Methuen School Committee 8-25-2025

001[Music] Hallelujah. [Music] Good evening. The school committee business workshop session of August 25th, 2025 will now come to order. This meeting is being recorded and will be made available for viewing on the Mthuan Public Schools website. Uh just as a quick housekeeping item before we uh take the roll call, uh just to point out that I had misplaced my handy dandy timer and I uh found it today uh in a drawer in my desk. And so we will have uh the return of the five minute timer uh so that we can stay on track. With that, I will ask the secretary to call the role. Member Daglio, >> yes. >> Member Dunovan, >> present. >> Member Keegan, >> present. >> Member Maxwell, >> yes. >> Member Shabilia, >> here. >> Member Wlette, >> here. >>

002Mayor Boragod, >> here. >> Everyone's here. We need a motion and a second to accept the amended agenda for August 25th, 2025 as presented. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from member Shabilia. The second is from the vice chair. Any discussion? right here. >> Member Maxwell. >> Um I'd like to motion to amend the agenda um only because um where it says um all of the topics, it has the people who requested the agenda's item on the agenda and where it says administrative job descriptions. Um, it appears that my name is not next to that and it should read administrative job descriptions and role clarity across the district. >> And then discussion by Chris member Maxwell. >> Does member Maxwell have a second? >> There's a second. >> Okay. Uh, we'll take a vote

003on the proposed amendment to the agenda. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. The eyes have it. We need a motion and a second to accept the agenda now as amended further here. >> Motion and a second to accept it. Okay. >> Second. >> All right. >> Did you move for I know you seconded. >> It's all moved. That's all moved. Wait for the second. >> Do we have any other discussion? >> If not, we will vote. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. >> Excuse me, mayor. I just didn't hear what member Maxwell said. After administrative job description, >> uh, administrative job descriptions and role clarity, I believe >> enroll clarity. >> Member Maxwell >> clarity across the district. Okay. Thank you. >> Discussion by member

004Maxwell. >> All righty. Uh, now we will rise for the flag salute. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Now, if we could all remain standing for a moment of silence. Uh, recently the Methuan public schools community lost uh Tom Besonette. Uh, he worked in Methuan from 2000 to 2007 as associate principal at the Tim. Uh previously he worked in the Lawrence public schools as a teacher and administrator. He was a compassionate educator who enjoyed spending time in classrooms with staff and working with parents. When asked, those that met and worked with him would say that he was classy, kind, and genuine. So tonight we're going to remember Tom. And also, of course,

005we send our best wishes to his family, his wife, uh Betty, and Adam, his son. Thank you. Now move on to participation uh by the public. Uh we have one person who signed up for public participation and that is Alejandro Bayz. [Music] Good evening members of the school committee, madam superintendent and everyone watching at home. My name is Alejandro Bayz. I live on 152 Center Street here in Methuan. And today I just want to present to you all today a what I believe to be a simple ask a simple way of keeping the public informed and keeping the ne your neighbors and my neighbors aware of what's going on and that ask which I will say at the beginning is to create a policy that all subcommittee meetings be recorded and be or broadcasted and

006you know you guys could figure out what type of language you want views on that, but I just would like to see a policy that would say that all subcommittee meetings be recorded or broadcasted and then uploaded. Why do I say this? Well, for example, many of the times the subcommittee meetings minutes aren't uploaded to the website. There's sometimes they are, sometimes they're not. Uh, and what ends up happening is that when members of the public want to reach information, what they have to do is go into the agendas and look at and press on the links of the minutes that are up for approval to look for the minutes of said policy or a facility subcommittee meeting that they want to look at. Uh, if a policy could be in place to make sure

007that all subcommittee meetings be recorded or or broadcasted would be great. as a member of the public and representative Mthuan, I think that that would be beneficial for all. I also believe that uh since a lot of the subcommittee meetings at least recently have been through Zoom, it wouldn't be such a terrible ask as Zoom itself has a uh recording feature that wouldn't be uh such a difficult task, right? just to press the record button on Zoom and then send it over to whatever uh infrastructure you guys have as a school committee that uploads it to your YouTube channel. When the subcommittee meetings are in person, I understand that that's you know more of a difficult ask. Sometimes subcommittee meetings are scheduled you know days pre uh days before weeks like a week before and

008it may be more difficult to to find that infrastructure but that effort that extra effort is worth it. I believe that subcommittee meetings, recordings, or even recording and broadcasting isn't uh, you know, a huge cost to the district or at least a cost at all. I don't know. But it's not a hard ask, whether that be financially or just effort-wise. Um, and regarding the minutes to to the subcommittee meetings and, you know, posting them on the website, uh, you know, when they're up for approval, I understand that, you know, they might not be published because they haven't been approved yet by the school committee. However, when they are approved, they should they should be uploaded to the website from, you know, that meeting, you know, the instead of just being on the agendas. And I

009know that that may be difficult to keep up with, but as you know, public employees, I believe that it's important for transparency purposes and accountability purposes just because I'm bringing this because and I'll give an example of a specific uh subcommittee meetings and you know why this is important. Let's look at the subcommittee meetings. Um, I was in attendance for uh a couple subcommittee meetings where uh a lot of important information came up, but because there wasn't any recording and because I'm a lefty and my handwriting isn't great, uh my notes weren't as much of a help. Um, for example, in the last subcommittee meetings, there was talks about the cameras that we use and whether or not they have audio. Now it was said and I don't remember who said who said it but

010it was said that the cameras don't have audio but I am under the understanding that our system does have audio or at least that the systems have the capability to have audio to be enabled or disabled and you know without the recording I wouldn't be able to go back to the specifics of that or if the minutes aren't published where they are it's going to be it's the next barrier it's an obstacle for me to get there. Furthermore, in that subcommittee meeting, uh there was no talk about the wellness policy. The same wellness policy that in the previous meeting on August 11th, this b regular business meeting for the school committee was tabled so that it could could be talked about during the subcommittee meeting. Yet, it wasn't. And you know, uh now it's not

011on the agenda today either. It was tabled and it's the wellness policy which is important and I believe is required to be to have on uh on the district and in the handbook yet it was tabled and it wasn't talked about when it was supposed to be talked about and the public should have that knowledge and the ability to look for that in a way that isn't inconvenient. That's all that's that's really what I'm doing up here is for the convenience of our neighbors, for the convenience of our community, and for the convenience of you all when you're all looking looking back for information as well. Um I want to thank you all for the work that you have been doing especially on the policy uh subcommittee and you guys have been doing some good

012work and some great questions have been raised. Let's just make sure that our community is able to hear and listen to those questions and to that work that is being done. Thank you all. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak? If not, at this time I will close public participation. If you cannot make a meeting in person for public participation, you can send an email to Martha Soy at MASIR oisthuan.k12.mma. us before 3 p.m. on the day of the school committee meeting. Uh tonight, uh we're going to be picking up where we left off at the last meeting with our agenda. We'll continue with new business, uh the superintendent's evaluation. We need a motion and a second to approve the evaluation. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from member Shabilia,

013second from member Daglio. Discussion. Member Maxwell. We're going to take uh we'll have two fivem minutee rounds. >> Um so this is the discussion regarding the evaluation. Correct. >> Yes. Um, so I just wanted to start out by saying I did not fill out an evaluation because I just didn't feel like my input would be considered when compiling the reports um, since last year. They were not. Um, I don't believe that this evaluation is a true reflection of the performance um, of the superintendent. I was hoping that maybe we would be going um section by section um because mass state law is you know open meeting is required to go over this um regarding the professional competence of the superintendent. It's a public matter and deliberations regarding that must happen in public. Um, so since

014we're not going to go section by section, I'll just kind of go through with what I wanted to say and if there's any questions or anything, maybe we could follow up after. Um, the student learning, it was rated that with significant progress and I know that we all know that I consider the literacy um, benchmarks. Um but just to take a minute to realize that our screeners um take those out of the picture for a minute and state standard testing shows that our students aren't performing at grade level. Um in fact 34% of them are. All of our reading specialists in this district stood here during budget time um and told us that our kids are not reading at grade level and they're significantly behind. Um it also says that uh the superintendent performs walkthrough

015monthly to observe instruction and support noting trends across the district. However um the one trend that we got no answer to was the underperformance of one specific um school. The supporting evidence of the strategy plan meetings was a screenshot of days hosted with no context. Um the f the focus indicators were highlighted and chosen um by Brandy her uh Dr. herself. However, the ones that are crossed out are the ones that actually um I find important and that actually evaluates her performance. Um so the professional practice goal, it says that uh you'll review and strengthen inclusive teaching practices and deliver multi-targeted supports to reduce opportunity and achievement gaps to improve outcomes. Um did we take teacher input into consideration there? Did we review and revise the use of the wind block and reading success block?

016Uh, did we make any progress on the decap since that says that that's going to be done over the summer and the fall? I thought that, you know, maybe we'd have an update on that since the last time it was updated was 12 years ago in 2013. Uh, the district improvement goal, the focus on belonging and engagement, it was said that there's significant progress there. When we didn't meet a return rate of the surveys, we actually got a 17% return rate instead of the 30. Uh, the survey was not able to be taken more than once for parents that have multiple kids, and it did not provide an open-ended feedback option. Specialty programs and extracurricular opportunities are not offered at each school, and if they were, I'd like to know how they empower student voice

017and engagement. The grade level family events, a lot of them were PTO events. Um, there was no action plan to improve school culture based off of the survey results. And there the MPS vision of the graduate has not been developed yet. That also says that it's going to be in the fall. So I don't know how we can rate someone based off of something that's not done yet. Um district goal number two the focus was chronic absenteeism. In 2021 it was 16.7%. 22 it was 34.6 n uh 23 it was 19.4 and this past year it was 24.8. Um our dropout rate has increased by 1%. And uh we're only looking at extracurricular numbers for high schoolers, not the K through eights. Uh standard one instructional leadership, the focus indicators here, um those were the

018ones that were crossed out. Um teachers have given us suggestions and input and sk to improve their schedules on student student learning only to be ignored and given the same options. Uh standard two, management and operations. That one was rated needs improvement. However, it should be unsatisfactory considering our decap is again 12 years old. The DPH has rated our schools deplorable and for someone that does monthly walkthroughs, that should have been noticed. Scheduling and management was rated proficient, but teachers have raised concerned and been promised that it would be looked at and it's the same um consistently year after year. Families and community um engagement. Families don't feel welcomed. They don't feel like members of the classroom and that they can contribute. It's said that families receive quarterly literacy benchmark results. However, they don't. The

019professional culture, the proficiency was proficient. Um, we've taken away ways for our students to learn about other students backgrounds, identities, and they're um definitely not respected. So, continuous learning nurtures a culture in which staff members are reflective, which is not. So, I guess I'll end um with just saying that my problem with the evaluation is that it's not honest or accurate. Our district is struggling and while we sit here and report to Jesse that all is good, things are just getting worse. We're more worried about boosting our ratings than addressing the problems at hand. So, no, I cannot participate in the evaluation process. That's my reasoning behind why I did not. >> Other discussion? >> Member Wlette. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, there's no secret that in the past I've had serious reservations about

020the evaluation. Um, I'm totally dismissive of the composite methodology of the evaluation. Even if we have snippets of our remarks, it should be in total. So, um, on the evaluation, each member should have their remarks included and not a composite. I know in Congress they have a majority report and a minority report to highlight differences between the parties. And I know we're nonpartisan, but we definitely have differences of opinion about the superintendent and about the evaluation itself and about the progress of the schools. So when you have a composite, how are you going to reach a consensus when you have divergent opinions? Uh we have flexibility as a committee to set a deadline for the evaluation. We're doing an evaluation before the audit has even been published. We spent $140,000. What was the purpose of

021that? What was the purpose of voting for the superintendent's contract? So I have major concerns about the evaluation. uh for instance when you talk about and it makes reference to the audit that we are still awaiting and it says notable concerns and needs improvement in terms of the culture but yet there's a proficiency rating so if you have it within the language of needs improvement how can you reach a determination of proficiency uh so and other things too with the Massachusetts Association of school committees I don't know if we're following their format completely. Okay, we ride uh the ship. We drive it. Um we could have this in the fall. Uh we have a mad rush to do a superintendent's contract. We had a mad rush to do the evaluation. This is a special circumstance

022of spending really a significant amount of money. there's an expectation for the community to have that audit and I don't see what was the u rationale we should have delayed the evaluation vehicle itself um but that would be my first round thank you >> other discussion member Daglio >> thank you um so I just want to hit the key point of management and that was my drive in the subcommittee um with what the events that have taken place in the last year and especially in the last couple of months. This is where I believe in accountability across the board. Um where one person gets well be careful how I say it. Um gets disciplined and then the rest especially admin are not. I feel like where I come from everybody should be in trouble or

023suspended or relieve of duty because that's just how I grew up in a father that owned a trucking company. If one of his truck drivers did something wrong, he also held that truck driver, but he also held the manager responsible too. And when a lot of us members have heard about certain admin and how they treat our teachers, the fact that it's it's again, I don't know how it's being handled because I can't handle personnel, but I'm just saying all of us have heard it. It's very hard to believe that admin have not heard what we're hearing about how certain people are treating our employees that only been here for a short while and where some of these teachers I grew up with. I don't expect someone that just walked into a position start treating

024my teachers that way they did. And I know everybody has heard it. I've heard it from teachers how they're treated. And that's where I had to give the UN the the the management bit a poor rating because if I can hear it and everybody else can hear it in this town, I know central office is hearing it too. And if you're not, then you need to be going with the teachers and talking to them because they're talking to us. So that's why that's really what hit the nail in the coffin with me on that. plus the other things with the mice and how it continuously keeps going and we keep putting plans in place and it just seems like we're spinning our wheels. So that's why I just wanted to focus that's why I feel

025that rating needed to be the rating it had to be. That's all. Thank you. >> Other discussion have a second round or Definitely. >> Here we go. >> So, I'm wondering um the committee is the subcommittee is supposed to present the findings. That's my understanding because we have to vote on that. Um I've been tasked with presenting. So, because people don't all know what we're talking about, obviously. So I would be happy to present why we do it and give uh a brief synopsis of the evaluation that was put together by the subcommittee um with the assessments provided by those who did participate um because I know we have to vote upon it. I understand it is also in the packet and it is online. Okay, sound fair. I think I think it would be

