001I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of the May 6th far school committee. Deb, could you please call the role? >> Mr. A >> here. >> Mr. Das >> here. >> Mr. Corey. >> Mr. Monus >> here. >> Miss Riley >> here. >> M Stewart >> here. >> Mayor Cuban >> here. Salute to the flag. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are
002deemed acknowledged and permissible. Uh we're going to start tonight with our student comment our student delegate report. Mr. Jack Rio wrapping up the year at Dery. Go get him, Jack. All righty. Here we are. Okay. So, first off, I'd like to talk about uh this week, which is teacher appreciation week. And uh we just like to say a quick big thank you to all staff here at Dery, all teachers, all staff, all that. Just just thank you. Now, uh, Student Government Day, I'd like to talk about that, uh, personally because last month I had the opportunity to see government in action during Student Government Day at the Massachusetts State House. And it was very interesting. It was interesting. It was fun. And um, I I'd say more, but it take a while longer to to
003go through all that. Now, just before April vacation, five Dery High School juniors and school leaders took learning beyond the classroom and to Beacon Hill as they participated in AP Day on the Hill at the Massachusetts State House. The group had the opportunity to connect with policy makers, discussing key ideas and learning more about the legislative process in action. Junior Book Awards. Congratulations to the 24 members of the class of 2027 at BMC Dery High School who were honored with this year's Junior Book Awards. A long-standing Dery tradition, the Junior Book Awards recognize students for their outstanding academic achievement and commitment to their school and community. Sponsored by colleges and universities, local alumni chapters, admission offices, and community members, each award celebrates the character, leadership, and dedication that define the Hill Topper spirit. Derphy's Got
004Talent. On April 17th, Derphy hosted Dery's Got Talent. Students showed off just what kind of skills they have. And I I watched it and I can say there was there was a lot of talent. There was a lot of good shows of talent there. Uh the STEM Abroad trip. All right. Last month, the Dery STEM Abroad Club went on their trip to the Gapagos Islands. Uh I don't know how it went, but uh I'm assuming it was a great time. It looked like a great time. I've seen a few pictures. It looks looks like they had a good time. I know one of the future she was she was actually talking about. Um now uh just a few upcoming events here. Um there's a planetary uh planetarium show uh next Friday night. I believe this
005Friday night. I think it's this one. Um the next Dery planetarium show is quickly approaching. All right. These engaging programs bring science, exploration, and wonder to our students and community. So, Friday, May 8th, uh the show that will play is Habitat Earth: Living in a Connected World. That shows will play at 400 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 600 p.m., 700 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m. And the ticket prices for adults are $6 and students and children's are $4. Now, Springfest. All right. Uh May 13th and May 14th, celebrate the incredible talent of our students at a series of exciting, fine, and performing arts events at Dery High School. This is on Wednesday, May I already said that. Yeah, May 13th and 14th. Uh so there's a fashion show at 4 p.m. in the Dery uh atrium
006at the main entrance. There's a chorus and jazz band concert at 6 PM the Dery atrium at the north entrance. And then on the Thursday, uh, Battle of the Bands, 4 PM, Dery Atrium, main entrance. Uh, concert, Band, and Orchestra, 6 PM, the Dery Atrium, north entrance. All events are free and open to the public. Come out and support our talented student artists, musicians, and performers. You won't want to miss it. Now, finally, this is just from me. All right? I'm a senior. I'll be graduating next month, and um this is my last meeting here. Um, so I just like to thank all of you for just allowing me to be here and for listening to all the wonderful things that go on at Dery. Every little thing I've had to say about it, just
007uh thank you. Thank you for letting me be here. And that is all I have. >> Thank Thank you very much, Jack. All right. I'm not going to ask the committee's indulgence. Uh, one part of the superintendent's report was the graduation update. She'd like to give that now. We have someone that has some uh scheduling issues and we wanted to let them get on their way. I'll turn it over to uh Dr. Smith. >> Thank you, Mayor. So, I I just would like to take that out of order, just the part on the graduation. >> I also want to say to Jack, uh I spoke to Jack and just met him briefly. It's so important our student speakers to hear the student voice as we have our school committee meeting. So I have asked him
008to return on I think June 3rd is our next meeting to be officially recognized and thanked for his work here. So thank you Jack and and good luck. Look forward to seeing you at graduation. So graduation uh is on June 5th this year and I have asked uh principal Jessica Stevens to come up and to talk to us uh a little bit about the importance of that date and uh following her I will ask uh Dr. Stacy Monaet to come up and talk about uh the graduation. I think it's RPA. Do I have that correct ma'am? >> Correct. Thank you. >> Good evening everyone. So, graduation this year is on Friday, June 5th. It will start at 7 o'clock. It's slated to be on the Mac Aldrich Field. The rain dates are Saturday, June 6th,
009and Sunday, June 7th. Obviously, we'll make a decision depending upon weather as it gets closer, but hopefully all will go smoothly and it will happen on Friday as we would like it to. Uh we would love I did send an invite, but I would love to cordially invite everybody in person to be present on that evening. Everybody knows it is a really wonderful event and it's um such a celebratory moment, if you will, for not only the graduates, but really for our entire community. And so, I welcome everybody to join us on that evening. I'm hopeful that our um committee will want to walk in the procession with us and will want to be seated on stage alongside us. So Jessica again uh just to you everybody has received the invitation. So, you're waiting for
010RSVPs to make sure uh we can accommodate. As she said, we'd like to march in behind the superintendent and lead, you know, our graduates in and certainly they look forward to you, you know, handing them their conferred diplomas. So, thank you. I'm looking forward to the event and I invite everybody to to join us as we lead our over 600 graduates. Is that correct? >> Yeah, about 670ish. We're approximating. >> Very good. Thank you. I know you have a meeting to get to, Jessica, so I appreciate you coming this evening. >> Awesome. Thank you so much. >> She's worry about it. >> Sorry, I can do it. Sorry. Hello. Um, so nice to uh nice to have you here, Dr. Smith. I look forward to meeting you. Um, so I'm Dr. Monette and this is
011my first graduation that I will be um part of organizing at RPA and we have been quickly going into gear about planning and uh there was some a little bit of um conflicting dates when we were trying to plan it. we have moved it to um June 11th, I'm sorry, July 11th. And actually, in hindsight, we feel like that is the best date for us as we do need that extra time for some of our graduating seniors to make sure that they have all of their courses completed, especially those in our virtual pathway. Um so it will be here on it was June 11th, sorry, on June 11th at 5:30 here at Dery High School. Um, and we have we're expecting hopefully about 25 seniors to graduate at this time. >> So again, just to
012clarify, it's June 11th. >> June 11th. Yes. We're not pushing that to July. >> We also look forward to supporting 25 additional graduates. >> Awesome. And we look forward, you will be getting our invite shortly. So, >> Thank you very much. >> Can I ask a quick question? >> Uh, Mr. Um the students of um Stone School, are they going to be taking part with Dery or are they going to >> Dery? Thank you. >> Go ahead, Dr. Spency. >> Okay. Thank you very much. Any other questions? I'm sorry, Principal Stevens. I guess you're also going to report on the skills USA. I should have kept you up here. I apologize. point of information. >> Are we taking all these superintendent report out of order? >> Just one. Just the one. >> It ends up
013being two. So Jessica, >> it's all graduation and then she had one update she wanted to hit us with. Yeah. >> So this year, Dery advisers brought 36 students to the state conference. Five of those students served as voting delegates. 31 served in student competitions. Um Dery did earn a gold medal or the gold medal if you will in cosmetology and so will represent Massachusetts in the national competition in Atlanta. So, Dery students competed in um career pathway showcase, action skills individual, opening and closing ceremonies, promotional bulletin board team, masonry was an individual, community service team, criminal justice, cosmetology, nail care, natural hair braiding, aesthetics, and chapter display. I don't know if you want to if you want me to speak specifically to how they did at districts. We did have a lot of students
014placed at districts. So >> Well, congratulations. Thank you very much. >> Thanks, Jess. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Thank you guys. >> Uh next up is uh citizens input >> five tonight. Um as we've been doing lately, it's going to be a half an hour max. Uh we won't we won't hit that because everybody's got three minutes. And first up is uh Pam Nickerson, Harvard Street. Three minutes, Pam, please. >> Hi, good evening and welcome to Fall River. Dr. Smith, I ask you, I ask administrators and elected officials to prioritize, please, the return of affordable public swim lessons at our Karen Jarabbeck Memorial Pool. On and off since 1983, I have worked as a lifeguard and water safety instructor in four different states and at countless beaches and pools. And after all that experience,
015I find our Dury pool right here superior. It's six lanes with a springboard and dive blocks. May is National Water Safety Awareness Month, but our pool remains closed to public lessons and open swim. Six months and counting. The CDC calls drowning a silent killer. Can happen in under 60 seconds, and it's the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to four. However, with consistent practice, even toddlers can learn basic skills such as body rotation, back and front float, breath control, and awareness to reach safety. Families from Westport, Swansea, Dartmouth, and Tiveran also benefited from lessons here. And based on what was told to me, I informed the families that the plan was to potentially reopen after February break and then April break. And now I have no answer. It's really an uncomfortable conversation to
016have with parents because they care and I care. And children, regardless of zip code, deserve water safety instruction. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Pool at Lafayette Park is open only during the summer. And I remember the horrific drowning there in 2011. It resulted in nationwide policy changes. That pool was redesigned to now just 5 feet deep. Other municipalities opted to fill in their pools and install splash pads, but avoidance is not a proactive response. Our Dery pool is state-of-the-art. It's bright. It's clean. It's 12 feet deep. And being able to instruct at that depth is rare and so beneficial. I watch children's confidence soar when they realize the bottom is far below and they are propelling themselves independently and jumping in way over their head. And we lifeguards must be deep water certified which requires consistent
017practice. The American Red Cross anticipates a lifeguard shortage again this summer, but that has not been the case at Dery. There is a natural progression here of young people training. Our pool is well-maintained and we have staff. I'm told the hindrance is budgetary. I live close by. So when I drive on Ellbury Street at night, I see the pool in darkness as it's been since December. The pool redesign cost 8 million. It was included in the new Dery construction. Taxpayers, that includes me. I feel that we're not getting what we're paying for. Please let's reopen the pool. I'm open to suggestions. Thank you. >> Thank you, Pam. >> Mr. Chairman, >> Mr. Yeah, >> I want to just it's not a question for you, it's just a comment. So, one month ago, we heard the
018same type of situation. I asked on behalf of the committee at that time for us to get to the bottom of it because I do not like to come here and hear information that we don't know anything about. And if it is stopped, who stopped it and why? We've had situations where we're just getting blindsided. And I for one am tired of it. So somebody needs to tell us what is going on and why. We have a facilities meeting on Monday. If I have to put on the agenda, we will. But it's disheartening to hear a month go by. We still don't know whether it's if is it broken, is it not broken? Why is it not being used? And we just need to get the answers so that the public and they can know
019one way or another. We hear that they were going to go out to a private vendor. First we heard of it was because somebody came in here. So the school committee and me as one member totally in the dark about what it is, how it is, and why things change in the middle of the cycle. It's not fair and it's not right. I yield. >> Thank you. Next up, Keith Michonne, Tryan Avenue, East Providence. Um, three minutes, please, Keith. >> Thank you. Good evening. I'm Keith Michon, president of the Forever Educators Association. First, I want to welcome our new superintendent, Dr. Smith in her first in her first week. I've had the opportunity to speak with her briefly and to work with Deputy Superintendent Lagal over the past few weeks and I'm excited about building
