framework Update. Earlier today, June 17th, 2026, your school committee meeting was timely because you knew this was coming, right? There was a lot of flutter out there in the emails, but Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the final recommendations of the Statewide Graduation Council regarding new statewide
089graduation framework and future Massachusetts graduation requirements. At this time, District Administration is still reviewing the released requirements and their potential implications for our local graduation requirements, curriculum staffing and scheduling, and resources. The Mass Association of School Superintendents, my organization, issued a statement in part with this, supporting the Commonwealth's continued commitment to maintaining high standards for earning a high school diploma, and noted that the proposed framework has the potential to promote rigor and consistency across Massachusetts. MASS also emphasized the successful implementation will require adequate funding support flexibility and sufficient planning time for school districts like ours I will continue to monitor developments and provide updates to the school committee as additional guidance becomes available and as a district has an opportunity to fully review the recommendation I believe that the probably the August your August meeting
090will probably be when I present an update on this and I'll work with principal Elwell on that as well to present the committee a update on the graduation standards and requirements and a plan moving forward from there we did recognize retirees which is in my report as well i did also talk about the closing of the school year and as a matter of fact at the end of my report i have very important dates for the 26 27 school year i know school ended yesterday but monday august 31st 2026 is educated new staff orientation Tuesday September 1st 2026 first day of school for grades 1 through 12 plus Wednesday September 2nd 2026 is the first day of school for kindergarten Friday September 4th 2026 is early release for all students and staff Monday September 7th
091is Labor Day for all school all schools are closed Tuesday excuse me September 8th 2026 is the first day for pre kindergarten and Friday September 25th 2026 is an early release contractual day for all students so As much as I'd like to say that we're happy that the school year ended, we're also excited to stop planning and working. We have administrative meetings starting tomorrow to debrief from the school year and start setting plans in motion and projects for the summer in preparation for next year. So that concludes the superintendent's report this evening. Thank you. Any questions for Mr. LaMarche? Okay. Public comment, but since we basically just have principals in the audience at this point. Any principals here for public comment? No? Okay. All right. Moving on to new business. Take it away, Director of
092Finance and Operations, Joe DeSantis. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to go to number two since Mr. David Eisenthal already performed, well, read through his presentation. He did. I immediately regretted that word. So taking a look at, I've highlighted a single-page updated FY26 budget report as of today, and I've highlighted the areas where there were shortfalls. and these areas of shortfall were three main categories the cost of snow removal this year was above and unprecedented compared to many recent years additionally utility costs and fuel spikes and finally a mid-year retiree health care rate increase the operating budget overall is currently stable as we complete the 2025-26 school year however respectfully request school committee vote to allow the director of finance and operations to transfer three hundred seven thousand five hundred seventy eight dollars from the
093district cost center to cover the shortfalls at Dudley elementary school Dudley middle school Heritage School Charlotte middle school and Shepherd Hill Anthony? Thank you. Sorry, Anthony made the motion. Caitlin seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor? It's unanimous. Next on my list is the disposal of surplus materials. Attached to the meeting materials, we have a list. The list is comprised of Charlton Elementary School, Charlton Middle School, and IT supplies. In accordance with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30B, Section 15, the school committee must approve the disposal of any property that is no longer useful to the district or has reached the end of its service life. The attached items have been identified by DCRSD as obsolete, damaged beyond repair, or no longer needed for educational or operational purposes. The business office reviewed these items
094and determined that they have no remaining value to the district and are suitable for disposal. It's respectfully recommended that the Dudley-Charles Regional School District School Committee vote to declare the items listed as surplus property and authorize the Director of Finance and Operations to dispose of them in accordance with Mass General Law Chapter 30B through the most appropriate method possible, recycle, trade-in, or disposal. Moved by Anthony, seconded by Caitlin. Any discussion? I read the list. It was a very comprehensive list. I just wanted to note to the community at large that we are decommissioning books all the way back to 1961. I think they don't owe us anything. I think we've been prudent stewards of the town's funding for the district, and it shows right here on our disposal list. I just wanted to highlight that.
095Okay, I've got a question. I feel like I know your question. Don't you have to pay for that? Meaning what? I'm sorry. Dispose of electronics in it. You can't just throw them away. Yeah, so within the request, it says that we do dispose of them in the most appropriate method possible. So, you know, certain ones you can recycle. Certain ones do just need to be thrown in the trash. And certain items can be traded in. So we'll go through the list with IT and figure out the most appropriate method for disposal. But I can let you know which direction we end up going with. Why is it serious? Yes, to answer your question, electronics are definitely... Do you have a tube television set? There are two tube televisions left that if somebody has the strength
096to pull 400 pounds worth of televisions out of a classroom, you're more than welcome to. Okay. All right. Thank you. No further discussion? All those in favor? It's unanimous. Thank you. The final item that I have on my list tonight are the FY27 French River Education Center bids. Winning bids for multiple categories of school operations-related items are attached to the school committee packet. These were awarded, the bids were awarded on May 21st of 2026. Similar to years past, we respectfully request school committee vote to accept the FY27 FREC bids as presented. So moved. Second. Moved by Anthony, seconded by Maureen. Any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor? It's unanimous. Sorry, Maureen seemed really happy she came in on second. She even did a little jig. Thank you. So moving on to policies for distribution.