026very helpful. So let me start with this uh the purpose behind this evaluation um and I ask my colleagues Mr. Daglio and Miss Keegan to jump in anytime. So the why behind it in Massachusetts hiring and evaluating the superintendent is one of the school committee's three core responsibilities along with setting policy and adopting a reasonable budget. The Department of Education what de I'm sorry DESIE the DESIE process begun in 2010 and updated in 2019 requires members to assess performance in instructional leadership management and operations, family and community engagement and professional culture. The evaluation cycle consists of five steps, starting with the superintendent self-reflection and self-assessment and ending tonight with the committee voting on whether to or not to accept the final summit of evaluation submitted by five members of the committee. The steps in between

027include goal setting, creating action steps, a midcycle assessment, and a review of evidence. This evaluate tool was established by Desi to ensure that the superintendent and all licensed educators in Massachusetts are measured against clear, concise, and timely expectations. I think it's really important to note the superintendent's goals are used by administrators and teachers when it's time for them to do the self-reflection and create their own goals. On October 15th, Dr. Kang submitted her goals. one around literacy, which was the student learning goal. The professional practice goal in which she said she would work to lead the district in reviewing and strengthening inclusive teaching practice practices to reduce opportunity and achievement gaps between student certain student groups and the district improvement goal which was to focus on chronic absences. There was limited discussion on these goals

028and the school committee voted unanimously to accept these goals. On February 24th, Dr. Kuang submitted evidence and gave us an update on progress of these goals. According to the the minutes of that meeting, there was a discussion focused on the timeline of when we would get this done. At the June 26th meeting, Dr. Kuang presented her final evidence of her work towards the goal. The discussion at that meeting was focused on who would sit on the committee and that process. To support their assessments, all committee members were provided with evidence by Dr. Kuang related to her goals. This included student performance data such as the literacy scores, attendance rates, records of family and community events, and minutes from classroom walkthroughs. Using the DESIE rubric, members then conducted their individual evaluations. While members Maxwell and Wlette

029did not submit their theirs, evaluations from members Daglio, Shabilia, Borugari, Keegan and myself were synthesized into a single summit of evaluation by a subcommittee. Uh these are the steps suggested and required by Desi. Finally, in addition to our legal responsibility under state law to formally evaluate the superintendent, which is one of our few statutory duties, we are also contractually bound to do so. Article 4 of Dr. Quan's contract specifies both her obligation and hours to complete the five-step process in a set timeline. It does note, here's a direct quote, the consensus shall be compiled by the committee chair upon submission to the chair of each member's individual assessment of the superintendent's performance. I did consult with our attorney because I was unsure we're on uncharted grounds um about this information. He told me because two

030members did not complete their contractual duties, Dr. Quan could, if she wished, legally challenge this evaluation, which could put us in a pre precarious legal situation. So, that's the why behind it. And now, if we can move, if Evan is watching, I'm sure they're wondering what the valuation came out as. Um, let's just go through it really quickly. I know it was touched upon by some of the members. Um, and I think it's important to note we did those who did pass in the evaluations did so independently and when we sat down to look at it, it um, it was pretty evident that everybody was on the same page. Some of the responses were identical. There were no outliers in this case as there was last year. Um so basically if you'd like to go

031over the goals I don't know what the request should we go over the goals briefly with the um responses. >> So I'm considering this outside the realm of discussion. This is more of a committee presentation. So absolutely let's go through each one and >> okay I'll just quickly know everyone has it. Um we can start with >> let me see so many papers. Okay, let's start with let's do the um the goals. The student learning goal um which was a prepundonderance of those who did submit that Dr. Kuang made significant progress. The student learning goals were around literacy and basically called for accelerating students literacy development and language acquisitions across all subject areas. Um the goal was to a percentage of students demonstrating grade level reading proficiently proficiency would increase by two points reaching 70%

032in students in grades K to three and um increase by three points reaching 68% for students in four to eight. She provided us with um documentation um an end of the year literacy benchmark scores and um I know if we all have this information um some of the classes went above and beyond some of the grade levels went above and beyond the percents expected some almost made it and as a result significant progress was the assessment um also in that was that 70% of English language learners would demonstrate a 1% So an 1% increase um or a score level of four to five in English proficiency and writing between the pre and postbenchmark testing assessments which were given in September and May respectively. Again there were pockets of um schools where students met that mark

033and some that came close again contributing to the significant progress. And please jump in if you if I'm missing anything members of the committee. The next was the professional practice goal where Dr. Kuang will lead the district in reviewing and strengthening inclusive teaching practices and the delivery of multi-tered support target supports to reduce opportunity achievement gaps between student groups to improve outcomes. Um there were goals set the percentage of students passing all grade nine courses will increase by 2%. um students at Mthuan High with um students with disabilities would be enrolled in advanced coursework. 35% of them 32% I'm sorry. And by June 2025, 32% of Methuan's um second language learners and former L's would be enrolled in advanced coursework for again the upcoming school year. Um she did with all the goals and I

034should have mentioned that there were action steps included. Um and because these action steps were completed, some of them were completed, some of them weren't. Um there was a prepoundonderance of the committee to determine that she made some progress towards this professional goal. And finally, the district improvement goal was um Dr. Kuang said she would work to enhance dis district and school partnership with students and families to increase connectivity, engagement, and belonging by empowering student voice and engagement through involvement in specialty programming and extracurricular activities. Um and she did list her action steps and provided us with a number of um evidence including the vocal survey presentation, a listing of school newspapers, newsletters and family community events, uh the climate survey results and as a result of that it was a prepoundonderance of the committee

035that she um would be rated as significant progress. Um, and I think I skipped an important thing that was mentioned in the final document and that was about the improvement in attendance at each of the schools. Um, and that is noted in the final document. So there are the goals and then we were also asked to address the standards and once again this reflects it. This reflects every licensed staff member, every licensed educator in our district has to go through this process. Um so Dr. Kuang was rated on four standards. The first being instructional leadership. Um the areas of assessment included unsatisfactory, needs improvement, proficient um and exemplary. and um proficient the proficient practice is understood to be fully satisfactory. So she was rated proficient in instructional leadership management and operations needs improvement and um

036there was a preponderance of the committee saying there were concerns with the operations um of our buildings in light of the issues that came up with cleanliness and sanitary conditions. And that is in detail written in detail in the report. Family and community engagement. Dr. Kuang was um assessed as being proficient and professional culture as proficient. I'm sure if there's any questions, my colleagues can jump right in. Also, I recall to my other subcommittee members, we also said with this evaluation, we wish there was like a middle in between proficient and uh needs improvement because if there was that, we would have probably checked those boxes as well. At least have that feeling of if there was an option there, we would have probably put the in between. If I recall, that was part of

037the subcommittee. It's noted in um in the actual final. >> Yeah, that's right. >> So, I want the other subcommittees when it came down to proficient and needs improvement, there was a there was a lot of conversations of saying we don't think it was a needs improvement, but we didn't also think it wasn't a proficient. So, we wish there was a middle ground on certain things. Um, but we all came down to the operations part. we all pretty much agreed that that needed the work as well. So, just wanted to note that. >> Thank you for the presentation, Member Donovan. Um, just to guide the discussion, >> we'll we'll return. We'll have a second one after everyone's finished speaking for the first round. Uh, so actually, I'm going to time myself. I'm not going to

038go over five, but just to do that, um I just want to state uh just as a out of a desire to be clear about the audit. I think that there's a lot of misconceptions out there generally speaking about the why, so to speak, behind the audit. The audit uh is not intended to be a gotcha moment. The audit is not intended uh to in essence serve as part of the desi uh evaluation process for the superintendent. The audit, as I've stated uh consistently over time, the audit is intended to provide us with a definitive databased roadmap to correct existing issues within the district, but also to chart a path forward for the district. And so I view the audit and this evaluation process as entirely separate. Uh so I just want to state that

039uh clearly uh when it comes to the why that the idea behind the audit wasn't to uh present a uh gotcha opportunity uh regarding the superintendent or anyone else but to again establish that roadmap. Um the evaluation process for me at least as a new mayor uh was a little quirky where I I wasn't able to participate last year. former mayor Perry uh participated in terms of uh you know his service as mayor and had his own evaluation. And so uh for mine I uh went a little above uh and beyond and kind of colored outside the lines and offered thoughts about every area beyond the focus areas. Uh so uh I went into a little more detail, but I want to mention for the public that uh this document, the final document presented uh

040before us tonight, but also our individual evaluations, those are all public record available for uh folks to review and digest as well. Uh so although it is a um a document here that we're voting on that summarizes the collective viewpoint uh if you view the individual evaluations you'll likely see uh degree of uh diversity in terms of the specific responses and any data cited. Uh so with that uh if we're done with the first round we can move on to the second round. Member Wulette and then member Maxwell. >> Just very briefly, the composite methodology is an optional process. We could as a committee do the evaluation jointly and under the open meeting law, we would have to do it in public. So I don't want to say that we're a pigeon hole of doing

041a composite methodology as a standalone mandatory by the state. Even if you look at the Massachusetts Association School Committee guidelines, we could do an evaluation of the superintendent as a committee jointly and have our remarks part of the record. Secondly, by voting no, I'm doing an affirmative that I'm participating as part of the process. I'm questioning the methodology. I'm making my statements for the record. It's a public meeting. So any intimation that somehow I would be in violation of the superintendent's contract, I would test that in a New York minute. So I resent that implication. Again, I have serious concerns about the evaluation process. The composite was an optional methodology. We as a committee could evaluate the superintendent. There was no deadline set by the state. We set the deadline and again within the document

042itself made reference to the audit. It wasn't us in opposition. It said it in the document itself. It made reference to the audit, the forthcoming audit. So the evaluation committee linked it themselves, not us. So if I did my own evaluation, it'd probably be about two or three pages. I'm not going to have my remarks condensed into a composite. I can't see the logic of that. And give me an example of the state house or congress or any other body. You have a majority viewpoint and minority viewpoint for the record. So I think again I said it last year. I appreciate the evaluation uh committee. I really do. I I commend them for their efforts. I'm trying not to make this personal. I just have my issues with the process and that I think we're

043rushing and we shouldn't be rushing. We set the deadline ourselves. We set the parameters ourselves and we should be waiting for the audit because it's reflected in the evaluation itself. So that's it. Thank you >> briefly. So, uh, member, uh, vice chair has not spoken yet. So, we'll hear from the vice chair and then we'll have a second round with member Maxwell. >> Um, as far as I just want to clarify something as far as the composite goes, it is actually in the superintendent's contract to do it that way. So, we cannot vote as a committee to do it differently because it's in her contract exactly how we have to do the um evaluation, >> which I voted. So it it doesn't matter whether somebody voted against it or not. The committee voted for the

044contract and we are bound as the committee by the contract. Right? So it it it's irrelevant what individuals voted whether we have to follow the contract and the contract clearly lays out how the evaluation has to be done. That's all >> Maxwell. >> So to note that on that um it does say it in the contract. It also in her contract says that these need to be submitted by October 1st. The goals and um focus indicators and they were submitted October 15th. Um it also says that the evaluation instrument and the process of evaluation may be amended, modified or abbreviated by mutual agreement in writing by the superintendent and committee. The written agreement on additional goals must be entered into by no later than October 1st of each school year. Um the committee shall review

045the superintendent's progress at the end cycle on goals and self-evaluation in a public session prior to the commencement of the next school year. Shall complete a sum uh summit of evaluation assessing attaining the goals against standards using the four DESIE rubric ratings. I will say that the goals um I did vote yes on. I did approve um because I do think that they are great goals. However, the indicators, the focus indicators are where I struggle because the ones that are crossed out are the ones that I feel like we know would be unsatisfactory. Um and that's why they're crossed out. So I think that uh next year or by October 1st um it's um it's very important for us to pay attention to the focus indicators. That way we can give a real um evaluation.

046Um, and just just so we're aware, it does say on or before June 20th of each calendar year, the superintendent shall provide the committee um during a public meeting with a written self-evaluation on end goals. Um, that was not done before June 20th. So, that was actually June 26th. So, I actually have that right here. Um, so I just want to I just want to make sure that everybody's clear on the expectations and rules and laws of this evaluation um because I've done a little bit of homework um since um since it's been said that I I'm not aware of what is actually going on. So um I would like to go over the focus indicators. However, I know that we are kind of um limited to our time. Um but if that's something that

047the subcommittee wanted to go over, I would I would welcome that. Um but that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Second round member Daglio. >> So just hearing everybody's I'm just going to give my opinion. um when it comes down to her goals next time, we can always add on to our goals. We can always have a discussion if we want those goals to be her goals. We have that power to do that. Instead, we all sit here, including myself, and we approve it. But it seems like this time around because I I'm I'm I'm I'm guessing that when the goals will be presented to us for the school year coming soon or do we already do that? My brain first day of school. I'm so sorry. By what? >> October 1st. >>

048Yeah. So when we see those goals cuz I know I'm going to be adding on when it comes to management. >> October 1st. We're doing the goals this year. Oh, I will be. Yeah. Not yet. Not yet. Um, but if people don't want those goals, vote no or add on. That's that's all I'm saying. I feel like everybody is is giving their input, which I I love, but at the same time, I feel like we made that decision when we voted on it. But next time, let's not if we have to be here until 10:00 at night to make sure our goals the goals are set, then we set that. That's our responsibility as committee. I know. I don't I know. But if we have to, that's our job. So that's all I have to

049say. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? Member Shibilio. >> So first off, I agree with member Daglio. The goals are on us. >> Yeah. Look at a Well, don't get used to it. The goals are on us. We agreed to them. It is what we agreed to. But I'm I'm a little hung up on the focus on the audit. And I think that we have crossed a bit because the structure of the evaluation is not audit based. when we build goals in October, which we should have our audit by then and it should be presented by then, we could build goals with the audit in mind from those findings, corrective action plans, and all that other stuff that I'm sure we'll talk about when we get to the end of our agenda here because it's

050all part of the update. But nothing in this rubric should have been based on the audit. Nothing in this rubric should have been based on water cooler conversation or messages and conversations with teachers. That's not what this is. Those things are used when you're building your goals, not when you're evaluating them. I know that it sounds ridiculous, but that's the way this system is built. Good, better, and different. That's the way this system is built. You don't have to like it. I openly said to member Keegan when she called and said, 'Hey, did you do your superintendent evaluation? And I went, uh, no, I have to do that. This this this process is kind of silly. You're also the only one in the city who gets one, which I think is >> it's public. >>