020with both of them. Everyone knows I've been candid about the transition over the past few months, but tonight I want to acknowledge that this is a moment that we have the opportunity to reset how we work together as a district. I also want to be clear about the conditions our educators and students are experiencing. There have been many successes, but there are also staff challenges, staffing challenges, workload, and increasing student needs that continue to stretch stretch our schools. These aren't abstract issues. They are impacting teaching and learning every day. Our members are committed to this district and to our students. We're looking for a relationship with the district leadership that is transparent, responsive, and grounded in respect for educators expertise. Speaking of respect, today marks national uh nurse day. During both nurse appreciation week and
021teacher appreciation week, our nurses, educators, and school staff show up for students every single day. Recognition matters, but so do the conditions they work in. As our working conditions are our students learning conditions, we're ready to work collaboratively to address these challenges. And we're also ready to be advocates for strongly for what our students and educators need. Thank you. >> Thank you, Keith. Next up, Joey Ford. Um, Smith Street, Attalboroough. Um, three minutes, please, Joe. >> Thank you, Mayor Kugan. My name is Joey Ford. I come from Attboro. I'm the founder and leader of Parent Data Forest Independent Educational Watchdog and Reform Initiative. Um, if anybody would like to scan this QR code and follow along with any of the documentation that I will be citing, it would be very helpful. I encourage it. Um,
022so as you guys know, I entered this district in about the beginning of March, I want to say, and told you that I would be opening an investigation. Um, since then, I've been contacted by a ton of different families, staff members, um, community members, all different types of people, and they've tipped me off to a whole bunch of different cases. Um, so I've opened up four different cases so far. Um, I've issued uh public records requests. Uh, many of these I've re received the records requests already and one of these cases is now finished. Um, so this is my report into hiring irregularities at Sylvia Elementary. Um, so there in my report there are um there's evidence and demonstration including the source files u of claims of lensure on the job application are unsupported. Families
023told that they could get input even though they were not allowed to get input. This is in regards to a uh a hiring back in 2022. Um the job posting was only open for two days instead of the required uh 10 by the uh teachers uh the FRAA contract. Um so I don't understand why anybody would pay any union dues if they're not being protected by their union. This is a failure of the administration, the union, and everybody else. Um the dates are all over the place on this job application. Um they it's even applied for before the uh the job uh listing even existed. There's no interview records for anybody else who was hired. Um this person was also hired on an emergency license, but there are no documentation proving any type of good
024faith efforts into uh hiring a qualified licensed member in the first place. So um if you want to look at this, there's 21 questions um that I would really like to get answered. that I think the community w deserves to have answers to. Um, and my investigation will continue. I still have uh open public records requests even into this case as well. So, please reach out to me if you have any questions. Joey at parentdatafforce.com and uh thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Uh, next up we have two letters. >> Okay. I'm sorry. I thought there was a letter. Uh, next up is uh Taylor Perry, Aberine Street. Um, three minutes, please, Taylor. Thank you. Okay. I am here today to advocate for parents and most importantly for the children impacted by the
025current redistricting process. School is just not a building. For many children, it is their second home. It is where children learn and grow. It is where teachers come to know them over time support both their academics and emotional development. It is a routine, the same classrooms, the same hallways, the same daily structure that stability is what allows children to focus, feel confident, and succeed. It is relationships, friendships built over years, trusted teachers who notice when something is wrong, an adult who supports them every day. For many children, school is their safe place. When the stability is removed, it impacts far more than placement. It affects our education, emotional and well-being, confidence, and daily routine, and a longstanding relationship they have built over years. This is not the fault of children's or parents. Many families followed
026district guidance trusting they were making the right decision at the time. Now children who are thriving are being asked to leave their environments where they feel secure and supported. That is why I am asking for a fair and a gradual transition. Allow students who are already established in their schools to remain there until they complete their current school journey. Begin redistricting with new students of in the 2026 to 2027 school year, correcting the system moving forward without disrupting those already established. Ensure parents are included, heard, informed, and giving meaningful input in the decisions that directly affect their children. And implement a phase approach prioritize stability over speed. Because years from now, children will not remember district lines or school boundaries. They will remember whether they felt safe, whether they felt supported, and whether they feel
027like they mattered. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Um and the last one is a letter. Um Deb. >> Okay. Three minutes. Deb, please. Melissa Costa, Raino Street for >> Mayor Kugan and members of the school committee. During the years of 2014 and 2019 when I directed and choreographed for the school for the CUS middle theater arts program, the middle school division of the Massachusetts educational theater uh guild was held on one day at a host school. The preferred school by the reowned statewide theater competition was CUS for the size and stellar facilities. Our theater company regularly won awards both for performances and technical theater design from adjudicators who are professionals in the world of theater education. Continued lack of funding made it difficult for continue and choices had to be made between attending
028or mounting our other productions such as the annual spring musical. This weekend, as I scrolled through social media, I saw that Sunday, May 3rd, was METG's middle festival. It has grown from just us hosting five or six participating schools to seven host schools with six middle school performances at each. Our kids deserve the same experience and exposure that comes with being seen by professors from the best theater arts colleges around. It appears it prepares them to get involved with the Dery theater company who has been part of the MetG High School competition for decades. It's an opportunity to collaborate with CTE classes as well. They get to see what their peers in other districts are achieving. The adults coaching them deserve to be paid for their time and expertise. Theater kids deserve some celebrance of
029the funding that is always available for sports from elementary on up. We are entering dance recital season. Far public school makes very good income renting out our state-of-the-art auditoriums. That money should be reinvested into music and theater programs. Let's see our middle schools represented at all next year. METG Theater Festival. >> Thank Thank you, Deb. Uh, next item up is item four, uh, subcommittee updates. First up, facilities and operations subcommittee, Mr. Aguar. >> Thank you, mayor. So, we had a a meeting, uh, the facilities subcommittee. First item on the agenda was thatou related to the school resource officers. Uh, discussion occurred around some language changes and some overtime hours. Uh more information will be shared with the committee uh over the next month or so as administration works with the police department to get the
030data. It will this will be on a future agenda. Um we reviewed a little bit of the maintenance budget. The rest of the conversation referred around a refrigeration tech job description. This has been ongoing for several months as we work through some details. Subcommittee recommended that a license requirement be included. uh and that is before us today on the full committee agenda. The meeting agenda was very successful and we will have another facilities meeting on Monday. Uh so that will be posted as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh next up is the policy subcommittee, Mr. Das. >> Thank you. The policy subcommittee met on April 8th, 2026 at 5:30 at the administration building, 417 Rock Street. The subcommittee reviewed several policies around um strengthening school committee, school department governance and um legal expenditures um
031which are on the agenda for tonight. Um these were items associated with um oh end of report. Thank you. And we'll also be having a meeting um next Wednesday, May >> 13th. 13th. Thank you. >> And uh next one is the evaluation subcommittee. Anna Riley, chair. >> Thank you. The evaluation subcommittee met on April 28th. Uh we focused on the school committee goals and developing a self-evaluation for the committee with a rubric that we reviewed together. Um we hope you'll see that further on the agenda. My hope is that we can kick it off at a retreat to be scheduled ASAP. Um, and then we can look at uh rating ourselves and continue to improve our work together as a school committee. >> Thank you. Now, we'll go back to what was left uh from
032earlier on the superintendent report. Dr. Smith, >> thank you very much, Mayor, and I hope you give me a little latitude this evening, this being my first meeting. So, first of all, I thank you, Keith, for reminding everybody about teacher appreciation day. You know, when I think about my 45 years in education, the most important years were the so-called boots on the ground. You know, what our teachers, our support staff do each and every day. It is a profession we want to encourage. I actually look forward in the district to developing opportunities, pipelines, and to make sure some of those very students that you're graduating very soon look to come into a wonderful career as a teacher. And I want to thank all of the teachers in the Fall River public schools and throughout our
033state of Massachusetts. And Keith, I absolutely I know we've had a phone conversation. I look forward to working with you uh on a regular basis, hearing about the culture and how we can support what's happening in our classrooms each day. So, thank you. Um I will tell you today is day four for me. Um and again, this is not new to me, but um it's been a a very busy time. Um, I want to tell you one of the first things I did on my first day here last Friday, May 1st, was to take a picture of myself in the office and send it to my family. And what I said was, "You can't believe this beautiful office." And I look out and I see the ocean. I see the, you know, Braa Bridge. It's
034it's beautiful. And I have to tell you that my 91-year-old mother who looked at the picture focused on Battleship Cove over the fireplace and reminded me of the times we came to Fall River and the history here. So, uh, ve very exciting time and I will tell you that I was welcomed by everybody at Rock Street, you know, from Al the custodian to my two executive assistants to to Deb to Paula to my senior staff team. Um, it it has been a very welcoming experience and I really look forward to coming in each day. There's a lot of work to do. I'll tell you and you're going to learn a little bit about me. You know, coming from a large urban districts and I don't know if I apologize to Brockton. I think I went
035from a boxer to a hill topper. I never thought that would happen with the big three, but but I I guess I'm here, mayor. So, you might have to cover for me. here. >> So, uh, in saying that, one of the things that you will learn very quickly and I learned this, it doesn't matter urban district or smaller district is it is all about collaboration and starting to develop those relationships with with all stakeholders in the district. So, you know, I hope to be out there uh publicly uh not only taking part in events, you know, working with our staff. I commit to finally getting out to the schools. I was very excited to come to this beautiful facility today. So, you know, I will also, you know, be sharing with the school committee on
036a regular basis, you know, really I call it the snapshot of the superintendent and you'll be able to see daytoday, you know, what is happening with the with the work in my office. Um, also what I'll tell you is um I my first day here I got to meet with uh Mayor Kugan. Thank you so much for coming in and vice chair Aguilar. You came in again and welcomed me. We talked about, you know, the work ahead for for us as a team. I met with Cliff Ponty, who was brought in by my deputy superintendent, uh, Liz LGO, to meet with me. And one of the things I asked him, I did not have the opportunity during the budget season. And I asked if I could be introduced. So, they have a meeting coming up.
