001All right, we are recording, but we will not yet begin because we do not yet have a quorum. I love how recording makes everybody stop their stop their banter. Hi Ursula. Hi. Oh, I was like I'm unmuting headset like it's work. I don't know that that was a weird like let me put my glasses on. Sorry. Hi. Hello. I don't know why I did that. Oh boy. I'm going to give people 30 more seconds and then we'll get going because we do have a quorum and we have a packed agenda and the first few items are standard. Yes. Yes. Hi Jose. All right. It is 6:01. I am going to call to order this meeting of the Mount Greylock Regional School District School Committee. Uh, this meeting will be livereamed on Willyet and broadcast live
002on Spectrum Cable TV channel 1303 in Williamstown and will be available as video on demand within 24 hours after the meeting on the Mount Greylock YouTube channel. Um, I'm going to read the mission statement today. I ask everyone else to read it, but I'm going to read it today. At Mount Greylock Regional School District, our mission is to create a community of learners working together in a safe and challenging learning environment that encourages restorative based processes, respect, inclusive diversity, courtesy, integrity, and responsibility through high expectations and cooperation resulting in lifelong learning and personal growth. And I needed to call us to order and actually have us roll call in. So, we're going to go back to that. Um uh starting with Jose, Constantine here. Is it me? Yeah. Green here. Uh Maloya here. Miller here.
003And Bowen here. Um student update. Joe, we do not that the the students unfortunately were unable to make it tonight. Okay. They have another engagement. Okay. Um and I I did just receive a text from Curtis saying that he's he's having trouble with Zoom, but he's been trying to get in and it's his Zoom client. It isn't anything else. So, Okay. Okay. He'll be here as soon as he can. Okay. Um, I don't see any public comment. I don't know of any from an advance. So, we will move to item five, approval of the minutes starting with May 8th. Can I have a motion to approve the May 8th, 2025 minutes? Willis. So, move. Thank you, Steve. Ursula. Second. Thank you, Ursula. Any discussion about the May 8th minutes? Uh I I believe it's from
004the May 8th minutes. Oh no, sorry. It was May 22nd, I guess. Sorry that I had the comment on. Okay, so May 8th minutes. All right, if we can go to a uh roll call. Sorry, hang on a second. Um I just lost everybody for a few like interactions there. I'm going to mute my video, but have we moved the minutes? We did. We We've moved and Ursula seconded them. Would you Do you have any comment on them for both sets or just one? Just May 8th. Just the May 8th minutes. Okay. If you could give me just one second. Sorry. Okay. Yep. Okay. Um, so we have a motion and a second. I'm not hearing any comment comments. Let's move to a roll call vote. Starting with you, Jose. Constantine. I Green I. Malloy.
005I Miller I Bowen I so that passes. Now I'm looking for a motion uh to approve the May 22nd minutes. Miller so move. I hope I will second. Uh Miller has moved it. We need Sorry, I had a mute button problem. Yeah, second. All right, Ursula has seconded those minutes. And now uh discussion. Steve, do you want to go? Yeah, ju just the phrasing from one of my comments is it's phrased as Miller pointed out that the amount of debt we currently need to pay down each year is close to the revenue we bring in as a state. So it's not the debt payment each year that's close to the revenue. It's the total debt is close to the revenue. Ah okay. Just or just order of magnitude. Yep. Yeah. Okay. We can we can
006amend that in the minute. So I would just say just strike out each year. Yep. Okay. Other comments on the those minutes hearing none. Let's move. Hello Curtis. Um, hearing no other comments on the May 22nd minutes. We have a motion from Steve and a second from Ursula. Can we start with a roll call vote with you, Jose? Constantine. I Elen by an I. Green eye. Sorry, we got mixed up because of Curtis. Uh, Ursula Malloy. I Miller I. Bowen I. All right. Thank you. That passes. Um, we are going to move to the director's report and I think that's you Joelle. That is um I believe you have a copy of next year's plan in your packet and so my plan is to give you a brief high-level overview of the plans for next
007year. Um starting off in addition to the compliance training that we do every year and you will see it's through the public works public school works platform um we do that every year. We'll also be continuing the great work we really launched this year in reviewing curriculum for bias. So you'll see those two things there that were on the plan last year. um the the bulk of the professional learning in the elementary schools will be related to the launch of the new math curriculum. So you will see that there in both before school before um students come back in some of the half days and um on the full day in November we have most of the half days are also tied to our district assessment calendar and they are um right around the end
008of the benchmarking schedule and that will be designated time on those afternoons for principles to convene their data teams to review student data for literacy and math. Um we're doing some work this summer to develop shared protocols for those data meetings and DESIE has recently been piloting some really great protocols for reviewing student work which we hope to launch um during the year as well. So I'm really excited about that. We have been, as you know, we've been um doing work with a stakeholder group and the equity imperative based out of Chicago and they'll be coming continuing work with us next year and doing some professional learning with the 7th through 12th grade um teachers. And also tied to that, we will be we have the goal of really being able to launch and train
009and discuss staff on the new incident response protocols and behavior rubrics that we're really diligently working on making great progress. You will definitely be hearing more about that in the notistant future. Um we h I believe Noel has reported this is not on this the PD calendar there per se but we are really excited about offering Orton Gillingham training which is a a very well- reggarded in-depth training on literacy and dyslexia um strategies for our special education staff and um the new reading specialist at Lansboro Elementary. So that is not part of the half days or full days before school, but that is a standalone course and we will be giving teachers release time and and getting coverage for classes for them to take those course that course and then they will be doing the
010practicum through the through the spring and then the fall into the winter of the second year. Um and new teacher induction, you'll see two days on the calendar there. Um the state has released they just closed the feedback time for it um draft guidance on mentoring and induction programs and it's I think we lead in the country in this regard anyhow but the new guidance is really it's strengthened. We're keeping our eyes on that. I gave some feedback on that. Um we have two days of new teacher induction. The first day is really districtbased orientation. We'll do um CPI training with um Samantha Rutz will be doing that on that first day for new staff and then the second day is spent with principles and mentors sitebased in school buildings doing um the work of
011the school. I think that is my down and dirty really quick um overview. We're pleased with the plan. Um you will notice that it has a really strong through line from the from our district improvement plan to the S SOA plan, the superintendence goals, um our grants, school improvement plans, and we are also going to be doing our best to tie educator professional practice goals to this as well. Um, so we're really working to tighten up the system and to make me learning really relevant for everybody. And that's all I have. Thank you, Joelle. Uh, does the committee have any questions for Joelle? Go ahead, Carrie. I have a quick question. Um, thank you Joelle. um wondering on the M in the Mount Lock column um under the 828 you mentioned um getting good data
012with I Ready training um but only for um the reading diagnostic. Could you just talk about that a little bit? Sure. So the new math curriculum is tied to a diagnostic assessment in math. They also have a diagnostic assessment that uh is in the el the realm of literacy. So we have decided instead of using fastbridge which we've used this year and we are we don't love um we decided for lots of reasons that we're going to move to the iReady reading diagnostic next year and there's a very small handful of teachers who will be getting training on just the reading portion of that diagnostic on that day. Okay. Yeah, I think Joe talked about this a little bit um at a previous meeting, but I'm also wondering will we be able to use the
013diagnostic for math um for the middle school down the road? Yeah, we'll be we'll be using the reading and math diagnostic K through 8 next year. The kind of the the the flip side way to look at that is that everybody who's receiving the math training, which would include all of the elementary school teachers as well as the math teachers in grades seven and eight, they will be um receiving the diagnostic assessment training embedded within that. It's the English teachers for grades seven and eight in particular who will be receiving the literacy diagnostic assessment training because they're not getting that through the math. Okay, thank you. Thanks, Joe. Any other questions for Joelle? All right, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Joelle. All right. Uh, so Joe, we are over to you for
014the superintendent report. Yes. Celebrating retiring staff. That's the that's the first thing. And you know, this is it's such a sentimental time of year. It's also a time of year where people are exhausted. So, um, it's it's an interesting blend of emotions and and uh just physical experiences. But um we we do have a it's a really incredible loss that that we'll be experiencing with the with the educators um who are retiring here um that they have all uh more than done their time um in in so many ways. But Nolan had mentioned Kathy Larson after almost 33 years um leading as the as the spirit of Lanzer Elementary School um retiring at the end of this year. Beth Nichols after almost 29 years. Um and and what Nolan what Nolan stated last month about