051And it's public. Could you imagine putting the fire chief or the police chief or the DPW director or the mayor or anybody else in that chair? People would be in tears. like it that's it's but I I I think that we need to focus on what's actually happening and I think that this evaluation is an accurate description of what's actually going on. Yes, there's there there's a lot of unnecessary and 100% fixable and we're we're doing it. That task force is doing it when it comes to the buildings and that this reflects that. But otherwise, me, myself, and I, who before my time on the school committee, and I've I've told the superintendent this, I blamed her for all of the problems that I saw her in the schools. She I she was I've said

052it before, you have the worst PR in the city. But I've I've sit there and I've watched and I've watched what she's done and I've watched what they do and when the phone rings when we're in a meeting and she now she's dropping out of our meeting to go to whatever school and then Ian disappears and then Lis and everyone's off doing stuff. So like I get why we're increasing and I get why people some people are also unhappy but I also see why everyone's working their tails off and I get it. But no one's ever going to be happy with this process. But I think that it's an a fair representations of what's going on. I'm always told because I have to do these with my employees every year and I hate doing reviews

053every It's the worst part of my job every year. No one gets exceptional. No one ever gets exceptional. Does every year you did teacher evaluations? Did anyone get exceptional? >> Exemplary. Exceptional. Whatever you want to call it. This this I think is something to be proud of. And next year when the task force says, "Hey, look, we're all done." And the superintendent can stand there and say, "Our buildings are better than they have been in 40 years. Now, let's go build a new one." And the mayor says, "Hey, here's the money. Go for it. It'll be it'll be better." And we've come so far and we still have so far to go. But I just don't want to keep mixing this with the audit. That's I guess where I started. and then derailed. I don't

054want to mix this with the audit. The audit is coming. We'll have our chance with that. Thank you. >> Yeah. Take a vote. Uh we'll take a roll call vote on the evaluation of the superintendent. >> Member Daglio. >> Yes. >> Member Dunovan. >> Yes. >> Member Keegan. >> Yes. >> Member Maxwell. >> No. >> Member Shabilia? >> Yes. >> Member Wlette? >> No. >> Mayor Borod? Yes. >> 52 passes. >> Attendance evaluation has been approved. We now need a motion and a second to approve the Rangers Club salary range change. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from the vice chair. The second is from member Shabilia. Discussion. >> Member Maxwell. >> Um are these raises already included in the budget that we approved this year? >> This program is a revolving account. It's

055not in the operating budget. >> Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. >> How is this going to impact the cost of the program? >> So, it's it's not going to impact the cost. What we're trying to do is make sure the ranges are competitive and we're not losing staff within the the the two that were really close and overlapping or the assistant coordinators and group leaders. So, we're trying to move that needle a little bit more and give more room for growth uh in those two particular opportunities. Uh Jennifer Fernandez and I met we there does not need to be any increase at this point. You guys already did an increase for other costs. It didn't this didn't play a factor in that increase to begin with. So, we'll be able to cover this with anything

056that is already uh in place. >> It's a fantastic program. I know the folks at the marsh do an amazing job. The kids come home happy every day. I mean, I it's it's an easy yes for me. >> Vice Chair, >> I hate to say this, but I'm a little concerned that the ranges are still too low. Um I I'm just concerned. >> You do this every time. It's like a little dance. I know, but I I just feel like um or we're not paying high enough to retain people and I don't know that these ranges are high enough to keep people. >> So, I so deeply appreciate the the comment. Um and I think the one if you notice the range that has become the most competitive for us is the actual coordinator position.

057That range has gotten a little bit bigger. That's probably where you see the most change so that we have flexibility in folks who are coming with different experience. Um that is a little more competitive for us in this area. Um you know the 16 to 22 for group leaders that is you know those are high school junior seniors you know maybe college students some program assistants like to come back and be group leaders after their school day ends. Um, so we're trying to make that a little more competitive with sort of the average hourly rate wage which kids would get um around here. So I mean we we you know again instead of moving this up too quickly too fast which then could impact what we're charging uh a little bit differently. I think you

058know we're hoping for this to be a good starting place. We haven't done it in a few years. So I think this it's time and it's appropriate. Yep. Please pardon the sneeze attack. Uh, any other discussion? >> If not, we'll vote. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. >> Roll call. >> Oh, no. Never mind. I'm sorry. B, first day of school. >> Right now, uh, Alan, invite member Donovan to begin the discussion regarding the MASC training. You should have all received the email and the link now works. Um Alicia who is our MASC liaison sent um a very brief questionnaire to everybody. Um asking what areas that we feel we need some attention given to um may um did you all get it? Okay. Hopefully everyone responded maybe right

059now. And um so she's going to get that information, put something together for us, and she'd like to come present um because this is a policy and we are obligated to complete additional training through through a policy that we adopted. So we need to pick it's going to take about an hour and a half. We need to pick a date. Um she is available most of September except for September 10th. Um, she also is available some weekends. So, what is the pleasure of the committee? Obviously, it's only going to be impactful if we're all there. >> May I ask a question? Just a clarifying question. As the school committee secretary, >> is this a meeting that would be a like a school committee meeting or is this a school committee retreat? >> Like, how does

060this work? >> That's a good question for her. >> I was under the impression it would be a public meeting. >> Okay. handled as a public meeting and she would come and at the podium. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Um I remember um attorney Macaro remember Mike Caro came and did a whole thing right >> for us. >> Right. But he did it as part of our public meeting. I don't understand why a training. It's not like when we do um charting the course it's not a public meeting >> post it. Can we find that out? We'll find out. You should confirm. I'll find that out. She led me to believe that it would be and frankly I would advocate for the public knowing what we're >> trying to work on, you know, and get better

061at. >> So, the what is the pleasure? Can we all pull out our phones to check now? >> Could we do an hour and a half maybe before one of our regular scheduled six o'clocks? >> I think that would be best. Yeah. >> I don't know if that works. >> Now, here here's another question. Would it be possible uh and this might be easier for the folks from MASC, it might behoove us to find out whether they'd be able to do like a remote presentation and we can zoom them in via video, something like that. >> She'd like to come. >> Oh, okay. Even better. Even better. >> She'd love to come. >> Yeah. >> She'd love to see us in action. >> Yeah. So maybe what we could do is reach out to MASC

062uh to u Alicia to uh maybe see if an upcoming meeting date might work and then we can >> she has um let's give her a few. Let's give her two at the most. Okay. Um so September 8th we already have >> Yes. September 8th uh we're going to have to do an executive session to open at 5:00 with Attorney Macaro. So, I think that might be off the table. >> Okay. >> Just because of timing, but the workshop meeting in September could be done before. >> Excuse me. >> The workshop meeting in September, the 22nd could be done before. >> It's with the pleasure of the committee. >> Okay. >> I'm sorry, not the 22nd, the 24th. >> Okay. >> Sorry, I know what you meant. >> Wednesday the 24th. Ours is off because

063of I believe Rashana. It's a Wednesday. We pushed it because it's Rashashana on Monday. >> Okay, >> that sounds good. >> I will send that to her tonight. >> That'd be great. And then we'll post it as a public meeting beforehand as like a special meeting. >> Check with her. I will check with her. >> Yeah, just ask her how it's posted. >> Yeah. >> Like is it are we all here? Is it just one agenda? Is it a retreat? But it's public and we have it for viewing. I just I'm >> not sure how to organize that to make sure. >> I thought we could maybe just schedule have it be a special meeting. likely. I just need to make sure if it's like this, but we don't have to be here or should

064we be here and a part of it. I just don't know what the process would be. We haven't done that. >> It's pretty open. >> Yeah. >> Right. And it make sure that we have the studio open for broadcasting. If it needs to be broadcast publicly, then we'll make sure they're here at 4:30. >> So, we'll hear from member Wlette and member Maxwell. >> I don't have a I don't have a problem with that. I think you know having it open to the the public uh just as a training uh forum uh because I think collectively we would always have to learn the learning process is good and then the folks at home and if anybody's in attendance I really don't have a problem with that. I think it's what an hour and a half

065duration and it be before our workshop I really don't have any qualms about it so I would be supportive of it. member Maxwell. >> Um just a quick um question. I know in our policy it says that um we'll complete one additional workshop sponsored by MASC each year. Um the decision of the topic will be decided by the whole body within the first three meetings of the calendar year. So I know that um some of us won't be here at the end of this year. And I'm I'm not saying I don't want to do it. I do want to do it. I'm just saying that if we do that, if we do this one before December, um, we need to discuss within our first three meetings of next year what our next topic will be.

066I just wanted to >> Yeah, I just wanted to remind us just because I know if we if we do this one now, it's like, oh, okay, we've done our one for the year, but we have to do another one come January. Um, so I just wanted to state that. That's all. Thank you. Any other discussion? >> Daglio. >> So, uh, from my, uh, when we talked about when I brought forth the policy, the idea was one, it would be public and two, it' be kind of like a special meeting like charting the course. Um, u, because I feel like that meeting shouldn't be rushed. It's a training. When we go to training, especially like a PD or something, we wish it was only 30 minutes. Um, but usually it goes for like an hour

067and a half. So, and for people to be able to come in or watch it at home, I I feel like they'll actually learn it even learn about what we actually do here. So, if they ever want to run for public office, they're basically sitting there getting the training themselves. So that's how my head wanted to design it was for that to happen. So thank you. >> Thank you. Member Daglio. Any other discussion? If not, we'll move on to the next item on our agenda, which is regarding the administrative uh job descriptions. Superintendent, feel free to hop in. >> This is not my topic. I think the school committee agreed to have this on the or member Maxwell can lead the conversation. >> Member Maxwell. >> Um so I asked for this to be a

068special meeting and apparently that one was um it was denied. I uh I requested this because there appears to be an increase in concern regarding confusion and overlapping in responsibilities um which affects operations and communications. Um I have some concerns um regarding the um job what what sparked this conversation for me is when when I looked back I couldn't find a time when the job titles were changed from um for instance like business like like Ian's business administrator when he went to the assistant superintendent of um teaching uh I'm sorry, the assistant superintendent of >> Finance and operations. Um, so that was kind of what sparked the topic for me. And then I had requested everyone's contract and job descriptions and the do job descriptions and the contracts just don't match um what's actually being

069done with the um roles. Um, I have some discussion topics that I'd like to discuss, but that was pretty much why I requested it. That's >> what's the description >> because I'm >> so I can go I can Okay. I didn't know if I could continue as the discussion. Okay. Um, I asked for the job descriptions because I received all the contracts and um in the contracts it says that appendix A is attached. Appendix A is the job description. I had all the um contracts and all the jobs descriptions except uh the director of facilities and the superintendent. Um the director of facilities does not have a uh job description attached to his contract and I they checked with HR for that and they don't have it and they're not sure that there ever was

070one. Uh the director of facilities the contract says that it ensures all school and city buildings are properly staffed um including subsup supplied managed and otherwise supervised. The director is responsible for all phases of the operation of administration and school facilities including building and grounds under the supervision of Methuan school committee and Mthuan city council. Uh the director of finance there was no contract or job description provided. the director of student services um director of student services. The duties said that the assistant to assist the superintendent in managing special education guidance and healthcare programs recommend improvements. Um the job description itself um appendex A lists a bunch of um lists a bunch of duties um that the superintendent of um student services actually does not perform. Um specifically, um the ones that I had a

071specific concern with were number two, they prepare and ensure the accuracy of all state, federal, and local reports. Um I've asked for the state and local reports in the district, and it's been four months of me waiting for the response for that. Um interpret appropriate statutes and court cases. I also asked for that. Um we have an outofd district administrator. Um so I'm not sure why the placement of students out of district settings and the supervision of the evaluation team would be in that role. Um we also have a district uh director of special ed. Um so a lot of these job responsibilities fall I guess within different people. So, um I just think that all of that needs to kind of come back together so that everyone's doing the job that they were hired

072to do and everyone's doing the job that they have a contract for. Um the concern I had with the assistant superintendent um of curriculum instruction and assessment and grants contract and the is that now it's the assistant superintendent of teaching and curricula uh teaching and learning. Um, but the biggest problem I had with it is state law delegates hiring to the school committee upon recommendation from the superintendent for assistant superintendent, special ed administrator, school business administrators, and legal counsel. That's chapter 71 section 59. um when those titles were changed over, I can the I can go back to August 14th in 2023 and it looks like um back then they still held their titles of the directors of positions. Um so I don't know when they were switched over to the assistant superintendent and who

073approved that. >> It was during the budget cycle and the entire school committee approved it >> during this last one. >> The actual but it was a Preceding Dr. Golowski, it was a full um presentation of re uh purposing and re um reorganizing. Thank you. Uh and it was approved by the entire school committee. >> I I so I couldn't find that one which which was fine. The only meeting that I could find was the uh the handbook approval of August 14th in 2023 when we changed their titles in the handbook. Um, but other than that, I mean there, you know, the only concern I have with it is that we, you know, they're the titles don't match the contracts and the contracts don't match the job descriptions. Um, so that I mean that that's

074a that's an issue for for me. So that's all I have to I would like to just make one comment because I mean the contract part of it everything should be current. So, I would question that cuz I gave you their current contracts, which means it's their current titles, but I'll double check that. Um, I would also say that >> I have all of them if >> that part of this we're all doing 18,000 jobs, so there is job there are job descriptions that not everybody we don't have people under. You just said something about director of special education. That's not in our budget. That's not a filled position. So, the only person who can do that job is Gina Bozac. So she is doing that work because there's nobody in that position right now.