037I believe it's this Tuesday evening. So, I will be present there to meet with the city council counselors. They are also partners, you know, obviously in supporting the schools. I just mentioned to the mayor what I hope to have as we go along is I've done this in each of my districts and I'll talk to you about it. I call it a state of the schools address and I like to do it usually about five or six months in. It's usually late fall, it's pre-budget season, but it starts to not only talk about the work happening in the district, but also strategically start to talk about, you know, some of the very things that we're looking at as uh important items in our budget. So, I look forward to to meeting your your city councilors,
038your representatives. I will keep you updated as to how that goes. Um, also, um, one of the things that we're doing, and I just heard, uh, Anna Riley talk about retreats. So, when I come into a district, it is very, very important, and I've done this in each of my districts, to start to again very quickly hit the ground running and work with our professional development is how we work together. So I know we're looking at a June date for our first professional development. I encourage everybody to be there. I have a facilitator coming in so I can actually take part like you in this particular retreat. I'm inviting my senior leadership team to come in. Um and I'm inviting MASC. I have not met Sean Costello. You might have. I previously had worked with
039Dorothy Presser who retired. >> But that is again just to make sure that and I always talk about this and I know you know this. I'm not sure many of you have probably done the charting the course. Is that something they still offer? >> Yes. >> So, one of the things that that I will say is to make sure I always talk about that high functioning team of superintendent leadership and school committee, you know, and making sure that if we're high functioning, we are able to have protocols. We work, you're able to get the information that you need to make the very decisions you need to make and we're working together in the best way possible. So, that is my commitment to you. So hopefully we will have within the next year or however long
040I'm here uh make sure probably I'm looking at either three or four retreats along the way. And although it's a time commitment on your part, I guarantee you as you prepare for a new administration to come in, uh this will really benefit us in in a very uh positive way. Um I talked about getting into visiting classrooms, meeting with the principles. you know that the most important work you hire a superintendent for is to evaluate not only what's happening with my senior leadership team but to also make sure that I am supporting the principles in the schools in their evaluation process. So that is something that again we have we have some work ahead of us. I have uh hiring to do at the uh human resource level excuse me yeah the human resource office
041which is critical in making sure that these evaluations are happening on a regular basis. Um, also when you heard me talk about the uh report to the city council, one of the things I think is critical and I want you to hear this from day one is the other thing that when I've gone into districts, we actually develop what I call a district annual report. And this report is out there for the public to again want to choose the Fall River public schools to send their children. You know, it talks about all of the opportunities whether it's theater, art, sports. you talked today about skills and you know all of the different programs that you have to offer looking at your elementary schools, your middle schools, your preschools. So it it starts with, you know,
042working obviously with my communication specialist, but to start to talk about some of the very work we're doing and I hope that that becomes something that you have in all your schools, your parent information center, which I think you call PACE, >> and you know, to make sure that we are highlighting the work happening in Fall River, to really attract a strong um staff, you know, to our to our schools. So, with that being said, I will now, mayor, thank you for that opportunity to address everybody. But as far as um I hope you also give me a little leeway with four days on the job. I am going to ask my senior staff to to jump in and really support some of the items under superintendent's report. So, I'm going to ask ask my
043uh chief academic officer uh Brian Reposo to talk about the hiring update. Brian, >> absolutely. Good evening. Um so in terms of hiring uh we have had 15 new hires in this time frame. One cafeteria assistant, two clerks, um one KOD, one ESL coach interventionist, a specialty coach, four teachers, um obviously the um interim deputy superintendent and superintendent, two par professionals, and a security officer. During that same time frame, we've had four transfers, um three rehires, uh 20 resignations, three terminations, and four retirements. And then in terms of the job fair, I don't know if there's any. >> Okay, go ahead. I'm sorry. The job fair. >> Absolutely. In terms of the job fair, so on Saturday, uh, May 2nd, we held a job fair at Derby High School. We were well represented by schools
044and departments. This year, we had a total of 119 applicants register for the fair either via uh the QR code system or on paper. This is an increase from 89 registrations last year, which is great. Um, additionally, we had devices set up right at the job fair in a space and um, we actually had 26 people complete applications for positions right then and there um, after they came in and spoke with someone at the fair. >> Thank you, Brian. >> Okay. Uh, next up are end of the year activities. So, my executive assistant Apollos is sending out a spreadsheet to all of our schools. So, we will have that information to you and to share with you so you can take part in many of these activities. This is obviously a busy time of year.
045Next is kindergarten enrollment update. And again, I'm going to ask um our um Brian uh Brian, I hope I say your name right. Mazac. Did I get that right? Close. >> Close. >> Michael, but very good. No worries. So currently we have uh 923 students enrolled in kindergarten throughout our schools which is 55 more students than this time last year and 200 more than the co year five years ago. So we are maintaining an increase in kindergarten. In terms of enrollments we've had which opened up March 1st for all grade levels for next year. We have 380 new uh registrations that have already been completed of which almost threequarters of them are kindergarten students which is basically similar to last year except last year we had 405 students register as of this date. Um so
046about 25 less but we do pick up uh many registrations over the summertime and like paces out you know um recruiting at different um places throughout the city as well as the bus that is available as an option now. So that's in full swing. Um, >> that was it. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Brian. >> Any questions? Mayor, >> look at the last item. >> Okay. And the last item is the DESIE visit. So, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, I think you're aware, are in the district. I actually had a a virtual call with them yesterday. Um the uh deputy commissioner uh Rob Curtain who I know very well from my work in Brockton uh has contacted us and because of the district review one of the things that they are looking at
047is focusing on you know governance structures within the Fall River public schools and the positive note about this is we all have an opportunity to talk to them and we all have an opportunity you heard me talk today about professional development. They're going to come in probably sometime it looks to me like early June which is surprising that quickly of a turnaround a report which is going to talk about our strengths you know as a district as a governance team and also talk about opportunities for improvement which as we talk about professional development. It gives us at that very time to look internally and see if there are things that we can do to allow you to do your jobs better to allow the superintendent and their leadership team to be able to function in
048a way that you know benefits certainly our students and our families and the community. So I for one who am very careful about DESIE being in the district for the right reasons. They come in and obviously by Mass General law they have the authority to come in under district review to talk to us about what's happening in the district. This is a very targeted opportunity with a very quick report for us. So, I want to see this again as a positive opportunity for us in the district. I will work closely with the team as we did today. Uh they're going to be here for the next couple of days and I'll follow up with the deputy commissioner, you know, as we go forward. >> Mr. Chair, >> Mr. Dice, >> on the on the last
049item, I'll be very brief. I know there was a prior district review which was completed in 2025. Believe um we received the report May of 2025. Um don't believe we've ever had a um discussion about that district review that was just completed or how we can um take some of the recommendations from that review. I do know the committee at this committee asked for that prior district review after um this current review started that we could review the prior one. I don't believe it is on the agenda tonight even though the committee did vote to discuss it. I think it's important that we um put play that out for the public and um have a discussion on that one as well. And um if we can just get a followup as to it was requested
050by the committee. However, it is not on the agenda for tonight. I yield with that. >> Thank you, Mr. Dus. Um Mr. Mayor, >> Mr. Aar. >> Yeah, rather than just uh scan over what Mr. Das said, I think he raises some valid points. Um we and I understand that it's the superintendent's first day here, but we've had a discussion in the past about this report. The report came out in when it came out in May or June of last year, Mr. Das actually emailed the superintendent at that time and said this raises a lot of questions that we would need to have at a meeting. The answer to that email stated we're going to put it on the June or the next agenda that never made it to any agenda in the school committee.
051That's what Mr. Das is referring to. So, it's very far past the time that we should have had it on the agenda. Fast forward a few more months. I don't think it's appropriate um to not say it. The only reason why they're here right now is because the mayor wrote a three-page letter accusing the school committee of doing unethical things and basically begging the dees to get involved in the last superintendent situation. That is the reason why DEES is here now. So, it's very difficult to just put a positive spin on something that was brought for a reason that nobody really wants to talk about, but that is the fact. I do agree that we need to work together. I'm going to be meeting with them on Friday. I think all the committee members are
052also going to be meeting. Uh, but we can't just scan over the fact that the reason why they're here is not just for that one little review. I don't know any other districts that have a district review in one year and then six months later have another one. And I think it's it's basically targeting the school committee of Fall River based on a superintendent situation that was happening. So I don't think whether it's your conversations, my conversation with him, I'm certainly going to talk about that. We can't gloss over the fact of why we're here. But when you look at the the report that came out, there's actually not very much in it related to what they're talking about now. So they're not coming here just to look at that report and update it. Some
053things in that report we never did. We were supposed to do a different format for the budget. We didn't do it. We were supposed to talk about school councils. I personally asked the superintendent when that came out for a list of all the school councils at all of our schools. And to this day, I still have not received it. So, I think we just need to not gloss over it. Let's all dig in. Let's work together. But make no mistake about it. The reason why they're here isn't just because they want to help. It's because the mayor wrote a three-page letter accusing us of doing things that he shouldn't have done. I yield. >> Well, I, you know, did not want to do this on our superintendent's first night, but the reason that I wrote
054the letter was because we were contacted by the DEESC about um letting go of a sitting superintendent on what was some new members first or second meetings. So, I did put my uh pen to paper and put my opinion on how dysfunctional this committee is. But I can assure you, as Mr. Aguar certainly does with words. I was not begging anybody to come here. They already had their eyes on the city of Fall River. Anybody that watches these meetings knows what goes on regularly with the disrespect, the uh belittling of people that come up here to give their professional opinions, their knowitall attitude from some people on this stage. And if we can make um headway and correcting those, working with our new superintendent, I'm sure we'll all be better for it. >> With that
055being said, Mr. I'd like to move to item number six, approval of the minutes. >> Mr. Chair, >> just briefly just want to respond. Uh when I made a public records request with your um city administration, I wasn't provided any documents relative to Desi reaching out. Is that is that is that in writing? >> No, they called. >> Oh, they called? >> Yeah. They just they called the office. >> Did they call the the mayor's office? Superintendent? >> No, they called me. Okay. I yield. >> Is that all you got? >> Oh, okay. Thank you. Approval of minutes, Mr. >> With that being said, I would just like to uh publicly say that we're going to release the uh the letter to the public that you sent just so the whole public can see. >>
056Thank you for doing that. >> The school committee never even got notice of it, so I think we should just release it for the public so everyone can see it. >> Absolutely. I think it's very important that we move forward with an open and transparent operation. Uh and that's the way we should do it. and I don't disagree with you a bit. Thanks, Mr. Ara. Approval of minutes. Item number six. We have a number of minutes tonight. I would love to do them all at once unless someone has an objection or a hold on any of them. Mr. Dus, >> um this I actually do have a concern with the minutes and when I was um preparing for the meeting um two issues. Um, one doesn't really necessarily give me cause to not approve them,
057but the second reason would. The first reason is some of these minutes appear late and I know we've been dinged by the um, division of open government in the past about the minutes. So, if we can work on our structures of getting these minutes approved to the committee and I don't even believe they need to even come before the committee. they can be approved um by the chair administratively, but if they're going to come before the committee, we have to make sure we're following that that specific timeline the state law allows. Secondly, if um either through the superintendent if um it's normal to have these in the minutes. So, some of these minutes when I know you need to have like a summary of the discussion for each item. For example, I'll go to um
058facilities and operations like these in most of the minutes. It will say please see the meeting video for discussion at 1-19 to 1-3123. I think it would be so much easier just to have the meeting minutes just be the vid the audio video recording of the meeting. So that's the easiest way to find it. I'm not sure if that complies with state law. So, I'm a little hesitant to approve um meeting minutes. And all of these meeting minutes except for the public hearing have that similar format. So, I'm just a little hesitant to approve them tonight because it doesn't have a summary of the discussion of the items. It just refers right to the meeting video. If I can just get some clarification on that, I yield. >> Um Miss M Riley. >> Thank you.
059Um so, Mr. Das, it does comply with the law. These are actually this is how I do my minutes and I shared it with Deborah because she was wrote doing all of the conversation. This allows a member of the public to go specifically to the area of discussion they're interested in. So if they don't want to watch a whole meeting, but they just want to see the discussion on I don't pick something from, you know, who's being appointed this year, they can skip right to that section in the minutes, watch that portion of the video where the discussion is. There's no requirement under the law to summarize discussion. Only the votes are required. So, we're already exceeding the law and the video just allows folks to skip to the parts they want to look at.