015about her embodying reading specialists as somebody who um finds every way possible to help each student that she's that she's able to touch. Um really really magical and will be greatly missed. Um Kathy Pemble, paraprofessional at Lanzer Elementary School. long time. I believe I believe um with her various trips through the district in and out um almost 20 years of service. Um retired back in December and so I wanted to make sure to uh to note that um at Mount Greylock we we have names like Tom Oheimer, Carl Bologone, Mary McDonald um all retiring at the end well two of them are retiring at the end of this year. Mary is retiring um uh in in the late fall of of this coming school year. Um each of them um across their subject areas and
016for Mary as principal for seven years at Mount Greylock, just massive contributions and and really bedrocks of of not just teaching but um but personality and culture um at the school and so we will we will be missing them. and Martin um who has served as as both a paraprofessional and then as as one of the the key elements of the front office um for the last few years um has been at Mount Greylock for 20 years. um she received a a beautiful shout out from the students um during one of their uh speeches at graduation um just around the way that that her personality and and her um her just steady hand there in the front office will be will be missed and and she's greatly loved um at William Elementary School. Betsy Reali
01727 years within the music uh department there at West. um she she is moving on. Uh the musical in many ways is is the way that the public has um identified with her over over so many years. Um and the number of stories that that she has shared with uh with students and families, you know, this year as she's as she's grown more and more sentimental about about things um just really show the depth of care and the just the love and experience that she's had there at West. And then Karin Ben, 22 years as as a teacher. Um many of them uh as as a second grade teacher who um I can speak to this one just from personal experience with with one of my children. Um just one of the calmst, most uh
018thorough, experienced, developing a love for for reading and a passion for learning um type of teacher. So So she will be greatly missed as well. um that's our retiring group from from the district as a whole um within our our educator ranks. Um so we will miss them but we will also honor them as we as we move forward um knowing all that that we learned and and will continue. So um if we had a big round of applause we would give them a big round of applause but we are we are a small group here on Zoom so I will leave it at that. Um then in terms of end end of the year we we are in that rush now where MCCAST is done. We are um celebrating every bit of of student
019life and and community imaginable with with field trips with the Cape Cod field trip having concluded at Lansboro Elementary School. Um with uh magical moments for the sixth grade at Williamstown Elementary School leading up to their graduation next week. um with Mount Greylock seniors. Uh we graduated 70 this past weekend and um the varied spirit and the depth of love that they had for each other and for the school that that came through in the way that each of them um who spoke at graduation was able to get at. um with uh with words that just demonstrate the the magic that that is our our students and and the ways that they mature over the years. Um so a lot has been happening, a lot of emotional things, a lot of transitional things, a lot
020of field trips going outside of our of our school spaces. um a lot of wonder and it's all going to come to a beautiful transition into summer next week with the final day of school being next Friday. Um so so prior to that there are still uh plenty of things to to happen. Um but I think people have a a mixture of excitement for the summer um exhaustion from a a very long but productive school year. um and and plenty to look forward to as we as we stay very busy this summer and um and welcome people back with with uh plenty of progress to to talk about. Any questions about any of that? All right. Hey Joe, I'm sorry. I have a quick one. Ursula, um that seems to me like a lot of
021people retiring from the district this year. Is that a normal amount or like am I just off base or is that more than usual? I I think it is slightly more than normal. Um at the same time we are entering a phase where we have we have a very experienced been through a lot and are at good points for retirement type folks. Um, so I don't I don't know if I would call this a definite trend, but I but I think over the next um five years, we will see more retirements than we did in the previous five years. Um, just through um for those who know MTRS and the and the ways that the retirement system works, once you hit a certain point, um you've pretty much maxed out your your uh pension for
022the remainder of your life. And so and so your your your choices become a little bit easier as to um whether to be on a on in in Karen's case on a kayak in a lake for six months of the year rather than just two. Um and so and so I think that's that's where we are. But I I don't think it speaks to anything other other than that. So I this is not a question. Um, I I did put a question in an email uh to you Joe and Julia about school committee the school committee role in graduation. Um, I didn't ever write get a res, you know, an a real I didn't get a real response at some any point, but um, it occurred to me that I think I've only ever been
023formally included in graduation when my kids were graduating. And I raised this um, question at the table at MA at the MSC meeting yesterday. And of the 20 or so people present, we are the only school that does not involve the school committee in graduation in some formal basis. Right. I know the school the school committee chair signs the diplomas. The school committee chair used to give out the diplomas. We did away with that, but I should say we delegated that authority to um the principal. it seemed like a good idea, but um you know the the fact that we have zero presence any in in terms of a formal presence at graduation really bothers me. Um and I think it's something that we should at least discuss and I'll write it in our su
024our school committee evaluation for sure. Um but I I do want to just put it out there. You know, there are school committees that actually dress in regalia and lead the their students in procession. Uh there are school committees that sit on the stage when there is a stage. There are school committees that I mean I feel distanced enough because we're not on parent square and you know those of us without kids in the school anymore. Um you know there and we're remote and it's like I don't know. I just I I feel like um we should be thinking about ways to stay better connected as a school committee. Um and it really is um you know, we're the ones signing the diplomas. Uh the chair signs on our behalf. You know, we represent the
025district. So, um, we need to be, I think, present and accountable, um, at these ceremonial events for our district schools. So, I'll just put that out there. Carrie, I will say I I am up when the diplomas were handed out. I was up there and everybody shook hands with the principal when they got the diploma, with Joe, and then with me. So as the and my name was in the program that way. So there's there's that represent but not the committee, right? Not the committee. And again, you know, there in many districts, it's the school committee that is handing the diploma to the student. We are the signitories. And I don't feel but I don't I don't feel like we have to do that. But we are we have we need to delegate that authority
026right that is our authority to delegate. Um we are you know the diploma is coming from the district. It's not coming from the principal or the superintendent. It's coming from the district. So let's we we have some time now to to plan for next year. let's let's come up with ways to to figure out how to show that support, you know, that foundational support from the school committee. Yeah. Um and I think there are a number of ways. The the way graduation's conducted right now, the the only people who are who are up in front of the the crowd are the the senior class. And then just kind of speakers go up one at a time, whether you're the principal or superintendent or whoever. and then you head back to your seat with the rest
027of the crowd. And I think it would be it would be nice to to have a way to kind of show that support u at many districts the chair of the school committee says a few words, right? It wouldn't take long and it would be an acknowledgment of of the work that we do to support our our kids. So, so um Steve, I'll take your comment and then I'm going to ask that we move on but come back to this uh in the time we have between now and and next year um to to get at that. So, Steve, yeah, just just briefly I was going to say first of all that you were up on the stage which I think is nice and it does give school committee some visibility. It's also important to
028remember that this is really the date to honor the kids who are graduating. I'm hesitant to do anything that lengthens things longer. You know, we have the superintendent already giving some words. So, I don't think we really need to have a school committee give a speech as well. So, thank you, Steve. I think we're going to um I think we we should take all of this into account and work on planning this for next year, but maybe not in this meeting. But the other thing just very No, that's okay. Go ahead, Steve. Sorry. Uh the last thing is you there's also other opportunities for the school committee to be visible. I know for the Fourth of July parade in Williamstown, the select board marches. You the school committee could march as well. You just other
029things to look at in the two towns where we could go and be seen and interact. So I'll stop there. Thank you. I'm sorry, Julia. Do you want me to save it for another time? I'll be very quick. If you're quick, let's do it. I just wanted to say I support Carrie's comments. I've been on the school committee for over four years and this past graduation was the first one I've been at because I had a child graduating and I would love even if it's not speaking or on stage but just for the school committee yeah to be there together in the rows like we're just to be a presence. I I totally agree. I think it'd be great. So we can figure out the details but thank you. Thank you. All right, Joe. All
