001Regional School Committee for a joint meeting at 5:00 PM. Due notice having been posted. Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting from any medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions may be made, whether perceived or unpersceived, by those present. We'll do a roll call of members present. Um, Ms. Ferrer, present. Miss Ashley present. Mr. Mashado present. Miss O'Brien present. Mr. Pastnack present. Miss Solomon present. And the chair is present. Um, also with us this evening are our superintendent of schools, Mr. Jeffrey Skoonover, our chief financial officer, Miss Raquel Pellerin, our director of curriculum, Miss Elizabeth Haskell, our director of special education, Miss Megan Ashton, and our recording secretary, Robin Vicaro. You want to open? Absolutely.
002Um, at this time, I will call to order a meeting of the Somerset School Committee at 5:01 p.m. Due notice having been posted. Uh, roll call members present this evening. Mr. Mashado, present. Miss Corville, present. Miss Ferrer, present. Mr. Gaw, present. And the chair is present. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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. [Music] Um, at that at this time I would entertain a motion to enter into executive session pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3A section 21 A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the
003public body. And the chair so declares American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees asks me pair of professionals and pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3A section 2182 to conduct strategy in preparation for NO negotiations with non-UN personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-UN personnel superintendent of schools. And I'd note that the committee will return to open session. Do I have a motion? So much. Motion by Miss Ferrer. Do I have a second? Second. Seconded by Miss Solomon. We'll do a roll call. Um, all those in favor? Let's see. Miss Ferrer, I. Miss Ashley, I. Mr. Mashado, I. Miss O'Brien. Hi. Miss P. Mr. Pastor Knack. Hi. Miss. Solomon. Hi. And the chair votes I. And chapter 3A, section 213 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or
004litigation. If an open meeting may have a detrimental impact effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair. So declares American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees asks me paraprofessionals and pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 30A section 2182 to conduct strategy in preparation for negotiations with non-UN personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-UN personnel. Superintendent of schools, the committee will return to open session. We have a Corville. We'll do the roll call vote to enter into executive session. Mr. Mashado, I. Miss Forba, hi. Miss Ferrer, I. Mr. Goff, I and the chair votes I. Okay. The next item on the agenda under new business was the discussion and act on amendment to the power professional contract. We have uh no discussion on that
005at this time for the public. So we will table that [Applause] item. The next item on the agenda is to discuss an act on the number of early release days for the 2025 2026 school calendar. Okay. Uh you've um both committees have had this discussion and review of the calendars up to this point. Uh both committees voted to accept the 2526 calendars with the exception of three early release days. Uh one at the end of September, one at the end of October and the other one at the end of January. Forgot the exact date but those are the three uh that we are currently using for u uh for early release type or professional development. Um each time we have an early release day we are um we provide two 2 and 1/2 hours of
006uh PDS um depending on the level when buses get out and and making sure teachers have time for uh for lunch and so on but two two and a half hours each time. Uh the only other professional development time that we have built into the calendar is the one full day that happens uh typically in November. We have a couple of hours also on one of the first two days of school uh before students arrive. Uh so with that um Jeff, could I just interject? Is there an early release P date day also in March on the calendar? Uh there was this year. It's not next year. There's a version there's a version of the calendar that has it on it. Unless I'm looking up the wrong one. Oh one? Yes. Yeah. Somerset region 2526.
007What version? Version one. Does it have it in March? It does. It does. Usually mid-March. Yeah. The 18th. Well, the Somerset has it on the 11th and the high school is the 18th. So, a week apart. So, in the in addition, there are those other early release days in Somerset for um I'm trying to think of what March 11th does. I don't have it in front of me right now. That could be the Is that the elementary planning day? January, March 11th. No, because it's also in the regional uh calendar as well. Okay. And it says PD specifically. Okay. Um and then there are some other um September October other unique days in the schedule. uh the ele town election day in April, there's an early release day just for the high school so that
008voting can start at 12. The kids are released at 11:30 so there's no overlap between them and uh the voters coming in. But then we also build in some professional development for our teachers with u the remainder part of that day. But really those three days that I was uh referencing um are the the three uh in question about um uh possibly eliminating for early release. And we know that uh there's been transportation concerns in the past particularly from elementary um parents with if you know kids uh get dropped off at home. the parent hasn't maybe returned from from work yet. We tend to have a few of those particularly early on in the school year where uh you know it happens probably every every year every other year where there's an instance or two
009of uh one of those situations you know you want to share some information. Sure. Um we have been uh talking primarily about um keeping or eliminating. Um I wondered if uh you might consider some uh combination. Um as Mr. Spooner just said uh some of that what what I've understood is that um the elementary tends to be some of the issue. Um I think um and uh Miss Mashado, please correct me if I misunderstood or misinterpreted what you have said in the past, but my understanding is that sometimes families are struggling with child care um with the elementaryaries in the afternoons um and sometimes they're they may choose not even to send kids to school. And so again, we keep having these conversations about attendance and they need to be in school in order to
010learn and then parents keep them home because it becomes a hardship. So, I wondered if we might consider an elementary um maybe not doing early release days for the elementary but maintaining the early release days for the secondary which would be the middle school and the high school. The benefit for teachers is really um significant and it is much more difficult for us to coordinate the professional learning for the secondary level. Um the way that we can manage it for grade levels at the elementary um because there is more departmentalized um you have uh varied grade levels. um it will be nearly impossible to manage the the to provide the same level of professional learning at the high school that we currently offer um if we were not if we don't have those that same
011number of early release days. Um same situation at the middle school. So, I I will remind you, I know that I've presented the PD plan before, but I I will remind you that we have PD pathways at the middle and high schools, and so teachers are in um one of multiple sections. At the middle school, there are two sections. Um and at the high school, there are actually five. Um and so again, uh the level that we could provide um it it just would not be the same. I actually calculated um the number of hours at Somerset Berkeley Regional High School and I'm just I'm basing it on the 2425 school year because it's the one that we're in. Um just from early release date, we provide 26 hours of professional learning. Um at the
012middle school, we provide 23 hours of early release day professional learning. And at the elementary level, we have provided 18 hours um of early release day professional learning. That was just this year. We have been able to supplement the elementary um with uh coordinating by grade level bands. So um the best I can describe it um is it would either be two grade levels or three grade levels at a time. and the principles have and assistant principles have worked really hard to um accommodate in terms of um substitute coverage. That is also a hardship at the secondary to pull a a group um of teachers out for uh a day and get and get sub coverage for that number of teachers is practically impossible. So, um, again, the example I'll give at Somerset Berkeley Regional
013High School, it's approximately 22 people per section. It's nearly impossible to cover 22 teachers without um impacting a large number of students. And we've really moved away from kind of all the kids sitting in the uh dining center for the day. That's not good for anybody. Um and so in order to avoid that uh the early release dates provide us again um those supports. Um at the middle school it's a little bit of a smaller group. Uh it's a it's a smaller school. Um so each uh team or each group is it would be approximately 13 staff per session. a little bit more manageable, but but still really difficult, especially if you take into account any of the adults who might not be in uh that day anyway for a variety, you know, illness or
014um you know, whatever the case may be. Um I I can also address the cost. Yeah. Okay. Um so again, Mr. Mr. Swber had mentioned uh the cost of buses and um I will share with you my understanding again if I misunderstood uh please let me know but I think um the total cost of buses um when we have an early release day it is it is a little bit higher um but I think that we sorry we looked at yesterday it's um $3,400 per early release day additional um and that's for both districts combined. Um it's $200. Every time there's an early release day, we we are charged $200 per bus for that change in time for the early release day. Um so that is built on top of the whatever the daily cost
015is for that particular bus. So we have uh 17 buses that run for the high school. uh 3,400. And in fact, uh and I we have one extra bus for the I I was not picking up the the extra bus that we run uh for Somerset. So, it's actually a total of 18 buses that we're running. So, it actually be $3,600. Um so, uh thank you. So, Mr. Skover and I were talking about this and the cost of uh substitutes uh per day if we were covering teachers to provide comparable um professional learning. Um we calculated approximately $140 per substitute teacher. Um it it's a you know kind of an average. It will be on one end or the other. Um, okay. I was flabbergasted at the cost um as we started to calculate it
016at the elementary um one day uh to cover the number of of uh staff members which would be somewhere um between 6 and 11 staff people per school which is about uh somewhere between 20 and 32 staff members per session if we were running it comparable to what we currently do. um for one day it's somewhere between 2,800 and $4,480 per day um for substitute teachers um at the middle school uh for one day again I mentioned the 13 staff members approximately that's uh about uh $1,820 um per day and then at the high school for 22 people per session for one day it would be somewhere between um 1,96 $60 and $3,220. So, um I couldn't believe how much it was for for one day of uh sub coverage. And that does not include
017the cost of the PD provider. So, we do have some people who provide PD who are our internal people. They're they are um really knowledgeable. They're providing high quality PD, but we also have teams that come in and provide professional learning. Um so, that is not including that cost. I also do need to mention we did not budget in FY26 uh for subs to cover to this degree. Um we did budget for the professional learning. Um and we are hoping to maintain the pathways. This is year one of two that we planned at the middle school in our PD pathways and this is actually year two of four that we planned here at the high school. And that would get um with our uh change in levels that would actually get every um cohort of
018teachers that teach freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors through that reaching and teaching all learners um professional learning in addition to the other sections that we are offering. Questions? I have a question just on the S for the SB proposed calendar for the on October 7th. It says no school for students on what day? October 7th is a Tuesday. So it says no school for students and then October 13th is no school for the uh holiday and then the 29th of that month is an early release PD day. So my question is what is staff doing on October 7th if there is no school for students teacher that's parent teacher conferences all day. Okay. Oh sorry see right there. Okay. Oh I didn't see that. Sorry. What what I'm what I'm noticing too, um I just
