001[music] >> Good evening and welcome to the Everett School Committee regular meeting for Monday, June 15th, 2026. The time is 6:38 p.m. Clerk, could you call the roll to determine a quorum? >> Student representative Emma Perry. >> Here. Present, sorry. >> Mr. Almeida Barros. Present. Ms. Babcock. >> Present. >> Ms. Cardello. >> Present. >> Ms. Cornelio. >> Present. >> Ms. Cristiano. >> Here. >> Mr. D'Onofrio. Ms. Garen. >> Present. >> Mr. LaMonica. Mayor Van Campen. >> Present. >> Chairperson Hurley. >> Present. >> Eight members present. We do have a quorum. If everyone could join me in saluting the flag. >> I pledge allegiance 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. >> Thank you, everyone.
002I would like to extend the regrets of um committee member Joseph D'Onofrio and Joseph LaMonica um for being unable to attend this evening. Uh Mr. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral three, reading of the records for Monday, June the 1st, 2026. >> Make a motion to waive the reading of the records and place them on file. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Ms. Babcock, seconded by Ms. Cornelio to waive the reading for Monday, June 1st, 2026 and place on file. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral four, public comment. >> Move to open public comment. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Ms. Cardillo, seconded by Mayor Van Campen, to open
003public comment. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Public comment is now open. Seeing no speakers on our sign-in sheet, is there anyone that would like to speak at public comment? >> Move to close public comment. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Mayor Van Campen, seconded by Ms. Babcock, to close public comment. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Public comment is now closed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral five, report of the student representative, Ms. Perry. >> Emma, your final report. >> Well, it's not so much of a report, but hello everybody. For my final meeting tonight, I do not have a report of the happenings of EPS students, but I'm here to introduce the
004new student representative for the 2027 school year. First, I have the results of the 2027 class officers. Mia Allen was elected by the class of 2027 to as president, Graziella Foster was elected as vice president, secretary Sophia Hernandez, and treasurer Mia Mia Aguilar will serve the senior class next school year. The senior representative to the Tide Council The Tide Advisory Council are Samira Kabsy and Kristen Kalex Getzman. Samira will take over my seat at the table next fall. Congratulations to all the 2027 class officers. Each student was elected by their peers, and it is important that all student voices are heard and represented at this table and across the city. Thank you and congratulations. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Emma. Should we accept that as a report? >> I make a motion to accept the
005report of the student representative and also to congratulate our incoming student representative. >> Second the motion. >> Motion has been made and seconded to accept the report of the student super No, student representative and place on file. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. >> I would just ask if our new newly elected representative would take a stand and say hi to everybody. Stand up and say hi. >> [applause] >> Thank you. So, she will be the new face replacing Ms. Perry. So, thank you for joining us this evening as well. Roman numeral six is report of the superintendent. >> Could we Um could we entertain a motion >> Before the report of the super Madam Chair. Sorry, I was not recognized. My my apologies. Uh thank you.
006Uh so, can we uh suspend the rules and take item number two um instead of item number one uh so before the student before the report of the superintendent, which is superintendent can read the chapter number item number two. Suspend the rules and take item number two instead of item number one. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded to take Roman numeral six, item number two, chapter 74, general advisory committee update out of order. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. This item is now before us. Superintendent. >> Item number two is chapter 74, which is our CTE funding source, general advisory committee update. This evening we are joined by our director of career and technical education, Savanna Varaya. Ms. Varaya is also here with um
007representatives from eight of our general advisory committees to give us a quick recap of the work that was performed during this past school year. These advisory committee meetings and this end report is required by DESE, but I know that each of them have so much that they've provided our students over the year. It's a good check-in at year end to hear the progress and practice that they have done throughout the year with our students. So, Madam uh Chair members of the committee, I'd ask you to invite Ms. Araujo up for the introduction. >> So moved. Invite our guests before us. >> Second. Motion made and seconded to invite our guests before us. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. Good
008evening, Superintendent Hart, members of the School Committee, and all attendees. Before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Shavon Araujo, Director of Career and Technical Education for Everett High School. To my right is Lisa Sandler, a CTE Consultant who has been working closely with us this year. First, I want to thank the Superintendent, Mayor Van Campen, Chairperson Hurley, Assistant Chairperson Elmira Barros, and the entire School Committee, EHS leadership, district leadership, our Program Advisory Committee members, and our many many industry and higher education partners for their continued support this year. This year was amazing for CTE, and none of it would have been possible without your support. I'd like to briefly highlight a few accomplishments from the year. Our One of our proudest achievements was establishing Everett's first-ever National Technical Honor Society chapter.