030right. uh within your packet placed uh this this document um updating you and I'll go back to the first slide updating you on the work that we're doing around um incident response and and the the phrase incident response is there um to really indicate um how we respond to any behavior that is um that that is uh that warrants intervention. by by the school um by the school district. That that could be bias-based incidents. It could be title n um type incidents. It could be bullying. It could be all kinds of other behaviors that would that would trigger a response. Um so we have been working with the equity imperative um the steering committee consisting of school committee members uh family members and staff members over the last now it's been almost six months um
031since we first met. Um and originally we worked to understand gaps, blind spots and areas for improvement. Um and and during a previous meeting this spring we we talked in in detail through the report that they gave. Um it definitely led to spaces where where we knew that we could make improvements. Um not always improvements that were not present in any of our three schools. Um but oftentimes there were inconsistencies between the schools that we knew that that we could address um in in new and improved ways. Um and then we looked at knowing knowing what we wanted to do. We looked at best practices from other public school districts across the country. Um and and just like I shared a couple of months ago, nobody is the perfect structure. Um but we are able
032to look at different examples, pull them together, merge them with what we already have that is working for our school district to develop a new approach that I really do think could be could be exemplary um and that could serve our students uniquely well um and our community uniquely well. So with all of that in mind, we we are conducting three areas of work that are um at this point they are concurrent um and we are working as an administrative group along with input from the steering committee to develop um first off a a district-wide so shared across all three schools definition set of tiered behaviors that warrant intervention. Um those are broken right now into three tiers. Tier one behaviors are things that um that really just cause cause concern perhaps for the student
033themsself um or or for the ways that that um behaviors are disrupting classrooms, but they are not directly uh causing harm to to another student or staff member. Tier 2 behaviors are things that do cause harm to others um but that do not warrant uh a particularly um swift and severe response to immediately ensure the safety of of all of the students um and the community as a whole. And then tier three behaviors um that do warrant that kind of immediate response to make sure that safety um is uh is preserved for everybody within the school community. Um, so those three tiers of behaviors, definitions, very detailed descriptions, um, links where applicable to the policies that they that they reference, um, all of that is in a stage right now, um, where we should be
034able to share, uh, a draft version ready for review by both the school committee and and the community, um, very soon here um, hopefully before the end of this month so that we catch people before they they exit for the summer. Um the administrative team right now is working to try to get that into that state um of readiness. Um then second, we're developing district-wide response protocols for those behaviors that are broken up into here is the progression of things that we do in response to tier one behaviors. Um we are getting into enough depth with that that we will be able to um illustrate and explain to people um when we reach out to you, why we re why we reach out to you, how we document um each of these types of behavior,
035uh what tools we have at our disposal, what we use first in response, what we use when occurrences are greater than one, um and so on. Um so a very methodical approach to tiered responses that are also progressive as occurrences and severity increase. Um and we are doing that keeping the equity imperative very close um to us and and looking at how to put restorative practices first um which within each of those responses to to behaviors. Um and then to support all of this, we need a softwarebased system that allows us first off to make sure that we are recording data around um behaviors, details, um number of occurrences and so on so that we can work with that data. Um the other aspect of that is when there are um when there are submissions
036of uh when there are reports um for any type of behavior whether it's uh from our community, our our students or or from staff members. Um all of that needs to feed into that same that same system so that it triggers um all of the work that happens in response to possible behaviors and triggers the investigations that need to happen. Um and then the workflow leading from receiving a report to um knowing that we followed through with our protocols straight through to the end of that response. That also is embedded within how we are thinking about using software for accountability and for making sure that we just at the district level are able to see um and understand what is happening within each of our three buildings um minute by minute, beat by beat um
037in response to behaviors. Um so those three lines of work are all progressing at once. uh and uh bullet points one and two on the screen here. Those are where we're hoping to share drafts um pretty soon broadly so that so that we can we can gain input. Um the third one is going to be a work in progress through the summer. It it it really um before we can finalize it, we need to have the first two things done so that we know exactly what type of um thing we are supporting. Um but we are looking at all available options right now. Um all of that will then lead to tying back to what Joelle offered um within the PD plan. Um we are carving out all of the space that we can to
038make sure that um all of our staff have time learning and practicing and um I think that it will be a gradual process. We we certainly won't enter um August 28th with with everything perfectly ironed out. Um but it we will be moving in the right direction. Same thing goes for families. Um, as families are returning in late August, we will have plenty of detailed information that we will be sharing um, soliciting conversations, making sure that that people are uh, very aware and educated around what we are going to be doing, why we're doing it um, and and how to be in touch with us so that we can continue to iterate. Um, so that is our update on what we're doing. Are there any questions? Ursula, is your hand raised for this or is
039it still raised for the last My bad. Sorry, it was I I have a question about um a process that may now be historic but may still exist. I'm just not sure where it fits in which is filing a complaint. Is that part of this process that people would use the same system and it would have the same followup and but is it a different form than an incident report or one of the key conversations that we had fairly early early on with the equity imperative um centered around the fact that um currently we have a bullying complaint form, we have a biasbased incident complaint form and we have a title nine complaint form. Um, oftentimes families very understandably don't know, should I fill out all three of them? Should I fill out one of
040them? Um, what are the different ways that you interact with these? Um, and one of the one of the encouragements that we received from the equity imperative was simplify that initial intake so that you can then do the triage and you can work with the family. um with a reporter to be able to um best serve them in that moment. Um and so we will uh we're pretty sure that we are going to be um debuting a a single a single reporting form that fabulous report. That's great advice. Um I'm sometimes surprised that people um parents, staff, I'm not sure about students, um don't know that this is an option for them to file a complaint of any sort. Um, and I just wonder if there might be a kind of like if you observe
041this or if this is happening with your like examples of of situations in which you might find this useful kind of thing. It's almost as though you were sitting there with the equity imperative and and the steering committee a few months ago talking through this because that that that's exactly what um one of the conversations was also. So, do I report every little thing or do I only import report report major things? I don't want to be a burden, but I also want to make sure that you actually have heard this just in case you haven't. And and so we've spent a lot of time trying to talk through um make that initial report as easy to do as possible and preface it with all of the descriptive information that you can so that people
042know what they're doing and what to expect in response. and um and so we'll make sure that that is very much front and center on our website and within um welcome back communications and we're trying to make it so that our student handbooks are um as simple as possible while also complying with uh requirements around amount of detail and and volume of information um so that those important nuggets that people really need to know um are as front and center as possible. Great. Thank you. All right. So, the next thing within our within our list was an update on um our work around chronic absenteeism. um you you have a a fair amount of data sitting there w within your packet um on on our current year numbers uh as well as our trends over
043the last few years. Um the topline story is uh Lans Elementary School and Greylock Regional School have made extraordinary progress um in in terms of uh addressing chronic absenteeism. um each of the last two years um we've seen significant drops that outpaced the state. Um and uh at this point we have h haveved chronic absenteeism from where it was just two years ago. Um so really wonderful work by first off our students of course um but also by all the staff members who have shown all of the structured care in trying to make sure that they are reaching out to students and families um making sure that they are in school as often as possible. Um Williamstown Elementary School, I did not mention them um or mention it because uh it is a blip in