019went back and I looked in the school committee folders on uh March 25th I think for the region and March I want to say 8th for Somerset. Uh where the the calendars there are the ones that you approved. Um, and uh, there isn't I don't see an early release. I'm not I'm not sure if there's one in March. So, there are a couple of changes that are happening. Maybe a little bit more detail on uh, that other one. So, it does say current teacher conferences uh, for October 7th. And and how about for April 13th for the high school? Says early release. Is that a Monday? Yes, that is the uh, town election town. So that's the one where I was saying uh students are dismissed at at 11:30 so that voting can begin at
020noon. So okay and are staff doing PD staff does okay professional development. So I'm just going to basically saying, you know, the whole obviously our kids in the in the high school I really have no issues with early release because you know the students are able to take care of themselves and probably the middle school as well. Uh obviously the K8 is a different situation. Um, but with that being said, you know, during negotiations, we also tried to make more professional development available for teachers by adding extra days and things like that and that was rejected. Um, which listen, that's what bargaining is about. Um, but I also remember that a lot of the professional development done in the past was not always a class. Sometimes it was individual based where um they would do
021it on their own time. Uh some would you know I remember Dr. I remember Dr. Brad Smith he would give us a report monthly of all the professional development and I'm talking it was like 45 different opportunities for teachers to take professional development each month. Eight would take it, six would take it, things like that. um we got away from that model and there's probably a reason why we got away from that model, but I I just can't in good faith um see the K5 or even the middle school, again, I don't know, uh continue to have all these early release days. You know, we're in the business of of our students to be in the schools learning 180 days of the year. It's bad enough we have the elections, we have, you know, the
022contractual ones that we do have, but continue to add and add or subtract or whatever the case may be. Uh, because it's the national holiday or whatever the case, national elections or anything like that, we we need to get to a point where the students belong is in our building. Um, so, you know, for the KA, I'm I'm definitely voting no on the extra early release days. um just because I believe the kids belong in the school. Um I think we need to be and I'm not a big fan of, you know, having 30 teachers out of the building and having 30 subs. I can tell you that. I'm not a big fan of that either. Um professional development is exactly what it is. It's professional development. Um some people do professional development on their
023own time. Um that's how it is uh with some work but it seems when it comes to public schools it has to be a certain date you know we do have you know faculty meetings you know instead of having a faculty meeting maybe we do a professional development for an hour before instead of a professional I just I can't continue to support um these half days I I've been against it um I was hoping we would do better during the negotiation We didn't Oh, we got the contractual ones. The ones that are not contractuals, I I'm just not supportive any longer. So, can I just ask a clarifying question related to that? I was I I'm looking through the Somerset side of the calendar and I'm only seeing one early release PD day on March
02411th. March 11th is the elementary early um is the elementary only early release day for planning purposes. It's not a professional. Okay. So that's okay. Right now it says PD. That's why I was confused. So So I don't see early release PD on my calendar. So yeah, October 29th I think. I was going to say I when we were going over them I know there was one that was end of September, end of October and early January that was not contracted 924. But I thought what I heard the administration say at the beginning and why I'm asking for clarification is that you were looking to eliminate from the possibly suggesting as a solution to eliminate three of the early release days at the elementary level. Maybe I misunderstood that the three that the 924 1029
0259 and 123. So instead of eliminating those for all three levels, uh I think what Miss Haskell is saying is perhaps as a happy medium we just remove them from the K5. Okay. Is that correct? Thank you. Okay. Okay. So can I just ask you to clarify what you don't support then? I'm just trying to understand that's all it it become well as it is now just by the numbers we were given it's 26 23 and 18 different each level has different amount of hours of professional development if we eliminate just the elementary now we're going 26 23 and the elementary is losing 7 and a half y now I understand what you're so how do now it's becoming and next thing you know it's going to be the teachers coming in at the negotiations.
026We're not getting as much in the elementary level as they do in the other three levels. May I? Yeah. We intend to provide the PD. So we we would provide comparable professional development. We would not provide it in the same manner that we're currently providing it. If if you choose to eliminate those three early release days for the elementary, we would provide the professional development in a different way. um whether it be a half day or a full day. So if we look at the hours, we we intend to provide the same a at least the same level that they are currently receiving. It would just the delivery method would just be different and it would not have an impact on students. Students would be in class, they would not go home halfway through the
027day. So if we were to reduce the elementary only by the three early release days, you would provide the equivalent of three early release days worth of training for our elementary staff through substitute teachers is what I'm hearing. That is what we would do. Yes. So we wouldn't have a I'm not willing to spend money. I was willing to spend money during negotiations on professional development by giving an additional day. I'm not They declined it. They declined professional development in that extra we I do when I have a very tight budget. I will not incur 20 20 $3,600 in early release bus fees, substitute fees. At some point we all need to get together and say if you want something we need to play ball. You know I I'm more than willing but I'm not
028going I'm not but but again I'm only one vote. That's why I'm I'm dead against uh going that particular route. So, we're going to keep kids in school, have an educ, but it's going to cost me more money to keep students in the building. Well, I'm already paying a salary to keep students in the building. I'm not going to incur more costs. Yeah, I can use that money in different ways, like retaining a custodian that I just cut off the budget. you know, there are a lot of things that I removed out of the budget that I just cannot continue to cut. So, that's why I just can't see myself supporting it. But that's just me. You know, I'm willing to be the lone voice uh and move forward and and if you're fine with
029that, I'm okay with it as well as a committee. But as I I think I'm going to go back to my original idea. Why can't we reduce it by one PD early release at the elementary level? and the other two early release PD days at the elementary level be tacked on to a day where they would have had, you know, a staff meeting or a faculty meeting anyway to get that additional hour at each session. So, we're not it it's a step in the right direction. It's going to save one day of the the busing the additional busing fees at least for the elementary level, right? Like I think it's a compromise which is why I suggested it and it it it acknowledges the hardship on parents, elementary parents specifically. It's a hardship for me
030in my house. I can tell you that. Um but I we need to ensure that our educators and our other staff have the professional development they are required to have for relicensure. That's also an obligation of the district, right? And at some point we have to spend money somewhere. And I understand it would have been it would have been um one solution to add an addition additional day to the school calendar. Um but we're also trying to provide high quality professional development and you know adding another day before school begins when everybody's frantic in terms of trying to get themselves set up for the first day with students. I'm not sure that that's the optimal time for training anyway, personally. Um, so I think we need to land on something. Um, I I'm not sure
031where the region is on this. My only question is I'm not sure. We have an early release date October 29th and then a few days later a full day of PD on November 4th. And I feel like that's maybe a little I would and I understand the the um child care those inconveniences and those worries are not the same generally speaking at the high school, but it it is money. Um and I'm I would be inclined, this is just me, I would be inclined to cancel the October 29th early release Pday at the PD day for the region. save that since there's PD a few days later and it's a full day. That would be one thing I would be in favor of. Small change, but um I don't know what everybody else thinks. Is
032um Mrs. Ashley's idea doable, feasible? Okay. I like Mrs. Ashley's idea then. So, there's two different calendars, right? Yeah. I only one. So, yeah. Okay. So, we can do two votes, right, for um the calendars. We're simpler. So, I'm going to start with So, are there any other proposals at the regional level? Does anybody else just out of curiosity, you just mentioned something that I didn't even think of? This professional development is also a credit towards licenses license. I just want you to know I know many doctors, many CPAs, many radiology therapists, nurses, um funeral directors, um barbers, hairdressers, bobbers, nail technicians that they all have to get certified CEUs. And I just want you to all to know all of them do it on their own personal time. Just think about that. But we
033have an agreement either way. So we have a legally binding agreement of what we have promised to provide them. So it's our I think it's our obligation to uphold that. And believe me, as an educator, I can tell you that the school provided PD didn't give me the credits I needed to relicure, right? I needed to take classes and seek out other opportunities. It's not everything, but it's it's something and I think it's necessary. So, we can agree to disagree. Mr. Can I ask a clarifying question before entertaining a motion? So, for the for the region um there this calendar has an early release PD date March. Is that correct? Cuz I March 18. Yes. March 18th. That is correct. Okay. So, the current calendar for the region has early release days for professional development
034on 9:24, on 10:29, a full day on 114, an early release PD on 128, and then an early release PD on 318, uh, as well as 413. It doesn't say PD, but that's early release because of the town election. And I assume that would be PD. Yes. Okay. Um I would entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to elimmit for the region to eliminate the early release PD day of October 29th and to maintain the other um PDS as presented. Uh early release days as presented. Solved. Second. Motion by Miss Ferrer and seconded by Mrs. Bine. Anything further on discussion, Mr. Skoonover? Yeah, just um for an additional point of clarification because there is still unless Dr. um has any new information, but uh the high school calendar also always includes an early release day
035on the day of the prom, which is not reflected here yet because we don't yet have that date. uh that that is a um was a high day of absences historically and moving to the early release day and making it a requirement has improved attendance drastically. Uh so that is another early release day that will be adjusted to the calendar later. Uh but it's just we don't have that date yet. Is that correct still? Right. Okay. All right. So, we have a motion and a second. Um, all those in favor? I I opposed. I So, voted. Mr. Mashado in opposition. The motion carries. Mrs. Ashley, could you make the motion with your amended suggestions? Um, I I would be interested to hear if you have a recommended date to eliminate. My inclination would be to