009This spring, we inducted 94 juniors and seniors with an average GPA of 3.7, recognizing their academic achievement, leadership, character, and technical excellence. We also continued expanding work-based learning opportunities for students. Culinary Arts students participated in cooperative education placements with Woodsons, while we launched new internships with marketing and programming and web development. We also secured our first-ever cooperative education placement for advanced manufacturing, which will begin in the fall. This was also a significant year for program growth. We successfully secured funding through our first career technical initiative grant, which will allow us to launch an evening culinary arts training program for adult learners in the community seeking careers in the culinary fields. That will begin in the fall. We also pursued additional grant opportunities to support the future expansion and modernization of our programs, including enhancements to
010our advanced manufacturing program and healthcare programs. Most importantly, our students continue to achieve outstanding outcomes. The class of 2026 currently has a 90% positive placement rate with 65% of CTE graduates pursuing higher education, 15% pursuing employment, apprenticeships, or industry training programs, and 10% enlisting in the military. Finally, we spent a bulk of this year developing two proposed new programs, public safety and multimedia and broadcast production. We recently completed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on-site review, and we're very optimistic that these programs will be approved. The applications took a lot of work and were truly a team effort, and I really need to thank and recognize specific people involved, including Mrs. McWilliam for her leadership throughout the process of developing the public safety program, Mr. O'Donnell and our TV studio team, Josh, Joe, and
011Justin, for their work developing the multimedia and broadcast production program. Mr. Marashi in the facilities department, Mr. Barrett, Mr. O'Connor, Dr. Braga, and Mr. Murphy for their support in preparing our facilities and instructional spaces for the on-site review. Additionally, I need to recognize the many members of our new program advisory committees for these two programs. Both proposed programs have exceptionally strong advisory committees representing organizations such as the Everett Fire Department, Everett Police Department, Malden District Court, WBZ News, the Boston Bruins, and Odyssey Radio, among many others. We are also extremely grateful to Endicott College and Suffolk University for their willingness to collaborate with our programs on future articulation opportunities. We are so proud of the progress made this year in CTE, and we know it's just getting started. At this time, I'd like to begin
012our general advisory committee meeting. As we did last year, the program chairperson will come up and share highlights from the school year. We're going to begin with advanced manufacturing with Alex Cain, the executive director of apprenticeship pathways at Northshore Community College. >> Welcome. Thank you. >> Hi. How are you? As indicated, my name's Alex Cain. I am the executive director of apprenticeship pathways at Northshore Community College. Prior to that, I was a program manager with the Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium. Uh I will stop by going a little bit off script. I did want to share with this school committee that I've been involved in CTE for probably over a decade. And I want to share with you that the caliber of the students coming out of the advanced manufacturing program are second to none. Their
013level of professionalism, their dedication to the trade, and their skills uh are quite impressive. And I am taking into account when I say that the vocational high schools that I work with. So, they do make Everett proud. The advanced manufacturing program uh continues to prepare students for high-demand careers in precision manufacturing and precision machining and advanced manufacturing through extensive hands-on training, industry partnerships, and credential attainment. Industry representatives from Tecomet, Raytheon, Protrack, and MassHire emphasized the growing workforce shortage in manufacturing and noted that Everett students possess valuable technical experience that is often lacking in entry-level applicants. Students here at Everett earned OSHA certifications while developing advanced technical skills through CNC machining, machine operation, peer-to-peer mentoring, and project-based learning. Students also worked towards their MassWorx credentialing and gained experience utilizing industry-standard manufacturing equipment and processes. This year,
014the program expanded its curriculum through participation in the Project Lead the Way initiative in collaboration with the science department. This effort is designed to strengthen connections between career technical education and STEM learning while expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary instruction and student engagement. Highlights included cooperative education opportunities with industry partners, real-world exposure to advanced manufacturing environments, and senior capstone projects that incorporate the three-dimensional design and printing technologies. The program also applied for grant funding through the Massachusetts Life Science Center to support the purchase of additive manufacturing equipment and software that will allow students to explore the production of medical devices and prepare the future clean room manufacturing opportunities. The program advisory committee commended the program's emphasis on machine-based learning and recommended continued investment in industry-standard equipment, expanded cooperative education placements, and increased opportunities for students to gain
015experience with emerging manufacturing technologies. Finally, and I am very proud to share that Tecomet, a leading medical device manufacturer and partner in the MLSC grant initiative, will host Everett Advanced Manufacturing Program's first cooperative educational student placement beginning this fall 2026, further strengthening the connection between classroom learning and careers in advanced manufacturing. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Our carpentry chairperson cannot be here tonight, so one of the program's instructors, Mr. Ben Shad, will be speaking on his behalf. >> Hello. Welcome. >> Can everybody hear me okay? All right. I'll just get right into it. The carpentry program continued to experience strong enrollment growth while expanding opportunities for students to apply their skills through authentic construction projects both on and off campus. Throughout the year, students completed projects supporting Everett High School
016and community partners, including set construction for theater productions, construction of a courtroom and broadcast anchor desk for Everett High School's proposed public safety and multimedia and broadcast production Chapter 74 programs, construction of a shed at the Everett Recreation Center, and framing projects at the Central Administration Office that connected directly to senior capstone experiences. Students earned industry-recognized OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certifications while utilizing new equipment and safety enhancements, including a second SawStop table saw, Shaper Origin technology, expanded PPE and safety stations featuring safety glasses, hearing protection and respiratory protection, improved tool storage systems, safety signage, and competency tracking through Job Ready 360. The program advisory committee um highlighted the strong demand for skilled trades workers and recommended expanding industry partnerships, cooperative education opportunities, construction drawing literacy, and exposure to modeling and design software to better
017prepare students for careers in construction and related fields. >> [snorts] >> Approximately half of program graduates will continue into the construction trades or closely related industries, demonstrating the program's strong workforce alignment. >> [snorts] >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Next we have Victoria Fabo, a culinary dietitian to represent our culinary arts program. >> Welcome. Thank you. Hi everyone. I'm Victoria Fabo, a culinary dietitian. And I have to say that being with the students every year has been a great time teaching them different media in real classes. And I'd like to talk about a little bit more of what they've done. So you have maybe been in the kitchen and the cafeteria area where they have their grab and go section. I've had the pleasure of being there for the Kwanzaa luncheons that they do. And
018I'll also where they do different internships and cooperative education placement partnerships. Those like in Wegmans, Witzens, US Foods, and of course Tatas. And they've been with Bunker Hill Community College. And some of our grads Well, some of our students from last year have also gone into Bunker Hill Community College program as well. This year they They as always they do a strong focus on serve safe food handling, serve safe alcohol, and serve safe managing. So once they turn 18, they can go right into the workforce and be a part of the community. And they've done great investments on learning espresso machines because we all know barista skills are up and coming. And they do that really great by telling us what they know and what they don't know using the job ready 360 survey competency