044that data. um its chronic absenteeism numbers are still lower than than state averages. Um that said, um we've seen a rebound this year. Um and and within the report I noted that um although you can look at different demographic breakdowns and and and look at different ways to to view it, um really critical to me moving into next year, um is that there are 69 students that comprise that chronic absentee number. Um each of those 69 students is an individual with a story where we are able to see each of the absences this year and we are able to work um planning for next year and and trying to make sure that that we are interacting with them and their families on a very individual basis and and that will be the heavy emphasis um
045within Williamstown Elementary School and and with tracking by the district office um regularly looking at those numbers. Um, all of that said, Williamtown Elementary School does have actually a higher percentage of students this year um that were absent due to extended travel outside the country measured in in uh weeks, which pretty quickly um gets you up into the 18 days that would um when you're gone for a couple weeks plus plus you're sick for a week. um you get pretty close to that chronic absentee mark um of 18 days, 10% of the school year. Um and and we've also had a much higher percentage than usual of students who have been sick for stretch for for significant stretches. Um those are not excuses. Um but they are a part of the data. And so we're
046trying to make sure that we focus in on the students where um we know that it's not um spending time in another country with family or anything like that, but instead um students who uh we really can um speak to directly and with their families and and try to make sure that that they're in school a whole lot more often um this coming year than than they have been this year. Um that's the update. Any questions on that? All right. So FY26 staffing um we are uh we are progressing through a hiring process um that is partly because of the retirements um partly uh because of of of other departures um and uh and the hiring that um through the budget uh that finished its approval at Lansboro Town meeting that I'm getting ahead of
047us a little bit on the agenda here but finished its approval on Tuesday night. Um, we have been very active in the hiring market. Um, wonderful candidates. We do have some positions that are open right now um that we are looking to fill. So, I'm going to use this moment to uh do a quick shout out to um we do have wonderful candidates, but we always want more within um two music teaching positions at Williamtown Elementary School, general music and instrumental music. Those are both uh positions that are still open. Um and uh where where we will be starting interviews soon, but we'd love more candidates. Um same thing goes within our social worker and BCBA positions at Williamtown Elementary School. Both open postings, both where we would love um love folks to apply. And
048then lastly, two classroom teaching positions at Williamtown Elementary School. Um those those are two where uh we are we are initiating interviews right now. Um, and we hope that by uh late June we we will have made some decisions, but there is always time um to apply. And then the last one, reading specialist position at Williamstown Elementary School. Um, one of our two reading specialists at Williamstown Elementary uh will be the reading specialist at Mount Greylock this coming year. Um so uh that is happening which leaves Wes with uh with another another hiring. Um incoming P principal um Ben Torres uh will um has been graciously participating uh in advance in that process. Um and and as we move later into this month um will be in the driver's seat with uh with those hires.
049Um but uh a lot of excitement, a lot of potential. Um and I I do believe that by the time we enter uh this coming school year, we will be fully staffed as usual um and ready to go. Any questions? All right. I think I am done for the moment now. Julia. All right. Excellent. Um, superintendent evaluation. I So that is in your pack, the summary of the full school committee uh evaluations. First, I just want to say thank you to all school committee members for um doing those in a timely fashion. Uh giving me enough time to be able to pull them together. Um I also want to um thank everybody for how thoughtfully they did it. Um, and I hope that what resulted um, rings true. I a couple things I'd like to
050say and then I'd like to open the floor for anyone else who wants to chime in. Um, one thing that I want to say is to a person and I I think I noted this in the evaluation. Um, every school committee member uh rated Joe as proficient with one rating Joe as exemplary. Um, and so that's one thing I want to name which is you know I think this year has been a a relatively smooth year given um how it might have been with a brand you know somebody stepping into this role as an interim leader. And what I said to Joe is um and I think many of you know that in my like professional life what I do is coach and support and train new superintendent level leaders of which I've worked with
051more than 50 60 over the last few years and I I see Joe as being among the top of people who've been able to step in and just keep things moving smoothly. Um, so there may be a lot of reasons for that, but I think the number one reason is Joe. Um, so I just wanna I I just want to name that. Um, so I you have it in your packs. Um, I want to give space to anyone else who wants to say anything. Um, but what I mostly want to say is deep gratitude to Joe um for uh his wonderful work this year. And in case anyone I'm going to just Yes. Go ahead, Steve. So, I'll I'll just second what you and everybody else has said and written. Um, I do want to
052add that a lot of this is not just work that he's been doing as superintendent, but work that he's been doing in the district through a myriad of hats going all the way back to the time before we were a unified district. And I think, you know, we are getting dividends of the hard work that Joe has put in for many, many years. you know, I'm, you know, very fortunate to have him, you know, with us in the district wearing as many hats as he does. And I know how awkward it can be to have, you know, this review process, you know, done in public. And so I just wanted to add my explicit agreement to all that's been said. Thank you, Ursula. Yes. I'd just like to second the comments and thank yous that
053um Julia and Steve have given. And I also wanted to add, I think I mentioned this in my evaluation, but not only Joe did you step in as an interim leader and do amazing, but also doing both jobs, superintendent and assistant superintendent, and still seamlessly running the district. So hats off to you. Thank you. Awesome. Go ahead, Jose. I'm not going to offer much news, so I'll keep my comments very brief. Uh Joe, we are so grateful that you have uh agreed to step in in this role. Um however, you the future plays out for you. We hope that you will consider our district to be a great place for you to continue growing as a professional and and uh and continue dedicating your many talents to in support of our of our kids and
054our community. So, thank you. So, I'd like to echo all of that, but also shout out to Julia for doing the work of um putting this together. I thought the um evaluation itself read um very well. Um, so thanks for that work and to the district office who has also helped to support Joe and to and all of the work of the district as we um I mean I'm imagining there are other people who have also taken on um additional work or additional uh responsibilities during this time And you know, we're grateful to the whole team. Um, but Joe, as a leader of that team and our business manager and, you know, someone who has served on a school committee before, um, as Steve mentioned, um, you know, it's it we're just, uh, very blessed
055to have you and to have your dedication um, in our district. So, thank you for making the decision years ago to uh come back in this capacity. Good job, you all. And and Carrie, I thank you for raising that. Uh there isn't a single goal, a single single project within that that is done by by one person. Um, and I think that's that's it really speaks so much to the fact that you that you need a team and everybody leads different aspects. Um, and at the end of the day, the superintendent is really just a reflection of how the how the district team uh, including the school committee is is doing because without without support and without direction and without occasional proddding, um, there is there is no good way to persevere through u all
056of the things that that we've we've been working through. um both as a team that you see on the screen, but also as a as a school district and I think as a as a as a state, as a country. Uh so I'm I'm just super appreciative of all of the teamwork that uh that goes into it. So Thank you everybody for chiming in. We do need to officially vote on his um evaluation. So I probably should have started. Yes, Carrie. I'll move to um approve this final superintendent evaluation for Joe Beron for the year number two from Curtis there. Sorry Steve, he beat you. Yep. I just want to add one comment. Yes. Um, I'm not sure if this is the same as when I first started evaluating superintendent over a decade ago, but
057it is rare for a first year superintendent to get the rank of proficient. Just so people understand what these words mean, proficient doesn't mean you're just doing an okay job and things are just going. Proficient is actually a very good rating. Yes. Yes. Thank you, Steve, for calling that out. Uh, any other discussion? Can we make Joe squirm and talk about him for any any much any more time? Um, all right. We've got a motion from Carrie, a second from Curtis. Let's do a roll call vote starting with you, Jose. Constantine. I, Elenbine, I. Green. I. Moy. I. Thanks, Joe. Miller I and Bowen I thank you so much Joe and so much that I'm gonna hand it right back to you to do the finance subcommittee report with Actually that goes to Carrie right?