075>> Nobody's in the out of district placement position. >> There's somebody in the out of district placement position, but there's nobody in the director of special education. >> Okay. >> So, so I think all of those things have culminated during the budget cycle. If you look back on the budget books, that is where you will see the conversation about the job title changes, the reorganization, and the approval of at least the questions that you're you're asked here. and all of the people that have been appointed. We have followed that to a tea. When Dr. Gowski was appointed, I recommended that to the school committee. They appro approved her employment. >> Mhm. >> I >> that one I mean that one was one of the ones that were approved. Um but again the contract is different

076from the contract's different. Um and and also I mean I know that we've had some confusion on the the director of um operation not uh not finance and operations director of facilities. You know it's it some papers say that you know that's Bruce and some papers say that that's Ian. So um we also have a job description here for the um grants and procure procurement specialist. Um, but a lot of that is in the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning um, job description. So, um, and that also said that it reports to the assistant superintendent of finance and operations. And back when that was created, we didn't have an assistant superintendent of finance and operations. We had a director of um, business administrator. So, >> no, that's not true either. We changed that position in

077the budget process. >> Okay. I mean, I've gone back to watch all of these meetings and and go through the meeting minutes, but >> I just think it's the budget books, member Maxwell, all a lot of that has been done during the reorganization during the budget process and the information is in the budget conversations >> and the presentations we had with school committee and the approvals of those positions and title changes happen during that process. So, there's not like a special meeting for that. We haven't had any like special meetings to do title changes or >> that that's fine. I'm not saying that the title changes are wrong. I'm saying that the job descriptions don't match the contracts. That's what I'm saying. >> Okay. >> So, we so I don't know if you know the

078contracts need to be gone through and um maybe we need to look into those further to change the job descriptions or their jobs and duties, but a lot of them are cross over to different positions in the district. Um, >> member Maxwell, we can circle back for a second. >> Uh, do we have another comment from member Daglio? >> So, to piggy back off member Maxwell, I think a lot like the titles, I remember, we did that during a budget. We we kind of mixed it all in all at once type of thing. So, I remember that. Um but when it comes to job descriptions especially um facilities director all and especially with everything going on when he says he's responsible of making sure people are in the building. Is that what one of his

079job descriptions you said? >> All right. So since then Ian's taken on that role. >> Correct. >> All right. like that to me then the person that again and I'm and I at the end of the day Ian's the facilities director that's all I look at now the the person that's in that role he's a maintenance he's he's maintenance that's all he's a he's a maintenance director he's not and that's all he does okay he's he wasn't making sure custodians I know right after the week that Um, we changed the head custodian at the tenny. The the new head custodian was the only one there and he didn't have any staff members. The facilities director, according to his job description, was to make sure people are in that building. Wasn't there. Also, when it comes

080to health and safety meetings you guys have, if I'm correct, health and safety, he's not there. Ian is. So, at the end of the day, Ian's taking on that role and that's and he's five different positions. I don't know how you do it all day, Ian. God bless you. But that's how we look at where you're put on to a contract. You are to fulfill those job descriptions, those duties. And I don't care if you're fixing one thing or not. That's your job. If you can't do that job, then find someone else that can. You could be a maintenance manager. You're not the facilities director. That's that's that's what's frustrating with me. I'm a teacher. I'm obligated to teach. That's my job. I also got to make sure IEEPs are done. Well, look, I got

081to go to meetings for IEPs. I have all these standards and I have to set my own goals in the next week what I'm going to do for the year. If I miss those goals, I get it unsatisfactory. Okay? I'm held accountable for my job description, my duties, my goals. And you could say, well, they're doing a thousand thing. That's I get it. Trust me. If I could give you money to fix a different role, I would do that. But that's your job. Your job is to run the district. You can't say to me, you and I know you, you do everything in your power to do everything in this district. But at the end of the day, the buck stops with you. Same thing with DJ. He's in charge of the city. the end

082of the day, he's in charge of the city. Something goes wrong, unfortunately, even if it goes right, someone's going to pick both of you and pick out what you did wrong. Okay? That's just the fact of the role that you choose to pick. Like I I just think at the end of the day, we always I just feel like when you take on a job, that's your job. If you can't do the job, let us know. at least be be honest and say I need help. All right. I I just said it to my my super my principal today. I got 38 IEPs students. Okay. I go I need help figuring this out of organizing it so I can do my classroom. All right. I got help. It's not that hard. I I'm sorry. And

083I know people are going to tell me, well, you know, it it's nope. No excuses. I don't care. So that's where I'm kind of mixed on with the job descriptions and duties. That's with one position. Other than that, I understand maybe we need a fix, but I know Ian's taking on five different roles, so his contract's going to be different. Um, Gina Bozac is also taking on five different roles now. So her contract, but we should be updating those contracts and descriptions so when we look them up, we also know the reasons why behind that. I don't know if you can do that saying like Gina's taking on the director of special ed because we don't have a position or budget budgetary concerns or whatever. So then when people do look up their contract, they

084go, "Oh, well, next budget cycle, let's try to relieve some of that stress off of Regina or Ian so we know that they're doing more than what their contract is asking for." That's all. Thank you. >> Right on the dot. Just real quick, uh, member Daglio, for yourself it has been six budgets, and for me it has been two, but that podium has been blessed by countless folks who have been asking for help. They have been asking for help. They have said, "School committee, help me. We need reading specialists. We need custodians. We need teachers. We need this. We need that. We need this." And we got nothing. So the whole ask for help mentality, the whole do your you're not Bill Bich, the whole do your job mentality only goes so far. In essence,

085I agree with you, but the reality is you said it you you said it three times in your in in your last piece. He's doing five jobs. She's doing five jobs. She's doing god knows what 37 million. And you know, everyone else is doing a billion things. How do you how do you manage that? his contract is not going to say all the things he's supposed to do. If it's When I worked for DCF many, many years ago, I got yelled at one day because I hung a corkboard in my office, but because I was not part of that union, I was not allowed to hang my corkboard. So, I got my hand slapped. You have to do and play by all of these special rules. They're all out there doing a million things that

086they are never going to get credit for, but they are going to get blamed for everything. If a DPW guy is out driving tomorrow and stops at Heavenly for a coffee and bumps the car in front of them, someone's going to be mad at DJ. You know what I mean? Like, those are the things that happen and he's going to get angry phone calls. A kid falls off the swing set or the monkey bars Wednesday morning at recess, Dr. Kuang is going to get the phone call and it's going to be her fault that kid fell off the monkey bars. It's it's ask for help. They've been asking for help and we we as a city, not we this body, not Daglio and Maxwell and Shabbilia and us, not not us. We as a city

087has have failed because we don't have the money to fund our schools to give the city what it needs because we are short staffed. And you of all people know that our custodial department is is woefully underdeveloped. So to point fingers and blame things, yes, there is plenty of blame to go around. No argument against that. But when you have five people doing the work of 10, saying, "Do your job and ask for help when we're the people that ask for help and we haven't been able to offer it. You for six cycles and me now for two." that there's a bigger problem and it it it it's not going to get fixed by changing paper. It's not going to get fixed by words on paper. We have we have to solve our fiscal issues

088so we can bring in bodies so we can have a what was it? A director of outsourced placements. >> No, that's still the director of special ed. >> Special ed. Director of special ed and all these other positions. We have to have money to do these things because saying help me, we're going to throw them a pizza party. Like, do you get my point? Like, I'm not trying to be snarky, but it's just like that's that's the corporate mentality, but like it's Go ahead. >> We're still on the first round, so we can circle back. Yeah, vice chair. >> Um, so a couple things. Um, the out of district coordinator is the person that runs the IEP meetings for the out of district placements. They do not place people. So it is well in Gina's

089role to be making the financial decision to send a student out and it's a team decision in the buildings before the out of district placement person gets them. So um the job descriptions that were read for that has nothing to do with an out of district placement um person. Um, second, when I spoke with Alicia at MASC, um, she was pretty clear that the only time the school committee gets involved in the job descriptions is when there's a change in the job and that we we will vote on if there's a change of title, substantial changes. Otherwise, um, the only job descriptions that we have any say over are the people that we hire. So like the director of facilities, we don't if there's no job description there, unless that title change gets changed, that

090job description doesn't come to the school committee and it's not within our purview. So I'm just throwing that out there. member willlet >> I'm just like like abundantly concerned that if we look at a one school and someone doesn't have the capacity to do a reallocation of manpower then we're having a serious bottleneck issue so if the tenny and I mentioned it during prior meeting if they're seriously depleted at the tenny and we're not marshalling our resources and on call from other schools and doing overtime time and you're thrusting it upon a limited staff at the tenny, right? That's automatically setting up for failure. So again, like I appreciate what what Ian does and he he's always communicated to me and I've had obviously my disagreements with the administration. They've been pretty responsive to me,

091but I mean that's something that has to be corrected within the system. Like if you have sick leave, which people are entitled to, people are on medical leave, bereavement leave, they're on vacation, right? And if you have two guys at one school, right? You you're having a a disaster that's going to emerge. So again, like if you're not reallocating the manpower, someone in the upper echelons has to be directing that. And again, if you you have like all these deficiencies and you came into a situation with all the deficiencies across the district that were like decades in in the making and we're cleaning up the mess and I've commended you for that and I commend the health and safety task force and we've been transparent. We've had state inspectors. We've had the city inspectors. You've

092improved the inspector's office. Okay? We've done major infrastructure improvements. the city council to the to the benefit has approved every single emergency proposal or funding for for this uh school district. But ultimately something as basic of okay, you only have two guys or whatever amount on a certain shift and you don't have the manpower and that's a a cry for help at a certain school and then it it manifests with major problems. Again, it's not a manpower issue. It's how you allocate those resources. So, I don't Again, we're doing electronic ticketing now. You should be involved in that. You should automatically get those reports. Click it, fix it. That's automatic. You're the you're the leader, the CEO of the city. Um the superintendent I know is going to be more involved in those reports. Uh

093Ian again has always communicated to me even on the weekends. So he's been very responsive. So what my colleagues are saying I I concur concur with because we have limited resources. We had a saving grace of emergency funding from the state at the last second that helped us with the circuit breaker. The twin u pillars of the health care municipal health care costs have exploded. the circuit breaker for special education that's exploded. That has nothing to do with the operations of the school system. That's the state that needs to help us. And we've gone over the limited resources at the local level. They have far greater resources at the state level and they have to make sure at the local level we're receiving enough resources via chapter 70 and the circuit breaker. Um, so we've

094said the same things over during prior meetings and again this is all healthy because we have to constantly improve the system and move that train along. But I don't want to have like uh in November uh another school saying oh we were depleted with custodians right I'm going to bang my head against the wall. That's the upper echelon has to correct that. either you have on call emergency uh overtime reallocation of staff, right? That you would be the same thing if you had a massive pothole in a road. You can't say to, well, you know what, get back to us next week, you know, or if there's a a water mane break and say, well, that guy's on vacation, you know, we get back to us. No, you automatically emergency situation. We have to maintain

095that same mentality for the school system and there's complacency there and I don't know who to entirely blame and I think we do have to revisit consolidation and uh schematic and restructuring those are ongoing conversations but the the tenny was just a glaring example that we're still failing as a system. Thank you. >> Can we do a quick point of clarification with Ian? Can you just explain the shorting and how we're covering and where we go? And I know you had mentioned it at the last meeting. >> Yeah. Um we don't have tons of extras at the other buildings. Um remember we had about four people on second shift. One or two of them take a vacation day. We're down to two people. Um if that happens in multiple schools, I don't know where I'm

096getting people. So I have told the seniors a million times. I've never said no to overtime if they need it. If you're a first shift guy and you need somebody to work an extra four hours on second shift, have them cut have them work an extra four hours. Get done what has to get done. I've approved um overtime on weekends, nights. Um we've even gone as far as to call back retired um custodians, four hours at a time, whatever we need, whatever they need. So there's people sometimes there's not enough people. So I do know he was by himself one day but you know three guys take a vacation day and I do that at every school. I can't create you know. Um so we have been I've been around to the schools and we're

097using the guys who are retired um former custodians. that they're doing plenty of overtime to the point where I'm starting to get nervous about that. Um, but I'm not going to tell them don't don't get the schools ready, you know. So, it's a catch 22. >> Please be ready for Wednesday. >> What's that? >> Please be ready for Wednesday. >> Oh, we're ready. I I think we're in a great shape right now. Um, so there is that. But again, we don't have eight people at the marsh and one person at the tenny. Okay. So, we got three people at the marsh. I take two of them and put him at the tenny. Now we got one person at the marsh, you know. So, you know, it's whack-a-ole sometimes. When we're fully staffed, you know, we

098we just hired a new guy. He started, I don't know, three weeks ago. They resigned on Friday. Just doesn't want to do it. So, now we have to start the whole hiring process again. I went through a whole hiring process with two gentlemen maybe about three weeks ago. Complete gentlemen can totally do the job. I moved them forward. They decided not to do the paperwork. We're back to square one. We have a couple more people coming in for interviews next week. We're filling the positions as fast as we can. Um there is an we added an additional position at the tenny and the Timny. So they'll have five people on second shift which should help. We just have to make sure we staff them. I believe the Timn is completely staffed at this point. The

099teny was the one location where somebody just resigned and you know we just got a retirement. So, we are doing the best we can, Ryan. It's just not perfect, >> right? I just wanted to make sure that the the narrative that member Wlette was just speaking about that we are we're we're not shorting. We're not not moving people around. We're not not approving overtime. So, we're doing all of those things. It's just you can't move chest pieces around on a board when there are no pieces. >> Right. And when that instance did happen, um there were some schools that had they had staff coming in on first shift. So they they seemed to have a little bit more numbers and we did move staff over to the tenny when he had people out. So I

100mean they didn't didn't like that so much, but we did what we had to do and the building got done. So we do do it as much as we absolutely can. Never do we want to leave somebody alone in the building. I'm going to quickly uh speak as part of the first round. I'm going to start the timer. Um so, uh I I agree with uh much of what we've talked about, especially along the lines of the idea of building a more sustainable framework. We're clearly we're not there yet, but that's something that is certainly in progress. And I know there are additional conversations to be had about opportunities uh for whether it's consolidation, things like that. And I know as we go forward uh over the next couple of meetings, I'd like to as

101part of the task force begin to develop a definitive framework that outlines exactly uh how uh say DPW assistance with facilities would work so that we can have something that is actually laid out as a framework going forward. Um I do want to mention something. I think this is a good opportunity to say it. Uh so today I and others had the opportunity to join uh the uh administrative uh team with the district uh for walkthroughs of each of the uh school buildings, the four K through8s and the high school uh for a uh opportunity to take a look at where things are at ahead of opening day on Wednesday. And I want to mention um especially at the Tim and Tenny. I know that those two schools have been really the focus of a

102lot of uh as it relates to facilities issues and uh the the head custodians and the custodial teams at those two schools at every school really but uh I know those two schools have been flagged in recent months. Uh those folks over there are magicians. Uh the tenny for instance six weeks ago was in dire straits. Today it was stunning to see the state of the school as they prepare for opening day on Wednesday. Um I was extremely impressed. There are areas uh for instance uh as it relates to pest exclusion. Uh we were in there with Darren, the health inspector, today going through and identifying some additional holes to plug, etc. But they've come uh such a long way from where they were just a couple of weeks ago. The Tim uh is in