019tracking survey. The program advisory committee continues to enjoy the success of the grab and go. And they've been utilizing trying to use a POS system, so point of sale system is something that they want to continue to bring forward within the culinary program for their grab and grow section. And they continue to do food safety handling, professionalism, and leadership and development. And these are some soft skills that are continuing need to be developed and you know, that might happen throughout the whole district. And so some ways that we can support them as increasing industry engagement and securing the point of system sales system that we've been trying to get do from last year and to enhance student learning in business operation. So we really appreciate it and learning from the POS systems for credit and
020debit transactions. So thank you. >> [applause] >> Next we have Amy Pierce for health assisting. Amy is a wound and ostomy clinical nurse specialist at Mass General Brigham. >> Hello. Welcome. Hello. The health assisting program experience continued growth in student enrollment and engagement while expanding opportunities for students to explore health care careers through clinical experiences, field trips, guest speakers, and partnerships with organizations such as Harvard Medical School's Med Science program. Students maintain strong competency attainment rates across all grade levels while developing foundation skills in direct patient care and earning industry recognized credentials including OSHA 10, CPR first aid, dementia care, and patient care technician. The program will be adding the certified nursing assistant certification to further strengthen workforce preparation resulting in two career specific chapter 74 state approved certifications that directly tie to the chapter
02174 program. This year students participated in experiences at Harvard Medical School, the MIT Museum, and the Museum of Public Health while developing pathway specific senior capstone projects focused on community health and wellness. The program advisory committee commended the program's strong technical preparation and recommended continued expansion of hospital-based clinical experiences, cooperative education opportunities, industry partnerships, and investments in updated healthcare equipment, including simulation mannequins and patient care training tools to ensure students are prepared for direct patient care roles, post secondary education, and careers in the healthcare field. The PAC also expressed support for expanding clinical placement opportunities with healthcare partners, including Cambridge Health Alliance Everett Hospital, to provide students with increased exposure to real-world patient care environments. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Next, we have Hospitality Management. Damien Gant is the guest experience manager at The Atlas
022Hotel. >> Hello and welcome. >> Hello. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for having me. I want to say congratulations to Madam Representative and interim Madam Representative. In terms of the Hospitality Management program, we continue to provide students with authentic customer service, event management, and food and beverage service experiences through banquet operations, cafe services, collaborative learning opportunities with the Culinary Arts program. The program advisory committee provided valuable feedback on workforce expectations, employable skills, customer service, and emerging career opportunities within the hospitality and food and beverage industries. This year, students expanded their training through front of house service experiences in collaboration with the Culinary Arts program. This included Kwana's banquet services and events, barista training, utilizing newly acquired espresso equipment, and collaborative food service operations that allowed students to develop skills in guest relations, communications, teamwork, and
023event evaluation. The program advisory committee recommended continued emphasis on workplace professionalism, customer service excellence, industry awareness, and experien- experiential learning opportunities. Members specifically highlighted the value of increased collaboration between hospitality management and the culinary arts programs, noting that integrated food and beverage operations more closely reflect real-world industry environments, and provide students with a broader range of transferable skills. Additionally, the program advisory committee expressed support for ensuring students graduate with experience in front of house operations, customer service, food and beverage service, event support, and workplace professionalism to prepare them for success across a variety of hospitality re- related career pathways. Thank you very much for your time. >> [applause] >> Next we have marketing. Jenna Ballard is director of experience strategy at Eversana Intouch. >> Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Uh the marketing program has continued
024to expand real-world learning opportunities through internships, client-based projects, social media campaigns, and partnerships with local businesses and community organizations that allow students to apply classroom learning in authentic business settings. This year, the program launched updated junior and senior curricula aligned to currently current industry expectations, implemented job ready 360 competency tracking, and introduced dual enrollment marketing course with within partnership with Endicott College. Students engaged in experiential learning through marketing playbooks, client-based projects, internships with local partners, and field experiences with organizations including the New England Patriots, the Museum of Ice Cream, Fenway Park, New England Coffee, and our local financial institutions. The program advisory committee emphasized the growing importance of digital marketing, social media, AI literacy, analytics, professional communications, and public speaking. Members recommended continued expansion of internships, business partnerships, and dual enrollment opportunities, while also encouraging
025the use of industry-standard platforms such as Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, HubSpot, and Google Analytics to better prepare students for post-secondary education and a future career in marketing. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Our medical assisting chairperson could not be here this evening, so Ms. Desiree Perry, one of the instructors of the program, will be speaking. >> Hello and welcome. >> Hi. >> Good evening. Um the medical assisting program continues to be one of the most sought-after programs at Everett High School with a strong enrollment growth and increasing student interest in health care careers. Throughout the year, students participated in clinical experiences with Mass General Brigham and Cambridge Health Alliance, while also engaging in advanced simulation experiences through the Harvard Med Science that strengthened their knowledge of anatomy, physiology, patient care, and clinical procedures. Students developed hands-on
026skills in phlebotomy, EKG, clinical patient care, and health care technology while preparing for industry recognized credentials including NHA certified clinical medical assistant, the NHA certified phlebotomy technician, American Heart Association CPR first aid, and OSHA 10. The program advisory committee praised the program's expansion of real world learning opportunities and health care partnerships while recommending continued growth in clinical placement opportunities, health care technology integration, and dedicated clinical learning spaces to meet increasing student demand and workforce needs. In response to the PAC recommendations, Everett High School submitted a $1 million grant application to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education to support the creation of a dedicated medical assisting simulation lab, and expanded instructional space designed to increase student access to hands-on clinical training experiences. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Our last speaker is programming and web development, Isaac
027Howard is a support engineer at GlaxoSmithKline. Welcome. >> Thank you. Hello everyone. The programming and web development program continues to strengthen its focus on the real world software development practices through project-based learning, technical problem solving, and industry partnerships. This year's students focus students earn industry recognized certifications in artificial intelligence and Apple Swift programming while participating in the Adage program through UMass Boston, which provides students with exposure to emerging technologies, post secondary opportunities, and career pathways in technology. The partnership was established through a connection facilitated by Everett School Committee member Marcony Barros. The programming advisory committee emphasized the importance of developing students' abilities to analyze existing code, troubleshoot technical issues, collaborate in teams, and utilize industry-standard tools such as GitHub, SQL, and Agile project management methodologies. Students also gain authentic workplace experience through internships and job