058Yeah Carrie would you like to do the these updates? Do you want me to do the FY25 and then you do the the the happy news around the budget? Um why don't you just put it all together? All right. So, uh, FY25 update um is is one with challenges in that, um, we have had a year where, um, during the last quarter of the year, um, we've continued to see a lot of utilization of substitutes and and I think that has um, a few different aspects to it. Um, one of them that I think is the thing that we want to celebrate, uh, we have extraordinary success right now in having substitutes for teachers and for pair professionals. Um, so anytime there is uh a need, um, our front offices have really done our our
059HR and then our front offices have done a phenomenal job of of having people available and ready um, and being able to bring them in. That's a good thing. Um, and it's also different from the way it was even just a couple of years ago. Um, with that ability comes a great responsibility to try to figure out um, something that I don't think we as a district have ever really had to do, which is are there moments where we need to go without a substitute because we just can't have that many subs coming through the building? We we need to figure out how to operate um, more efficiently. Um and so that as we're closing out FY25 is a focus as we look at FY26. It's trying to figure out how to live within our
060means um on that on those substitute lines um because they are cumulatively very impactful on on our bottom line. Um and that's something that will come into greater focus as we actually close out all of the numbers um with with school ending here uh in June. But it's it's definitely an area of concern. Um similarly we've seen an uptick in the number of folks who take our health insurance. Um and that's coming for a v from uh for a variety of reasons. Um and and it's something where as we look at the FY26 budget um we typically say um we know that everybody who's already on insurance, we're just going to assume they're going to stay on. everybody that we hire um we're going to assume that they take it and then we're going to
061add a cushion for some more people switching on to it for for some reason. Um we've seen enough people shifting over the last couple of months um due to needing to be on our insurance uh that we have fully utilized the the cushion that we had for FY26. Um, so it's another area where we are very mindful of the impact. Um, because each each person who takes our health insurance, if they're on a family plan, that's about $20,000 for the year in total. Um, so those numbers can add up pretty quickly if you have five people um adopting our health insurance that previously were not. Um a and then the last area um is just trying to make sure that between tariffs and everything else um we're certainly seeing supply prices and and other um
062other cost areas um hopping up beyond um where we ever could have expected and um so it's it's something that we are keeping an eye on as well. Um, all of that is just to say that we are very mindful um of uh ways that costs can increase um and with an FY26 budget that is very much locked in. Um, with I'll I'll say it now, our two towns having uh both voted in favor during their town meetings. Um, Lanesboro happening just a couple days ago. Um we now have uh a a nearly 100% known picture as far as the revenue that we will have coming in to utilize. Um now it's up to us to make sure that our expenditures are are within that um what that what what that indicates. Um so we
063are uh going to have a a summer of really trying to make sure that we've got every projection as as tight as we can. um because the the FY26 budget is one where um we tried to make sure that we were fully utilizing everything that we can um to best serve our students. Um so it's it is and I I thankfully I have been able to say this very comfortably and accurately with our town finance committees. Um it is not a budget that includes some kind of uh fluff or or uh ability to uh bring in more money than than we need to spend. Um, so we are we are very mindful of it all, but we're also I I think extraordinarily appreciative of both of our member towns step stepping up and overwhelmingly voting
064for a budget that represents um a more than double on a percentage basis increase than we've had in at least five or six years. Um so really thankful for the support um that our town halls and all of our community um were able to show through through the process. Um and that's the update. Thank you for that careful management and thank you to the folks of Williamstown and Lansboro for passing and approving this budget. Um, our our kids certainly deserve it. So, thank you. Um, we're going to move over to you, Jose, for the policy and governance subcommittee update. Thank you, Julia. All right, we've got um on our side uh four uh motions that were unanimously moved to the floor of the full committee uh of this for this meeting. And uh we'll go
065through each of these one by one. So, we'll start off with um the motion to adopt a revised policy EFC on free and reduced priced food services. Uh would anyone here like to second that motion? I will. Thank you, Julia. All right. Uh any discussion of uh this revision of policy EFC, free and reduced price food services? Carrie, sorry. Um, so there there's a section in the policy and I'm trying to open the word document version I have of it. Um that talks about um providing sorry hang on one second. Um oh I know where it is. It um there h And now I don't see it. There was a phrase in here uh where available and now I'm not seeing it. I wonder if it was on a different policy. There is a line
066Carrie on um the district each student in the district being entitled to a free breakfast. Oh, where provided by the district? Yes, that's it. Thank you. Um so my question is um are we now providing both breakfast and lunch at all three schools right now this minute we are we are providing lunch at all three schools and Lanes Elementary School is providing breakfast next year at the very start of the year at Mount Greylock will be providing breakfast. Williamstown Elementary School either right at the start of the year or um fairly soon after the start of the year will begin providing free breakfast as well. Those are plans that we are finalizing right now. Um we do have some negotiating points and things like that to try to make sure align with um time on
067learning requirements and so on, working them within our working breakfast into our school day. um we will get there. Everybody is is working in uh in the right direction. Um but that's that's the update. So by by some point fairly early next year, all three schools will be providing breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, I'm sorry. Joe, is that something that's being funded by the state now or we are or the breakfast that wasn't already? Yep. It's a it's a blend of federal and state money. Um the state of Massachusetts has um has really stepped up to to try to create universal not just lunch but also breakfast programs um and and there's a significant amount um that has been improved within the FY26 budget um by the
068various points of legislature. Um so that that will be included. It it it is something that in future years depending upon what happens uh there's nothing written into the constitution that says that that that needs to happen. Um but it's definitely a a very strong commitment commitment by the state to try to make sure that um that it's a program that will continue. That's great. Thank you. Yep. Any other questions or or comments regarding this policy? Uh, all right. I think we'll roll call vote and I think Julia, you get to kick us off. I think Sure. I And I think it's okay for me to be second. So, I'll just jump in and and Constantine I Elfin by I. Green I. Malloy. I Miller I. Fantastic. The uh motion passes. Thank you all. Um,
069next up is a motion to resend policy EFC-R on school food service. Um, would anyone like to second the motion from the policy and governance subcommittee? I'll do that. Thank you, Carrie. Um, any comments or questions regarding this policy or the motion to resend this policy? All right. We'll roll call vote again starting with Julia. I think you might have voted but we didn't hear you Julia. Apologies. Ian I Constantine I Elvin by I. Green I Mallaloy I Miller I. All right. Thank you all. Um, next up is a revision a motion to adopt a revision of policy EFD meal charge policy. Uh, would anyone like to second the motion from the policy and governance subcommittee to adopt this revision? Miller, I'll second. There were three hands here. We'll go with you, Stephen. Steven seconds.