036be consistent with the region um and eliminate the October 29th. Is that something that just Well, for me, Michael, yes, that's I'm fine with that. Especially cuz it does have one 3 days later, same as the uh high school. Mhm. I'm looking at the right calendar. Okay. Make sure I was looking at the right calendar before I said that. Exactly. Had them both open. So So at this point, I would entertain a motion um to amend the 2025 2026 school calendar to eliminate the early release day on October 29th. So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. Point of order. Yes. not if we're amending what we already voted. We voted with no those we didn't have those three dates. So if you're going to amend it, you have to add you want
037to add the 924 and the 128. You have to do that. Fair enough. So or you can or you can make a new motion to approve the calendar as presented without the the 29th. Either way, years ago, right? All right. So I wait we do we have to resend yes. Do you rescend your motion and your second? Um so to circle back I would actually entertain a motion to approve the 20252026 calendar um as presented. Am I doing this right? Move with the exception of with the exception of October 29th which will be removed. So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Mr. Mashado. So voted. All right. Moving right along. The next item on the agenda is the update on parent teacher conferences. All
038right. Uh so it was um I I think it was a a mixed bag. Um just to summarize it kind of like that. uh spoke with the principles. Um there was a lot of at beginning at the elementary level. Um a lot of positive feedback from one one particular school like almost you know overwhelming that it was really seen as um as meaningful and helpful uh to teachers. They really like the connections uh that were made which are all happening already every day. Um but having that opportunity for another face to face um some teachers and principles u really spoke about how effective it is. Um some uh some feedback was that even within the elementary schools it was uh more effective with our older students say 345 or four five compared to the growing
039childhood. Um so there was there was um there was that at the middle school um because of our teaming structure that we have there. The teams identified the students um to meet with well the families together and the the teams met together. They found that Dr. from Kennan said that uh they found that um uh very beneficial. Uh there was a lot of parent interest. In fact, there were some parents that they weren't able to uh schedule due to the structure. Uh there were more more parents uh that they wanted meetings with or parents wanted meetings with them. So, they ended up scheduling some additional meetings uh in following days just to make sure that they were able to um meet everyone's needs. Uh so at the middle school it was fully booked um and
040and um apparently very uh beneficial. Uh at the high school it was uh Dr. Roser said that uh about three teach uh about three conferences per teacher was the average um didn't have um maybe the you know the impact that we expected. But the ones that we did have uh targeting students who uh were on the DNF list, I think Dr. Bford said about 60% of the conferences that did take place were students who um at the end of the second quarter were on that uh D or F list. Uh so I think the third quarter just closed within the last few days, right? So both at the middle school and the high school will be uh receiving we'll be able to get those grades see the students who were on the deck list the
041level see where they are now at the end of the third term and you know just see if there was any impact for those students. So looking at that data is something that is really the next step that we want to do. Um but I think depends on level. I think as kids kids get older maybe those connections or it was maybe less impactful with the exception of the middle school but it was like I said that uh the way they approached it they found that to be uh very beneficial to the to the families and and for them to have those engaging conversations as a team. Anyone on the region have any questions? Any questions from the Somerset Committee? No. No. If you could just let maybe you'll come back to us with that
042data because I think that's going to be the key piece to see and one of the uh with uh the negotiations with the STA uh we did agree the there's the review and evaluation committee which looks at parent teacher conferences and back to school nights. So now uh now that this all of these are behind us, we will be scheduling a meeting this spring. Uh the the principal members of that committee, the SDA members of that committee, the SA president, myself uh and we'll gather feedback from both the administrator side, parent side, and teachers to figure out what this looks like next year. Uh if there are any changes that need to be made, and I'll share that with you once that happens as well. Great. Thank you. Next on on the agenda, we have
043joint policies for first reading. Does anyone from the region want to pull separate one or can we take them as a slate? Great. So I would entertain a motion to approve the first reading of the following policies. Student transportation services EA special education transport special education transportation EAB animals in schools img. So moved. Second. I have a motion by Miss Ashley and seconded by Miss Fer. Is there anything further on discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? Opposed. So voted. Oh, I I forget. I know. I'm sorry. I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I'm fully transparent with you. I'm not on my a game. That's all right. Okay. Um, at this point I would entertain a motion to approve the first reading of the following policies unless the budget uh the yeah see budget subcommittee I'm telling
044you I should just go home right now. The policy subcommittee feels differently. Uh student transportation services EA special education transportation EAB and animals and schools IMG. Second still moved. Yeah. I thought she was she was looking at me like she was about to say it. Who did the motion? I did the motion. Okay. Okay. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Yikes. All right. We're quick. We're good. We're going to follow through. Uh the next item on the agenda is the annual appointment of the superintendent to the Reed's collaborative board of directors. On behalf of the region, I would entertain a motion to appoint Superintendent Skoonover to serve as the Somerset Berkeley Regional School District representative on the board of directors of the Reeds Collaborative in accordance with Mass General Law, chapter 40, section
0454E as amended by chapter 43 of the acts of 2012 for the 2025 2026 school year. So moved. Second. Motion by Miss Solomon, seconded by Miss O'Brien. Anything further on discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? Opposed? So voted. And at this point, I would entertain a motion to appoint Superintendent Skoover to serve as the Somerset Public Schools representative on the board of directors of Reeds Collaborative in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws chapter 40E 40 section 4E as amended by chapter 43 of the acts of 2012 for the 2526 school year. So moved. I mean, yep. Yep. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? No. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? So voted. Right. Next item on the agenda is to discuss and act on meeting audio, visual and remote participation
046concerns. So we have um all experienced um technical difficulties in trying to make sure that these all meetings are um accessible to the public in from an auditory perspective. Um and also when members um need to participate remotely for various reasons. And so we asked our director of technology to secure some um uh pricing regarding um uh audiovisisual equipment. Um you have that information I think in your packet. Um I don't know uh if there is um an appetite at this point to proceed um with the purchasing of the proposed equipment. So I I think I can jump in if if you don't mind. So I don't mind at all. Um the we've had a few proposals come across our desk. One of the proposals was um more extensive work that would have allowed for
047some speakers to be, you know, in the room so that the people who are here um in the public can better hear what we're saying. This is a a less expensive option that doesn't solve that part of our accessibility concern. Um we for the solution that was the full solution where it would address um our Zoom meetings and it would also address people who were in person. There would be obviously like cabling involved which can be costly especially um when you have architecture like this right and you're trying to ensure that the building remains looking this beautiful after the work is done. Um, and there's also, you know, the labor that goes along with something like this, which wasn't even part of the quote. And I think it was somewhere in the ballpark of $16,000
048just for the hardware. So, given the financial circumstances, I I would be inclined to support this alternative for now because it's a solution that would allow us all to participate via Zoom when we must. And and I do think it's important because the uh there was just an extension on public meetings through virtual means through was it 2027 27. So I I think and we've proved that we need to have that option at times for various reasons. Um so this is a a solution that is a lesser amount. it would only solve our Zoom problems, but it would solve our our Zoom problems. And I think what it does is buy us some time to look at a comprehensive solution and plan it out into a future budget. That's just my two cents. So, Madam
049Chair, uh Mr. Spoon over, where's the funds going to be allocated from? Is it going to be this year's budget? I guess depend on when the work would be done. if it takes place before June 30th. Yes. I mean, it's really just purchasing equipment quick. You know, I don't think the installation is uh a heavy lift. Yeah. Do you think I don't think we'll have a problem fitting it in this this year's, right? No. So, how much more are we looking at for the full option? Well, we didn't receive the quotation for the labor, right? Which is typically just as costly as the hardware. I think it was about 13,000, I think, for the equipment. It was I'm just wondering, Jen, if it's worth it, if we have the money in this year's budget to
050just go for the full thing. I I just have a couple quick questions regarding this. Um the the option that was presented to us for this evening not to exceed $6,500. Is that compatible to let's say we decide we want to add for the the members here or are we just spending $6,500 and that won't even help that? you know, obviously the $16,000 it works along with the whole building here and also at the middle school, I'm assuming. Uh, but I'm just curious to um how is it going? I just don't want to spend $6,500 and then phase two you can't use that phase one items. So that that's that's what I would need to know before I could agree to the $6,500. So my understanding is that and as Miss Ashley said there are
051really two unique issues. There's the issue with Zoom meetings which the proposal here in front of you would address that only the the full uh the other part of it where if if we all have a microphone sitting in front of us and a speaker system and a microphone over at the podium uh so that everyone in this room can better hear each other which would also help our listeners on um SATV and Berkeley Access Television. um that addresses that part of it, but I that doesn't really help with someone participating in Zoom. It might the sound might be better, but the issues that you recently had um where we're trying to figure out something here to get with that screen and a camera that so you can see that would still not be high
052quality, I'd say. you know, so it's like it would help that that, you know, the microphones and everything would would chip away at some of the problems for a Zoom participant, but it wouldn't solve the problem necessarily, you know, completely cuz I'm always concerned with something that I learned from technology in the building is when you purchase a piece of equipment and then when you purchase another second piece of equipment, if it's a different model, different make, when it becomes a sinking issues, company A blames company B, company B blames company A, and then if there's a C and a D company, they keep on blaming each other and before you know it, no one takes the blame. Um, so my only concern is if you do have one system and the next system that's
053going to um solve the hearing issue for the crowd, are those are you going to get feedback from different microphones from the Zoom mic and now also the room mic? So that that's my only concern before. So, if if I could jump in, I don't think that the Zoom room solution is going to be compatible with the accessibility in the room. I don't think it's I don't think it's part of that solution. But Zoom room can be moved. The hardware can just be moved anywhere. That doesn't need to be married to this room. And in the Somerset Middle School media center, it could go to any conference room that I'm sure the administration has lots of meetings with families that are, you know what I'm saying, that would benefit from having that technology in there.