028shadowing opportunities with BKJ Productions and school-based technologies, uh support initiatives, and partnerships with the district IT department. Notably, 100% of graduating seniors achieve positive placement outcomes, which with all graduates pursuing post-secondary education in computer science, programming, and related technology fields. The programming advisory committee recommended continue expansion of hands-on technical support experience, uh software development workflow, and project management skills to ensure students remain well prepared for college and careers in the rapidly evolving tech technology sector. In response to increased student interest and program growth, Everett School Committee submitted a $1 million grant application to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education to support expanded instructional capacity, including dedicated instructional space for the programming wealth development program. Thank you. >> [applause] >> And those were all of our speakers for this evening. >> I I don't think that
029unless you have questions. >> Any questions? Ms. Babcock. >> I know a couple of people mentioned um Job Ready 360. It would be great if you could uh just let us know what Job Ready 360 is. It sounds kind of awesome. >> It It is a really great online platform. Um a lot of schools, a lot of comprehensive schools, or um vocational schools use it. It's a competency tracking system, so students have an account they log in. I need to give a shout out to Christina Aiello. She really helped us navigate this when we got the software at the high school. And students just click to log in through ClassLink. And they have to be enrolled in a CTE program. However, all of those students can go in and just kind of give themselves a
030score on where they fall with a certain skill. So, for example, um if a student is in medical assisting or health assisting and the skill is how to take someone's blood pressure, for example, um they can give themselves a ranking of one through four. Four is advanced and one is like not there yet. So, they give themselves a score and the teacher can then go in and approve or reject the score. If they approve it, it means they agree with the student. If they reject it, it could be um the teacher provides feedback saying, "I think you're higher with this skill than you think, or we can talk about it." So, it's really a self-assessment tool for students to kind of see where they are competency-wise. Another great part of the software is students can
031go in and create a whole online portfolio for themselves, so that when they do graduate, they have a resume built into the platform, um a portfolio where they can store their work. So, it is a really great tool that our students are using. We started it this year. Um and we really are trying our sophomores got the bulk of it this year because when they graduate, we want them to have that full portfolio when they leave high school. >> This is something that was recommended to us and um as you heard from Miss Soraya, it really does provide a great benefit and a great future tool as well. So, I'm glad that um the students have using it and uh we see great results. Good information, I should say really. >> I feel like we
032could all use >> Yes. >> I mean, it's it's great because I think like um there was a student that was seeking out building a resume and they didn't really know what to add to their resume. And I think that something like this makes you start thinking about what skills you have, what skills you'd like, what skills you need. Um and a lot of times, you know, I know that when I graduated high school, I I didn't have any idea. Um so, I think that's awesome because it's not just for now. It's uh making more aware of what they need to be successful in the field that they may or may not be interested in and discover where their strengths lie. So, can we have all Can we all have this? This is great. Sounds
033amazing. Thank Thank you for sharing. >> Thank you, Ms. Babcock. There. Ms. Christiana. >> Thank you. I'm going to share. And and I know this is probably totally unrelated because you've already described all your Chapter 74 program. But um in the future, is there any possibility of thinking about uh electrical uh an electrical apprentice? Um You know, I remember uh you know, way back when when we had a vocational high school, that was part of the program and it seems like it's a it's a it's a very lucrative trade for those that might be interested. >> I'll I'll let Ms. Araia answer that question, but we have looked at all kinds of opportunities. We look at the expectation that our kids would graduate and get a you know, job with a sustainable wage. Certainly, electrical
034is hugely important. They are costly programs to restart, but that doesn't mean that we're not considering it and I know that there's been a lot of work done by Ms. Araia, Ms. Sandler and others in the room here to look at all the options that we should make available to our students when we build or expand on Everett High School. Ms. Araia, would you like to take it from there? >> Yes. So, um those programs, those more trade specific programs, electrical um HVAC, plumbing, those are on the viability form um that was approved by the school committee 2 years ago. In 2024, but we are keeping it in new discussions for a new building. I do also want to add that we've recently reached out to local 103 IBEW because we do want to have
035a connection with them before a program is even in the building and they are going to be coming and visiting our campus in the fall to talk to students in our trade programs and and other students in the building who might not be in a CTE program. To kind of bridge that gap of what we don't currently have, but we can offer guest speakers and also networking for these students as well. >> Thank you. >> I think we're setting the groundwork for that along with some other things that Ms. Araujo referenced in that viability form. Everything's really on the table, quite frankly. >> Thank you, Ms. Araujo. Thank you, Ms. Cristiano. Mr. Barros. >> I just want to piggyback on on Ms. Cristiano. That's I remember when we approved that. That's extremely important. You said
036it nicely. I'm going to say as it is, we need space. In order to have I'm going to look at the mayor. He knows that I'm going to look at him already. In order to have that program specifically, and I know from the state point of view, you need space. To have electric it's not only the investment which is higher than others, but the space specifically Everett Public Schools we currently do not have. Even if we had the money. So, that's the reality. Sadly. But maybe we will in the future. Right, Mr. Mayor? >> [laughter] >> Never say never. Exactly. I just want to as I I have have the floor, just want to thank you all. I hope that a lot of businesses out there who just like heard your presentation because our kids
037are just amazing. The the work that you do, that our educators all do, Uh is just outstanding and and you know, these kids are like ready for for the job market that is needed out there. So, I hope that a lot of as I think that's also our job once we are talking to folks out there, to businesses including the mayor wants to know, look at every high school, look at the kids that we that we have in looking at leaving our city programs. They are ready, you know, hire them. A lot of them when they they leave, they are they're looking for these job opportunities. So, it is out there, they are here, the work has been done, it's terrific. So, it's an opportunity that they deserve and and we all, you know would
038benefit, they as employer and our kids as well. So, thank you all. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Barros. Any further questions? I just from the chair, I would like to um extend a sincere thank you for your time and your expertise and believing in our students and it shows. Thank you very much. >> Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Seeing no further questions, is there a motion to >> Motion to excuse our guest with the customary Excuse our guest with our thanks. >> Second Mr. Barros. >> Motion to excuse our guest with the customary thanks. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. Thank you very much for coming this evening. >> Madam Chair. >> Mr. Barros. >> I'll make a motion to return our agenda to
039the regular order of business. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded to return to the regular order of business. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. We have returned to the regular order of business. Superintendent. >> That would be Roman numeral six, item number one, Superintendent's update. So, I'm sure that many of you already know that this is our last regular meeting of the Everett School Committee for the 25-26 school year. It's always great to kind of finish the year with some accolades, some welcomes to new representation on the board, and certainly to hear some of the success stories that we just heard from our CTE programming. I also wanted to extend my personal thanks to Emma Perry. This has been a great year for Emma
040in so many ways, and she's been such a great contributor. So, thank you, Emma, for setting a high bar and a great standard for our incoming student representative, and I know that you'll be missed. You're off to Hofstra University, so we wish you all the best. As you know, we all do think highly of you and wishing you all the best in your future. I also wanted to thank Ms. McWilliam, who's in the audience this evening. Um she really does so much with our students from the student ambassadors to running the successful elections that elect people like Emma to these roles and to the student government. So, Ms. McWilliam, um I want to thank you personally and out out loud in front of everybody for your continued commitment to our students each and every day.