070Thank you. Any comments or questions regarding uh or any discussion regarding the revision of this policy? I had a question about the carryover to the next school year. Any remaining funds for a particular student will be carried over. Is this uh the case between schools as well? If a student is moving from sixth to 7th and they don't have a younger sibling, that would take their let's just say there's a balance in the account. Would it come up? Yep. Uh it's a unified system. So as students move from sixth grade within the district up to seventh, the the natural shift is that the the funds within their account move with them. Okay, great. Thanks, Any other uh comments or questions? All right, we'll roll call vote again. Uh starting with Julia Owen I. Constantine I.
071Elvin I. Green I. Malloy I. Miller I. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Um, last up of our motions is a motion to adopt uh a new policy, policy EF, civil rights complaint policy for child nutritions programs, child child nutrition programs. Uh, would anyone like to second our motion? Thank you, Curtis. Um, any uh discussion, comments, questions? Just quick question perhaps to Joe on the implementation of this. Would this then be folded into how like the incident response process? This is parents would enter in their complaint through that same process. So they don't have to know about a separate way to complain. Yes. And and so this um via the link that uh will exist where that red copy is to the civil rights coordinator on that page prominently will be a button that gets
072you straight to if you'd like to um file a complaint just click this button and then the form right there will in simplified fashion make it easy. Awesome. Thank you. Yep. And then Joe, just to clarify for everyone regarding the individual or person who will serve in this role as our civil rights coordinator, this is um someone who will be identified over the course of the summer or what's the the the latest apologies that y um so one of the recommendations coming out of the equity imperative uh makes all the sense in the world is to try to have your coordinators whether they are civil rights coordinator or title n coordinator be as uh distinct from the natural, investigative, disciplinary, evaluative, all of those different worlds. Um, and care um worlds within the within the
073school environments. Um, within larger school districts, they oftentimes have a almost like a a compliance and coordination office um that has people, one person's the full-time Title N coordinator, another person's the civil rights coordinator. We being a smaller district with a much smaller number of staff, um we have traditionally uh layered those responsibilities into building level staff um within each of our three buildings. One of the recommendations was do all that you can to separate that responsibility out. Um so it is an area of of active work and I do hope that come the July meeting um I will have some uh some more stakes in the ground around how we are redistributing those responsibilities in doing so in a way that um honors those best practices but also uh lives within the realities of
074of our uh numbers and um and how we can staff things. Thanks, John. All right. Any any other comments, questions? All right. Roll call vote. Um, starting with Julia. Ow. And I Constantine I. Elvin I. Green. I. Malloy. I. Miller. I. All right. Uh, policy EFC. The motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. Um, up next, uh, is a policy that we're very eager to get your feedback on. Um, so here it's listed as a discussion item policy IKF, graduation requirements. Um, Joe or Julie, I don't think we need to read through these because they're in the packet. Uh, we're more than happy to read through them or ask Curtis to, but I think I think we're okay. But would would love to get feedback. Stephen. So, first, is it possible to share screen so that
075the people at home can easily see this during the discussion? Yeah. Joe, is that something you can do on your end? Yes. Give me a moment to And then I had one or two comments about it as well. Yeah. We'll wait for to get it up on the screen. Yep. I'm just going to uh sorry one trying to get the screen just right. Excellent. Yeah. Um yeah, the two comments I have is the first is in the very beginning it says in order to graduate you have to have earned at least 95 credits but when you look at all the stuff later the number of credits is far far more than 95. The um that language that you're looking at that is in the the current policy which is going to be replaced which is
076going to be replaced. Yes. Perfect. Just making sure. Yeah. Um, is there a significant change in how we are assigning credits to classes or No. Uh, the reality is that uh that policy that's sitting there in our policy book um does not and it has not aligned with the practice that Mount Greylock has had for many years. Um, perfect. when when we looked at it this year, uh we said um there has never been a time that anybody can remember where that number of credits would have been the requirement. Um so this is truly trying to align the policy with practice that there is no change in what um students and families will experience through this policy. That's why I thought I just wanted to be clear. Uh the second question I had is occasionally
077we have students in middle school taking high school classes or elementary school taking middle school classes. Do those or sometimes even high school classes. Do those credits count towards high school? They they do not. Um, and I believe that that is actually a a fairly uh a state level not decision but a state level norm around when you have combined middle middle and high schools. Just because middle schoolers are able to access high school classes does not mean that the classes that they take while they're in middle school uh will satisfy the the number of credits required to graduate from high school. That said, um there are no situations um mathematically where you would um where you would take high school courses during middle school and then somehow you would be unable to graduate high
078school because you wouldn't have access to those to the necessary credits without repeating. So So we are clear of that potential challenge. Well, my my concern was on the distribution requirements that you you would replace them with other classes in high school, but somebody who accelerates in math may want to take more science, for example. Um, I see what you're saying there. I do think that that would be a change in how the school would approach what it wants you to take as you transit through your four years of high school. Um, but I think that is a valid discussion item to bring back. Um and and as we move towards uh the next meeting, it's something where where I'll bring back um perspectives from from school staff on what kind of an impact um
079any change that would open the door to that um might might create. Can I propose a you know quick language? Sure. So when you're looking at these distribution requirements, you could say maybe something like and again as a math professor I know more about mathematics than the other subjects. So that's why I'm speaking to that 35 credits in mathematics or mathematics through X say calculus or statistics or something like that. So if somebody has taken a lot of math in middle school, then you know if they go as far as Mount Greylock goes, they may not actually have any more math they could take without going to the college which they may not want to do or take an online class which they may not want to do. Yeah, thank Stephen that's really helpful and
080I think Joe noted that um feedback and it's something we'll we'll certainly consider when we um revisit this in our in our subcommittee meeting but that's that's very helpful. Um, Julia, um, I am interested in the part that says all students must be fully scheduled. Uh, for two reasons. one um I don't know if it happens anymore, but I vaguely remember when I taught at Mount Greock years and years ago that there were students who may have failed a couple courses as seniors and were able to somehow take a couple courses the following year to finish, but they didn't have to be fully scheduled. I could be misremembering, but I'm just thinking about students who may need to make up missing courses. Um, and then, um, on a different note, I I just wonder if
081there should be anything to to if there's anything that might ever come in as a um, IEP modification that should somehow be just like language that allows for IEP modifications as needed. And those are legal documents in and of themselves. So, I don't think they necessarily have to be enumerated here. Um, but I just wonder if that that should be in the in the policy. the the first point I fully I fully get what you're getting at Julia with the second one in terms of the are you speaking within the course distribution requirements or somewhere I because I I I guess um modified courses ensuring that students have a path to transit through in terms of this component of comp of requirements for graduation. I'm not wholly sure where we would create that caveat or
082that additional descriptor um within competency determination. It is definitely an area that MCCAST had its own approaches and we do need to continue to evaluate as our competency determination um progresses. Uh what to do there? It it was actually in relation to all students must be fully scheduled if there are students whose IEPs require a modified schedule. Um, got it. Now, now I know what you're getting at and I I will closely examine that sentence with the Mount Greylock team to try to understand its history as well as and it may cases might be handled. Yeah. And it may be that an IEP would supersede this no matter what. Um, but I just want to make sure we're thoughtful about the full range of of students that may, you know, that we're overseeing. Thanks, Julia.