054So, in my opinion, it's just an investment for each district and then the administration can choose what to do with the hardware, you know, after we've moved on to a comprehensive solution. If we had one of those, I totally agree. If we had one of those uh multi- head, multi-mic uh systems in front of us here on the table in between us, I'm sure that is Dr. Russ would would use far more frequently than the school committee to your point with all the the meetings and and other things that take place. Yes. And also for professional development perhaps, you know, right? I can think of. I also I think we have a I think we have an obligation to solve our remote meeting um problem not only for the members and for um for the
055public also to be able to participate and hear fully when we're conducting an open meeting. So I'm sorry for that reason I'd be in favor of proceeding with phase one to address the remote meeting issue. um and then continue to work toward the larger sound issues we have. Anyone else? So, I would entertain a motion to authorize the director on behalf of the region, I would entertain a motion to authorize the director of technology to move forward with purchasing the video conferencing devices and cameras for use Zoom room um for the Somerset Berkeley Regional School Committee meetings. also for the use of the Somerset Berkeley Regional School Community District. I should add um not to exceed uh $6,500 from the FY25 budget. So moved. Second. Motion by Miss Solomon, second by Was that Miss Ashley
056or M? Miss Ferrer. Anything further on discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? I opposed. So voted. And at this point, I would entertain a motion to authorize the director of technology to move forward with purchasing video conferencing devices, Zoom room, and cameras for use at Somerset uh school committee meetings as well as within the Somerset Public School District not to exceed $6,500 from the FY25 budget. So move second. I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? So, fabulous. Next on the agenda is public input. Do we have any public input for the joint meeting? Patty Steel. Um, I wasn't able to watch the I mean, I was able to attend your last sunset working meeting, but I did watch it online and I mentioned
057something at the um K8 meeting last week and I think it begs to be repeated to your committee. Um, I was never so impressed with the young people that stood up and talked about um, budget and everything, but what impressed me even more was the fact that two of them came up with solutions instead and offered solutions instead of constantly hearing all the problems. And if that's the type of youngster we're producing here at Somerset, you're doing a great job. You're doing a great job. And what I'd like to do right now is just say to the the school committee, to the administration, to to have parents, to teachers, to the community, we need to stop vilifying the school committee, the administration, and we need to collectively come together as a village because it takes
058a village to produce like that. And if people want to help the budget, then you know what? Volunteer, send me your time. Get on your boosters. get on all those other parent teacher things and volunteer your time. I don't know if it if we pay anybody to collect the tickets and stuff like that. I wish people get sty for that. But wouldn't it be great if we have kids playing sports right now if one parent said, "Okay, I'll do that tonight. I'll collect the tickets." So now we don't have to pay anybody else. Just we need to come together as a community, as a village raising these fine little kids that we have. and I think you do a great job and I'm just going to follow you. Thank you. I do have another question
059though as a um educator in the professional development. You said 182326. Now is that the mandated trainings that all teachers have to get? Like we all have to get the legal training we have to get um um bullying and all that stuff. Is is that included in those hours? The mandated trainings that have to be done. So how do we provide that to our staff? Do they have to do it on their own? Are we entertaining a discussion? I think if you're comfortable No, that's okay. I just I just want to put it out there. I I just because I know like when I was in education sometimes I could ask my administrator, hey, I really want to go to this conference. It's it's one day it's on reading and you know plus such and
060such. Can I go to that and is that part of my 18 hours? I'm saying is do we have to give them 18 hours here in our schools or can we provide them with a list like what Victor was saying that Brad used to have and they can attend those things and that's part of their 18 hours like I was just wondering how that goes contractually. Are we obligated to do it in school during school time or can they use that 18 hours outside to a different training? That's just something I'm throwing out there. I don't need an answer. I'm just I'm just wondering. Thank you. Is there any other public input? Seeing none, um on behalf of the region, I would entertain a motion to adjour Oh, I'm not We're not adjourning. We're not
061adjourning. We're recessing. Tried. Sorry. I on the other hand, we're recessing. I would entertain a motion to adjurnn for the Somerset School Committee. So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. Any opposed? We will however take you briefly going to go home and die. Have a good night. All right, we're back in session. I would just note for the record that the next reg regularly scheduled meeting of this body will be held on Tuesday, May 13th, 2025 at 6 p.m. here in the Somerset Berkeley Regional High School Library. Um, next on the agenda, um, we originally were, uh, scheduled to meet with our, uh, fabulous field hockey D2 state champions. They were unable to attend this evening and so we will hope to reschedu that for a
062later date. Um, next on the agenda is our student rep report. Do you have anything? I I don't have anything, but uh, Mr. Vieira and Miss Kettle uh, send their apologies that they were unable to attend this evening. I I know that of some of the things that they would have stated certainly uh we have our spring musical happening uh this weekend starting on Thursday night uh prior to that at 6:00 we also have our uh spring art gallery opening uh it's been nice last few years with those two events uh back to back so that people can come see the amazing things that our students in in fine arts classes are producing and then walk down the hallway and then see the other end of the spectrum with our uh final performing art students
063with their spring production. So uh that's happening on Thursday or Thursday evening and then the the production will be uh Friday, Saturday and not Sunday no Sunday two on Saturday. Um, and I know we also have with this um all of the celebrations that we've been having for our students, particularly our student athletes. Uh, another one that kind of maybe flew under the radar a little bit was uh students who will also be coming to hopefully our next meeting with the field hockey team, Nick C, uh, who participated on our uh, on the SECON uh, co-op swim team. Uh so he'll be coming. He uh won two D2 state championships uh this uh winter and uh set a number of records. So he'll he'll be coming here uh so he can uh receive his welldeserved
064recognition from from this uh the committee and the community. Fabulous. Thank you. You're almost as good as Mr. Vieira. Yeah. Um the next item on the agenda on new business is um we're pleased to get an update from the Somerset Berkeley Special Ed Parent Advisory Council. Um Miss Ashton, if you want to do an introduction, we're going to hear from the president of CPAC. Sure. Um so over the past few years um these these ladies have worked really hard um at developing our parent advisory council for special education. Um we regionalized a few years ago with Dyon the whole and Swansea. Um we now have a functioning CPAC between Berkeley and Somerset and we petition to the state to maintain um typically they grant waiverss for regionals if you can't get it running in your
065um own district but we ask them to um support the continuation. We work together as a regional district for high school. It's nice to develop our relationship starting, you know, when when they're young and with our families. Um, so we've maintained a um a Somerset Berkeley um regional CPAC and um Jessa and Eric Cassuza have been a big part of the development of this um and I I enjoy working with them. Um and they put on lots of events and they continue to work hard to try to get um attendance at all the events and to keep it a very a positive format which I'm very grateful for. Um, I've seen how in in past sometimes it could become a venue um that we all look for it in parts in our life or venting
066and things and these um they've really kept it a positive format where we're looking to collaborate with one another and help families find the support that they need and work together. And so um I asked um if they'd be willing to come to the school community to give us an update. So I appreciate the time um coming tonight and turn it over to you guys. Okay. I'm Jessica Wlette, the Somerset Berkeley CPAC president. I'm Erica Souza, the secretary. Uh we started off this school year reaching out to the various principles in the within the district and we attended back to school functions. Um each of the principles let us have a little quick presentation. We handed out flyers to try to build interest. We have a Facebook uh group that we run um that we
067handed out QR codes to find it and got a lot of parent interest um built up from there. Um, we had our first official meeting as the new Somerset Berkeley CPAC on October 25th where we had an informal voting. Um, I say informal because we had to transition from the regional one to this one and we will be having another voting um, this coming June. Our bylaws state that we have um, we vote for our positions every year. Um, we then had a um, Federation for Children with Special Needs workshop in November. They presented on the new IEP. that workshop was virtual uh because that's still the mode that they utilize. Um this past March, we met here um with some students actually, I'm sorry, we met at the public library um with of some
068high school students for the Mass abilities program that is offered here specific to our Somerset Berkeley high school students. It's um the pre-employment transition services. So students on an IEP or a 504, they have a program that they run here. He comes twice a week, did he say? I think so. I believe he comes twice a week and he works with students during their wind block. That's what it's called here, right? The wind block. Raider block. What is it? The raider. Blue raider block. Sorry, I have a middle schooler. Um, so they they work with them during the Blue Raider block. So they can talk to them about what their interests are. The student that was there that night, her interest is and child care. So he was he works with her to build ways
069to get her, what colleges to look for, um, ways to get her some community service hours. Um, next week at the middle school, we will be having a workshop with the community autism resources presenting resources for our um, ASD population families. Uh, May 3rd, we will be at the neurodeiversity walk here. We'll have a table again trying to build interest, have some flyers to hand out. Um, the uh, Mrs. Scoon over politely invited us to participate in her preschool night back in February where Erica and another member was there running a table handing out flyers again really trying to build that parent interest and um we'll have the in June sometime it hasn't been scheduled yet we'll have the vote and I'm hoping to run a binder workshop where we'll have um resources for families
070to create a binder for they so they have a safe space to keep all of their IEP documents school of vows report cards cards, progress reports, anything like that. Um, we wanted to say a special thank you for all of the support staff. Um, to Kim for supporting us throughout the years. Um, for all of the principles, thank you so much for getting out our uh, flyers and our workshops. Robin, I hound her all the time to send out my workshop, my flyers. And I appreciate all of your help. and to Meg for supporting us and Melissa who is the coordinator in Berkeley. Thank you. You've been busy. Yes. And she they do this all on top of their full-time jobs, you know, working with us. So, we, you know, having children of their own
071and family. So, I really appreciate it. Thank you. And we're sorry that we were running late and that you had to wait longer than It's all right. Robin was letting keeping me updated on when to come. Thank you for that. Anyone have questions? I just have a couple actually. One question really. One question. One. That's all you're allowed. This is one that we as a school committee and I know Kim's very active in the P. We as school committee members, how can we help spread the word honestly? It's just um we're trying to find that that I don't know what how to say but we're trying to find like that balance of I think co and having the virtual option made people a lot of people comfortable but it's all about making connections in person
072like this face to face how can I help here's the resources here's the physical here's the you know we had a binder workshop prep um ready to go in December and we had no interest so it got cancelled That's why I'm hoping to do it in June. Um I just it's really all about help and spread the word. I know that child care can become an issue. So I don't know if that's a way to if we that gets tricky though with having other people's children in the care of someone. I've thought about, you know, our high schoolers need community service hours. Maybe they can come and get some community service hours that way. But then again, you're running the the challenge of having other people's children in their in your care. So, I'm open
073to any suggestions if anyone's had any love. Do you have any suggestions? But I can spread the word, but I'm just wondering if it's one of those uh if you're having a hard time bringing people in. Um I'm just wondering if there was like a workshop type of thing where you have a speaker or someone. So, we usually have speakers at all of like the Mass Abilities one was specific just to Somerset Berkeley families. Um, I know Dr. Braillesford shared it in her workshop. Um, Dr. Champine, I sent it to her and was like, "Please, because I can't know who's on an IEP or 504, but I'm like, please share, share, share." Um, Melinda Antunes at the Somerset Middle School. I told her to target those eighth graders who will be coming here next year.