041So, thank you so much for being here. >> [applause] >> Next week is the conclusion of our school year for the 25-26 year. So, kindergarten students will conclude on Monday, June the 22nd. They have a full day. And all the other grades, 1 through 11, cuz the seniors are already gone, will conclude on Wednesday, June the 23rd, which is a half day, which concludes at 11:00 for our students. Last week, um as all of you know, all of you were on the stage at at at Everett Veterans Memorial Stadium to witness over 560 Everett High School seniors graduate. Um it was an awe-inspiring event on any day, but last week we had over 8,000 parents, family members, and friends join us for a wonderful evening uh where we were able to congratulate and support our
042students who are going on to many places from the workforce to the military to prestigious universities, some to training programs, and I wish them all well, and I thank Mayor Van Campen for his attendance and his inspiring remarks. Mrs. Hurley, our student speaker Danica Pham, our valedictorian Lucas Martins, and our salutatorian Kevin Tran. They all got an opportunity to address the folks, and they were just eloquent, and I mean that, and I think all of you would agree. Poised, confident, sincere. We have a lot to be proud of, and those were just a couple of fine examples that we got to witness on Wednesday, June the 3rd. There's so many people to thank, of course, when you do a big production like that, from police and fire to custodians custodial staff to city employees to
043volunteers, our teaching staff, school personnel of all sorts go into making that afternoon and evening a success. So, thank you to all of the folks that made it successful, and safe, enjoyable, and of course, the weather was with us all evening. So, in the district there is a process we call moving on, and we had moving on ceremonies last week for our pre-K programs, our pre-kindergarten programs both at the Adams School and the Webster Extension, which as you all know is at the old Everett High School. That has to be a highlight of of any day when you see these young ones perfectly ready to perform. I'm looking at the mayor because he attended the Adams School with me as we watched that pre-pre-K program outside. They were just delightful. The parents and family members
044and friends were cheering them on. They sang, they performed, they got awards. They were all dressed so beautifully. So, thank you to the staff at both of those locations for putting on a very nice moving on ceremony. Now, today we go to the grade 8 moving on ceremony. So, we have five schools that have kindergarten through grade 8 and those grade 8 students will move along to the high school if they're going to attend Everett High School. Mrs. Hurley was with me today on both of the moving on ceremonies that were held today. One was at the Whittier and this afternoon we were at the Madeline English School and I think you would agree that our students are really prepared. 99% of them raised their hand and said they're going to Everett High School. And
045to that end, knowing that that our students do stay with us to go to high school, we'll have programs going on this week to orient them to have them come to Everett High School. Some have been already, but we're going to continue to do it in a more formal way this week. Also this week the Keverian, the Parlin, the other two K through 8 buildings will hold their ceremonies. And finally on June the 22nd, a week from today, the Lafayette School will do the same. But if family members or friends that didn't get to attend or just want to revisit and relive the the fun and excitement of any of these, our wonderful studio crew here, as you can see a couple of them in the audience, have recorded them and we will post them
046and put them on our website. They'll also be made available to the schools to send to parents if they want a link. So, as I mentioned the grade 8 visits, so the incoming freshman to Everett High School will have an opportunity to come here to Everett High School, meet in the auditorium and they'll be greeted by many members of our faculty and staff that put together programs and clubs and athletics to you name it and they'll have some tours uh done through the building so the students physically see the space that they'll be coming into um next year when we reopen school for the 25 26 27 uh school year. As all of you know and uh we continue to be engaged in a strategic planning effort which uh is really been in a consolidated
047time frame because uh time is always of the essence and for those of you who know me I'm very impatient and want things to keep moving quickly and no stop. So we've had an aggressive strategic planning effort that included um 70 people in total and I know that the consultant that's used for this was concerned that we had a lot of people in the room. I said the more voices the better or the stronger that we can be. These voices are not just internal people. They are external business folks many of you know they are a very generous donors to our scholarship programs all volunteering to spend several hours over the course of in their involvement three sessions and we have internal meetings with all of our academic folks, principals and other building leaders uh
048to come together to crunch numbers, to review some data, to listen to uh the surveys that we received and then to develop a plan that all of you um and all of us can get behind so that we know over the next 3 years that the direction that we're planning to take Everett Public Schools with input from the community at large, parents, some teachers, some alums, business leaders, people who do business in in Everett, uh entrepreneurs, we have folks who are very philanthropic to the Everett Public Schools students. They have a voice and we're listening to their voices and they're helping us craft what I will believe uh that you will all like is a very strong uh roadmap for the next several years in Everett. So, uh we will have the next um meeting
049this week and then the external group, when we conclude, is on June the 22nd, a week from tonight. And then we'll finalize some action plans and next steps and then I will produce and publish a document for you all to receive and to review, to share with our community at large and to those that help craft uh what I know will be a significant um step in the right direction, uh keeping us moving forward. I also wanted to thank the Boston Celtics Foundation. Uh they provided t-shirts and posters and signed jerseys to our students in uh Mr. Callahan's life skills class. Last week I uh joined uh Principal Braggar and Assistant Superintendent Mr. Lynch in presenting some of the t-shirts uh to the students. We had some signed jerseys, which are really hard to get,
050and I want to thank Rosemary Hughes for reaching out to the Boston Celtics Foundation and talking about some of our students who really are very um excited about supporting the Celtics. And uh Giovanni Dennis, Antoine Bonnett, and uh Richard Golf, uh they received um a signed jersey, which is really worth a fortune in the in the uh in the in the world of uh sports uh memorabilia. And they were completely excited, as I was, and of course, I'm sure Mr. Mr. Callahan wasn't too happy when I was jumping around in his classroom and uh uh cheering everybody on. I riled everybody up. But our students um here's some pictures of it. We had a nice afternoon and our kids got to have something to take home and be happy about. Um Tide Risers, uh Everett