103probably the best shape I've seen it since I attended the Timony uh in uh from fifth through 8th grade. Um the just we we've made a lot of progress. Now the key of course is sustainability, keeping that going. uh the colder months are coming and so I have concerns about you know the issues we'll face at that point but uh our custodians in this district have been bombarded with uh negative PR with a lot of um concerns uh to put it lightly uh directed their way and I just want to acknowledge our custodians in this district at every school uh and thank them for the work that they're doing right now and uh just express that gratitude because I don't think they hear it enough. Uh they certainly haven't heard it enough from me and

104so uh I just wanted to state that uh in a public setting. Uh so to any custodians who are watching or will hear about this later. Thank you. Um we'll now move on to the second round uh for this discussion. Do we have any other discussion? Member Maxwell. Um, so I just want to finish this segment with I know that I don't want this to be misunderstood as me saying that people aren't doing their job. I'm saying that people are being tasked with jobs that are not theirs. And I feel like that's forcing people out of the district and making them not want to work for this district. So, I think that we need to go through job descriptions and job duties to make sure that the people in those positions are actually doing the

105jobs that they're required to do. I'm not saying that no one's not doing their job. I'm just saying that there's too much put on certain people um and they're getting, you know, multiple job titles and that's not fair. I'm And that's where I'm going with this. That's my concern. Um, my other concern is that I want to make sure that what what we're paying is matching what their contracts say because I know that in 20124 we paid more than what a lot of these contracts say. Um, and and just um I just want to say that, you know, I feel bad for Ian because I I feel like I feel like there are >> Do not feel bad for me. >> I feel like you get a lot of heat. >> I I'm just one

106of many. >> I understand like everyone's doing more than their fair share. It's not >> Absolutely. But my concern is that um who do we So if if you're the director of finance and operations, but you're also assuming the role and I'm only using you as an example because you wear so many hats. If we're if you're assuming that role of director of um facilities, it's it's concerning to me because if we need to hold someone accountable, who are we holding accountable? Are we holding the director of facilities accountable or are we holding the director of finance and operations accountable? >> I would say the buck stops with Matt with me. Prior to me, there was a director of IT and facilities >> and he oversaw facilities >> and you left the district. It got

107shifted over to me. So, if you're going to put the blame on anyone, I would say you put it on me. >> Yeah. I just I want to make sure that like the contract and the job duties match. That's that was my only concern in bringing any of this forward. Um, and just for I'm I'm told a lot that there are things that I talk about that are not within my purview. Um, which I find it's it's hard for me to swallow that because transparency and accountability are very much within the purview of the school committee. And if decisions are being made and actions are being taken that affect our students and faculty or fiscal responsibility, we not only have the right to ask, but we have the obligation to ask. Um, so I just

108want to make it clear that I'm not, you know, I'm not not in my purview for asking these questions. It's well within my purview. Um, and I just want to make sure that everyone is safe and comfortable. And and by safe, I mean you're not overburdened. And if you're overburdened, you become overwhelmed. And let's be real, that goes home with you. That takes a toll on your mental well-being. We need to make sure our staff is healthy, safe, and doing the jobs that they're required to do so that we can keep them and maintain them. That's all. Thank you. >> Thank you, Member Maxwell. Second round. Member Shabilia, >> I agree with you. It's You're not wrong. People are overwhelmed and they're burdened. It's no difference whether you're a school employee or I don't know,

109you work at JG's. If you're the only one back there scooping ice cream on a Saturday night, you you burn out. It's but again it's a much bigger problem than this one conversation and I don't think fixing job descriptions is going to save that because the reality is what it's going to do is it's going to make Ian's job description 211 pages because we're not going to be able to shuffle that stuff to somebody else. we're going to have to just document it. Or not we, you are going to have to document it. So all of the things that he has to go out there and do because we don't have the other people that would be out there doing things are now in one job description. Is it lightening the load? Is it making

110people happier and healthier and safer? No. Should it? 1,000%. That should be our goal as a district and I I think it is, but we we were a little short on cash this year and we were almost a lot short on cash until the uh the one yard line there. So, like I think it's an a wonderful initiative and I think that in due time job descriptions become a great tool and I know every company struggles with them and we're no different. But I just I I want to make sure that we're acknowledging the fact that rewriting these things is not going to change what people do. It's just going to make documenting already overburdened people formally overburdened. It's it's that's just the reality of it. As much as I would love to take 30

111things off your plate so you could actually focus on I don't know finance and operations and not buses like it's >> say probably transportation today. But >> I I would never take transportation away from you. I think it's probably your favorite thing. But >> believe it or not, I enjoyed it today. >> I don't believe you even a little bit. But I just that's I mean you get my point. Thank you. >> Any other discussion? Member Daglio. >> Um just to piggy back off of everybody and especially um the fact is I understand that many people are doing their job and but especially I've been through six cycles. I will tell you for what happened last year was never brought to our attention and the reason why that is and I'll keep saying it the

112health inspection reports that we got previously before Heidi and Darren came we were be it was called perfect facilities. So when everybody talks about that we knew about the mice problem, we really didn't because we were getting health inspection reports that said perfect facilities. All right. And then on top of it where you have people not writing in the book or principles or anybody in head custodians not even knowing what the book was about. So when pestins came in and looked at the book and said, "Oh, I obviously don't need to do anything today because that's the process." All right. How can you say that people came and asked for help when they weren't even doing the process? That's all I'm going to say. And then when you're getting health inspection reports, I know for

113a fact the superintendent weren't getting any health inspection reports previously. And I know that for a fact. All right. There was only a few people even when we got the bad health inspection report. What now would it be two? Last May. It's last May. She never received it. She didn't get the inspection report not even the October the September 16th one until it finally hit everybody. So I feel like and Ian and and and Dr. Kang, you know, I've never cuz you know I've never put burden on both of you in this case. Uh because I I know I know people below you weren't telling you that help. They never came to the podium and asked for help. I know that for a fact. And when finally because they were getting good health inspection reports

114and then when they were told they weren't so doing well they never told until the finally someone decided to just put everybody on an email. That's a fact. And then that's when the plans were put in place and then the September 16th health inspection report came out. But then unfortunately Mayor Perry passed away and all these things and DJ had to take the role on. That's that's a fact. So and then since then when you have head custodians I feel like yes one person might be doing five different things but it doesn't need to be that way. That's why you hire head custodians. That's why you have another manager. That's why you do and I and then you have the principles be liable for their buildings saying hey to the head custodian can you call

115Ian or have the principal call the head Ian and if you can't get a hold of Ian try and call another school for help in the end if and again you can't put bodies if they're all on vacation I totally understand that all but I just feel like is a process could be in in place where okay, hey, we're we're going to have three guys out in two weeks. So, we need something we need to cover cover those buildings. Maybe we could call the DPW or maybe we call the mayor so we're not blindsided in those two weeks later. Hey, we're short-handed. Now again, I know maybe you had coverage and then someone maybe called out sick, but that's when you call an old school or maybe you call someone that's off and saying, "Hey,

116can you come and we'll we'll give you the extra overtime." And I get it. Some people will say no. Listen, I I wish in a perfect world those things, but I feel like a process, especially the vacation stuff, you know, they're coming. That to me is who's in charge of that to knowing about vacations so they can say, "Hey, is there any way we can get coverage or so then that one guy isn't then sitting at the school and going by myself. We knew this two weeks ago." I don't know how the vacations work. Like I I'm hoping it's two weeks in advance. Is that Ian? Is that how they do it? >> Not always. Um but we do I here's some good news. Let's try to focus on the good news. Okay. We've had

117an antiquated system for vacations, personal days. It's always been paper. Everyone signs off, everyone approves. By the time it gets to where it needs to be, everyone forgets who's out. All gone electronic effective this week so that we can look and see which custodians are out and when they're out in advance. So this that might help with the situation being able to keep track a little better on who's where and when. So that just went into effect. I don't know if it was today, Friday. >> Um am I was just looking at it actually. So yeah, it's it it's incredible and it will tie right into payroll etc. and keep track of all your hours, etc. So we just instituted I'm not taking credit for that. that would Colleen and the IT department just instituted

118that today. So >> let's end on a good note. >> All right. Perfect. >> All righty. >> If there's no other discussion, we'll move on. So uh on the agenda, we have uh the next section is finance and operations. Uh two quick notes. First, the fiscal year 25 endofear final reports will be presented on September 8th. Also, the fiscal year 25 monthly reports will begin at the September 8th, 2025 meeting. We'll move on to contract awards. We need a motion in a second to approve. >> So moved. >> Just to read for the record, the fiscal year 2526 Massachusetts School buying group paper products contract. We have the motion from member Shabilia. The second is from the vice chair. Discussion. >> Member Shabilia. Real quick, >> I know that this is through the mass school

119buying group. When was the last time we price check this stuff against like the blanket and combines? >> We always do and they do as well. >> Oh, they do. Yeah. 72 communities making up 400 schools. So, we we get a >> You're out buying this. Okay. All right. Thank you. >> And and all these are food service for the record. I don't know if that was clear. >> Any other discussion? >> We'll vote. All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. We need a motion in a second to approve the fiscal year 2526 Massachusetts school buying group. Um, excuse me. This is regarding just I'm just reading off the agenda. Sanitation and wearashing uh products and service for schools contract. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from members shelli. The

120second from the vice chair discussion. >> All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. You guys have it. Uh next is the uh fresh bread contract for fiscal year 25 uh 26. We need a motion to approve. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Uh motions from member Shibilia, seconds from the vice chair. Discussion. >> Uh member Maxwell. >> Um I'm going to vote um I'm just going to say it during this part, but I'm going to vote present on these and and on if I'm being completely honest, it's because I didn't click the links um in the agenda. I I think I I I think I spoke to Mather about that last time, but I forgot to ask for um a print out of everything. So, I'm just going to vote present, but it has

121nothing to do with whether I agree or disagree. I just um I'm not informed enough to make that vote. >> Thank you, Member Maxwell. Any other discussion? >> If not, we'll vote. All those in favor? I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Next on the agenda is uh the groceries contract. So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from member Shabilia. The second is from member Daglio. Discussion. >> Not we'll vote. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. We'll record member Maxwell as present. Same for the prior. >> I just have a quick question. Is member Maxwell are you present on every one of these votes? Okay. Thank you. Next we have the fresh pizza contract. Motion in a second to approve. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from member Shabilia.

122The second is from the vice chair. Discussion. >> Member Daglio. >> Good question. How how fresh is this pizza cuz >> honestly you're not going to get any fresher. It comes uncooked. >> Okay. >> It it comes in pans uncooked. We refuse to take a product from anybody that's partially cooked or already cooked. Um, we come in, we put it in the ovens ourselves. It's about as fresh as you get. >> Okay. >> Any discussion? If not, we'll vote. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Member Maxwell present. We need a motion in a second now to approve the dairy contract. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion from member Shabelia. The second is from the vice chair. Discussion. Okay. >> So, a parent asked me the other day and

123and I I laugh about it all the time. Do we are we ever going to get chocolate milk or do we have chocolate milk? >> As far as I know, we have chocolate milk. >> Someone said that their kid didn't get chocolate milk. And I go, I thought you guys had chocolate milk. >> We have chocolate milk. >> Okay. So, the kid's lying to the parent. Okay. All right. I I I was at the grocery store and the a parent goes, "You know, we don't even have chocolate milk in our schools anymore." I go, >> "They go to McDonald schools." >> Okay. >> I don't think you do. >> No. >> Yes. >> You do? >> My son drinks it every day. >> All right. I just I know at my school we don't. But

124I was like, and then this parent was telling me like, "Yeah, my kid doesn't get chocolate milk anymore." I go, "I think we do." But okay. >> Well, we're very grateful for chocolate milk. >> Yeah. Well, listen. parent parent asked me and I said dairy and that's just how it reminded me. So I just wanted to ask that question. I'm here for my constituents. >> Thank you member Dagio. Any other discussion? If not, we'll vote. All those in favor? >> Opposed? The eyes have it. Member Maxwell present. No one else. >> I need a motion in a second now to approve the fiscal year 26 grant awards. >> So move. >> Second. >> Motion is from member Shabilia. The second is from the vice chair. Discussion. So I I this is new. So we want

125to present this to you. I think part of our um policy subcommittee, one of the things two of the things that have come out that we're going to just activate now um because it is part of what we should be doing uh is approving the award. So these are the current awards for FY26. So in the past uh which we talked to Alicia who's part of our team uh I had asked I think probably 10 15 years ago when I was assistant superintendent the monthly report that we were given was sort of the information to school committee which is great uh except she did indicate that that should be added with an approval of the use not the use of the funds but the actual award received. So uh this is what we've decided to

126do. So, Dr. Gowski will add uh these are the grants to date and the actual amounts of entitlement grants and any competitive grants we received. Um I think the one that we were this this was updated from the last packet. uh we were incredibly pleased to receive the uh literacy award uh very competitive prism grant from the state and so we didn't have that official that was all being sort of held uh we thought we would know at the end of June we didn't uh we still didn't know uh last meeting but it was uh released last week so we are thrilled to have that that will help offset the cost of our CLA reading program and some of the professional development so we're really thrilled for those funds to be able to help us

127and the work that we're doing. Um, so all of the again all the grants are listed here, competitive on the bottom, entitlements on the top. So, we're really just looking for and I I really don't know. I didn't ask Alicia a level of specificity, but um if it's a one motion to accept all current grant awards at this time, uh kind of a motion uh seems appropriate. And then as we have any new grants, this same type of memo would be on top of our monthly grant report. So you can actually see the expenditures still because I think that is still important for the school committee to see what we were awarded, what we've encumbered, what we've spent. Um so that report will remain, but then anything that is new or awards that we receive,

128we would need them to be approved to receive those awards. So just a little bit of a change. And the second change, which you'll see on the September 8th, is that the school committee needs to recognize publicly the warrants. So, we will have those added to the September 8th meeting starting July 1st and we'll move forward doing uh those at every monthly business meeting. So, we'll explain that a little bit more. >> Thank you, members. >> So, this is not new money. This is money we've already accounted for in our >> Well, I Yes. So, the the new money are the new big money for us is definitely the PRISM grant, right? like we didn't account for that in our funding. We thought that that would be able to be used to take um take

129the place of our financing for our CQLA, but the timing didn't work. But it will help offset that cost. So, it will help do the payments. Um so, between Josh Golovsky and Deian Goslin's office, they're going to work out how to help that money uh use those funds to help support. That was one of the big purposes behind receiving that grant is being able to purchase uh good literacy programs. So again, we're thrilled. We just we didn't have we were hoping to have that then we would have offset that cost in the actual operating budget, but it will offset it which is great for us. So new money as far as like anything else that can be accounted for in the operating budget. No. >> Any other discussion? If not, we'll vote. All those in