060Most people who want to watch the whole video aren't going to go to the minutes. They're going to go to the video and watch the video. But if you want to look at the minutes and pick out the specific sections that you're interested in, this is a much easier route to do that. >> Okay. I respond. >> Thank you. U Miss Riley. Um Mr. Zas, >> thank you. I just um I don't want to necessarily question anyone, but I know it's two different states as well. I did >> in Massachusetts also, Mr. Das, and this is how we did our minutes. >> It it does state in the law you have to have a discussion, a summary of the discussion, but going off of your your guidance on this, I'll vote to approve. >> Remember,
061the discussion is there. It's just on video. >> Are you? >> Thank you both. Um, >> question. >> Mr. Aguia, >> just as we I mean we have a whole bunch here. >> Yep. >> What is the statutory requirement on reading the actual uh time or the minute? Is there any requirement to read like we're approving the minutes from this meeting that meeting or can we do them all the dates? Right. >> Do them all. >> We have to read the dates or can we just do it? >> So, I think you can approve them as a whole. Dr. Smith, do you remember? >> Uh, you can consent if somebody wants to. You're familiar with the consent. >> So if somebody wanted to pull off, as you said, something that needed to be corrected in
062minutes, um a >> make sure there's no statutory requirement to do. >> You can consent to approve. >> Make a motion to approve all 10. Second. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second to approve all 10. Uh Deb, would you please call the role? Any further discussion? Sorry. Deb, call the role, please. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >> yes. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Miss Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. Mayor Cougar. >> Yes. I have three travel requests. >> Motion to approve all three. >> Second. >> Any discussion on the travel hearing? None. Deb, would you please call the role? >> Mr. A, >> yes. >> Mr. Das, >> yes. >> Mr. Cory, >> yes. >> Mr. Monas, >> yes. >>
063Miss Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Coug, >> yes. Uh, item number eight is the acceptance of donations. Um, can I get a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve. >> Second. I have a motion and a second on approving all donations. Uh Deb, would you please call the role? >> Mr. AA, >> yes. >> Mr. Das, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >> yes. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Cougar, >> yes. Now, you usually explain them or are you not ready for that right now? >> I'm sorry. Mayor, would >> you usually explain the donation? >> That's okay. We'll do it this way. >> Okay. But in in the future, you would like all explained. Uh, Superintendent Smith on
064behalf of the Tanzi Elementary School principal Stephanie Brown requests acknowledgement of a $3,000 donation from Satellite Subaru. It will be used for the principles to uh obviously to use in the school at her discretion. Superintendent Smith on behalf of the athletic director Brad Bustin requests acknowledgement of a $1767 donation from the Dery Sports Booster. This will be used for trophies and plaques for the 2425 season. And I think that might be 25 26, but that's okay. Superintendent Smith, on behalf of the elementary school, President Sean Simpson requests acknowledgement of $1,25.85 donation from A-hold deise. This donation will be used for student activity fund to support field trips. Superintendent Smith on behalf of the athletic director Brad Bustin requests acknowledgement of $1,000 donation from Kyle's Cares Foundation. This donation will be used at the discretion of
065the REAL talk club. Superintendent Smith on behalf of the Fonsa Elementary School principal Kate Cobb requests acknowledgement of a $200 donation from Target. This donation will be used to fund the family spring into health family event. And finally, Superintendent Smith on behalf of the Green Elementary School principal Elizabeth Dunn requests acknowledgement of various school supplies on donation from the greater Farva food pantry. and this donation will be used for green students and staff. Thank you all very much. Item number eight is the approval of grants. We have two. Is there a hold on either? >> We need the um the title three. >> Mr. Das wants to hold the first one. The second one building childhood partnerships. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second on building childhood partnerships. Deb, would you please
066call the role on the second one? >> Mia. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yep. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Couan. >> Yes. Uh Mr. Das. >> Thank you. Just so I saw in the back of this program is covering a an summer arrangement camp which is which is good. Um this one you get specifics on how many days per week will the program run? >> Absolutely. I can go through just an overview if that's helpful for you with with some details. Um so this is our MLL summer enrichment camp which we're excited about. This will serve students in grades 1 through 7 um from Green uh Fansa Green Visas Henry Lord Morton and Talbot. Um this
067will run July 6 through August 6th, Monday through Thursday, four days a week. Um it'll actually be 8 a.m. to 2 pm. It'll be uh located physically at Henry Lord Community School in terms of the site we'll be using. Um, and students, um, you know, will be excited to do some project-based learning. So, we really are, um, you know, you may have seen recently on social media in our, uh, MLL programming, students were out collecting trash and doing projects with Save the Bay. And so, we're going to really try to integrate as much hands-on learning during this enrichment uh, program as possible in the summer. >> Thank you. Um, do the students have to um, is there a fee? >> No, there's no fee. >> Okay. Um the only and I'm going to obvious to
068approve this and support um summer enrichment. The one concern I have is last year in the budget we took out um paid funding for many of the enrichment programs. So many students had to pay and families had to pay out of pocket. I don't know if it's something going into >> historically. I think what you're referencing is the dery summer enrichment. That program historically from my understanding Mr. Al me is here has always been a paid program. Um I believe ever since um it's existed I think since the beginning. Um to my knowledge that's the I I think that's the enrichment program you're referencing potentially the one that's housed at Dery. >> So no so prior to um the last summers prior there was no programs that were pri priorly paid for. No students had
069to pay for we paid for it. Now >> we have both. So, we have programs that are funded through 21st century learning grants, um programs funded through these grants. We also have some credit recovery programs that are funded. Um but the specific program at Dery, that enrichment program, to my knowledge, historically has always required payment. >> Thank you. If I can just ask um if we can get an update um later in a week as to what summer programs we'll be offering this summer and what >> I can share a list with the superintendent who can share it with you. Absolutely. >> I asked for it last last year. It was >> Yes. I I actually have one. Um so I can send that over tonight or tomorrow. >> Thank you. Motion to approve. >>
070Second. >> I have a motion to second. Any further discussion on um title three, immigration and youth. Deb, call the role, please. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kogan. >> Yes. Item number 10 is the approval of contracts. We have a number of them. Uh we usually do these in batches, I think, but um I don't know if anybody >> hold the first one. >> All right. We had a hold on Industrial Communications. I have a hold on South Coast Educational Collaborative, >> McGra Hill >> and South Coast Massachusetts Educational Collaborative. Hold on. I got Industrial and those two and McGraill. Mr. Das, >> anything further on the holds
071on contracts? Motion approve uh >> the others the others which >> um >> not the new ones but the all the special education ones. >> All the special education ones and anything but the new contract starting at 102. >> Second. >> I have a motion to second. Dad would you call Oh, >> I do. So the one that you need to hold is SMAC. It's >> Yeah, they're in the second batch I think. No, they're the two that you asked me about were both held. Southeastern Educational Collaborative and Southeastern Mass Education Collaborative. need the Southeast Education Collaborative. Just the one after. >> You don't need the first one. Okay, that one goes through. The only one being held is Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative. Correct. Okay. >> Any others? We do have the others held. Everything
072up to new. Deb, could you please call the role? >> Mr. A? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dus? >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey? >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus? >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley? >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart? >> Yes. >> Mayor KGA? >> Yes. Um, Mr. Aguia, Industrial Communications. just a question on what uh there's a few new ones if what that is and >> Sure. So um again the radios are purchased as we need them um safety security uh we're using them on playgrounds. We're using them in in some of our uh subse um during recess uh to give people access um when we do have uh large groups outside of the building. So as they come in and as the need arises, we um we purchase them. This should be the last one for
073this year uh for this school year. Uh and then we reassess what we have left. Uh a lot of these are upgrades also. So as radios go down um we have been buying new new radios. >> Yeah. I'm just asking because we just had this before us a month ago and it was told to us at the time I thought was everything included. So now we had some additional which I can understand. Uh the question I had at that time was about the RPA building at 290 Rock without either phones not working like I don't think that they have access to the same um some sort of communication ability within the classroom. Any of these for them or they is it going to be a >> No, these these weren't for um for RPA, but
074it would be a separate ask >> and we're working on trying to figure out if what that is. >> We'll get a total as to what they need and and where they need them. will obviously uh if there's any um summer school um activities at that building, they will have the radios by then. >> Yeah. And what I understood at the time was I don't believe the phones work like the other phones in other schools. So they don't either have a phone somehow they need to be able to communicate in case of an emergency. So that's my only reason for it. I do think we need to >> probably purchase a lot of these periodically. So I'm definitely going to support it. I yield. Thank you. I make a motion to approve. >> Second. I
075have a motion to second on industrial communications. Anything further? Deb, please call the role. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey? >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus? >> Yes. >> Miss Riley? >> Yes. >> Miss? >> Yes. >> Mayor Coug? >> Yes. Um, McGra Hill. Mr. Das. >> Thank you. In the backup, it talked about um if there's like if you have if you investigate or you you launch an inquiry and you find out what's if that's the only company that's offering what you want. >> So this this actually is the current curriculum we already utilize. And so what this is is a renewal of the digital licenses because they're expiring. So our teachers in order to plan um effectively in grades K through two, this gives them digital access
076to all of the the um ELA curriculum. So all this is is basically a renewal of that digital access. Otherwise um it would expire for next year and we would not have access digitally for teachers to be able to plan and access that curriculum. >> I understand just just looking I was looking at the backup that was provided. So it says Melissa miscellaneous contract and in part if you I'm assuming mean the district determined in writing after reasonable investigation that there's only one practical source for the items you can go around 30B which is which I'm assuming which we did. What did that process >> do when something comes up whatever is in this curriculum have we looked elsewhere to see if there's anything else like I wouldn't I wouldn't know but understanding is that
077that would have done been done prior because this is a renewal of the current curriculum that we utilize right now. >> So this is your adopted curriculum. >> This is our adopted curriculum and it's just that only the digital access. So we have print but this gives teachers just the um it's basically just digital licenses so they can log on to the programs do their lesson planning um put materials on the Prometheian board. So it's our our current adopted curriculum. >> Right. I guess the the point I would make is um in the age of technology, there's always new curriculums, there's new companies offering different things and I'm just didn't know there was a company similar to this and we're looking around to see if we can get the same type of software, the same
078content for a different price. It's just more of a a systems things that >> Yeah, it this is complimentary to the program that you're providing to students. >> Exactly. >> So, this is the research program. Yes. you know approved by Desi that you and again I'm asking questions myself that you have adopted you know for the district. >> Yes. Absolutely. >> So this is continuation. >> It's just a continuation so that we we can continue with the digital access. >> Yes. >> Right. I just didn't know if the if there's a 30B exemption. I just want to make sure even if it's a continuation I don't think that would for any contract if it's under 30B. Even if it's a continuation I still think we would have to go through those processes. I'm not trying
079to just pick on this necessarily. This one is just more of um a point I've been trying to make with many contracts. But >> yes, in this case, I think the challenge would be is that we have the the core curriculum and so these resources are for that specific curriculum. So I think what we would the challenge it would present would mean that we would be out looking to purchase an entirely new um core curriculum if we were to change this component. It's not necessarily like an interchangeable piece. This is the digital access of the core curriculum we have now. >> So you answered my question. Thank you. Motion to approve. >> I have a motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second. Question. >> Mr. Aia. >> Yeah. Just uh on this
080um document. We haven't received this in in a while, but uh and I'm not um the chair of technology this year, but we have a program that uh I believe can print out or show us the usage amongst all of the online curriculums. And I think we've done a better job over the years where in the past we've had curriculums that we pay for that either we're not using enough or whatever. I would just like to ask through the superintendent to get some sort of update on all of our I think it's a in the computer it's very simple but we don't get those on a regular basis to know that we're using it with fidelity. Are we still using it? Uh rather than just um and I think you understand because I think you've
081actually tried to help with some of this. >> Absolutely. Yeah. If I can I I can respond to that briefly. We have an instructional subcommittee coming up at the end of the month and we're actually bringing forward a couple recommendations on things that we may not choose to move continue with because of sort of lack of usage and so we're really taking a hard look at whether the uh resources that we have are being utilized in the way they should be. So absolutely we can print that out. >> Yeah. The other thing is uh we did have a practice policy practice or whatever that when we were going to start selecting because it was all over the place. We had to rein it in so that at subcommittee we said if someone wants to add
082another online subscription that it has to come to the subcommittee first to digest with the committee so that we could know whether we were going to do it. Uh so that we're not adding just are we adding anything new right now on the fly? >> No >> in ELLL and nothing like that. Uh, not to my knowledge. We're piloting one um program called MOATE um in ELLL, which is like a uh an add-on um just to be able to expense. >> Yes. >> You know, that comes before us. So that all I'm asking is that we continue that practice and bring it to the subcommittee >> to see what it is and not just do what we used to do in the past willy-nilly. Thank you. I yield. >> Can I make a comment, Mayor?