051High School recognized nine students uh in the final round of the Tide Risers Awards program for this past school year this week and a half ago on June the 4th. We held them here in the library as I've mentioned in the past. Our students not only they appear, but they're sometimes the teachers who've nominated them for these awards are present. Parents and friends come. And there's a nice little ceremony. They get a gift and a certificate. And as many of you remember the Tide Risers involves these very 1 2 3 4 5. So, the word rises is spelled out resilience, innovation, self-awareness, empowerment, and service-mindedness. And each month students are nominated in one of those categories depending on the month and they're recognized. And again, it's not necessarily the kids that we see every day,
052but they're the kids that persevere, that are doing well, that are coming to school, and exhibit one or if not all of those attributes. And I want to thank the faculty who continue to write really compelling nominations for these awards. And so, the nine recipients as I said a week and a half ago in the last of its of the program year. So, Madam Chair members of the committee, that's my report. And answer any questions if you have any. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Ms. Christiano. Mr. Superintendent, thank you for that report. Just a quick question on the the nine students that were on it. Um I think that's terrific. Um but you know what? Is there a way that we could we you could invite them to our meetings so that not only could the
053teachers and their peers congratulate them, but the community as a whole um I I just think it would be uh I don't know. I love it when the kids come. >> Yeah. >> And they they always amazed me, always impressed me, and I just think it would be neat, but obviously that's your call. >> Sure. No, I I'd like to. I mean, this past program had nine students. We've had sometimes 15, 16. And evenings are hopefully they're doing homework, but I will certainly ask next year the the folks who put that together, Ms. Whitson, and the and the principal to see if we can get even if we can highlight a few of them that are available and we can read out the nomination that that got them to that place. And I think you'll
054all agree that we've got some outstanding students. So, yes, I I absolutely will take that in. >> Thank you, sir. >> See that happen. >> Thank you, Ms. Cristiano. Any further questions or comments for the superintendent? >> Madam Chair. >> Mr. Barros. >> I just want to thank the superintendent and the whole team that put that graduation together. That was outstanding. >> I've been on this board for 9 years for now. Feels longer, but It's been 9 years, and so I've been to a few graduations, and that was mic drop. That was outstanding. Beautiful. The whole thing. Like, seeing all those families there. Um Looking forward for next year, but this one was remarkable. So, thank you and the whole team and the city and fire, police, everyone uh who put that together cuz it
055was truly outstanding. Thank you. It was. >> Thank you, Mr. Barros. Any further questions or comments? Ms. Babcock. >> I just want to wish congratulations to all the students. Honestly, it was a wonderful evening. Everybody really enjoyed themselves. And it was perfect. And it reminds us of all the good work that we do to see our students' successes. So, I think graduation is incredible. And including all the moving on and then now the little pre-K moving on. Oh my gosh, my heart. I You know, you think you thought it couldn't get better. And now it has. So, thank you to um the superintendent and media services. I mean, that camera, some of the shots and the video angles were And the equipment they have to set up to do that is huge. And the beautiful
056photographs from our different um photographers that we had at the event, too. So many happy memories. So, I thought it was great. So, thank you for always inviting us and having us be part of that. And it really means a lot um and reminds us of the importance of our work. So, thank you. >> great shots, Kevin. You're absolutely right. And thank you >> gosh, the photos were so cool. >> Mr. Del Gaizo, I don't know, he's out back. Uh Mr. Camley was on cameras. I mean, it does take a lot, but we did capture some great >> The crane camera? >> And the yes. And we have We have >> It It felt like a drone >> drone footage from the fire and police that shared with us what they were taking. So, we
057got some great shots. So, all of that is on the website. >> Yeah, it's beautiful. Thank you so much to everybody. >> Thank you, Ms. Babcock. Seeing no further questions or comments, >> Motion to accept the superintendent's report and place on file. >> Motion has been made and seconded to accept the superintendent's report and place on file. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. Superintendent the >> Next order of business. >> Item number three is the request the approval of the school committee calendar for the regular meetings for the '26-'27 school year. >> If I may from the chair interject possible changes for our upcoming schedule, but it is completely up to you and the will of the body. Um after reviewing the prior school committee calendars and
058agenda schedules, I'd like to propose that the membership consider eliminating the second regularly scheduled meeting in February and April for the upcoming calendar year. These months coincide with school vacation periods, which often disrupts our regular meeting candidates and creates challenges in maintaining consistency with operational timelines including our billing cycle. Should business arise that requires a school committee action during those months, the chairperson could simply um have the ability to call a special meeting as needed. This This proposal is intended solely as a recommendation for consideration for the upcoming 2026-2027 school committee calendar and is not intended as a permanent rule or policy change. Ms. Babcock. >> Um Would you mind you can answer that question first. >> Okay. Let's clarify that. >> Thank you. Just repeat repeat the dates. >> So, it would be the
059second meeting in February and the second meeting in April, which typically would fall off cycle. So, it would be on a Tuesday because it would be the fourth week, not the uh third week that we typically meet because of school vacations. So, we have typically in the past been meeting on a Tuesday, which follows a city council meeting on a Monday. Um but having that back-to-back last meeting in February and April before the following month has proven difficulty with scheduling, organizing, and billing issues. >> Um I just have one quick question. I know that we can already always call a special meeting, which is great. So, if a list of items come up that we need to do that, that can always be added. Is there anything and I'm and this is more directed towards