097Madam Chair and School Committee, we have a number of policies that the Policy Subcommittee have been working on. We're at the distribution state of this. We do welcome your feedback after reviewing these, but after today's meeting with you incorporating your feedback, these will be sent out to the community for feedback as well. So the first policy is JKA, Restraint of Students in Public Schools. This policy was updated relatively recently. back in 2022, but there were new guidance. There was a guidance from DESE on timeout practices and implementation of amendments to Regulation 603-46, dated February 2026. So we needed to update this policy to incorporate some of the timeout requirements and procedures that are set to be adhered to by us as a community on August 17th, 2026. They do give a little bit more time
098to try to get your policy in order, but with Director Harriman, we were in good shape and we were able to present this to the policy sub for some review and we're presenting it now for distribution and for greater feedback going forward. You'll notice in the original JKA, the only real change in there, there were a couple of changes, but the only real change was removing the word verbal. for directions and also regarding seclusion because in JKA it's not addressed seclusion is no longer an option under JKA restraint of students in public schools and then we go into use of time out as part of the process here which it does address things on seclusion in their requirements and it's really an emergency use for seclusion there's no longer an opportunity for any other type
099of seclusion within our district and I don't foresee um as a district working with director harriman uh that we're going to be seclusion will be really needed within our district so but that is the policy jka in preparation for distribution The next policy is a policy that's been in the works. We did establish an AI working group. We did ask for feedback from the AI working group. Policy Sub has looked at this a couple of times now, and so now we are presenting you as a full committee the draft of policy IJNDBB. We do believe that there will be feedback on this particular policy. This policy is not an effort to try to create a guide. In the policy, you'll see that there is a requirement for the superintendent to work on a guide for
100implementation of AI within our district. So we are going to work on that this summer and bring that back to the school committee. But this is our first effort in a hefty environment of artificial intelligence to present a policy for the school committee. So that is any questions on IJNDBB. in preparation for distribution. Hard task. With that, you'll see some more policies coming forward because they're all tied to either AI or technology or something of that nature, so that's why we have the next two policies. We have IJNDBA, which is a Student Technology Responsible Use Policy, which was formerly known as the Acceptable Use Policy. And we also have policy IJNDB, Staff Technology Responsible Use Policy, which is, again, similarly headed. Sorry. I'm getting to that point where the bugs are coming in, so I
101just want to close those windows. So these are total rewrites. I have to also say, I forgot to say, with IJNDBB, that in these two policies, they are coming and they are through our Director of Technology, Dan D'Arcangelo. He is the one who really worked on these because he is responsible for the... compliance for some of our regulations and laws, Mass General Laws, as well as federal laws around child protection. So he did review all of these and that's why they are coming forward at this point in time. They are, again, total rewrites. They are not very similar to what was originally in there for an acceptably used policy moving forward. Are there any questions on those two particular policies in preparation for distribution? All right, so Madam Chair, part of Policy Subcommittee's work is
102also to work on district job descriptions. So we have our first, we're working with Policy Sub. We have created a framework for our job descriptions and what they should look like moving forward. They are, you'll see we have drafts of the Superintendent of Schools job description, Director of Pupil Services job description, Director of Finance and Operations, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, and Assistant Director of Pupil Services. This is only the beginning. But we've tried to format these in such a way that we have the functional job description, we have an opening statement as to what it is, essential duties and performance responsibilities. We tried to categorize it. If you were to look at our current job descriptions, which they are all on our website under the policy tab at the very bottom of the policies, they
103are usually a laundry list of bullets. We tried to categorize them a little bit more so that they could be go-to areas for you. We also have leadership competencies and professional attributes, direct reports, who reports these positions, and physical demands. I already see an extra space on that, physical demands. That needs to be fixed. qualifications and expectations evaluated by and then compensation and then the discriminant non-discrimination statement at the bottom of the job descriptions as well so you have all of those job descriptions and again these will be sent out and distributed out for feedback as well because they are representative of school committee policy by setting job descriptions any questions on those okay and that concludes the work of the policy sub So in your in the packet Celeste also threw in the masc
104conference in November There's also the email about the workshop for July so please you know get back with like a date for that week just so I can work with Administration for that because that was like a solid week that they didn't have anything booked so we can try to work something out We're not really married to that Wednesday, so if you really have something that you can't do on that Wednesday, please let me know. And we can plan another date during that week. It was just that that week was really the most, the easiest week for them. And is there any upcoming agenda items that you guys would really like? And if you can't think of anything right at this moment, because if you're like me, choking on pollen, you can always email me.
105Or Caitlin. She's vice chair. I was going to say, there was a few parents that had reached out asking when Mary usually comes in and presents the EF tour, the international, around this time of the year. I look back, it's usually May, June. Through the chair, we're not sure that, I don't mean to speak out of turn, but we're not sure that Mary's going to continue. So we're working on, Principal Auella's working on a transition to that at this point in time. She's done it for 39 years now. Madam Chair, the only thing that I would recommend for the workshop meeting, for business purposes, I would like to provide an update on my evaluation, progress report, or whatever we want to call it, mid-cycle. The mid-cycle progress, yes. Anything else? Oh, Madam Chair, I think
106that in the month of July we're going to be looking for a possible vote by the school committee on the capital for the bond and stuff. Right. We're planning to have the official school committee vote to authorize the town election. Madam Chair, that may not be at the July workshop meeting, but that may be a, what we've done in the past, we've done a single agenda item meeting through video conferencing. Anything else? Second. Okay. All those in favor?