083>> Dr. Smith. I I think you bring up a really good point and and this has happened in many districts I'm in. We should especially looking at a budget make sure that we are aware of all of the programs. This should be a simple spreadsheet uh the success with the programs and making sure if we continue it in the budget that it is something as you said our teachers are using it's benefiting our students and that should be something that we're able to to certainly have you know during the budget process to thank you make sure the committee's aware. >> All right. So I have a motion and second on McGra Hill. Uh discussion further. Deb call the role please. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. D. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. >>
084Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Dor. >> Yes. May. >> Yes. >> Approve. Smeck. >> That was a uh potential conflict. Mr. Aguar. I have a motion. I have a second. Any discussion on smeck? >> De please call the role. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Monas. >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> abstain. >> Mayor Kan. >> Yes. Under contracts new, we have one activating language access. >> Motion to second. >> I have a motion to second on approving the final new contract. Any discussion? Have called the role, please. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes.
085>> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Coug. >> Yes. Final uh committee of the whole 11.1 is a vote to approve school choice for our art of district students in grades 6 to 12 and non-resident students in grade K to five for the for school employees consistent with the collective bargaining agreement for the 26 27th school year presented by Dr. Smith interim superintendent of schools. Uh yes, I I think you're uh we're recommending that you continue with school choice for the the very reasons that I talked about this today with my senior staff. One of the things that we learned early on is you want people to select the Fall River public schools if we have that particular opening which you have obviously researched as a committee. So we are recommending you know to continue
086with the current practice. >> Motion to approve. >> I have a motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second. I have a second and I have a question. Doc, not Miss Stewart. >> Where is Tivetan? >> Rhode Island. >> Yeah. Where is that? Don't we send kids out to Tibetan? >> It's out of it's I'm sorry. I'll talk. It's out of state. So, they're not they're not part of school choice. >> Okay. >> So, they're they're actually part of they're part of our roles and we we pay them tuition for >> So, that wouldn't be on here because we send them out. >> Correct. >> Thank you. >> I have a motion, a second on approval of school choice. Mr. Aguia. >> So, when I looked at the backup, it it looks like
087we have this document that says we don't need to vote on this and then it's here. I I'm just a little confused on um >> you need you need to vote on school choice. >> Yes. >> Voted in the past, >> right? >> I think I I want to say it's before June 1st each year. >> Yeah. No, I I totally agree. >> Yes. >> Last year, we have this letter that's in our backup. >> Why it's in there, I don't know, but it's related to the fact saying that we either either don't have to like I maybe we can just look at it but I've always felt we always had needed to vote but the confusing was last year >> school committee vote >> okay >> so nothing's changing >> no >> yeah sounds
088good >> all right Deb give it a call please >> yes >> Mr. Das >> yes >> Mr. Cory >> y >> Mr. Monus >> yes >> Mr. Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Kogan, >> yes. >> 112 is a discussion and vote to approve the Commonwealth of Massachusetts virtual school cap as presented by who's presenting that Brian. >> Brian. Yes, >> Mr. Michael Lasic. >> Yes. So, uh I was asked to give an overview of the virtual schools. There are two, uh statewide virtual schools, TEKA and Greater Commonwealth Virtual used to be called Greenfield. um combined in the for the state there are about 4,200 seats that any school district can send uh stu students can enroll there just like they would roll you know or transfer to like
089somerset from here they can transfer to one of those two schools our current enrollment combined for those two schools are 133 students as of uh last week for those two schools which is 1.2% 2% of our October 1 number of 11,184. Last year, the school committee voted to increase the cap from 1% to 2%. Last year, we were at 1.3%. Now, we're, you know, just so, you know, a tenth of a point below that. um to increase every district in the state if they don't make a a vote to increase it. They're at 1% by default, but several districts including for have voted to increase it and we're at 2%. It can go high if you chose to do that. That's basically right now we have up to 90 more students could technically go to
090one of those two schools and transfer there to get to that 2% cap. Um, if you choose to lower it, your first opportunity to lower that will be next February because we are required to submit the change by the first week of March each year to to the uh commissioner. Similar to school choice we discovered, it has to be done and voted on by June 1st to continue it or change it. Uh so which we'll get that in you know tomorrow obviously but the um any changes to virtual school caps for forever would have to be next February. >> Any questions or discussion on the virtual school cap? Mr. Das. >> Thank you. Thank you Mr. Michael. Um the the only thing I I I was just a little confused about was last year I
091know I had um a a strong stance on this position. and I still do to this day. I I could maybe it's the information we received back then that we just didn't even have a cap and I know we um I know my Mr. Aguar brought up that we have to we should set a cap because the state has like the 2% so we should match the the 2%. I didn't think we were at 1% we raised it to two. I just thought we just never had a cap. Um but thank you for letting me know otherwise. I I think we should stay as is, especially um I know Tekk a lot of um students, a lot of families in the community really rely on their support with mass um the mass commonwealth um virtual
092school program as well. I think it's just important that um we allow families to send their students to school um virtual schools that best fit the needs of their students. So, I'm not I wouldn't support a decrease to the cap. Um, so I think we should stay as is for this year. That's my That's my position as well. Member, I yield. >> Anything? Mr. Aaron, >> can I just ask why this is on this agenda? >> Why? Yeah. Why? Like what what you just said was that it we missed the deadline of March. So if we would have had to do something before March, why did the admin if if the if they want to change? If there's no change, I don't know why it's on the agenda. Is there are you recommending a change
093or is the administration recommending we change? >> I don't think we're recommending a change. I think we were asked to give the I think last year in last few years we've given um some of this information as part of the school choice ones where Tekk and Greenfield Commonwealth will show up on that as districts that we send and receive from. So I think that was uh when I was asked to give the backup I put this together again. Um subsequent to that I did research that the March 1 deadline we missed um you know several reasons we did it wasn't done but um that's where we are. So if you want to change it obviously it could be for next year but this is like bonus information for >> yeah no I understand on the
094agenda it just says discussion and vote to approve but there's not backup saying or recommendation so I was a little confused. So basically this is justformational only. We don't need to vote to approve anything and um I'll stay in firm that we need to stay at the 2%. And the reason why >> right now for this year coming up and if I'll put a calendar note that we discuss this again and >> yeah I mean we I've said over and over we have a class size crisis amongst our elementary schools specifically. And I still don't think that's not a problem. That's still a crisis as far as I'm concerned. So, can you imagine if we had a 1% cap and we didn't have I mean, it's down lower, but at one point at the beginning
095of the year, we were at the 2%. I had a constituent call that wanted to enter and they said, "No, you're at your 2%." So, we don't have any room under the current situation. Our class sizes are 2728 and or higher. So, I'm not voting for to change it, but I'm glad you you said that. I could uh point out that one thing that'll be different for this year coming up versus the past year where we did you know increase it to 2% is that >> we are also submitting I believe an application to be one of the 10th single district virtual school that is in the state. These are two statewide ones but like you know Taton has one, Springfield and several other communities. We have an application I believe to make that a
096virtual school for us. So that may based on the enrollment there as we get the new school year going that may make a different conversation come February we decide to either increase decrease or stay status quo. >> But so what you're saying is that the the two other schools in our own virtual school will be subject to the same two specific >> the one that we have internally that we're applying for that could have 10,000 kids in if you want to. There's there's no cap on that. So it doesn't it's not relevant to this discuss >> but in terms of if the school is successful and approved for far version of that uh virtual school if we recruit kids to go to that program versus going to tech or or Commonwealth Greenfield then that within
097our district we get the full foundation budget and so on whereas >> no I so >> so so we're competitive with these these other online platforms and we'll be able to keep the students in district. It's a very positive thing for the district. I totally agree. We've been talking about that for a long time. So, just put it on the radar before March, I guess, is the moral of the story. Thank you. Are you >> Good point. Thank you. >> So, we we don't need to vote on this tonight, Brian. Okay. Next item up on the agenda >> is 114. Discussion and first read. No, I'm sorry. No, 113 is a discussion and vote to approve redistricting as presented by Liz Galt, interim deputy superintendent of schools. Mr. G. Well, I I would say I
098want to thank uh the community. We've been out uh for the last two weeks um presenting on redistricting for the district of Fall River and we had we had a good turnout. Um we also did a a an all comers meeting on Monday here at Dery High School. The turnout wasn't great. Um but we have uh been out to all of our elementary uh level schools. We went to four elementary schools. Um and we came here to Dery to talk about uh redistricting for the district of Fall River. Uh this has been discussed for the last two years um in the district prior to my uh coming or the superintendent. I did put um we gave you the backup in your binders um or that you received of what we spoke about at all of
099the meetings on our uh presentation. And on the last couple of pages, I would let Bri uh Brian uh speak to um the maps, knowing the maps a little bit better. I do think it offers opportunity and access across the board to all of our all of our our students, especially uh the K through8 schools. Um this is it's never easy when you talk about redistricting. It's never easy when we talk about movement. It's never easy when a family um has been in a school for uh with two or three kids or or have placement in another building and I understand that. However, we are we do have enrollment in some schools that is very high enrollment in other schools that has leveled off. Class sizes as you just pointed out are 27 28. we
100feel that we could have a better opportunity to get them uh a little bit more equity across the board and that's something that you know I came in too late but I have been out talking and my my biggest part of this um redistricing plan is the communication and trying to get and trying to communicate with our parents and if they we understand that some parents are do not want to move their their children our students and we understand that and we're offering to get the transfer in as soon as possible. and we uh Brian and the team at Pace, I want to thank them. They were there every night uh with us to to talk about the redistricting plan that we're if you could get your transfer uh request in as soon as possible
101by June 1st. This team will get back to your family to let you know if the request um will stay uh if we can accommodate and uh Lori Oberin, Dr. Overton from special education will be part of those conversations and that was a lot of the conversation of my my son or daughter's been in this program. What's going to happen to the program? We want this is early enough where if they send if you send in a request the district will look over the request and we'll try to honor the request. Um these are difficult conversations. we know when we start moving around or we start saying there's not going to be a bus here or there's not going to be a bus here or we're going to offer buses or we're not offering buses.