074And we got one parent. The hard part is, you know, again, we parents are, you know, they're trying to get dinner on the table. So, again, we we met and we were trying to brainstorm um you know, different times to do meetings and things. So, again, I think it's a work in progress. Um but I think if parents know like how to get in touch with the CPAC and then yeah, we can work with with them when you know um varying our times of meetings and presentations and different things. Yeah, I love to I don't I'm not a high-tech person. Um, maybe my son can teach me, but I'd love to have the option of hybrid more often, maybe if that will help. That way, you're meeting the parents in that balance. Um, my oldest,
075who actually is a Somerset Berkeley student, he suggested recording it and utilizing the um the YouTube channel, Dr. Brellford, um, he was he said, "Mom, what about our what is it? Blue Raider Studios." Oh, right there. Hi. He recommended that. And I was like, "Oh, cool. How do I do that?" And so I don't know if that's an option ever, but um yeah. Well, we just we just approved to purchase a zoom room uh where you can have meeting here and others can participate hopefully from home as well. So if we are able to figure it out on our own, I would say that would be a great opportunity to uh utilize those uh that equipment as well. So yeah, that would be great. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you. Well done. [Applause] Uh
076the next item on the agenda is uh to discuss and act on the 2526 school choice participation. Mr. School. Sure. So uh thank you. Um, I've been talking enrollment um, pretty frequently and and one of the things I've I've been mentioning is our based on uh, past trends trying to anticipate what our enrollment will be for 25 26 in grade 9. So based on the numbers that we we're receiving from we recently received from Somerset Middle and Berkeley Middle, it actually looks like the projected enrollment is going to be slightly higher than what we originally uh what I originally anticipated. Uh so for instance, we have um I'll get to the school choices thing in a second. Uh so we currently have 214 uh eighth graders at Somerset Middle and uh 35 of those will
077be heading to Diamond as as we have every year is Diamond has a uh the way they operate is an enrollment fixed enrollment per each of the four sending towns. So based on whatever their total enrollment is in grade nine, a certain percentage of that comes from Somerset. Uh so we we know um very consistently what that would be. Uh and then a few other students who um will be going to Bristol Aggie. Uh, and I pull out the few um would be school choice students because we do have four members of our eighth grade class who don't live in Somerset who are uh children of STA members who will um likely be coming in as school choice students next year. So, uh, pulling those out, we're anticipating about 170 or so eighth graders, not
078counting those four other u potential school choice students. Uh, from Berkeley Middle School. Um, we have uh they have uh eight students who will be attending Bristol AI, 22 Bristol Plymouth. Um, so there are 97 students in the eighth grade class at at Berkeley Middle and uh 67 of those students are coming to summers at Berkeley. eight of whom are school choice students coming from school. Uh so 59 Berkeley residents plus eight potential school choice students. So when we look at our um our numbers from Somerset Middle and from um Berkeley Middle, it looks like we'll have roughly 230 or so students just from from there along with 12 students who are likely to be school choice in addition to that. Um, so which puts us in a uh peculiar spot because I was going
079to uh request 15 slots. Um because this past year I think we had one student from Berkeley Middle coming to us as a school choice student and next year is looking like we'll have eight. Uh so assuming those and those eight students are grandfathered in uh then the four uh children of SDA members would like I said would only leave three available positions. Uh so if we did that we would have 245 students. If we wanted to bump that up and allow for 20 school choice uh students entering grade nine, um that would allow about eight or so students from uh the lottery system uh to enter and would bring us to uh an enrollment of about 250 or so. And I know we've been making choices based on uh which you know it throws
080a little bit of another little uh snag in that in that wheel. But um so if we had 15, we're looking at 245 students with three really lottery slots available. If we have 20, then it it offers up a few more slots to those students to the lottery. And Robin was saying she already has about 30 people on um who have expressed interest in school choice seats next year uh that we will be responding to and letting them know that the the window is open for them to apply if they still are interested. Okay. Any questions? I just have one quick question. Last year we opened how many? Was it 15 as well? 15's our What was the waiting list after that? Do you remember the waiting list? Five. Yeah. So, we didn't have as
081as many. We we have more people expressing interest this year than we've had in the past several years. I'm sorry. Can I just ask for you to remind me? So, when we were talking about projections, Mhm. I think you said based on two a class size of did you say 235 2 two uh about 230 will be coming just from our two middle schools and then the an additional 12 students so really we're at 242 already uh 230 from residents of Somerset Berkeley an additional 12 who are there as school choice students already um so We're we're looking at an enrollment of about 242 and there's always some fluctuation every summer. There are students who may have accepted uh a seat in Bristol Aggie, Bristol Plymouth or Diamond who then ultimately decide that they want
082to come here. Um so it's it's always we'll be close to that number but there's always a little bit of a flush. And you said there were four students who are um children of SDA members and know do we know for sure that they want to attend? Okay. Is that technically our school choice? We have to vote that number like they they would be included in the school choice. Okay. Plus eight from Berkeley. So the eight from the eight from Berkeley there. So it's already 12. Okay. So it would be 42. So the question is do we want to vote like basically 12 or 15? I would say do you want to vote a total of 15 or 20 because there are already sort of 12 committed seats. So either make the number 235 or
083250. You would either make the number um 245 or 250 total enrollment. What are the wishes of the committee? I I'm just with the reduction of staff that we made in the in the Berkeley budget of the Somerset Berkeley budget. I'm just curious um adding those additional five or even um eight, how is that going to fit in in that freshman class? What what are the side the class sizes? Are you looking at cuz how many how many current how many freshman's in this year's class freshman you know how many I'm sorry how how many freshman students do we have in the building now this please hold and enjoy this Jeopardy music see who gets it first who gets it first I was going to say we have that somewhere Uh 189 189. That's quite
084That is a that you're you're looking at a almost a 23% increase as it is right now with those 12. Um I don't feel extremely comfortable going to 15. I can't even imagine going to 20. So um yeah. And how many and how many and the senior class that's leaving this year, how many? 213. 213. So we're adding with the rising seniors are at 252. That's the really big class. Next year. Yeah. Which used to be 250 was our was our target every year. Like whatever we had for when class sizes were uh typically between 235 240. It was about 230 and 240. We would always try to get school choices to get us up to about that 250 number to maintain a school size of about a thousand. That that was what we were
085doing for a while until we started seeing this decrease in enrollment. So 189 right now is kind of low you got to put it in that perspective. It's low. So going to 250 might not be such a shock, right? And we and we were planning, like I said, for 235. So we're we're about right now we're about seven students off from where we were. If we had 15 school choices, we'd be 10 students higher. And again, the numbers can change. It could be a little bit less than that. Could be more than that, but about 10 students uh more than what we were predict predicting. Uh which would be about an increase of one student per class. I mean, there are about 10 or so grade nine classes, about 10 or so intro to physics
086classes roughly. So, you're looking at about a student uh one student increase per class. Do I have a motion? So, can is your recommendation for 15 Or is it 20? I I still would uh lean toward the 15. Yes. Um I would entertain a motion to allocate 15 grade nine school choice seats for the 2025 2026 school year. So moved. Second. Motion by Miss Ashley and seconded by Miss O'Brien. Is there anything further on discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? I I opposed. So voted. The next item on the agenda is to discuss and act on the appointment we of a second member to the OPED subcommittee. You may recall that at our last meeting we um appointed uh our new member, Mr. Passac to serve on the OPED subcommittee. We need one more
087member. Well, I was going to say I was I thought I gave it up to give it to him, but I mean if you do I would be more than happy to continue. Sure. Awesome. Great. Then I don't even think we need a motion. We're just clarifying. Thank you. Great. That's fine. You hear it. Okay. Um the next item on the agenda is to consider the reestablishment of the tri district collaboration subcommittee. Um and I think this was born out of I don't know if it was our last meeting or one before that, but we were when we were talking about the budget in particular and we were talking about some of the pain and challenges felt on in both towns. We're talking about um having maybe an a more formal mechanism to explore opportunities
088for collaboration in a variety of forms. Am I remembering correctly, Mr. Skone? Um I know this was this committee subcommittee was active a while ago and then sort of I know that collaboration continues sort of on an ad hoc basis as things arise but given the trajectory of both towns finances and districts it may be a good idea to reestablish the subcommittee. Um so I think um if memory serves members we had a members from the region and members from Berkeley Berkeley and Somerset K to8 and then I'm trying to remember if they were also outside community members I know I was on it Julie we had Kim Heert Jeff we had the committee was about nine to 10 members if I want to say I can go in my old notes and look at
089it, but um I kind of would like to change not so much just the tri district committee. I would also like to get the town leaders involved as well because um I definitely think you know as Mr. Skunova had mentioned about our Somerset library. They're putting a new HVAC system in. What other needs, you know, do does Berkeley need a position as well? You know, one of those things more of I kind of want a more community-based than just tri district. That's that would be my if you want to start with tri district, I would first before putting this committee together, I would say have the superintendent and the principles meet first because I was actually amazed. the school committees were amazed how much collaboration was already happening that we weren't recording or were aware
090of and I'm sure mo more and more of that goes on as it is but uh I would say before we form the committee I would ask them to first meet on their own and then come back to us what is currently being done and then form the committee because I would hate to invite the town when we don't have the resources but first we need to see what we have to do internally So that would be my only recommendation, but establishing it's not a problem in my opinion. That makes sense to me. Perhaps um I think if there are members who are interested and willing to serve on that once it is formulated can forward that to them and we can go from there. Okay. You know what I would recommend? Um, as the
091chair, I would recommend seeing if one of our K8 members who are serving on this board as it is served for the K8 side. Jolene served for the Berkeley side. And uh, this way we're already on as a regional member, but we can't have four members because obviously we'd have a quorum. Uh I think the three school committee members if there's a possible way to choose within this committee might make the best uh sense and we will know um at the next meeting next week because that's our reward. So okay um all right next item on the agenda is a superintendent update. Yeah, it was superintendent update is really the staffing update and there are um no um no appointments or resignations to report this month. Fabulous. Thank you. Next on the agenda, uh Miss
092Pellerin, we have the March financial statement. Um the financial statements include uh the recently approved budget amendments. Um we are in our final quarter. What we're going to do is um collectively meet, look at the expenditures that we need for the remainder of the year, and most likely come back with another amendment to close out um the final few months of the year. Fabulous. Does anyone have any questions on the March pin stat or um thank you um the next item on the agenda is continue to discuss and act on the 2526 annual budget. I don't I would say the only update since the last meeting uh is that the I don't think the SA health plan group have they voted on their plan when we voted? No. So I think it was just a
093couple of days after that. Um so the uh the health plan group voted for its um increase in rates for next year. As you know, at the last meeting, uh the committee, uh voted to add $70,000 to the line for health insurance to increase it from 16% to 20% after making plan changes uh proposed plan changes. Uh that will reduce uh the insurance rate to a 10% increase. So now uh we we had the the increase of $70,000. Now we're going to have a decrease of more than $70,000. So six percentage points compared to the 4% increase or four point increase. Um so now that that's really the only change uh really since then and and now I don't know if there's any acts that um that you would want to take knowing that that
094is happening or we just we'll just move forward with the original plan. I would think that with because there's still other unknowns like chapter 70 that I I think it's still the most you know um conservative and smartest thing to do at this point is to to leave that because we had the questions about utilities. We don't know gas and electricity what those rates would be but just wanted to share that update which is finally a positive update. That's good news. Yes, we'll take it. Thank you. Next item on the agenda, um, we have policies for first reading. Um, there are several and I think these are probably bear some discussion. So, let's see. The first item is the regional school district budget transfer authority. Um, it's policy DBJ one. Um, let me sorry, pull