060um the superintendent. Does the superintendent feel that there's any business especially in April that might Like it feels like it's Is it close to budget time? Does it impact that in any way? >> We would have a meeting of the committee of the whole, so that would be your separate meeting from the regularly scheduled. And when the chairperson mentioned about the changing of the timing, it really does work because if you even look back the last 2 years that I've been here, the it it it falls so closely. There's usually never any real new business that subsequent meeting, and then we don't often have the bill bills enough bills prepared for your signature on a bill sheet. So, it almost becomes just a placeholder rather than a meeting that you can conduct some business. But,
061as the chairperson said, at any point you have 48 hours to call a meeting if there was business at hand. >> Yeah, is it is it isn't it like just 4 days between one meeting and the next meeting? >> Correct. Exactly right. >> So, I feel and you know, given that it takes time to post agendas, meet and arrange these meetings, and then and in April if we are have a meeting of the whole for the budget committee, um >> That's usually the day. >> a a more useful use of time. >> Yes. >> Um and the I'm I I would make a motion to approve eliminating those meetings with the caveat that if should we need to have one, that we could. >> Okay. >> I'll I'll second that motion. And and on the
062motion, yes, it is on our rules that the chair can call for a meeting. So, if we need, the chair can just call for a meeting. So, I second the motion. >> Thank you. Motion has been made. >> I think it's a great idea, by the way. >> Thank you, Ms. Christiane. >> Um and I was that your idea, Ms. Hurley? >> I'll take credit for >> Yes. >> Well well done. Well done, Madam Chair. Well done. >> [laughter] >> Yes, thank you. Um any other further questions or comments? Okay, thank you. A motion has been made and seconded to accept the proposed school committee calendar um as presented. Uh we'll roll call this. >> Mr. Almeida Barrels >> Yes. >> Ms. Babcock >> Yes. >> Ms. Cardello >> Yes. >> Ms. Cornelio >> Yes.
063>> Ms. Christiana >> Yes. >> Ms. Garon >> Yes. >> Mayor Van Campen >> Yes. >> Madam Chair >> Yes. >> So moved 8-0. Motion has passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Item number four, I'm requesting approval to exercise the first of two one-year contract extensions with the Whitsons Culinary Group. This is relatively considered a housekeeping item. There's no change in the terms of the contract. Um I think that they've been a very willing partner to make changes as we've recommended both from the subcommittee and from the larger group and the continuity of service is certainly important to us. Um they're making some additional investments based on our recommendations as well from this committee. So I'm asking uh just for your approval to extend it by one year. >> Like to make a
064motion to accept the um approval to extend the two-year the two one-year contract extensions extensions with the Whitsons Culinary Group. >> On the motion, Ms. Babcock >> I'll Well, sorry. I'll I'll I want to second the motion. >> Okay, motion made and seconded. And Ms. Babcock on the motion. >> Just one quick question just as a reminder, did last year we extended for one year or did we do a three you know, a comparison last year? >> Yeah, we did a comparison. So this is their first extension that they're eligible. They can actually receive up to four, but this is we built in a two one-year extensions. This is the first of those two. >> So yeah, so so I I just I want to make sure that that that whoever might be listening would
065know that we did take a we do a comparison and I I I remember us talking about the benefits of the companies that we looked at and the decision that we made with Whitson and what they had to offer. So, just to keep that clear for everybody. So. >> Thank you, Ms. Babcock. Motion has been made and seconded. Um to approve to exercise the first of two 1-year contract extensions with Whitsons Culinary Group. We will roll call this. >> Ms. Dalmeida Barres. >> Yes. >> Ms. Babcock. >> Yes. >> Ms. Cardello. >> Yes. >> Ms. Cornellio. >> Yes. >> Ms. Cristiano. >> Yes. >> Ms. Garon. >> Yes. >> Mayor Van Campen. >> Yes. >> Madam Chair. >> Yes. >> So moved 8-0. Motion passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Item number five
066is I'm requesting your approval to dispose of some out-of-date career and technical education textbooks. There's 46 in total. I think in your packet you may have a list of those items. They're completely outdated and I just need your permission to dispose of them. >> Make a motion. To move to >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded for favorable action to approve the disposal of out-of-date career and technical technical education textbooks. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral seven, items submitted by school committee members. So, item number one is the Shore Educational Collaborative update offered by Chairperson Hurley. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Um if I may from the chair, I have provided a newsletter from the
067Shore. Um As always, the Shore's mission is to educate, enrich, and inspire children and adults with disabilities to reach their full potential. They accomplish this in supportive learning environments where our dedicated staff value and respect everyone's unique gifts. Um in adult services, we are running steady with 365 participants enrolled with and 313 attending in person. Um in April, DD from the PVD Day Support Group participated in a week-long event connecting college students with co-designers to build assistive technology for people to live life to the fullest. DD takes pride in cleaning and helping around the building. So, she designed and fabricated a Zambroomy, which is a broom attachment that fits to DD's wheelchair and has turned it into a Zamboni. This spring, the adult service department engaged some individuals as peer assistants. They attended weekly classes
068on how to assist and guide their peers on community outings and visiting Salem Willows for this new venture was a hit. The Shore hosted the MOEC, the Mass Organization of Educational Collaboratives, on a learning tour. The MOEC, specifically their program leaders, toured our adult service location in Chelsea to learn about transitions and how they serve adults beyond the age of 22. Student services have reached 220 participants, our highest ever, across the board in multiple programs, which include Discovery, Explorers, Pathfinders, SAIL, SOAR, Harbors, and Inspi- Inspire. Chelsea and Revere have the highest enrollment numbers, followed by Everett with 15 students enrolled at the Shore Collaborative. In May, students showcased their research and presentation skills at the Shore's 17th annual science fair. This June, the Henry Owen School presented their second annual art show. All grade levels