102All of these types of conversations are difficult for parents to hear. Um but this conversation and I also sent backup from which um I asked for to send to you that has been over the last years and how many the surveys that we sent out the time frame in November of 2024 there was surveys sent out there was uh elementary surveys middle school parent surveys um we've talked about it uh uh surveys uh from the budget priorities from 25 to 27 that are in about redistricting and what this can do for us um if we were to do do those things. I also did a narrative um for the Fall River public schools that was sent out to our families and why uh why we are reassigning why what are the options of K through8
103model um to be clear early ongoing communication. We're not saying we're not listening. We certainly don't want to tell anybody that we won't um support keeping a student at a building if it if it becomes a hardship for a family. We understand that. But we have to have open communication and transparency. We're listening and we want to we want to support those transfer requests or no transfer request um if a parent gets it into us by June 1st. Pace is working on it. Um I know Lor's team is working on it. We're all working on it. Brian uh did a terrific job. Um the maps were a little bit confusing on one of the days and I asked Brian to go back redo the map to make it look a little bit um look easier
104for some of our families um and for me uh to understand them. He did that and we have sent this out. It's on our website >> to look at these maps and we are receiving telephone calls and questions emails on a daily basis and we're we're we're responding. Mr. Mr. >> Chair, >> Mr. Corey. >> So, thank you. Uh, just um I realize I I the whole idea of redistricting makes a lot of sense, especially from a financial efficiency point of view. There are going to be some hangups though that I I would like to um bring up. Um, as far as 504 kids are concerned, what do we do in that case? These are questions that did come up this week. So, >> oh, sorry. >> I've asked Lori and all of us to
105be part of the conversation. >> Certainly. >> 504s are general education um documents, legal documents that provide accommodations for students with disabilities who don't require specially designed instruction. Those accommodations are required to be provided at every school in our district. So that would not preclude a student from going to their neighborhood school just because they have a 504. >> Okay. Um there's going to be a little bit of, you know, there's going to be some hangup with that. I have another question. Um socialization, especially in the early grades, is incredibly important to a school child. Uh so when a child is in fourth grade and um asked to move to a new school and they they don't they don't uh pass to the next grade with their you know their partners into fifth grade and
106that's generally the end of their elementary years. Is that that to me just looks like a hangup. Is there any way that that's being looked at? Has that been discussed? >> We are going to look at all of those specific situations. Our recommendation honestly is for parents to complete the transfer request form so it's on our radar, right? Um we certainly understand that there will be some families who may have to move and we will work with them and their children to set up a transition. whether you're special education or regular education, of course, we want to support students and families with a smooth transition. So again, once we have specific families that will be impacted because remember, and I said this at one of our um our parent forums was not every student who
107is outside of their neighborhood school is going to go back to their neighborhood school. For example, I spoke with a family. Henry Lord fifth grade is already at capacity. We would not move fifth graders back from a different school to a Henry Lord even though they're outside of their neighborhood school because we have to take into consideration all of those pieces. So, I do think that once we have identified specific uh families that will be impacted by this, then those are the conversations we will have. If they're on our transfer um request forms, we will go through that. But otherwise, we can have individual conversations with those families to talk about what does a transition plan look like or if there are particular hardships that the superintendent want to consider, we certainly will. I just
108don't want to get ahead of ourselves in in making situations. I'm not asking you to get ahead of yourself. I'm concerned about the psychosocial factors of the elementary school child. Right. We have school adjustment counselors, school social workers, seal leaison in every single building in Fall River. Um, again, there's other ways that we can support this like if we know a street that a child lives on and there's another child, I don't know, on the next street over and they're at that school the student's going to be going to, we might be able to reach out to that family and say, "Hey, would you mind if we introduce your two children?" Like, there are other things that we can do. Of course, we have staff who think about those things and will support however the
109situation um unfolds. >> I'll I'll wait with baited breath. Thank you. I yield, >> Mr. Chair. >> Mr. Das, >> thank you. Um I echo some of my colleagues um concerns here. Um, so I guess I will start off with saying I I think um this administration here in looking at the backup did very well with having I thought it was the right move to have meetings in person, reaching out directly to families um and hearing their concerns. I believe we're doing the right thing right now. looking at the backup that you provided. July of 2025, we had survey. Um, November 2025 was our budget priorities. November of 2024 was a budget planning survey. We did not have in-person meetings all of this year, and we haven't had any concrete proposals to change maps. We've
110only had surveys. We haven't really communicated with parents up until now. And I believe if you were all here for the past year, the past two years, this would have been taken care of. With that being said, it's April. I mean, now we're in May 5th, May 6, and I think this is just last minute to um make moves like this. I would be more comfortable and and I mentioned this to the administration if there was a grandfather clause for students that are within their schools because I don't think that's fair for a student that is there where for whatever reason and they want to stay within their school to have to um move schools. I know there's some specific reasons like I know with IEPs you need to have the appropriate um staff and
111and things of that sort within the schools. That's a little bit different. But with just um with other students having them move to no fault of their own in like like if it's a fourth grade or um a seventh grade. I don't think that's fair. I did ask I don't know if we have the numbers specifically on how many students could be um affected by this. I did ask for that backup. Do we have the numbers? >> We do. Yes, we do. >> I I would just like to address that comment, Colin, if I may. Mr. First of all, I appreciate you acknowledging that this team the the team has gone out and and had public conversations with our parent meetings. I think it is critical for the district to continue to get out and
112talk about growth, our programming. the superintendent has acknowledged it two or three times this evening about getting out talking about different state of the school address uh state of the union or state of the school address um where we are in the budget uh that is something that I've been saying I I think I'm three and a half weeks or today is my month anniversary on May 6th they started April 6th I agree with you that the leader should be out in front and talking and we've try and I have done that for the last couple of weeks. Redistricting came to my uh focal point at one point where they said, "We're, you know, we've been working on this. We've been doing this for two years. We really need to get there." I just offer
113two two thoughts. I I understand that parents, community members will say this is a hardship. You can grandfather this this year, you can grandfather this next year. Every year we will have parents that will come forward and say, "Please don't redistrict. Please don't move. Please don't have don't do this." And we we will understand that. But at some point, whether it's this year, next year, or the following year, whatever the school committee decides, um how we move forward with redistricting at some at no matter when we go to redistrict, there will always be an SEAL issue, a specialized program issue, a building issue, a transportation type of issue. And and parents get involved with their schools and PTO's and PTAs and love their teachers and I understand that and that's why we want to have
114communication and we are asking for parents to contact us now. Let us we've got I don't know how many school days till June tw June 1st or how many it's May 6 26 days 27 days left 28 days till June 1st if we can get to June 1st and let's see how many parents contact us if it's overwhelming we can't handle it I do believe this team can handle it but maybe we come to you and say this may not be the right direction this year We're asking we'll take some more time, but I ask you to give the latitude to this team. Give us some time. We'll continue to go out if we need to. We will continue to ask and I have asked I don't know if I've been at every meeting. I
115want to thank Mrs. Stewart. She was at a meeting. Mr. Dus, you came to a meeting. Um, you came you you saw the parents, people asked you questions. I know they they they saw both of you. I think Mr. Das, you were at two meetings. Um, my biggest message was we're going to communicate. We're going to listen. We're going to hear you and we're going to do the best for your child. All I ask is to We've got numbers here. I think Kevin has some. Not yet. They're they are working on buses. I I have asked for um the transportation on the costs and what would what would it be like if we were to move buses or take a bus offline? What would the financial um uh backing be on that? Would there be
116a savings? Would there be an addition? But to that point, we do have some enrollment numbers. But on the other hand, I don't we have not had a lot of push back at this point, Mr. Das. We don't I we haven't there may be a few, but our office has not been the superintendent's office on on Dr. Smith's side. my office. Um, from what I'm hearing from, uh, Pace, it has not been overwhelming nor inundated with calls or emails at this time. So, we're asking if this is the first reading of it or if it's if you hold your vote, we have a meeting on June 3rd, we would have on June 1st, a better indication of how many people that are asking to move or not to move. at this point. We It has
117not been an overwhelming um or inundated call center at this time. And so I would just >> I appreciate your answer. >> Yeah. And I let Brian talk about the numbers. >> Uh I just wanted to point out um this is a multi-year plan. We the drawing of the maps, we didn't do major changes to the maps. There are you know basically 40 not 40 but um many parts of the city that we did change uh some big some small. Beveris and Henry Lord having the biggest uh two schools for the elementary level are being uh changed. We've looked at data all year. We've been looking at data and watched our enrollment over the you know several years go up up up and up. And now we're at a point now that we're plateauing. So
118for example this every month we do enrollments and withdrawals. So we had 61 enrollments this past month and 77 withdrawals. So we're you know negative9 there whereas last year we were plus 33 for the last for from January through the end of April this year we are 157 kids less between the enrollments and the withdrawal. So we're actually plateauing. If I went back two years ago the increases were double and triple those numbers to you know to our good. So now we're one of the reasons why we're saying this is multi-year because a any grade level any uh neighborhood that has a change may not work for every single grade level within that neighborhood. Meaning that in grade three we may have the room to move them back and you know we will make that
119you know the the the attempt and in other cases it could be like you said with Henry Lord that lawyer said we may not be able to do that and they'll be able to stay. We're opening up the request process the two sorry the permit process much earlier than we ever have before we're guaranteeing to review it earlier >> than we have before and make those decision in the on >> want to point that out that you know we're doing a lot of different changes besides neighborhood schools there things with EML ELLL dual language special needs classrooms you know a lot of different things are happening that will affect um identifying more classrooms we can add more you know more neurotypical classrooms uh to our schools. All the pre-kare relocating to Conley. Um the dual
120language moving to green will open up space at Various. We have a thousand kids who could live in Various that live in Various neighborhood that could go there if we have the space. We only have less than 500 that live in Various going there. So we're trying to get more kids back to their neighborhood school as an overall theme. But obviously parents will always have that right to request a permit and we'll review it. It's not a quick review. It's a review by a lot of people and it's, you know, >> it's a long meeting, >> right? And I think just to your to to the administration's point is um we've had in the past, we finally last year straightened up the policies around transfer requests. So, I'm hopeful and I'm positive that will be
121um strictly followed that we don't run into this mess in the future. And of course, we need kids, we need students, we want them going to their neighborhood schools. We want to make the maps equitable and right, and we want to, of course, lower cost. So, that's most important. If I can just ask a follow-up question on um did we the budget we just approved? What did did we take into account any proposed um um redistricting when we passed this budget or should we going to need any budgetary changes >> at this time? We're not going to need any additional changes. No. >> So, the budget we passed was an anticipation of possible redistricting. >> Yes, that's been accounted for. >> Okay. Um last question is um I have a targeted question on transportation and
122this actually comes from the meetings. I did email about this is um the dual language program they um how does the transportation work? Do they do do they follow like the policy um of like one and a half or whatever the the number is specifically or >> Yes. So, with the program being moved, if it moves to green, uh any student that lives more than one mile from the school would then qualify for transportation. >> Okay. Um has that been the case this year? >> Yes. >> So, um it's not it wasn't it wasn't a free-for-all with the transportation? >> So, at currently any student that lives more than one mile from a will get busted. >> Okay. Thank you. I yield. Uh, Miss Stewart, >> I just when we learned about the when we
123talked about the redistricting like a month ago, I thought we we were told that the fourth graders that are now that's going into fifth grade would be able to stay at the schools. Is that not the case >> for this plan? And we're following the same recipe we did for the last time we redistrict which was the West all school opening up to alleviate fonsis um in which fourth and fifth grade fourth did move to fifth grade and we also did the same recipe when we did Henry Lord as a community school about 10 years ago the students did move and again the parents will have the right to stay but um that is the plan for this year we're submitting is that they are going to move at all grade levels and then parents
124can request the permit and we'll review I just thought that that's what we had discussed. That's what you guys had told us when we had talked about it a month ago. >> I'm not sure I was at that meeting, but I just know the the many many meetings we've had over the past year and many in the last two months. That was the outcome internally on our end. I'm not sure if it was something that was supposed to be separate from um the previous superintendent or someone else. Um but obviously that's subject to you changing that if you wish. >> Okay. I >> Mr. Chairman, >> anything for Mr. Corey? >> So, so if there is a child of a fourth grader, a parent of a fourth grader and uh they they petition you before
125June 1st uh on behalf of their child, is there a chance that their their request would be approved? >> In many cases, it will be granted. I'm not saying there will be, you know, but again, based on the reason that they're asking for the request, um the three reasons you could ask for request is basically um sibling in the school from a a district program like special ed or ELLL um hardship or um just because you want to like you went to TANY and you want to be a Tany um so um your kids be a Tanzy person. So those are things that we do again look at their a lot of factors but you know it is I understand it does stink that kids will have to move schools but um I think they'll