095that up. probably the most straightforward. I don't know if um my friends on the policy committee want to sort of present the change here. Okay, it's um this one's kind of very short. It's just kind of changing a couple words. Instead of school department, we're changing it to district. Uh changing the name uh to reflect the chief financial officer rather than the director of business and finance. And then just the other addition is to uh budget adjustments when 10% require the committee's approval first unless it's for special ed or an emergency. Those are really the only changes in that. There any questions? I would entertain a motion um to accept the first reading for the regional school district budget transfer authority policy DBJ1. So moved. Second. Motion by Miss Ashley. Seconded by Miss Solomon. Anything
096further on discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I oppose. So voted. The next policy is to consider for first reading the promotion and retention of students. This is policy Ike. This one's kind of just making it a little shorter. It's taking out the credits in there that's in one of the other policies. Um, so it's kind of this is pretty much what MASC I believe has. I think we kind of melded it to look more like what they have. There's no no huge changes in this one. Yeah. It's as Mr. for said uh is removing the uh the specificity for the the the requirements that used to exist when students needed 144 credits in order to uh earn their diploma. So it's just removing that and and adopting the MASC language which is a
097little bit uh less specific. Does anyone have any questions? No. Okay. I would entertain a motion for to accept the first reading for policy Ike, the promotion and retention of students. So moved. Second. Motion by Miss Ashley, seconded by Miss O'Brien. Anything on discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor? I opposed. So voted. Um the next policy for consideration is policy I KF commencement exercise participation. This is kind of the same as the last one. Uh it's also taking up that this is still old information with the credits of 144. Um and just putting it towards what MASC has in there. But wait a minute. Although it and but it it stipulates some graduation requirement changes that I think we need to discuss. Um the right version. I was going to say I feel like
098something it also note it also mentions 95 credits. That's why I'm saying wait a minute something's not right there. Pause on that one. Let me see if I go back to my looking for the actual agenda from our meeting. Here it is with that folder cuz I was like that doesn't look right. Which one is it? IKF, right? Yes. Yes. Oh, we had two. There was this one and then there was Where the heck is it done? Okay. Sorry. Okay. I think that's the next one. I think we're gonna have to come back to that one because I I I would say that we table that one because that is not Jillian. Correct me if I'm wrong. And I just went back into the folder and that's what's in there too. So I just Yeah,
099but we were looking at it. Yeah, I I just added it to the folder of it and again it's the first read. I um Y I apologize for that. Um Okay, there it But it's the first change is uh just from the title commencement exercise participation to graduation requirements and uh what Dr. Brford and I did is we really went into the um the handbook in the program of studies and taking the language that already exists there. students need uh to earn at least 112.5 credits um in order to receive uh receive their diploma and then breaking it down by um the the number of years that um of of course work four years of English three years of social studies uh and so on. So there is a change here that um that isn't
100reflected. So the uh the committee did uh propose changing the three years of math requirement and 15 credits to four years of math and 20 credits. So a full year course earns five credits, a halfyear course earns 2.5 just uh that's how we we come up with the 112.5. Uh and maintaining everything else the same. three years of science, four years of PE, uh the two semesters of health, uh one semester of civics, and then it leaves room for uh six elective courses, equivalent four year elective courses. Uh then there's the the other requirements. Uh so the reference to the 20 hours of community service and there's a description of community service uh at the end of the document. um satisfactorily completing the mass requirements for competency determination since that's that language still is maybe
101a little bit in flux but at least identifying that whatever the competency determination requirements are students have to meet that in order to earn their diploma. Uh and then a sort of a caveat for seniors uh where uh they have to successfully complete at least four fullyear courses and um and one minor or five full year courses that I can't rec did that also change slightly uh in that because we were talking about the waiver um and then the next piece that the following paragraph uh had a lot of discussion about that. So for a student to participate in the commencement um a student must have fulfilled all of the minimum requirements listed above. Um and let's see. So students who are in good standing if they are within does it specify the number of
102courses? I'm not sure if it does. No. If they've not met those graduation requirements. uh but can submit a plan uh to the principal uh to complete that coursework over the summer. Then they would be able to participate in graduation essentially earning a blank receiving a blank diploma, not their actual diploma, but being able to participate in that ceremony. Uh that was uh a significant that would be a significant change uh if that is approved. And then some of the other language is uh currently exists in our current requirements. So you say you didn't have time to review this. So uh it's not going to affect anyone in this year senior class. Um obviously you can look at it and approve it as a first read with um you know really having time to digest
103the the everything for a second read or just here it is first first read will be presented at the next meeting one of I'll start so one of the if we take it in pieces because I think there's a couple of different chunks here right so I think that for me I would very much like us to move toward mass core frameworks for graduation requirements. Um, and maybe that that might need to be in pieces and gradual, but I think that um in order to give our students the um to make sure they're fully prepared for their post-secary pursuits, I feel like um it would be important for us to um make some these requirements a little bit more rigorous. Um, so I would um I think we need to um I would support four
104years of math and I would actually be specific in that one of those needs to be completed the senior year of high school. And the reason for that is that all of the four-year Massachusetts state colleges and universities require if you want to be directly admitted, they require students to complete four years of math and they want one of those years to be in the senior year. So, if we're insisting that students need to complete four years of English and obviously one of those is senior year, it seems to me that um it makes sense to do the same for math. Um and um otherwise students their plan might not be a 4-year school, their plan. But if we don't if we don't give them that opportunity, and sometimes kids don't realize it's an opportunity
105unless it's a requirement, um then they may be, you know, in a situation where they need to take a remedial, you know, nonredit bearing math course that's going to cost them time and money. Um because sometimes kids change their minds, right? So I feel very strongly about that piece. Um I would I think for the PE requirement I'm because we've in implemented the waiver policy. I think I would be interested in sort of tweaking some of the language to to have it sort of reflect you know as required by law when mass framework say as required by law as required by DESIE. Um, if they if those things change, I think, you know, for PE, we would I would I would um I would be inclined to copy the Mass Core language around PE. Um,
106I think we've done a tremendous job in implementing the civics program, which I know a lot of other schools are far behind and have not really. Um, so hats off to everyone for that because I think that um we're way ahead of the curve in that um area. Um, but for me, I I think this is a starting point, but I also think being very explicit about um being able to substitute um for instance, computer science um for one of the math courses. is we've had conversations about right at our last meeting our students made some real um I think impressive presentations about the importance of computer science and similar courses. Same thing for science lab science but I think to be explicit that course work in technology and engineering can fulfill those requirements. Um
107I also there's nothing in here about world language and maybe that's a tier 2 adjustment but um four-year colleges want to see two years of a language. The more competitive ones want to see four. Um I think that there are room there's room in our kids schedules to accommodate that. And for many of those there there are waiverss for world languages. If students can demonstrate fluency um in another language if they are in a CTE or chapter 74 program that can be waved and then students uh in special education with on IEPs can also have that waved. So I don't I don't view it as really an obstacle as more as an opportunity. Um, and I think if we want to give our kids full access to all the range of opportunities available to them
108for post-secary that I think frankly we just need to level up our graduation requirements to make it reflect this. Um, so those are in terms of the distribution of credits. Those would be my concerns. I was now that I'm looking at this the other change with adding the four years of math in the 20 credits. We put that it was starting with this freshman class like so obviously they need to have four years to be here. I believe we put with the class of right incoming freshmen. Yes. I would argue couldn't we do the math piece sooner? I mean, every freshman is scheduled for math. I assume every current freshman, right? And I would say every sophomore as well. So certainly it's not something would spring on seniors, right? But I I would I um
109I would wonder and hope and think that we would be able to I think it's I think it's really important. I think that as more and more kids gravitate toward um Massachusetts state colleges and universities for obvious affordability reasons, if they're saying this is what kids need to be eligible for admission, then how do we not how do we not do that? Um and and also keep in mind that as more students apply to UMass am getting into UMass Ammerst now is nothing like getting into UMass Ammeris 10 years ago. and that's the flagship the there are more applicants there more there's more competition from out of state students and so if we're not really rigorous and able to demonstrate through your school profile so your graduation requirements that our kids can meet those standards
110then I think we're putting them at a competitive disadvantage by by not really um making those changes I don't think we can wait for incoming freshmen to change the math requirement I would argue that as soon as it's feasible Right. I mean, even Are there any sophomores that who aren't scheduled for math as juniors? Right. I'm thinking our sophomore class. I wouldn't throw it on the juniors because I'm sure they've already chose their classes for next year already, right? But I'm I'm saying our sophomore class is where I would be looking at it. I I can't in good faith vote on this today because I don't see the red lines. So I will just be a no just because of that one reason. But um I also kind of I have to ask about the
111world language piece two units um that's on the mass core currently. How many of our students are not taking two years of world language? I have to get Yeah, if you can get that one sooner than later because if that's not a requirement, I have another discussion for my K8 meeting at the next meeting because we just added it back to the seventh and eighth graders. Uh, and if it's not even a if it's not even being required at the high school, I'm removing it. You know, I'm I voted I'm not a big fan of it putting it in the middle school, but if it's not a requirement at the high school, it should be. Absolutely. It's either it should be or or else it's not uh I won't be investing money in it. Our
112numbers are lower than I'd like to see them in tell you. Yeah. Much lower. Yeah. So there was a lot of discussion in this policy. So that's why we wanted to bring it to just to kind of get some feedback as to um I know Dr. Brford um had some concerns about the bottom about them being able to walk and getting a blank uh diploma. So there was a lot of discussion that went back and forth. So we wanted to bring it here so everybody could kind of have a say and kind of before we went back and we did though. Can I put you on the spot? You have a reservation. you have a reservation about that being okay can you give me your so I in the same vein as as upping the
113rigor I think we're rigorous in our expectation that in order to participate in the ceremony you have to meet graduation requirements and acquire the diploma and that discussion starts their freshman year like we are this has been an expectation since for the 14 years that I've been here we've held to this obvious obviously with the exceptions of certificates of attendance, certificates of attainment, those those have always been separate cases, but we've held to the expectation and we've discussed it all four years. We put plans in place. We meet with seniors at least four, if not more times throughout their senior year, creating plans. We use flex um we use summer school, as you all know, throughout their four years. We have a wonderful agreement with Mr. Aguar that if they're passing all of their coursework
114and they still need two courses. They're allowed to take night school classes during second semester of their senior year in order to get uh credits. So, we have multiple opportunities for students to to acquire the credits they need if they've been working, if they're diligent. And you've all heard me because I think everybody has been to graduation every year. I talk about how even through senior week, we do have some seniors that are here when they could be out of field day sitting finishing up their coursework right up until the last minute to be able to walk across that stage. And we take that seriously. Like I'm I'm not blowing smoke when I when I say that at graduation. We we really have them and the students work really hard. And I feel like if