130favor? >> I >> opposed. The eyes have it. Next on the agenda, we have uh other personnel matters. We need a motion and a second to approve the request regarding the onetoone program assistance. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion's from member Shabelia. The second is from member Daglio. >> Discussion. >> We've done this every year as we need them. These are program assistant positions that were needed as the summer uh is here. Um so they were not part of our budget cycle and approval. Um so this is I don't think this will be the last time but because it was also prior to we needed these prior to August 20th uh by contract they are full new positions for us after a certain point they become substitute positions and not new positions in the

131budget until we go through the next budget cycle. Sorry, I didn't explain that well, but these are fullyear positions at this point that we're trying to fill. >> Vice Chair, >> um, >> of course, I'm going to approve I'm going to vote yes on this. However, how many program assistants are we short already and how do you plan to fill them? >> Yeah, >> I mean, I I understand we need to approve the positions, but realistically, how are we getting people in these positions? So, we're still pushing through new staffing. Realistically, we're using uh less contracted service providers. Like, we're only working with uh one or two organizations instead of six that we did last year. So, uh we are prioritizing both Miss Bozac and Colleen McCarthy have been going through lists almost on a

132daily basis. We have some folks from one of the contracted service providers already ready to start. They don't have to go through the uh hiring process again. they were with us at the end of last year, did ESY with us. Um, so they're prioritizing and honestly the oneto ones for us are priority and classrooms that don't have any staff support. So that's where we're we're putting folks first. Um, and then each sea in each building is looking at what is left. And then we have a system which I think I explained last time, but if I didn't, I'll explain it now. But we're looking at what is the operating budget amount that we have approved for these positions that are unfilled and that is what we're working within to say to precision let's say or

133one of the contracted service providers we have this amount our highest priority are X Y and Z can you get us those so we're not going to we're not going to have the amount of money in the operating budget to offset it perfectly but we're we're this is a daily task multi multiple times This is all Gina, Colleen, Rebecca, the EEC, we have high school programming. I mean, this is all we're doing right now is making sure that our staffing is supported. Not easy, but we're do we're doing the best we can. Yeah. >> Any other discussion? If not, we'll vote. All those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. Uh we're going to move on to updates from the committee. Uh first up is the audit. Uh on deck to provide this

134update is members Donovan and Chibilia. Just to guide uh the conversation, there had been some misconceptions floating out there uh that have been expressed at the last meeting. I just want to clarify them for the public. uh there was a concern expressed regarding the length of time that has elapsed uh regarding uh the audit um process and and the release of the report etc. Uh just to point out uh so that folks are on the same page. Uh originally uh under uh Mayor Perry's administration uh there was originally uh the thought to put forward the audit RFP as one package, organizational and cultural audit on one side and uh financial audit on the other side. and the city got precisely zero responses to that uh request for uh bids. Now, um shortly thereafter, Mayor May

135Mayor Perry passed away on September 21st of 2024. And at that point we entered a phase where between September and the special election in December >> uh there was really no definitive I guess understanding of exactly where we would be post December given the fact that there was a snap election two weeks before Christmas. And so with that, we didn't proceed with something so definitive as beginning that audit process again going back out until after that special election. I think I I tried to be clear about that at the time, but I I don't know if the message got across. So then at the fast forward to the turn of the new year, uh we uh were able to secure the services of CBIZ and begin the audit process. So, uh, if there's anyone out

136there who's questioning the timeline, you know, if we look back at recent events in our city, um, it's something that I don't think there's any way around, uh, the current timeline that we've been dealing with. Now, uh, with that being said, uh, we are, as was referenced at one point, probably the one yard line as it relates to, uh, this process. And so I expect that we will have a public roll out uh in short order. But with that, just to guide that conversation, I'll invite uh members Dunovan and Shabilia to share uh any further updates. >> Almost there. Um, I think the most exciting thing for me is the folks at CBiz have agreed free of charge to roll out the survey again next year. So this year we have the benchmark. they come

137back um and send out the same questions as you would do for any kind of kind of assessment or um and so we could get a real measure of where the growth is. Um and I I think uh that's really big news. So this year we get the benchmark, we see what kind of changes are made, whatever, everyone working together. Um and I think we get that's the kind of data that is so important. So, I was delighted they agreed to do that free of charge. There's a whole lot of data floating out there. >> So, I know that I've gotten a bunch of messages from folks throughout the district and people at this table asking me where where it is and what's going on. So, I guess just to uh kind of gap fill

138from where the mayor left off to where we are today, probably give or take maybe a little bit more than a month ago now, CBIS came to us and presented the data that they extracted from their the survey, their interviews, and everything else that they've done. Uh we sat, we went through it. The data tells an interesting story. Um, I think some of it positive, some of it telling us what many of us may already have known. Um, however, I think it puts a a a spotlight on where where we need to focus and where we're excelling, which I think is exactly what we were looking for in this particular tool. Um, so they went back and put together the narrative to go with the data. uh their first pass at the narrative was very

139consulty. They didn't really come out and say anything. It was all, you know, the u I mean it all those words that they kind of beat around the bush and don't actually come out and tell you what they're saying and they don't really come out and give you what's the problem and what they suggest as a solution. So I think collectively as a body we said guys do better. Go back and fix it. You have all of this data. You have all of this information. You can identify problems. You can identify our highlights. Tell us what they are. Tell us what you recommend. >> Actionable steps. >> Give us action. Give us what you suggest based on your training experience and expertise and what you're seeing in the field and all this stuff. So, we

140sent them back marching and that's what we are waiting for now. We are waiting for them to come back with the recalibrated report that is going to give us clear actionable advice. Um and then they will come to so what we're going to do is the audit was of course initiated by the city using city funding approved by the city council. So we're going to have a roll out rather than having multiple rollouts of it. We're going to have one roll out and we'll have a joint city council school committee meeting so that all of this information can be shared uh with the public in one um using the word shared a lot in one shared setting so to speak between the two bodies. >> Can we do that here because our equipment works? >>

141All right. So that catches us up. There you go. Thank you. >> Questions? Member Maxwell. Do we have a a time frame? >> I would love to tell you two weeks ago, but I know member Donovan has sent them an email a week. I have sent them an email a week. And in all fairness to them, a contact person was out out on vacation. >> Oh, yeah. >> So, we've had this vacation stuff going on, but hopefully we'll be back on track. But I mean, we also need to keep in mind that they've got the thousands of pages of data that they needed to recalibrate. So, I would rather wait an extra two weeks and get every dime out of this document than rush something that is going to be less than perfect. >> Any

142other questions? >> Can can I just add I think you know we're leaving out some important people in this process. be I will be very curious to see what our school staff wants to do with this information because it is good information. Um you know how to respond to this I think is some teachers would be really because it's not just about what goes on at central office. It's about relationships which are very hard to assess between students and teachers teachers and administrators. So I think it'll be very helpful. Anytime you ask bold questions about data, you run the risk of like stepping into a big hole or moving on to something great. So I'll be really curious and I think we'll have some thoughtful discussions on how we will use this information on the

143school side. In my wildest dreams, because it was a pretty positive experience, wouldn't it be great to see this going on the school side? Especially, and I'm harping on it, the benchmark piece. What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? What kind of progress? What kind of changes we can make? I would love to see this as a whole municipal process, >> but it's a lot of money. >> And you're right, members, we did send them back and say this was too too airy. There were some words like what does that mean? So, I'm I'm glad we did that. Absolutely. >> Thanks. >> Any questions? If not, we'll move on to the Now, before I go any further, during the last city council meeting, I said the word redistricting. I was corrected. Apparently,

144although that word had been used previously in mentioning that there had really been no further discussion about this, I was corrected and uh suggested that I use the word realignment. So, redistricting, realignment, there is a um a request from the city council for a discussion regarding this. Uh so uh member Shabilia um I guess this is yours. >> Yes. So this uh item stems from not the last city council meeting but one uh a few meetings ago where there was a lot of discussion about redistricting realignment. I don't care which one of those things you call it. They are effectively the same thing. However, there is no one sitting at this table and no one sitting at that table that is qualified to have an opinion on how that should work. North Andover recently went

145out and brought in a consultant who came in and did a big study and put it all together and said, "This is what you should do." And I know that we're just kind of bleeding money with, you know, consultants and audits and surveys and everything else, but if we're going to seriously go down the road of talking about a redistricting or a realignment, it should originate here. I know the city council likes to say that the school is part of the city and they can do whatever they want and they're going to plan to do redistricting. That's cute, but that's that's us. That's this is this is what we do. And if I quite frankly would support having someone come in and do an evaluation because I don't know what I don't know. I'm not

146an expert in any of this. I definitely have opinions. I think it would probably be beneficial to us, but I'm basing that purely on the fact that I would have left my old house and driven by other people going to the tenny who were going to the marsh. Other than that, it's it's something that we either need to decide that we put the ask forward. Hey, can we use free cash because this would be the prime example of what free cash should be used for to do this a to do this have this consultant come in and make this determination because it's a two threeyear process >> easily and get that ball kind of rolling or everybody needs to just stop dropping the uh the the rword word here like they're just using it to

147incite a riot because that's all we're doing. We either need to do it or we need to stop. >> I can I ask a question? >> I I think the the and I I agree with you, member Shabilia. I think we need to have this conversation and I'm pretty sure we had this conversation a few months ago and said like we should have a subcommittee here first task force. This is a whole community conversation, but I think the one thing that I have not heard yet is why are we the purpose of this is what is it? Are we looking to see if there's some financial savings or gains in doing something like this? Are we doing it because some people want this change? you know, so I so I think that for me is

148like if we're looking at a subcommittee, which I we did decide that, didn't we? >> Okay. We did, right? >> Set up a meeting. I just >> Okay. I mean, I I I I the only thing I can't remember is if we selected if we selected the people on it, but I I just I really that for me and I think >> this >> Oh, great. Okay. So, we already have the subcommittee. So, so this is what I again, you know, we've put this process in place. I think if we did do that, and I am sorry I couldn't recall that. I knew we had a conversation about a subcommittee. Everybody agreed. Um, and we selected the folks on it. Um, then then that subcommittee should be the next step is what? And are we

149going to do a consulting firm and then where are we going to get the funds? How much does that cost? I can make some phone calls, but purpose, right? What is the because if we do this, this is going to be just I you know like another massive focus of time, resources, and energy, right? And I'm not saying it's not the right thing to do or I I don't know, >> but are we doing it to see because for me that makes sense. If there's a purpose of like what is that reason, right? Is it looking at if we redo something then our bus routes make sense, our programming makes sense, our staffing resources make sense. That's great. And somebody's looking at it from a completely different level and space than us sitting here on

150the ground. Totally get that, right? But I have yet to hear sort of the why. Is it just because or is there does this group feel? And I I think that's what we feel, but I need to kind of hear that or say that explicitly, right? like cuz I I think the subcommittee needs that direction too if that's what we're looking at this for to see is there consolidation of programming or grades or >> you know what >> right so for me it's it's twofold it's financial because you'll have consolidations hopefully from busing and and a few other things and then also from the pure aspect when you go back and look at last meet the last meeting the timing and the tenny are by far larger than the CGS and the marsh >> the

151but the building spaces. >> The buildings are also >> are as well. So we have to keep that in mind that the building capacity of three of the buildings is very different than the C. >> There is there is also a perception in the community that I've I've I've heard several times that two of the schools would be considered I don't know the appropriate word to say it, but you have two schools that are more diverse and two schools that are that are not, which I don't know if it's accurate or not. The CG the Tiffany and the Tenny have the highest minority and low income. The CGS is a close third and the Marsh is a close fourth. So they're not as far apart as people think. The Tenny and the Tim are 59

15261% uh low-inccome, which is something that we look at. So >> um I I put the subcommittee I put it on it and I explained why is because one the last time we redistrict was what 20 something years ago when Timnney opened up in the tenny. >> It was before 24 years ago cuz I it was before I got >> it was in 1999 because I got bumped from the CD over to the >> Timothy and I got bumped over from the Ashford. >> It was actually >> Yeah. And I got bumped over from the Ashford to the Timnney. >> There it is. >> So, okay. The Asheford school, by the way. Okay. So, it's just >> it's too long for a city not to redistrict like or or someone that I know what >>

153Evaluate but or go down or realignment. Now, the word is is that the Ned's neck? Okay. He because Okay. So, it's only proper to do that. And and what I said was the finance um because if a bus that's going to the tenny could go to the marsh or whatever, that's one thing. And I'm sorry that is or we we cut it down where a a parent doesn't need to drive across town, which again, there's so many things I could think of of just doing this could help on many different levels. Um but and that's what I said also uh like I member Shabilia said there's there's populations in these two schools but heard that these other two schools doesn't and if we can shift students to another school to balance that so a school

154is not being over capacity of students in a classroom like you know what I mean like over the years like a one school might have 27 where one school because just the grade level could be 21 if we can balance it out. There's so many factors we could talk about. And like I said, member uh when I talked about it back at that meeting, I totally agree with you. We we don't have the manpower or resources ourselves to make those decision. I actually said there's like three consulting firms in Massachusetts that do that. um which the whole point of the subcommittee is why don't we talk about and saying okay we want to go this route of consultant bring it back to the school committee and then just vote on it but I rather go

155and have that subcommittee meet and say okay I got three choices here which one do you want to look at or like I've called one a couple of months ago which I totally I would have to recall um but I would say those that's what the subcommittee is all about. It's moving that forward to a consulting because or if we can get it towards the process the next school committee can pick up on it and I know already if someone gets elected who will be on it. Um Nick would be Yeah. Um so I would say let's get the process rolling. That was the whole point of the meeting of the subcommittee. We already discussed what the terms were. So yeah, >> Maxwell. >> Um so I was interested in the conversation on redistricting um

156one because um because of the busing and I know that you have said that like you know you've driven past people going you know and so I think that that would save time and maybe some money um when it comes to busing. The other interest I had um and I've spent a lot of time looking into it is um elementary versus junior high and making some of our buildings elementary versus junior high. I do have the numbers of how many K through four students and K through five students and 5 through eight. So, I've I've done the research there and I I don't want to say it would be like next to impossible to to do it, but it would be hard because the capacity limits for the buildings don't hold >> the amount of