083Uh Carrie, um so I'm wondering if this policy should um address the um either dual enrollment, which is, you know, a relatively new thing, or andor um students taking classes at BCC, North Adams, or sorry, MCLA and um and Williams if it should be somehow spelled out here what what the deal is with those um in terms of how they'll be counted. So so to explicitly state the type of credits attained through Yeah. Yeah. No, that's that's helpful. Thank you, Carrie. uh a question that came up for us and I don't know if if anyone else has uh uh some memory of of the history of this but we we thought it particular um or interesting at least that English 11 was uniquely highlighted as a requirement you know a minimum grade requirement in order
084to enter 12th grade. the basic question, why English 11? Why why this course? Why is this course highlighted as being particularly distinctive? Um, we've gotten some feedback, but just just curious if if others had some uh some either insight or um or perspective that they'd like to share in this this requirement. That's required each year, isn't it? to enter the next English class, you have to you have to have to have passed the Mount Greylock English courses each year. I thought it was one of the questions we had about whether that was implicit or implied that in order to to metriculate through. Um I think Joe, we're going to we'll get some feedback on this. Um, but at least it's it's not clear, should we say, uh, why that's uniquely highlighted or at least it
085wasn't to me. I should say the the the rationale was that English 11 is the English is the only department where there is that that um natural funnel of English 11 being the course that you transit through in order to then be a senior within every other department. It it it could be um one one type of science or another. It could be one type of math or another. So there is no other single point of transit for every student in order to make sure that um they are eligible to become a senior. So the school for as long as the current staff can remember um have had uh both a number of credits required in order to become a senior uh as well as um the requirement to have received a D minus or
086higher in English 11. So like that that's that's a historical note. Um whether or not simplifying that down to 170 credits would gum up the works for any or many students or would create uh floodgates for situations that that would not be desirable um for having students prepared for graduation. Um that this is one of those areas where that's just the way it's always been is is not a great answer. Um but but it is the it is the current answer and its functional um functional role is to is to make sure that stu students need to transit through certain areas and a specific area here in order to become a senior. Just car just a follow-up question for Joe and then I'll get to your question. Joe, is it poss Well, yeah, maybe that
087is the question. Is it possible for a student to um you know reach 40 credits of English without having taken having taken English 11 like p passing grades in 40 credits worth of English without taking English 11 that that doesn't seem my sense my guess would be that it's not possible. Um, so just by the distribution requirements, it means that that that has to be true. That's how I'm reading it, but I could be misunderstanding it. I believe that is correct. Which means that the and having received a D minus or higher in English would be redundant, which is I think what you're getting at. Right. Right. Right. We're already Yeah. Um but I can prove that exact question out um and get back to you all in time for the policy subcommittee meeting prior
088to the July school committee meeting. Thank you for asking it. So in a way that I could then say like ah that's a that's a yes or no question. Thanks Joe. I appreciate it. Yeah Carrie. Um the other thing I'm wondering in um hearing this and thinking about Steve's question is whether a whether the fact that AP classes are accessible to non seniors now um has any effect on how we how we count credits because I I don't think AP class you don't get more credit or AP or college or anything like that. Um, but it it might speak to Steve's like if a student is allowed to take an AP class in 8th grade in a subject. I don't know if they are, but if they are, if they've tested into it and then
0899th, 10th, 11th, you know, maybe by 10th grade they're they're done with that subject, whatever it is. So, I guess I'm just wondering, does access to AP credits at um you know, prior levels um mess with this at all? I don't see how it would because no APS are required to satisfy those distribution requirements. Uh right. And it wouldn't it wouldn't cause a student to run out of classes to take in a if they were accelerating not just in math but I don't know if students are allowed to accelerate in anything other than math in the middle At the middle school level I'm pretty sure the answer is no. Um I didn't reread things in preparation for this meeting on that but I'm pretty sure the answer is no. I I will double check it.
090Thanks, Carrie. Stephen, it's important to distinguish between how things are now and how things might be in say a decade. So that when we are making these policies, we want to keep flexibility. For example, when I was in high school, getting to BC calculus was pretty good. Now, a lot of my students have done multivariable calculus by the end of their junior year. So just because something is not available in middle school now doesn't mean it's going to be that way 10 years from now. This is why I would strongly urge that we have flexibility in how we formulate these that you know typically it would be with 35 credits or demonstrating a certain level of mastery of the content. Thank you Stephen. any other uh feedback regarding uh this policy? Okay. We will um
091be certainly considering everything that you shared with us at uh our next subcommittee meeting. Um and we'll hopefully have uh well we we'll see where that subcommittee meeting takes us. Um you'll see that there are two policies listed as information items. policy I JA field trips uh and a policy JH of student absences and excuses. Uh we look forward to having discussion a discussion with you about both policies um hopefully in time for our next full committee meeting. And Julie, I think on that note, all right, where's yours? Um thank you to your committee because I feel like you are doing a ton of policy work uh this year. So, thank you for bringing all of these before us. We we thank Joe. We thank Joe for keeping us keeping us busy. Um, all right.
092Next up is the superintendent search process update. That is a um on me and I had thought and hoped I might be able to convene the um subcommittee before today. Of course, I might have thought to strike that from the agenda before um but there's no real update. um and uh except that we're we'll be meeting the three of us to kind of map out what a timeline might look like. Um and my hope is that we may be able to come back with a RFP um for a search firm to help us uh in this summer. So that's the extent of my update. Yes. Go ahead, Carrie. Julia, did I don't think we reported out last month, right? Or did we? I I think this might be the first report of this. I thought
093we did. I should know from having just looked at the minutes, but Yeah, right. We all should know from having just looked But I looked at those two days ago. Yeah, because I remember thinking at the last meeting that we didn't say anything about this because it wasn't on the agenda kind of thing. Anyway, the reason I ask is because we might not have shared with folks that you know we did ask the question whether there's money in the budget to hire a consultant and um because we didn't talk about it as being in the budget um or putting it in the budget I should say. Um but Joe at least before you know these latest assessments about the FY 26 budget did did assure us that money exists in the budget for you know
094this endeavor. So um MASC has we have used MASSC in the past because I am a board member of MASC. We cannot hire them to um lead us through a search. We can use their technical assistance um which um is an option and something the committee will talk about and has talked about. But then we're also looking into um hiring a different search firm. Thank you Carrie. You are right. We did not provide that update at the last meeting. So that is super helpful for you to go back um and explain the reason why I'm talking about an RFP. So thank you. Just Hey Julia, a quick question for me. I was hoping you could refresh us on who the members of that committee are. I've now gathered it's Carrie and you and Curtis. Okay.