115we give them the option for a plan that after that ceremony happens. I have no I have no teeth. I have no no ability to make sure that that that does or does not happen. The moment has come and gone. I I feel like all of that work, all that planning and that hard work that the students put in is going to go away. I also did some research. We would be the only school in the SEC that does not follow the you have to hit the graduation requirements in order across the stage. All the schools in the SEC do follow the expectation that we currently have. Um, and if they don't make it and they need this summer, Mr. Aguard does have a graduation ceremony that as an administrative team, we make a point
116to attend. We've we've handed their diplomas as well. Um, but it's a conversation that we have with the students. You know, that that moment on the field is is a big deal. And I think it's important to keep the motivation for those students throughout the school year. But I also think there is a there's a standard that's that needs to be held. And talking about rigor, I think I think we need to hold to the rigor. That's the expectation for all the students because every student out there worked hard to get to that moment. So that is my I I feel very strongly about this. I think that's why we get students to the finish line before that that day in June. Um and I worry if we take that off the table and just
117create even more plans than we already already are working on with the students for the four years that they're here. So the reason why I asked the question because that's how I that's how I feel. I feel the same exact way. Do we have any colleges around here that allow students to walk the stage if they haven't completed their requirements? Actually, I think there are some higher eds that for M's level programs that kids finish in this that they finish some of the requirements in the summer. Graduate level, I don't know about undergrad. I I would have to know about the undergrad because if we're preparing them for that, you know, if we're saying, "Oh, we need the two years of we need the four years of math because you go into that school and
118if you need all of that and then you have a situation where we have to we have to this is the I think high school is that place where we try to prepare them for the real world. you don't get your bonus if you don't accomplish your tasks at work. You know that those are the things that I'm trying to if you start. So that was something that caught me on the bottom that I on the red line version that I had uh that I saw which it said the high school with the big line. I didn't understand why you guys didn't write it but now I understand. But um I just I know there are those difficult opportunities like we just had a difficult opportunity where we're not allowing a 4year-old 11 months and
11936 28 days to start school because we have you have to be five to start on a certain date. Um, this is similar to me. Either you can't have that wiggle room. And honestly, when I wrote the speech last year, I actually reached out to Dr. Brzford to say cuz I asked I added how many students we had graduating and I had got that number that morning because so all and it was three other kids that I think just by memory I think three kids worked their rear off so they can have that opportunity uh at the very last minute because it went from the six to nine or something like that. I don't remember the numbers exactly, but um the stress that those students may have had, all right, I want to do this.
120I'm I'm doing it. They they've worked with the administration, but um changing it now kind of says all that work that you did. Congratulations. I'm glad you were able to do it. But if you didn't have to, the students now don't have to do it. So that's just my opinion on that. So that's why I I wanted to make sure that you and I were on the same page. But that is the reason why I kind of and I I understand you know if you're off by half a credit it's it's really difficult. Uh but I want to say something. There's one event that I never miss ever miss and that's the senior the evening school graduation because it means just as much to the families actually means more to the families I really believe
121that evening than uh you know so it it's equally uh as important so I also feel that as a school there's the night and there's a piece of paper and the piece of paper is much more important and I know the night is the night and and I give the speech a lot about like it's one of those moments right when you have that baby it's one of those moments that flashes but to give the night without the piece of paper I worry that some of I don't want them to give up and I think forcing that that hard work and that stress and it is very stressful and we're all stressing out that week about those kids that have to But going through that, it means it means a lot to everyone and we've
122had really positive results with it. I I just feel very strongly about it. I would agree completely with Victor and Dr. Bzford. um they give enough opportunities throughout their four years students should know what the end goal is is and I know it is a lot of stress but hopefully that's teaching that population the real world is going to be like this right if you don't do x y and z by the deadline I know I don't get my bonus or whatever it is you know if if I don't do what I'm supposed to and if our goal truly is to prepare these kids for outside of you know these four walls how you were teaching them anything by saying, you know, these people who sacrificed to have a diploma, you know, a a bold
123with an actual diploma um that you should be able to participate in the same thing for not potentially putting in the work. I guess I have a different perspective. I that was my perspective 20 years ago and even 10 years ago. But working in districts where where there are occasions on which students are permitted to participate in the ceremony um pending and it's usually a very circumscribed you know it's like might be one class or some you know the district I work in now it's no more than two classes. Um, and I get that there may be it seems like cognitive dissonance to say if you haven't earned the thing, why do you get to participate in the ceremony? I get that. Um, but I think we're probably talking about a pretty we're talking about
124a pretty small number of kids here. I assume like a hand, two, four a year. Small number of kids who don't walk less less than less less than five every year. Usually less than three. And and that's a testament to the the work that is done to get kids to the finish line. And I don't I'm not disputing that or doubting that at all. For me, I think I feel like I think what if what if a student has a medical situation, they get a concussion, everybody's getting conc, you know, um 3 weeks before and they're not able to complete a certain assignment. Are we giving them maybe they get a medical exemption from some things at the end, right? Which like because they're human beings, right? And things happen. Um the school year is
125180 days. Seniors are permitted to be done at day 168, right? And then graduation falls somewhere between. So I guess for me um I do think about and maybe it's I worked in a different district when where you work now where I you know there are family members who for whom this ceremony is the it is the ceremony for that student. It might be the first time for some families and um I think that it is also reasonable to put plans in place on senior contracts. Um, you can put a time limit on it. You can say it needs to be done by day 180. I mean, there's there's you can put plans in place. Kids can do things over the summer. I'm not sure what's gained. I mean, we can say they might not
126do it, but if they want their diploma, they're going to do it. And if they don't, then they're the ones who suffer. It's not they're not taking a seat from someone else, right? I don't know. I um I feel like and we make you know we make compromises sometimes along the way anyways like for instance if a kid's medically exempt and they maybe can't get that final paper done and they've got a concussion do we not let them walk or do we say you know what you've you can't look at a screen you can't write a paper we're going to excuse that assignment isn't that really the same thing like we do those things I think as educators And I also feel like high school graduation is the culmination of 12 or 13 years, I
127guess, if they're in prek. It's not just high school. It's bigger than that. And I don't I don't know what, you know, obviously we don't gain anything if kids don't actually achieve the diploma. Um, I just think it's a really big moment and I think that there's wiggle room there. I think that there's room for grace and I wonder like when our seniors leave on day 168 all those senior teachers. So what we do in my district is all those senior teachers when those they leave they like adopt the kids those at risk kids for graduation and they work with them to get them what they need to actually receive the diploma. So I know it's actually messy. I get it. it's much clearcut to say the deadline's the day before and that's it. But
128in in the two districts where I've worked, um both of them have permitted students within parameters to walk at graduation. They get the blank diploma. They earn it later. They get the they get the real thing. Um they're not their name is not in the program, but they get to put the cap and gown on and walk amongst their peers. And I think that is a big deal for kids. I've been to that graduation as well many times. It is lovely, but it is not the same. I think in the eyes of some families in terms of that night with all of their classmates. So, not saying it's a home going to die on, but I do think that there are schools, there are actually a lot of schools that do this. And I can
129if I can think of one or two circumstances medically or whatever where it would be a good kind gracious thing to do then I'm not sure why we can't have a mechanism where that's an option that would require a plan and approval of the principal but I think to say 100% of the time cut and dried that can never happen. I think it's harsh. That's just me. That's bra maybe the mom in me, but those were all of my concerns when we discussed it um originally. Um it is it does seem like a hard line and there could be those students that you know in that end of the year that we're pushing and pushing and pushing to get them there and we just don't get them there no matter how hard they tried and
130they're not going to get that moment that like Mrs. Andrew said they work 12 years for and they're they're they don't get to walk with their peers. They I I can imagine, you know, I'm thinking of my own kids. I can imagine like my son being like, "No, I was half a credit away. I I don't get to graduate with my friends that I went to school with for 12 years. I don't have that moment, that same moment they have." So, I guess it's kind of like a it could be kind of like a considered a heartstrings thing in that respect. Um I totally understand both sides. I can see both sides. But that that was my feeling. The hard line of it all and the it seems harsh. That was my perspective. Can I
131just be quiet if you No, I just I would rather it's subject to be allowed before and have the hard line at the end. There are a lot of times where you know you talk about there there's other than the state requirements there are local requirements that we can and we do wave when there are medical issues and we we've had situations where 3 weeks before graduation something did happen and we've looked at their transcript as a whole and we've said we can call it we know they've done well we can call it like I would rather have the subjectivity which we do and we make all these plans and we we do all back up until that day but have the hard line at the end because I don't want to get into a
132situation where this one we say yes you can this one we say no you can't cuz you didn't try but you did try like that to me is a difficult call at the end and that's a call that you're all going to get the phone calls cuz why did this one and why didn't this one I would rather be able to work with the families up until that moment and I think we do and we've had medical situations and things that happen at the end, but it is a culmination of of the whole year and the work and the contracts that we we have signed contracts throughout the year of what they're going to do to get to the end. So, I just when it comes down and you have to make the call, I
133feel like that should be the line. And again, if you sign a contract and it's not, oh, okay, what are we teaching our students now? I would like to see the data. How many students from your former districts um that have walked through I mean has walked across the stage and did the follow-up work. I would love to see that data because if it's a real high high extreme number that might change my uh thinking but without that data it's high. I can think of two kids who didn't in years. But I'm interested in what maybe perhaps one of the ways to address it is so I guess what makes me nervous about the you know must if if we you um are um w making some of those exceptions or waiverss or something like
134that ahead of time. Um I that does make sense to me, right? like so I don't know if that as a practice I guess it's if it's a policy and it right so I think we just we have to align practice with policy and um the other thing I would point out too is just for us our passing grade is a 65 which is a little bit higher than a lot of comparable districts where it's a 60 right so and I'm not saying we shouldn't have that but like a D 65 a lot of places it's a 60 all the ones I worked at. So, and I'm not arguing against that. I'm just saying like there's there's rigor there. Um and we're obviously going to discuss this so further but I guess perhaps making clear
135I I like to give principles the um the authority to make those calls and I think if the policy says some our policy doesn't sort of put that in there in some way then they're then they're not aligned. So maybe that's the conversation to have. Um for me that's a this is that's a smaller part of the larger discussion which is what do our kids need to do in order to be able to you know graduate go into world soap. I'm more concerned with the graduation require the distribution than the ceremony. But but I do think there's room in there. So, I've talked enough anyone else. So, we're actually we're we're going to table this one. We'll move first reading on this to the next meeting so that we can see the red line changes.