157students that we have. Like K, just to give you an example, K through five, we have 2845 students. None of our buildings would hold that. Um, so I was very interested in redistricting and the conversation that came with it for that purpose to make them elementary versus junior high versus high school. Um, but I would be interested to see what the subcommittee comes up with because I think there's a lot that goes into it and I don't know that two or three years is long enough, but um, it seems like a very big process. But I would love to hear more of the conversation of the subcommittee though >> Donovan. >> And I I I will say after that meeting, the city council meeting, I got 15 calls from parents and staff members who I

158don't know if they saw the meeting or word started spreading that, you know, by the time it gets to people, oh my god, we're going to redistrict. And I felt that was extremely unfair. And um we've put our staff and our families through enough in the last few months. It's been a really tumultuous end to the school year. And to just throw this out with a suggestion of how to do it, and it might be a great idea, but it may not be, I I thought was very irresponsible. And um it saddened me because we don't go around as a school committee deciding how to set the water and sewer rates, do we? Um so I think when we all skate our lane, things happen in the way it's supposed to happen. Um and I

159know elections are coming up. So when this does and I'm grateful that there's a discussion because there's always there has been questions about inequity. um in the last few years perceived and maybe perceived incorrectly when you look at the breakdown at the schools. Um I would hope that we would have our parents involved and our staff involved and it's not just us sitting here saying this is what needs to be. It is a very emotional process. I was around for the first one. It's an extremely emotional process when you tell families your child's going to go somewhere else. when you tell a first grader, here's an example that we need to think about. You're going to go to one school and your seventh grade is going to go to another school. So, go figure that

160out. So, I hope collectively we can be mindful of the impact this is this could make on our families and our students. I had a kid stop me at market basket say, "Do I have to go to another school next year?" I thought, "Wow, word travels faster, Mthoan." and and inaccurately. So, I just hope our colleagues in other elected positions are mindful that there are a lot of people who have so many moving parts to sending their kids to school and there's so connected and they want what we want for our kids, you know, fairness and equity. Um, that we take this slowly and purposefully and and again, if we went around the room right now and said, why are we doing this? I don't know what kind of answers we get. Why are we

161why are we doing this? Why? I don't know. And I'm not asking anyone to respond right now, but uh so so I I think we need to let our families and staff know nothing's happening really fast without your your contributions. Thank you. >> Very well said and agreed. Thank you, Member Wlette. I I have to agree with my colleague on this because you're going to have two school committee members automatically uh departing from the school committee and you have four members of the city council automatically because of not running or or term limits. Okay, that's a sizable comp composition of those two bodies. Now the information is readily obtainable. If there's any element of racial disparity between our schools, Desi provides that information in terms of low income uh racial breakdown demographics, all that information

162is readily available. Now, if we're doing a cost savings component to that and have an outside consultant, I mean obviously we're doing an audit. We're going to explore consolidation, but I don't see like a immediate rush to the situation. And in North Andover, they had a consultant report and it's now collecting dust because they had to do emergency provisions within the North Andover school system because of cutbacks. So, um I understand um back in 1999, and I did serve on a school committee at that time, so I'm aging myself. There was it was trench warfare. people were fighting over street by street like it was stalingrad. So automatically, I like the idea of having an outside consultant, but I agree with member Dunovan and I agree with the superintendent. Automatically, we have to define what

163is the purpose of redistricting. And I'm going to say redistricting. This whole realignment start with the semantics. Okay, we know what we're doing. We can gather the data from DESIE. we can uh go over what the details of the outside consultants, how much it would cost. Ultimately, I think it would have to be undertaken by the city council, maybe at a a future uh joint meeting, whoever is on the city council or the school committee next year. That could be the first uh agenda item. But you really have to rationalize to me and provide a deep reasoning for why we're going into redistricting because we're already become a majority minority district. We're a gateway community. Now, if there's racial disparity uh amongst the schools, I think the superintendent said it's very marginal. >> And you

164have to realize too, there's people that live maybe in a marsh school district, but they receive special programming at the tenny. So, are we automatically going to uproot that programming at the tenny and just go to the marsh? How are we going to work out the logistics of that? The the busing I thought it came back to us is that it really isn't that much of a cost savings. So, I understand back in 1999 it was a racial disparity component and we need to do redistricting because we were going to have the state involved in the situation and again it was trench warfare. It was stalingrad. So, I'm not interested in revisiting that. I don't see a rush from our colleagues and the city council. I think we're doing a disservice to the citizens of

165Bethan. Um, and we're going to have elections. So in the interim we can gather information continue with the subcommittee and then when we have the uh joint uh meeting then in January whoever is the mayor whoever is the city councilors whoever is the school committee members at that moment in time that could be the first item on the agenda but I I'm not seeing a sudden urgency to rush in this. Thank you. So to summarize for the people who may be watching, while redistricting is on the agenda as a point of discussion, while there is a subcommittee that uh is being uh formed uh and brought into existence, the Mthuan public schools are not being redistricted or realigned in the next year, probably for a very long time, if it ever does come to fruition.

166So, uh, just to put that to bed, member Daglio, do you have something to add? >> So, also I want the public to know because I don't I not see this meeting that happened two meetings ago. Um, also the consultant like when you hire these consultants, they might come back and tell us that our district is perfect the way it is. There's not really any changes you can do. All right. Or what? Yeah. All right. Um, so okay, thank you. Um, so but at the end of the day though, like I want people at home, like I said, this is a two, three year process and our consultings. First we have to get it approved um by the school committee and then also then it has to go to the city council. You know how

167long that takes for them um to approve. Um I'll throw a shot. Um but but we might not get it for another year to even get the consultant to come in. So just to clarify that also you we will then have to meet and I would want member Dan to know that at that last meeting when we formed the subcommittee because those were also concerns. We said out loud that even after the consultant came, we would take that to the public and have open discussions probably for the for months having open discussions with parents cuz I understand I just moved to the city when we redist realigned the first time and I remember we were at the Ashford school and then next thing you know we were told we're going to the chimney and my

168father was like wait I was just told the school that my son's we would be going to is only a half a block away. Now you're telling me I got to go all the way down here and he had no idea. So I remember the trench warfare um that that because my father was at those meetings and going like we just moved here and now you're telling us our kids are not even going to be near us. So I don't want anybody thinking that I formed this subcommittee so I could start everybody up in uproar. No, I just feel I feel like it's time it's good, healthy that we it's our obligation to evaluate what our schools are doing and what we can do to save costs or help, you know, limit anything that could

169possibly be a burden on the schools, especially with budgets and everything. If this can help, but if it comes back that it doesn't, then we don't re realign. you just have that plan and you just go back to where it was. So, I just wanted people to know like that's my intention. It's just to do what's best for me through. It's not to cause people to feel like the kids are being taken out of their schools and teachers next year. That that I'm sorry that people made that message because that's that was never the intentions. So that's all. >> Thank you member Daglio. We'll now move on to the discussion regarding legal counsel. Uh vice chair and member Shibelia are you listed for this? >> So this is another one that stems from that same

170meeting. Um there was a comment made about a consolidation effort uh to move school legal council under the city. Um, I just I would hope outside of the fact that there are two general laws that say that that can't happen that any conversation about consolidations would be had with with the committee or a subcommittee or at least the superintendent. Um, and that aside, I would like to ask the superintendent since we're talking about legal, uh, would you be able to give me an update on the CKLA contract? Uh, my understanding is we are not going to be starting the year with the reading program. >> So, I would probably ask Dr. Gowski to speak to it only because she has the timeline and we're starting with a reading program. We're not starting with the CKLA

171materials. We're not going to not have kids teaching reading. We have a nice outline for kids to be able to do it, but we do not have the materials in hand at this time. So, >> you consultant me there. What does that >> We're going to let Dr. Gazel Gabsky answer, but um there was a delay in getting the contract approved uh and the materials here, but we did get that resolved uh with some team effort. just was delayed. >> So on September 16th, we have a full day professional development day. So there'll be five trainers from CKLA flying out to train teachers for the full day. The f following Friday um the week after there's another professional development early release day um where our teachers will have born training. So we're not asking um

172teachers to start right away without training. what feeling unsure of the materials, they all have digital access and are welcome to peruse and look at it. Um, but after the full day training and then the followup half day right away, we think the teachers will be equipped to do so. So, there's that piece. Um, where we really want people to have what they need in terms of training. Uh, at the onset of the year, uh, we have the MClass benchmarking. So on Thursday of this week, the reading specialists will be trained across the district and administering the MClass assessment and then we'll go to teachers classrooms individually to make sure that we're calibrated and everyone understands um how to work with that platform. Um and the humanities supervisors have done a really nice job crosswalking

173um foundations from last year with where we'll be with CKLA skills and then um providing support to students and priming them to get ready for the CKLA. >> Okay. I also heard that there are some AP courses that have renewing contracts annually that were also not going to be ready. >> I don't have a timeline on that either. >> Can I just start? So, yeah. So, I think there's there's some questions about like what's happening, right? Some some of our processes have changed. So, we've been asked to change our contract as of June. Um we h we have always had an MPS contract that we had an agreement with with the city that that's because our services and goods is very different than some of the city but we still have certain language we have

174to abide by. So, I think what's happened is that we were asked to change the contract to have it be only city template, which has thrown our vendors off because our vendors are typically the ones that either give us a contract, we redo it, or we give us we give our MPS contract that has educational language, right? So, so while the devil's in the detail with Dr. Gabsky and her and team um that uh some of that process has been challenging over the summer with timelines and edits and uh delays. So, we're not going to lie, at this point there are definitely contracts still sitting to be reviewed uh that have been different than were okay last summer. And so, we're just we're we're wondering sort of the why behind that. Um and uh you

175know some folks are not in their offices right now and so we're being told that we just have to wait until those people return and you know that's a two sometimes 3-w weekek delay and turnaround for us right now. Um so uh I think doc Dr. Gowski and Avon our procurement and grant specialists have been sort of gathering what's um what we still have outstanding. Uh I do know that they started with grants and materials that we physically needed in the district. So um you know they they worked on that in July knowing there was going to be shipping time for certain things. And so they strategically worked through those in July, August for digital licenses thinking those would be a little bit of an easier turnaround. It's more of a flip, you know, you

176switch flip the switch. Uh we're not looking for like products and goods. So that's helpful. Um, >> so you had mentioned we took the educational language out of our template. >> We didn't know. >> We didn't the city solicitor. >> I am going to turn it over to Dr. Gowski now. That is that is the general information that I have been included on at this point and I have certainly been a little more involved the past two weeks. >> Sure. Um, so mostly the contracts that we're waiting on are renewals of digital licenses that we've had previously or from vendors that we've used pre previously. Um, and so typically the process is quicker. Um, when it's $10,000 or over, we go through the procurement process. There's a contract involved. Um, but my understanding is that

177the contract that we're being asked to use now is is heavier um, and really dense. And so when we send it back to the vendor, they're not sure quite what to do with it and they need to send it to their legal team who then sends it back with their edits. Um, and it's becoming a back and forth process where usually it's it's simpler. Um, and some some of the pieces are, you know, could be an $11,000 renewal um to a program we've had for several years and it's just become a little bit cumbersome. So, in the recent weeks um or the last week, we've been um trying to work together as a team to move through it. Um but they are all buttons that just need to be pressed digitally. We're not looking to

178have material shipped at this point. We've already ordered those. >> We can't have the license turn on. So, that means we have kids coming to class on Wednesday. And because we have changes being made arbitrarily, we don't we aren't ready. we aren't ready for most some of these kids to start class. >> Um I think there are some pieces that it would be advantageous for the teach teachers are asking and emailing me and asking because they want to start planning ahead and looking ahead and have pieces saved from their previous license they want to look at. Um so for those classes who are they they'll be in a holding pattern um until it's turned on. So, how often are we sending school related matters over to the city solicitor because I know we don't have

179a I don't know a formal relationship, but I do know that historically we have sent matters over to them for handling. >> So, I think there's there's in this is an anything that's finance related like a contract that that we we would have Maggie in the city. So, let's sort of look at that's just what we do. So, um that's where this is all that's what we're talking about right now is under that umbrella. So, we're not sending them we're not sending any of this. Typically, it goes through the procurement office at city hall and our office and then send it over. >> Yeah. Usually, we're done and there's some edits maybe between the two of them to make sure it's covered. >> Um, so there's a little bit of a change in that meaning

180that this they're coming back to us with these edits, legal edits. No, but I mean like for like say a personal injury or a worker's comp or any anything like that. Is any of that stuff done in house? >> So workers workman's comp actually there's a insurance attorney that works with us. >> Okay. >> So that's the city solicitor's office has all the information. >> Our carrier assigns >> right. So so they have all the information. And so we might have a meeting, let's say, with the insurance attorney, the city solicitor might be present. >> I didn't know as a self-insured entity if we had to do it ourselves. >> That's I mean that's that's one I've been involved with, but it's typically whoever the insurance assigned attorney is for us. Um >> so I

181know we sent over the >> I mean the most recent one that that dealt with both sides was, you know, the previous superintendent. um litigation. Uh that was a meeting between attorney Macaro's office and the city solicitor. I think the mayor and I were both sitting on that one. Um it was decided at that meeting that attorney Macaro's office would handle that. So they are handling that contract because it was both parties, the school committee and the city were named as um defendants on that. just I I worry now because we are now delaying academics because of contracts >> contracts that should have been done in July or August or whenever but before the start of school no matter how you slice it. So, >> I think there's and I Oh, I'm sorry. There's some

182added conversation and I'm going to let the mayor speak, but I think there's some um open dialogue right now between the mayor and I about processes and making sure that we're on a streamlined path. Um it it's just it's hard to recognize sometimes at the that the urgency for us certain times a year is just very different than the rest of the world. Right. Yes. >> And so, um the fiscal year turns over. We need POS right away for renewals for right like it's it's a different sense of urgency July and August for any school district. It's not we're not unique in that, right? Um and so so sometimes that's hard because as you know we've had conversations about every department. Everybody takes vacation in June and July, right? We need POS, we need renewals,

183we need everything to kind of happen in June and July, right? Um, so there the mayor and I have had some open conversations about this and better streamlining and communication about this process between between our departments. So I feel confident that there's some information being shared that should be helpful in moving this, you know, in a different more positive direction. >> Uh, just to add some additional clarification. Um this is one area where there there's a lot of confusion even on the city side about the structure of legal functions and the like. So uh when it comes to the legal department that is uh the one city side department aside from the city council office that is not under the umbrella of the administration. Uh that is a city council function. And if you'll recall