069were represented. Students were able to browse the gallery and were very excited to see their own work displayed. Congratulations to SAIL students who participated in this year's middle school student leadership conference. Students participated in workshops designed to enhance leadership, increase mental wellness, and promote healthy life choices. This spring The Shore began a new round of interpretation certification classes for five staff members, which will carry into the summer session. So, to date, we currently have 22 trained interpreters, and the languages include Spanish, Asian Creole, Nepali, Arabic, Portuguese, French, and Yoruba. I'm probably saying this wrong, which is West African. Uh board members recently met with a consultant from Blueprint Strategies to adopt the first of its kind compensation philosophy. The Shore believes that people who support families and communities are central to the organization's mission, impact,
070and long-term success. The philosophy applies to non-covered roles, meaning positions for which compensation is not governed by a collective bargaining agreement. This was a goal set forth by The Shore's executive director to equitably exercise a salary review and benchmarking process. This was unanimously supported by the board members. Um executive director Kristen Cheever received an overall proficient score on her 2026 executive director's evaluation. However, I would like to point out the specific indicators that received exemplary ratings, such as human resources management and development, laws, ethics, and policies, fiscal systems, sharing responsibilities, and cultural proficiency. This was supported unanimously by the board, followed by many complimentary remarks and a heartfelt appreciation. This is my quarterly report as required by DESE as your Shore Collaborative Board Member, and I'm looking for favorable action to accept and place on
071file. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Ms. Cristiano. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't Please don't take this as me grilling you, but um >> Yes. >> take it this way. >> Okay. Here we go. >> [laughter] >> Um So what are the ranges you said we have 13 uh Everett kids in the program. Do you you roughly have the ages of of uh you know, I don't need every every kids age or every >> We have 15. I don't have that information in front of me. I can send you I can send the membership the chart afterwards, but all 15 that report was from student services. So that ranges um K K through high school. Um and some of these being some of the high school students with transitional um issues that are
072at like a smaller needs >> that kind of was where I was going. So you don't have to send anything along. I don't have anything else to grill you with. >> Thank you very much. Any other further questions and comments I can attempt. >> Ms. Babcock. >> Yes. Well, I noticed that you use the term SAIL, Inspire, Harbors, etc. Do they refer to particular age groups or specific specific programs? >> Specific programs, and some of them are based at certain um schools. I didn't bring my information with me. I want to say I could be wrong, don't quote me, but I believe Harbors is like Saugus based. Um It's stuff like that. We have a few students in certain programs. >> So it refers to the program in different >> Yep. >> schools. It's funny
073because at UMass we have a freshman program called SAIL, and it's SAIL into success. >> Right. >> So I I just thought, oh, I wonder if it has some secret meaning behind it, but it's just the name of the different programs and their >> Different programs with specific needs for um Thank you for representing uh Everett on the um committee and for sharing all the wonderful work that they're doing. Thank you. I enjoy it. They do great work. It really is It really is um It takes really special people to work with um special needs students and make sure that they're getting equitable education. >> Yes. >> And I love being part of it. Thank you. >> Yeah. And I'm sure that they have complex needs too be beyond, you know, health needs as well.
074So, I know that their nurses are >> therapeutic needs and >> Yes, it takes a lot and it's great that they that we have this opportunity for them. So, thank you for sharing. >> Thank you very much. I forget, was there a motion made and seconded to accept the report? >> Yes. >> Um Okay, motion has made and seconded to accept the report from the Shore Collaborative. Roll call has been requested. >> Mr. Almeida Barros? >> Yes. >> Ms. Babcock? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cardello? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cornelio? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cristiano? >> Yes. >> Ms. Garon? >> Yes. >> Mayor Van Campen? >> Yes. >> Madam Chair? >> Yes. >> So moved, 8-0. >> 8-0, motion passed. Thank you everyone. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral eight, subcommittee reports
075for finance and negotiations for Monday, June the 1st, 2026. >> Madam Chairman, I'd like to make a motion to waive the reading of the report and place it on file. >> Second the motion. >> Motion has been made by Ms. Cristiano, seconded by Mayor Van Campen to waive the reading of the finance and negotiations subcommittee report for Monday, June 1st, 2026 and place on file. All those in favor? >> I. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it, motion passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral nine, bills and payroll. >> Madam Chairman. >> Ms. Cristiano. >> I'd like to submit bills and payroll in the amount of 3,251,260 dollars and 50 cents. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded to submit bills and payroll dated June 15th, 2026 in the
076amount of 3,251,260 dollars and 50 cents. Roll call. >> Mr. Almeida Barros? >> Yes. >> Ms. Babcock? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cardello? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cornelio? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cristiano? >> Yes. >> Ms. Garen? >> Yes. >> Mayor Van Campen? >> Yes. >> Madam Chair? >> Yes. >> So moved, 8-0. Motion passed. >> Madam Chairman? >> Ms. Cristiano? >> I'd like to make a motion to pay bills and payroll in the amount of 3,251,260.50. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded. Motion made by Ms. Cristiano, seconded by Ms. Cornelio to pay bills and payroll in the amount of 3,251,260.50. Roll call. >> Mr. Almeida Barros? >> Yes. >> Ms. Babcock? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cardello? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cornelio? >> Yes. >> Ms. Cristiano? >> Yes. >> Ms. Garen? >>
077Yes. >> Mayor Van Campen? >> Yes. >> Madam Chair? >> Yes. >> So moved, 8-0. Motion passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral 10, unfinished business, there's none before you. Roman numeral 11, new business, you have none on the agenda. Roman numeral 12, hearings, there are none. Roman numeral 13, matters for executive session, there are none. Roman numeral 14, adjournment. >> Motion to adjourn. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Mr. Barros, seconded by Ms. Cornelio for adjournment. All those in favor? >> Aye. >> All those opposed? The ayes have it. We have adjourned at 7:46 p.m. Thank you, everyone. >> And have a great summer. >> Happy summer. >> If I can have your attention