136Um, and it might be helpful I don't know about the rest of it might be helpful for us to have some additional data in terms of I'm curious about um what did you say Mr. about I would like to know how many in the last five. Yeah. How many kids how many students are not taking the two years of language? Um I would like to know how many students did not get the opportunity to walk across the stage a number wise not names obviously and how short they were like cuz I think that's really valuable because a half a credit and 10 credits could be completely different. Yeah. Um if if the two gens can find out some information from other districts or any districts that you may be currently or have worked at that
137does allow that. And if we know any undergrad co universities that have any of that type of exception as well, that would be very helpful for me to agree to something like that. I I wonder if it might be easier if if we looked at students who meet mass core and students who don't because there's a lot of like pieces in there, right? like world language as a piece to inform rather than trying to get all the different little threads of that. If for me I would sort of if I had a picture of here are the students who meet mass core or here are the students who aren't meeting mass core and I'm very I'm interested in are they members of subgroups like in what is missing from mass core right so is it
138the language or is it the fourth year of math or is it uh you know lab science like what is you know what are we missing so I think that I just think any type of information that you can throw at us is valuable because obviously out of the current six of us right now and seven uh only two of you actually have that experience that you see it every single day. The other five are completely blind when I I'm looking at it as the real world. You know, that's the way I'm looking at it. Um you don't get something if you don't earn it. Um, and if you start that practice, if you have students sign a contract, that's why they're in the handbook. If we're not if if we're not enforcing it, why
139is it in the handbook? It just sends a a bad message to our students and to the public at large. So, can I just I I'm not trying to belabor this, but this could be my last meeting on this committee because we're reorganizing next week. we don't know who's going to sit here in this moment and I realized if I don't at least put in my two cents now I'm I might not be able to and so don't say that I mean it's the reality I don't know what's going to happen so um some thoughts I have after having worked here as an educator I I think that the scenarios that Dr. Blesford is describing in my experience is not a one credit shy. It It's a student who's had perhaps some challenges throughout their
140academic programming that have created a snowball situation where it's a lot. It's a lot. So, I just kind of want to paint that picture because I don't think it's like a one incident like you know head injury kind of thing. Um I what I actually have seen is the staff be extremely accommodating when those scenarios arise. Um so I just want to throw that out there. Um because I don't want to talk about a situation that doesn't exist if it doesn't exist, right? So I think we should seek that feedback from the administration, additional information. My other two cents, I I fully support four years of mathematics. I clearly support I'm very biased toward computer science and engineering uh and technology specifically. Um I I very much support a computer science taking the place of
141you know one year of mathematics. I also am inclined to ask everybody to reconsider all of the um additional core courses in the electives, art, design, technology, music, perhaps world language, that that's like a whole separate conversation. I I would like this committee and the administration to possibly revisit part-time classes or semester based electives because when I I'm I'm going to use myself as an example. When I was a student in high school, I was a nerdy tech kid and I was a music kid and I got to do both and I didn't have to choose. And what we keep hearing is that there's low enrollment in electives because there's not that flexibility to do what they want to do and explore things at an introductory level. That's just like dipping your toe in the
142pool a little bit. And then that will naturally feed into our more accelerated programs because you're going to have a greater student body that gets to do that introductory level and and the ones who are truly inspired by that subject matter will want to move on to something more advanced. So I know that we've gotten away from that for a lot of reasons. I went to school during the infamous 8day schedule, right? And I know that that was not perfect also. But what it did afford me was the ability to follow my passions through the electives. Um, so that's just my two cents. Thank you. We all have some homework to do, right? Okay. Um, so goodness. Graduation activity. Yeah, there's one more. Okay. KFB. Sorry. Next item on the agenda. Yes. For first meeting
143is graduation exercises. This is an easy one. Yes. IKFB. This is pretty much just putting in the correct people that actually speak at the graduation because the uh people that were in here were not it was not correct. It's not actually who speaks. um saying that the administration are the ones that will be handing out diplomas and then changing it so not all of us are signing the diplomas. So they don't have like a you know 20 by 30 uh that just the chair is signed. So that's pretty much all the changes. Just for the record, we had to sign Oh wow. all the diplomas. Did you also ask for three copies of and and the slips side messages? I'm actually not to be a pain. My only question about this is does it even
144need to be a policy at all or is it more of a procedure and is it more appropriate to just put it in the student handbook and I don't know. So for instance only because um the student speaker part I think it's very important to be clear about that I'm sure. So there's no controversy. I totally understand that. Um, I just don't know if that's a school committee policy or if if it's if it's because handbooks we make changes every year whereas a policies run through policy committee first reading, second reading. I don't know. It's just more ownorous to me and I don't know that I have no problem with anything that's written here. But I noticed that MASC has no policy that connects to this. So, does it need to be a policy or
145can it simply be included in a handbook which would if you needed to make a change at the administrative level? You could do that. I I think the reason why this is here is because there are many districts that I know of that um it becomes a I want to hand the diplomas out. A lot of school committee members tend in other districts. Never has happened here. The only time a school committee member has handed a diploma is for their own child or member of the family or something like that. Uh it's never been a an issue in Somerset, but there are some districts where school committee members there are all the school committee members are up there. What was that? I am familiar with that. Oh, okay. So I think that is the reason
146why you know this way you know if someone goes up to the administration oh well that's a policy you may have to bring that up to your school committee type of thing because that's the only reason I think it's there. Fair enough. Do we have a motion to accept this on a first reading? So moved. Motion by Mr. Mashado. Do I have a second? Second by Miss O'Brien. Anything further on discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? I opposed. So vote it. All right. Next item on the agenda, updates from Somerset and Berkeley. Miss Almond, you want to start with Berkeley? We were just here a couple weeks ago. I haven't had a a school committee meeting since then, so I got Perfect. I feel like we were just here. I'm going to lie. I
147think you should do it since it's your last word. I know. I'm like, I got to find the agenda. So, do you have the agenda? Budget hearing. Oh, yes. We had our budget hearing. That's right. Okay. Right. And we uh we voted on our budget and I don't have my notes. Um we are about middle schoolers participating in Yes. in lacrosse. We we ended up agreeing to a waiver that I was already agreed to, but we had a discussion about uh the middle schoolers being able to play for the high school girls lacrosse team. What else am I missing? I'm opening it. Hold on. I was like, what? I'm I'm like trying to find the uh what was it the first? Yes, it was. Okay. Right. I got it. Thank you. I was going to
148say was my last one, but I don't even remember. So, um we had a quick discussion of who we talked about our um request for proposals based on the vote at the special town meeting in February. Yes. And we also discussed um cameras and signposting at North because um some of our comm community members are um using it for golfing and break there's been some damage to some of the solar panels at the uh adjacent lot for the uh water department. And that's it. Is that it? That's it. Yeah. Okay. Cool. Thank you. Topics not anticipated by the chair. I don't have anything other than Mr. just going to the um I don't know if we want to bring this up but the communication you shared with us from um Desi regarding compliance with title
149six six yes we have not received uh any information yet from desi about uh all right so let me back up last Thursday if you're not aware uh President Trump signed an executive order um related to um K12 preK12 schools with DEI programs uh and looking for districts and states to attest that they don't participate in any discriminatory practices. Uh we have yet to see exactly what that will look like, what uh the state will require of districts uh to sign off on that. I I think it was yesterday there was a an extension to the original 10day um uh notice. So, uh, the the new deadline is April 24th, but as I said, uh, we have not school districts in Massachusetts have not received any information yet from our state department of education about
150this. And I will just say if it is a testing to uh to title six or or other um titles, we don't discriminate. We don't discriminate on race, religion. We don't when when you're applying for a job here, if you are an employee, doesn't matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, black, brown, white, or other people of color, gay, trans, straight. Um it it doesn't matter. And you could throw everything else in there. We don't discriminate. So, if that's what the uh what we have to attest to, I'll gladly do that because we don't discriminate. Thank you. Any other topics? I have nothing else. Action items for future meetings other than what's already been discussed at length. Good. Okay. Um, next item on the agenda is to consider the approval of the open session
151minutes of March 25th, 2025 and to approve and release the March 20th, 2025 executive session uh minutes. Can we take those two together? Okay. So, I would entertain a motion to accept the open session minutes of March 25th, 2025 as presented. So, motion by Miss Ferrer. Second. Seconded by Miss Solomon. Anything on discussion hearing? None. All those in favor? I oppose. So voted. And then I would entertain a motion to accept and release the executive session minutes of March 25th, 2025 as presented. Motion by Miss Ferrer. Second. Seconded by Mr. Mashado. Anything on discussion? Hearing? None. All those in favor? Opposed. So voted. And the last item on the agenda is public input. All right. Then I'd entertain a motion to adjurnn. a second.