184earlier in the year uh the city council let uh the uh prior solicitor go and in essence um we had a period where the assistant solicitor became the acting solicitor and that went on for an extensive period of time and now uh that individual is the city solicitor. uh there has been no backfilling of the assistant role yet. Uh so that office is when I say short staffed and dealing with uh issues as it relates to uh getting um things processed and out the door. It's quite extensive in terms of the degree that to which they're behind. >> Mcqu >> so there there's a lot going on there. Um but that just adds to this issue. So now going forward as the superintendent referenced you know working within that you know context uh given the

185fact that legal functions fall under the legislative branch rather than the executive branch you know I think uh the opportunity is there for us to perhaps um try to coordinate I guess to the extent that we're able to even though those functions are not under either umbrella so to speak. Uh, member Maxwell, >> um, I have some concerns. I know we're talking about attorneys, but I have some concerns with hearing that the CKLA um, curriculum isn't ready for the start of the school year. And by the sounds of it, it's not going to be ready for what's going to turn into months because that's how processes go here. But what is the curriculum for the start of school? Is it the same curriculum as last year? No. So, the materials are I just checked the

186um the date or expectation. They'll be in the buildings for the 9th, but again, they won't be trained till the 16th. So, there's no super rush for them to start using it. They'll be able to access things online tomorrow. So, at the start of the school year, the first couple days before we head into the long weekend, teachers usually get acquainted with their class, start building relationships. When we head into that next week, that's when we're going to start looking at the M MC class with the benchmarking and the reading specialists will travel around. We also have several pieces of curricula that are supplemental. Um so, Newella has um lessons and stories that pair exactly with CKLA and will prime that prior knowledge to launch into the first unit. So, that's one of the options

187um that we had suggested teachers use. also the foundations crosswalk that I referenced and how that matches with skills um the different phonics program or foundational program going to use um they can fill the space there and then very soon after before we know it it'll be the their full day launch they'll be unpacking the units internalizing the units and can feel free to begin >> so that's towards the end of September >> I'm sorry >> that's towards the end of September when this will start because the teachers aren't going trained >> by the 29th. We have said that everyone needs to be full force in it. >> They're able to begin >> September 29th, they're going to be using this curriculum. >> Everybody, if they choose to start earlier and and some pe people

188did pilot last year, so they did receive training and might feel ready to go. They have everything they need in the digital platform and they can begin. >> Are are we not concerned about the transition that's going to happen for the students? I I think it's going to be a fine transition for the students >> if they started it at the beginning of the year. Maybe. >> No, we're talking about a week and a half really of them coming back to school, learning routines, becoming acquainted. >> So, from Wednesday to September 29th, we're in limbo with our ELA curriculum. >> Nope. >> Well, yes, because our teachers aren't going to be trained on the CKLA. So, yes. >> No, they're being trained on the 16th full day. Many teachers were trained last year that piloted

189or feel comfortable beginning and want to jump in. They're welcome to do so. They have full access to everything they need digitally. We put we put a hard date on it to be clear with implementation. That was on the recommendation of our um literacy acceleration network coach and CKLA. They said, "Put a firm date on it of when we expect everyone to be implementing with integrity so that we can be certain that what we're looking at is CKLA." And that's September 29th. So this to fully adopt and implement a brand new program in knowledge and skills and the MCLS and the boost >> class. Sorry. >> That's the um benchmarking piece, >> screening tool. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> And it's it's the new version with the digital piece. where now it comes out with

190the data immediately to teachers and suggests grouping and what teachers should maybe do with it. There's a there's a lot of learning that needs to occur. So to really implement fully, it's a multipleear process. And so if we rush it at the beginning and it feels choppy and people aren't prepared, we're setting ourselves up for failure. So with the prison grant that Dr. Kuang mentioned that's going to be hugely important because along with the money to buy materials, we also get coaching. We get more walkthrough support from TNTP on top of the PD that we've already purchased from CKLA. So, there's going to be a lot of people, a lot of hands-on deck. Um, we started a literacy um council with the Prism Grant. So, there's representation from teachers and admin who will meet regularly.

191um we just got accepted into two working groups um for the state, one focusing on CKLA and the other focusing on EL education. So we'll meet regularly with other districts in the same implementation phase that we are and beyond to figure out where they went wrong, what went well. So we're really going full blast um with the literacy and there's going to be a lot of hands on deck. So, I think when we have everyone feeling comfortable and and um excited about the process, you're we're going to see um recognizable gains. >> Right on time, >> vice chair. Um so the point of this discussion was really the impetus was that at the city council meeting it was mentioned that you know the school was legal was going to be done by the city solicitor

192and this discussion from my point of view is that the city solicitor doesn't seem to be able to keep up with the contracts alone of what we're sending him and he's it's a bottleneck and we're not getting our contracts done on time so that our kids have the curriculum that they need. And so I don't I don't understand the conversation on the city council side saying that we should put our legal under the city solicitor when he can't seem to do what we need him to do just based on contracts. And how in heaven's name is he supposed to take over our educational legal? It makes no sense to me. And I don't understand why anyone would be pushing for us to be using the city solicitor more when our stuff is already a bottleneck

193and we can't get our curriculums to our kids on time. So, so to me this is this is it seems insane to me that people want to have us use more legal from the city when they're already bogged down. They're already short staffed and we have a team of lawyers that we go to for all of our educational needs that are experts in education law. The city solicitor is not an expert in educational law and to I if I need somebody to write a will, I'm not going to go to a real estate lawyer. So why would I ask the city solicitor who is not an educational lawyer to do educational law? Um so I I really wish that this conversation among the bodies would just die because it makes no sense. And I think

194that asking the city solicitor to go represent the schools for an special education issue in court makes no sense. We're going to end up with more kids out of district because it's not his expertise. So I I just wish this entire conversation would just be put to bed. It makes no sense from our perspective or from my personal perspective um to have the city solicitor doing educational law. That's all >> something to add. >> Yeah. Um so just to piggy back off of the madam vice chair, we also went to the city solicitor to take on a case for us and he told us to go to our lawyers. So right there and then that just shows that he knows that our lawyers have expertise in something. So in dealing with um just being out

195in the public where they have heard this on city council, it's ridiculous that the schools have their own legal team and we can't be using our solicitor when we pay him. I I I want parents to understand where you hear madam vice chair is talking about our lawyers deal with IEPs they deal with >> discipline personnel contracts >> yeah no I I think no I appreciate that part of it I think >> you know this was part of a broader conversation obviously of our legal counsel your legal counsel we have two of them even because >> the expertise of one law office is student facing >> right IEEPs 504 student discipline and those are the turnaround times are like I have three days 40 right there's there's timelines there that they support us with and

196then the legal council of m that attorney macaro comes out of is really contracts personnel sort of the adult matters right and that's their MGL and I think um member Shabilia just said it like under MGL which that's educational law, right? Nobody had to I think member Shabil, you found that, but attorney Macaro was like, "It's right here. This is our level of expertise." Like, it is a it is a law that school committees have the right uh and are expected to select their legal counsel. So, the fact that that didn't come up either, you know, is odd. Um, as I was listening and watching because we know that because that's educational law, right? That's something that the body expects. But you're right, it's it's very specific to, you know, the experience and the general

197laws around employment contracts, personnel, teachers, and then um Ryan's member, what you said about IEPs, 504s, school discipline. So, thank you for bringing that up. Sorry, I took your time. >> This is it's a very fruitful discussion, but I just want to point out that we're at 8:50. We have, I think, one other item on the agenda. I think we could probably get to >> 9:00 without needing to extend for once, which is good. >> You have something very brief to add? >> No, I just >> I'll stop. >> No, no, no. The I just wanted the public to know because I have literally heard this now 10 times about how people are frustrated with the fact that we have our own legal team in the city. We should be using the cities where madam

198uh Dr. Kong has already Yeah, like this is why we have our separate legal team and I just wanted the public to know that. >> Just very briefly wrap up. This doesn't fix the current issue that we're discussing. However, uh we just posted a couple of days ago, the assistant city solicitor job posting. So hopefully this will help the case load for the city side uh going forward. Uh nevertheless, um you know, we've had certainly some bottlenecking issues. that very very briefly. I think the the crux of the issue is they're talking about the cost of outsourcing. >> So if strictly the city solicitor was doing everything in house, they might have a meritorious argument to their case. They outsource a lot of cases. So I would want to have a compilation of those uh

199outsource cases and what the cost factor are. If they did strictly everything in house and handled all those cases, the major controversial cases for the city of Mthoan, they might have like a merit to their case or their argument. They don't. They outsource a lot of uh cases. So, please stop it. >> Thank you, member. We'll move on to uh member Donovan Grassy's discussion regarding the cable TV account funds. As many of you know, I have since I came on the board, um I have been asking about the alleged agreement that the city, MCS and the schools have um in the dispersement of the cable funds. I forget what the exact what we called it, but the cable companies pay the city money for the you know um for coming into this community and offering

200services and getting big money. So I have been asking for a long time um and I never really got answers and I understand everyone's busy and it has been something that has been kicked around since I have been following school committee which was a long time ago. um this sense that you know and it comes up at every budget meeting like where's the money that the city owes us from the cable um and I think it contributes to some of that sense of lack of transparency um and distrust between the two boards. So um rather than keep bugging people I just filed an FOI and um I got a very comprehensive report back from um Mr. to pray. And it's not the news I was hoping for, but the news is any a there was

201not an agreement. And it hold on, hold on. Uh there is uh there is in writing how the money is shared between MCS and the city. Um, and it may have come from years ago when our very first modern-day mayor, Daglio, when they started MCS and it was at the high school. So, the sense of the money was going there. So, um, I appreciate the effort um that the city went in to provide the information, maybe we could work something out and we get get a cut in the deal. It's a thought. Um, but I just felt since I've been asking, um, and I just wanted to share this information with you. So maybe we don't waste time or I don't waste time come budget saying where's our money? Where's our money? >> Yeah. So,

202uh, members, you have something to add. I can tell you without any doubt because I am on the committee as you know that negotiates those contracts with Verizon and Comcast that when those contracts are put together, the school is included in that conversation and that is put forward because I went to the teacher back here and Lisa was on the email and asked them what do we need and that was sent to the committee and to Karen and put forward. So whatever agreement is there or floating, the intent from formation was always the three parties because those are the three municipal broadcasting locations. But there is nothing in writing and it seems to be more of a I think it was a gentleman's agreement and back during the Xany administration I believe some of that

203money was there was money given to us from what my research showed and under the guise of here we you know this comes from the cable company but um I just want to stop talking about it one way or the other unless we can come up with a um another plan. >> So, good point. So, I just want to be cognizant of the time. I I'm going to briefly say this. Just because there isn't an existing official in stone set in stone agreement that outlines this clearly doesn't mean that does it doesn't have to be going forward. So, I think that we should certainly have that conversation. >> Great. Maybe we can talk about it at our first finance committee meeting. >> There we go. >> Okay. >> Um, yay. >> Now, uh, before we

204move on to other business, I want to mention two things. So, uh, there I've gotten some questions about, and I guess this is other other business technically. Um, I've gotten some questions about, uh, several topics from members of this, uh, body, but also the city council. Uh, I don't have anything official on the agenda for the next meeting on the second. However, I'm aiming to have something in place for the second meeting in September. Uh, so there are two issues. First of all, at a recent meeting, this body voted in essence, I believe, to surplus two school buildings, correct? Pleasant Valley School and the Courier School. Uh the city would take full custody of those buildings. Uh now, going forward, uh this is something that I have not discussed this. I have not mentioned this

205yet to the city council. I plan on doing that on the 2nd. Uh and I plan on having uh something uh formalized uh at some point in September. Now, my thinking with that is if I had my way and I was able to uh go forward with the process of uh you know determining what to do with those buildings on my own without any other players involved. What I would do is I would first of all seek to sell both of those buildings and allocate 100% of the proceeds of the sale to the Mthoon Public Schools budget. If we were to do that, of course, it' be subject to city council approval. So that's why I'm saying that that's something that I I can't do that unilateral unilaterally, excuse me, as one person. Uh but

206something that I am going to propose is the idea and this is something that's already been done with uh some school buildings, but I want to formalize it going forward. I am looking into the prospect of establishing in essence a school to housing uh conversion incentive program where the city would uh seek to incentivize the conversion of the Pleasant Valley school, excuse me, and the Courier School into uh affordable housing for low-income seniors, which I think is a tremendous need in our community. Uh and so uh that is in the works. Excuse me. I'm in the process of researching exactly what that would entail. Uh but that is something that I think would be uh in the best interest of the city and would help us solve uh several different issues all in one swoop.

207Addressing a key housing need for our city, but also assisting with uh funding concerns for the schools. Uh secondly, uh this is something that is a little further down the uh pike and I know looking at the clock very briefly, uh the school bus arm deal. So, uh the city council uh is adopting that state statute that allows for us to install those cameras. I know that we had a a question about whether we could uh facilitate that with the contract determined that we can. So, that's something that is going to be in the works. My goal with that is to set up a school transportation revolving fund where money that is derived from fines as a result of the illegal passing of stop school buses that would be placed into a revolving fund where

208we could use that to uh pay school transportation costs and help to defay that from a budgetary standpoint. So those are two things that I'm looking at. Uh haven't fully cooked those ideas yet. Uh but I just wanted to share that because I've gotten enough questions. Uh with that, do we have any other business for the uh from the committee? >> Yes. >> Uh there was a statement made earlier about the wellness policy and how it was not discussed at the subcommittee meeting. Uh just for the record, the reason that was not discussed is because we got the uh opinion from the attorney what was it 7 minutes before the meeting. Um, and unfortunately I was at work and didn't have time to read that before hopping online to this meeting. So, we said we

209would bring it up at our next meeting, which this is a continuation. That's why it wasn't on this agenda. So, this meeting is not being kicked down the road. That agenda is not being kicked down the road. It is being held because there was a lawsuit and we have to follow the rules. >> And until then, the current policy is all still, right? Yep. Yep. I just >> do we have any other business from the I was gonna say the community the committee. >> Are we good? >> I think we just all want to wish our staff and students >> Absolutely. >> Welcome back. >> Great school year. >> Yeah, >> we want to wish everybody a good happy school year. >> Absolutely. >> All righty. Uh with that we'll take a motion to adjourn.

210>> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion for member Shibelia. The second is from member Dagio. Those in favor? >> I opposed. The eyes have it. We are right around 9:00. Have a good >> night.