095Thank you. Yep. Yep. Okay. Um, moving on to you, Carrie, for the MASC division 6 report. Sure. So, um, as I mentioned, I was in Marboro yesterday um, for the MASC meeting, and I'll just note, I spend more time in person with people across the state than I do with my own committee. So, um, just putting it out there. Hi. So, um, the, uh, there were a couple of things that came up. One is the MASC is holding a summer institute. You may have all gotten the flyer in the mail or gotten emails about it. The topic at hand is collective bargaining and we are coming up on a year of collective bargaining. Um, again, this is the s school committee's responsibility. We have the ability to delegate it, but we should all be aware
096of what goes on during collective bargaining. And I would encourage everyone to sign up if they can. It's uh you can look on the MASC website. It's being marketed as a summer institute collective bargaining boot camp. Um, I've heard it also described as a master class. Um it is a kind of an all day thing. Um July 19th 9 to3 and it's at UMass Ammerst. Um no sorry it's not. It's in Springfield. UMass Ammerst Henry M. Thomas III center um which is in Springfield Mass. So there's that. Um I will be attending. Um, another thing that uh we talked about was the fact that DESIE is um renaming, for lack of a better word, uh redescribing um the uh any reference to DEI as closing the achievement gap. So um they've chosen to not use
097the language that they have been using. Um there are some members of MASC who are just livid. You know that DESIE isn't kind of standing up to the um sort of the push back around the use of DEI. Um, I think you know there are many viewpoints on this, but this is a decision that Desi has made and you'll likely see those uh the use of those words uh moving forward this year. And then um the other interesting thing, oh Joe, I wanted to mention um that uh the boot camp is uh open to superintendent as well if you're interested in learning. Uh I think I'm hoping they're going to talk about different forms of negotiation. Um, I know that there are different strategies obviously, but some school committees have been using open negotiation which
098is fully televised and done in public and it's not something we've ever done, but some committees have had great success with it. Um, I also learned that the board of education is taking a look at regional agreements in ways that might challenge local control. Um, and it's something again that we need to keep an eye on. There are folks on the MASC board who are um you know trying to stay on top of this and trying to uh get word out to the membership. So again you may receive emails about this but um it's very worrisome and and may well have an impact on how regionals are structured. um they're talking about looking at all regional agreements and um wanting oversight over regional budgets. So um yes, on that happy note, I think that's it.
099Thank you, Carrie. Wow. Y um all right. Next on our agenda is to uh I'm looking I'm going to look for a motion to enter into executive session with the intent to return to open session pursuant to MJL chapter 3A section 21A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations and contract negotiations with non-UN personnel superintendent contract for FY26. Milis so move. Thank you Steve. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you Curtis. Um we'll do a roll call vote. Bowen I Constantine I. Elen by I. Green I. Malloy I. Miller I. Thank you. So Joe is going to invite us to a breakout room. Um and we will keep the regular meeting open uh while we're there. Okay. Um we are back in regular session at 8:15. Uh, and I am looking for a
100motion to accept Joe's um uh contract for 25 uh 2526 as presented. Miller. So move second. Thank you Curtis. Um discussion. So do you want to summarize Carrie? I'm going to I'm going to try to summarize uh some of what we discussed and I invite the school committee to add on to what I may not say or if I don't articulate well. Um uh Joe's uh contract his proposal seeks to um reduce his salary. Uh and this was a very difficult conversation for us. Uh we know he was a incredibly proficient if not you know trending exemplary superintendent interim superintendent this year. Um he describes there's a a shift in you know more people are taking on more um and that's why he doesn't need as much. Um and uh this was just a really
101big debate for us um because we believe strongly that Joe is still responsible for everything in the district regardless of how um effective he has been at growing uh supporting people in their development so that they can do more. And um uh there are other reasons why people believe that uh it's we should respect Joe's request. Um and that's uh Joe has thought this through and made this request to have a reduction in his salary. Um do others want to chime in here? Yeah, I'll just add that we talked about it in terms of a structural adjustment. you know that it isn't just that we're paying him less, it's that he has restructured um some of how the work gets done. And um it it really is it's like don't it's like well I won't
102I won't go there because I can't think of the analogy but it's thanks to Joe's work that he's been able to create a situation as Julia said where it's a real team effort and I think um you know we're in a very different place than we were a year ago and Joe is also a year into it and has given a um the thoughtfulness that that he has given the district and everything else. So thank you for that Jose. Thanks Julia. Uh Joe, I you know you heard that uh you know we had very good discussion, very thoughtful discussion. Um, in part of because of what you shared with us, um, and and and in part because of that discussion, there are questions around, uh, how the structure of your job is evolving, uh, and
103how the structure of, uh, the job descriptions of of of other individuals who have leadership positions in our district are evolving as well. Uh I certainly would just just speak from from my perspective, but I think we could all benefit as a school committee and as a district to better understand um what that entails in detail uh and what we can expect from um uh administrative roles moving forward into the new academic year. Would you like for me to It doesn't have to be right now, Joe. I think at some point going into the Yeah, in in July would be the perfect moment for that. Great. Yeah. Great. Okay. Any other discussion? Hearing none, we have a motion before us to accept Joe's proposed contract pending legal review um for the 2526 school year as
104interim superintendent. Uh and we have a second. And um I'll kick off the voting. Bowen I Constantine. No. Elen Bine I. Green I. Malloy. I Miller I. That motion passes. Okay. Thank you very much, Joe. um upcoming meetings. Uh we have our school committee retreat um on Tuesday, June 24th at 5:00 in person. Carrie, we will spend our time in person um with our school committee. Um, please do um look for my email if you haven't seen it already with a request to do a self-evaluation um for our school committee so that we can be thinking about how can we improve as a school committee um especially heading into a year where we do have a lot of big things on our plate and we want to make sure we are at tiptop shape to
105do that. Um so that is June 24th uh at five o'clock at Mount Greylock. Um we have a school. Yeah. Sorry. Can I just ask um Joe, do you plan to be present for that meet for that retreat? Yes. Okay. Yes. And will any other administrative staff be there? Uh I had not planned on it, but at the same time, Julie and I can work together and as the agenda takes shape, um we can see if it makes sense to Okay. Yeah. Ursula, did you both have a question? Yes. Uh, your email probably stated this, but could you remind us when you were looking for those evaluations by is it just prior to the retreat or you wanted them? Um, I would love them in so I can collate them and we can look at
106a a collated set of results. Um, but I I can resend the email. I don't remember off the top of my head. Okay. But if it's in the email, I'll I can refer to it. No worries. Sure. So, okay. Okay. Um, we have our next school committee meeting, um, with topics, many of which were brought up tonight, will be added to those, um, July 10th at 6 PM. That will be on Zoom. Um, I think I heard there was a policy and governance subcommittee meeting planned before the next school committee meeting. Maybe not. We need to get a date for that. We don't have it yet. Okay, great. Great. Um, as well as, um, I will be reaching out to Curtis and Carrie for a date on our next subcommittee, ad hoc subcommittee for the
107superintendent search committee meeting. Subcommittee meeting. Okay. Um, any other items for discussion not reasonably anticipated by the chair? That's a question to me. I don't have any. Um, any agenda requests, Carrie? Um, I I would suggest that we might start talking about contract negotiations, uh, also known as collective bargaining, um, at our school committee meetings as we head into a year where we're going to need to do that. Great. Thank you. Any other agenda requests? Hearing none, I will look for a motion to adjourn at 8:23. So moved. Thank you, Curtis. And a second. Mill. Thank you, Steve. You seconded me so many times today, Curtis. I owe you. We have a motion to adjurnn from Curtis, a second from Steve. I We're going to roll call out. I say Bowen. I Constantine. I [Music]
108Green I. Mallaloy I Miller I thank you everybody. We are closed at 8:24 p.m. Thank you all night. Byebye. We