126the kids will bounce back and be fine in the end because many schools you know will reach out earlier and do their ice cream socials and popsicle socials sooner rather than later and make them you know welcome but um again we are following the same recipe we did with Westall and previously with Henry Lord. So yeah, I'm I'm I understand that there's a lot of moving parts. What I'm asking for your team to to keep in in in the front is the social emotional factors of all of this and the sensitivity of each child in all of this. That's what I'm concerned about. Thank you. I yield, >> Mr. Agua. >> So I've heard uh just today they've been working on this for years and this is not Is this something that got thrown into
127the new deputy superintendent and superintendent? But trust me when I tell you and the minutes and the meetings can tell you if you talk to your team, these people have worked tirelessly for several years. Picture how frustrating that is to go to work every day, try to get the solid numbers to be a professional to make sure that we're given plenty of time for people to understand what's going on. And we still can't make a decision. several years to do a redistricting when we know we have students that live two blocks away from one school that that school's filled up. So, they have to bust that student across the city and pay because we filled up the school. This I just can't believe that we're even finally getting to this because I've been so disheartened
128by the fact that we couldn't make a decision for years. So, I applaud you all for what you're doing. the issues that we talk about though filling up this is complicated and we can't take willy-nilly votes in my opinion without trusting what the administration is doing that they know the backstory on each and every one of these for instance I'm sure people aren't aware that if you have a situation like I just mentioned and that person had to be transported the pay center actually tells that family you're going to that school we're going to pay for the transportation now but if there is an opening in your school you're no longer going to get that transportation There's these little pieces that we all don't necessarily know that the minutia of every single situation, but I
129think it to me it's a good part of governance. Good governance. We talked about it with the DEESC is doing what we did at the last meeting. What we voted on at the last meeting by this full committee was to allow the professionals sitting before us and the redistricting team to do what they needed to do in the best interest of kids in this district and make sure that they're going to do what they have to do because we can't keep kicking it down the road. The deputy superintendent said if we don't make the decision now, next month we're going to make it. Next year we're going to make it. But we actually voted last month to give you all the authority, which is good governance to say you all know the details. You make
130the best decisions for the schools and we're staying out of it. So I'm not even sure why we even have this on here to vote again because as far as I'm concerned, we voted to give you that authority. And every single question that's come up from Mr. Corey, Mr. disas or the public or anybody I have confidence that all the people sitting out there know full well the needs what's going to happen here the hardships there's going to be that level of uh you know individualized listening caring about people caring about kids nobody wants to pull a kid out of a class for their last year uh the hardships are going to come in the the notes are going to come in but as a school committee I think we need to take a stand
131and say we're allowing the administration to do what they need to do so as far as I'm concerned I don't think we need to vote, but if we have to, I'm supporting the administration to make the best decisions for the kids and the families. So, if we want to take them, if we're going to vote, even though we say vote, it says discussion and first read. >> No, approve. >> Oh, discussion. I'm sorry, I was on the wrong one. I was on the long What I'm saying is we voted last month to approve. >> Okay. So, >> I got a question, too. Um, do the people know the students that are being moved right now and those families, have they already been contacted about where the students going to end up? >> No, actually, so
132based on a favorable uh approval tonight, we have an action plan starting tomorrow morning on several fronts, special ed, ELLL, uh, PACE, transportation, in which we're going to start to identify the students that we definitely have to contact. On Friday, every single school community will get a separate unique one pager through parent square that's translated. It gives them all the outlines of all the changes for their schools as well as links to the maps that shows any changes. If they had expensive board, you'll see these uh you know fonts, you'll see these uh and that way everyone's being notified up front and it'll have the transfer request uh form in there as well as well as you know a lot of other things specific to that school. And then we'll spend the next two weeks
133going through the students we think candidates to move. We're going to be moving the dual students you know officially. we will move into sub subseitially and also identifying um as a team which is basically Sydney C and Pace Deon transportation myself and several others and we go over all the different grade levels and rooms and we have all kinds of things to actually so know we're doing >> I I got I got one other question just one number uh Bri how many kids are we talking about moving rough estimate >> without you know being I think there'll be a few hundred at at a minimum some that are actually moving because of neighborhood reasons, neighborhood changes to the zones. Um the rest would be because, you know, district programs are, you know, becoming, you know,
134they move from Spencer to Sylvia to put the whole program at Sylvia versus two different sites. >> And I want people to know >> a few hundred. I don't think it won't be thousands and it won't be >> okay. >> Um the middle school has very minimal changes to it. Um so that's not really changing much. Okay. Our goal was to get, you know, Morton down by 50 students for next year because it's already 120 over their opening capacity. Um, and the elementarymentaries we were very strategic how we did it. And, you know, again, we want to take the next year to see the enrollment changes and then come back possibly. And again, like you said, this should be done on a regular basis. Every, you know, year be reviewed and um, unfortunately I retire
135in a year. So, who does it after that? I don't know. But at least I'll be be available as Right. My my last question. Um, as someone that's been to Westall a couple times, I thought that whole transition worked out very well. I I uh there was not a lot of negativity associated with it when those those initial students may have felt the shock of transferring schools, but when you go in there now, um, the place is humming along. >> I think we did even though we moved a lot of students out of Fansa back into the new Westall. Yeah. One of the reasons why I think it was so successful and why some of the reasons we're doing with some like the Henry Lord and Bavarious areas is because >> those students lived in
136that neighborhood. And so to them it's like now they're walking >> blocks to Westall versus you know walking 810 of a mile to >> um Bonsa. So I think it was it made a natural easy. I to this day I think that's one of the nuttiest things I ever heard since I've been on the committee when we ask going to ask elementary school students to walk from Dery Street to Fza which to me is halfway across the city. I thought it was you know because of the uh geographic mile lines. I said we're we must be out of our mind but Mr. Chair >> keep up the good work. Congratulations. Keep going. Mr. Cory >> just one more brief question. Um, Madame Deputy Superintendent, did I hear you say that maybe uh we could discuss
137this again at the June 3rd meeting? Uh, for some reason or other, I just don't want to feel rushed on this vote. >> I I believe it says for vote. >> It's up for vote. >> It was vote. What I'm saying, you're the I mean, superintendent, they're the school committee. >> Why is it >> This would be the second reading, I think. >> Huh? >> This the second read. first reading, but on the fir on the last meeting, >> I I I'm getting conflicting news here. >> We've already voted to approve the redistricting. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, I don't know why we have discussion. >> I just I I I just for one, speaking for myself, I feel um only I'm in I'm in agreement with the entire plan. I just want want to
138be able tonight. >> The parents of any affected child to be able to, you know, see what they have to do. >> You got to have confidence in the ability of our >> I do. I have a lot of confidence in their ability. >> Our counselors and our staff to do what's right and work with those special cases and do what's best for the district. I I I if I'm with Kevin, if we have already voted, I don't know why it's back as a discussion and vote. Mr. uh Das, >> I'm I'm in agreeance. I think just um just an idea just to call my colleagues concerned at the next meeting maybe just a superintendent's update on um how the transition has happened so we can be kept in the loop. I think >> absolutely
139I I fall, you know, in line with with the the superintendent's adage that she said communication is is key >> to our the way we operate and I think it will we will communicate as you can see um just in the short time working with the team um that I have we've I thought we're working well together and we're coming in we're streamlined and you know I've always worked by the six Ps you know, prior preparation prevents, you know, poor performance >> and the more prep that we have, the more organized we get, the more welloiled machine we will be. I can tell you that the teachers and the team behind the the sit next to me or behind me, however you want to uh say that, they're going to work hard. They're going to
140make sure that this is is an easy transition and we're supported and we'll do the best that we can. We're going to pre we will we will we will prepare we will organize we'll be well managed and we come back again I'll have more information >> Dr. One of the things I want to say to the school committee and that this is very difficult and I can assure you of a couple of things. Uh one is if this information is going out to parents let's say Friday we'll make sure in your packet that you receive and I haven't had a chance to talk to you about the communication packet we will have information because I assure you you will get some phone calls. So to make sure you have that information. Number two I do
141not know coming in but having had a parent registration center you have pace here. This is obviously a little different with the redistricting, but hopefully you're getting a presentation each year. And usually this is a good time if you had to talk to you about people that have requested, you know, changes. It talks to you about the, you know, enrollment at each school. So hopefully that's something that we do on a regular basis is have that kind of a presentation to the school committee. But thank you for supporting the team. You know, they appreciate that. You know, I really appreciate that and and we'll continue to keep you updated. And you know, uh, Mr. Corey, I having been a school adjustment counselor, I have great faith in the schools, in the principles, and there are
142going to be some students that have difficulty transition. >> I do. I do as well, Dr. Smith. I have a lot of faith in them. >> Yeah. But thank you for bringing that up. >> Okay. >> Mr. Mayor, >> Mr. Aar, >> I still believe that we voted, but instead of that, just to make it clear, I'm going to make a motion to vote to approve the redistricting as done by the administration. >> Second. >> I have a motion, a second on on item number 113. Uh, obviously we've discussed it enough. Deb, would you please call the role? >> Miss Jaga? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dus? >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey? >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus? >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley? >> Yes. >> Stewart? >> Yes. >> Mayor Cook? >> Yes. Item 114 is
143discussion is the one is a discussion and first read of the following policies that were referred by the policy subcommittee and presented by Colin Das school committeeman. Mr. Das. The first one is powers and duties BBA. Thank you. Just give me one second to pull it up. Quick question um through the chair through the clerk. The proposed job description that attached to BBA. >> Yes. Thank you. So the committee with this um policy here, the only change we made was just to clarify that we're the school committee attorney and the administrative assistant to the school committee is within the purview of the school committee. Other than that, I don't believe there were any other changes to the policy. If um >> I I have uh Mr. Dus, I have a question. >> Sure. the uh
144second to the last line or the line before legislative or policym the committee takes a broad view of his functions uh that was added in what what does that mean >> BBA >> I believe it says uh BBA right here >> I don't see anything >> it says school committee powers and duties Please >> am I wrong? BBA >> BBA >> committee takes a part of doing it functions. >> I think that is the um the MASC proposed policy. We didn't >> Yeah, but I thought that this one >> I don't believe we changed anything. >> This one this is here. >> It doesn't have that. Oh, I It takes a broad they took the paragraph and realter it. Mr. Dice, I got my answer. Thank you. >> Thank you. So, I would like to
145make a motion and the reason and I think we should get away from first reads of policies. We're going to be having a lot of policies. We're going through a lot and if we go through first reads and second reads, we're going to have a lengthy agenda. If there's no objection, I'd like to make a motion to pass policy BBA through all readings and to amend the draft job description as drafted. >> I'll second. Is this the um are we on the administrative assistant to the um >> Yes. >> Yeah. So the administrative assistant is this being clarified within policy that they report directly to the school committee and I should have talked about the um job description. So to make the policy the job description compliant with policy if that's the committee's role we're
146just changing up the language to be that the administrative assistant to the school committee will report to the school committee or design design evaluated by the school committee in consultation with the superintendent >> we take these can we take these individuals >> it's a little clearer like I'm looking at BBA >> I'll make a motion to pass BBA through all readings. >> Mr. Aguar. >> So in BBA is the actual policy. Underneath that there's two job descriptions. What I'm asking is if we can just do the job description separate so we know exactly what we're voting on. So policy BBA is that the one that the mayor was referencing. What is the only change in that? I'm asking to take three votes I guess. Is is there a change to that original? >> Nothing has
147changed. BBA the only thing that's changed within the policy is just clear that the administrative assistance reports to the school committee we we use the updated MASC >> but there's no language changes in but we need a vote on that >> EBA by itself >> so what the policy subcommittee is doing what what Mr. Das was talking about is we're going to be reviewing all the policies in cycle so even when we don't make a change we'll bring it to the committee so it can be updated but I agree with Mr. dies. If we're not making any changes, we could probably skip a multiple read. When we have changes, we will probably still need to do a first read and then a second read, but we're not making any changes to the policy. We're simply
148saying we've reviewed it. It's updated and we'd like to repost it with the new date on it. >> So, we need a vote for that. >> Yes. just on the one >> if I can respond. I believe we didn't make a it was we just used the updated MASC um language which removed administrative assistant to the school committee. That was the only change >> but that's not written in the policy. That's just in the job description. So I think Mr. I guess that let's just vote on the policy separate. >> From what I'm understanding, you're saying is so that in the policy manual, it will say as voted by on May 6th, 201 policies that date back to 2010, if not older at least. So this way everything's in a fiveyear cycle. >> I agree.
149I just think it makes sense to do the one and then each job description separate. >> Yes. So I make a motion to approve um policy BBA um through all readings. >> Second. >> We we have a motion to second on approving the policy BBA. Any further discussion? De call the role. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Coug. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Chair, I'd like to make a motion to approve the um proposed administrative assistance job description to conform with the new school committee approved policy as drafted in the backup. >> I had a question on that one too, but I'm probably going to be wrong. Report. Who's
150the design, Mr. Das? >> It's school committee or designate. I was going to take a third vote on that designate, but it's it's the school committee. is our administrative assistant. It just makes sense that they report to the school committee. That's what the subcommittee. >> Yeah, but it says school committee or designate. >> Yes, the school committee can designate a designate if it chose to >> give me an example of who we designate for that. >> Oh, you Stewart, someone let me know what you're talking about. >> So, what happened is we put both of them here. There's two of them here because the old one who was the previous um clerk had that's what it had in there. That was the language that was there. So, we just moved the language that was there
151from the old one to the new one is why it said designate before. That's the only reason why it it just moved it over. >> I just don't know who the design would ever be. >> I agree. >> Okay. >> I'm just saying that's the reason that's where it came from was the old language from the old one. >> That's the only thing I see. Do we have a motion and second on that job description? >> Second. >> Deb, give it a call on the chairman. Mr. Mr. Cory, >> if I could ask my colleague just to explain what this role is. It's it's >> I just want an appra appraisal on the role. >> Thank you. As Miss Stewart um just um stated, we just approved a policy and the job description for the
152administrative assistant is just to conform with the policy we just approved which is the position we just report to the school committee or designate evaluated by school committee in consultation with the superintendent. The changes as you see are highlighted on the second page as well. >> Yeah, >> that is the only change to the job description. >> I see. Uh so my question to you is um is this uh an additional person or who we already have? It would be whoever's filling the position which is Mr. >> That's it. Thank you. That's the clarification I needed to hear. Thank you. I yield. >> Anything further? >> I have a clarification on that. On a day-to-day basis, the uh administrative assistance reporting to the superintendent should >> be the designate. >> All right, Miss Riley. >>
153That's what I was going to say. I I think over the last several years, overlapping responsibilities have been given to the school committee secretary. And as we discussed earlier, we have a lot of meetings, a lot of subcommittee meetings, and a lot of minutes. Um, and we were just trying to clarify so that she's not assigned jobs that aren't necessarily assigned to the school committee, which is why the the shift. >> And I'd like a chance to review. >> You got it. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Uh, Deb, call the role, please. >> So, can we >> Okay, Mr. A. >> So, is this a first read based on what >> be a first read so that Dr. Smith can take a look at it? >> So, we don't vote. >> No, it's
154I think it's going to be um either the motion was made. So, that has to be withdrawn or >> Mr. Chair. >> Yep. Mr. D, >> um I threw you to Dr. Smith. Do you see any just with this one change? Do you do you see Would you like additional time to review this or >> I think you can take a first read. I'm just read on it. Okay. >> Okay. I'll make I'll withdraw my motion. I'll make a motion we um pass it through first read. >> Okay. Next item. Mr. Das, >> we have to take a second and vote. >> This is It's a little confusing. I think we take a vote on the first read >> just so it's on the record that we did the first read. >> Right. >> Okay.
155Let's take a vote on the first read. We >> I have a motion to do the first read. Do I got a second? Second. >> All right. Go ahead. Give it a call. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yeah. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes. >> M. Stewart. >> Yes. >> May. >> Yes. Next up, Mr. Das. >> Thank you. Policy BDG. Um, we just used the updated MASC language. I believe there was very little to any um, substantive changes into the policy. It's just the updated MASC language around um, school attorney. I just like to take a specific note as to I I've had issue with this in the past specifically around um, routine legal assistance and which doesn't require school committee approval.
156I just hope and and I'm confident going forward that this policy will be followed to a tea. However, there was um we have in the in the backup we have the old language from 2010 which hasn't been changed and now we have the new updated MAC language which again doesn't have basically any substantive changes to it. So I'll make a motion to approve through all reads. >> I have a second Mr. Mr. side. >> You know, maybe I could help a little bit on this. Um, as the committee knows, I've haven't asked for a an extension of my contract or a uh a new contract, and I don't intend to so that I can weigh in on this without fear of any conflict in a bias. Uh, with respect to uh the school committee uh
157policy over here, it doesn't seem to be anything that's really changed at all. Uh the only thing I would recommend is you put corporation council instead of town council in your your new uh uh policy, but I do understand that you're looking to see uh and and rightfully so make some changes in terms of uh what the needs are of the of the department and looking at it in terms of of the number of attorneys, what positions they would have as well as whether it would be by contract or by uh on an hourly basis. and I would be uh available to assist the the uh uh either the subcommittee or the full committee with respect to that. I just caution everyone to be careful when you do it on an hourly basis because I
158know that if there was an hourly basis on my contract over this past three years, thanks to Mr. Mishan and his MTA people, uh I'd probably be somewhere in the vineyard right now. uh and uh you guys would have somebody else up here, but uh I just caution you on that. Uh if there's any assistance I can bring to the table, I certainly will. And uh best to all. Thank you, >> Mr. >> I'm just looking at the backup and I don't see anything in yellow. U I see two policies, two pages. >> The only thing we had corrected was it shouldn't say town council. That just for some reason didn't come through. That was the only change we made it. it. We changed it to corporation council, but that for some reason that just
159didn't that was the only change that was made to that policy. That policy is the same as it was before. Yeah. >> No changes. >> So, um do we have a motion? Um just want to clarify and we also changed the word town to corporation. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> I have a motion, a second. >> De call the role. >> Who made the motion? I'm sorry. I know. Kevin made second. >> Yeah. >> Who second it? >> Kevin. >> Okay. >> I mean Mr. Yeah. Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dice, >> yes. >> Mr. Cory, >> yes. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Kugan, >> yes. >> Thank you. Next item is um policy BAA, which is the evaluation
160of school committee operational procedures. Just want to quickly thank my colleague u Miss Riley for um mobilizing the evaluation subcommittee to really take this head on. And I agree with her with my colleagues prior comments. I believe it's really good that we have a um rubric that we go through to um self- evvaluate and approve. The only question I had just in preparation for this meeting um through the chair to my colleague of chair of evaluation subcommittee the the language in here I know the the rubric and I support the rubric. I'm going to support that when it comes up. The rubric itself, I believe, is just a little different than the policy itself. Um, I don't know if we should change the language just to match your rubric or we just keep it as
161is, just so it's um just so it makes sense. >> Go to your advice on it. I just we simp we simplified I simplified the rubric when I met with the evaluation subcommittee because similar to um all evaluations we all work on a million things at once. I just tried to trim it down to the initial group of things we could start to work on. >> So do you think we should keep this language? >> I think the rubric can be changed annually by the school committee when we update our goals when we meet to do our self-evaluations. I don't think we want to change the policy. We may add some of these things as we continue to improve our work together. We'll add more to our rubric and evaluation. >> Make a motion to
162uh pass through all readings. BAA >> second. >> I have a motion to second. Deb called the roll. >> On BAA, >> Mr. Agiel. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Cougen. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Next item is policy BIA. And um believe what we did here was take the updated MASC language around school committee member orientation. I don't believe there's anything that we changed of of substance in here. It's just um clarifying our when you're a new member, what you're what information you're receiving and um just what the clarifying policies around um school visits, requesting information, responding to community requests and handling confidential information. I think um we should pass it
163as is through all readings. I think the maybe the superintendent working with the uh school committee leadership can make some sort of um welcome packet for example. It has all the items like the policy manual which is in the policy here. The policy manual, the open meeting law, ethics, uh budget having that all within like one welcome packet I think would be great. and then maybe making some sort of procedures on your own around um well we have policies already for visit to schools um but maybe some procedures around information request community requests and and the other sorts um but yeah I think we should pass the policy as is but I think there's more room to um develop procedures around this but if um no questions I'll make a motion to pass through all
164readings >> just a a reminder Mr. These these will be live links. >> That's right. >> So we don't have to submit. So you don't have to wait for a packet. >> These it doesn't show up on here, but Deb just reminded me there'll be live links on our website. So when it says a copy of the policy manual, that will be a link to the manual. A copy of the current budget that will be a link to the budget so that you don't have to wait for all the items. What one of the things I would suggest with new members, I have done this in the past, is when new members come on board, although they have this available to them, to have a meeting with the superintendent, members of the school committee, the
165chair, vice chair, and kind of go, you know, go over some of these things if there are any questions. >> Support that. Thank you. >> I I have do I have I have a motion by Mr. Das. Did I get a second on it? I have a second. Mr. that. Yeah. >> Just uh we had had asked at a prior meeting about chairman um training and I think we're all going to do that because the law says that when you're a new member you become a you know you need a mandatory training but if you're a new mayor and you become the chairman of a committee all of a sudden right there's no law regulation that says you have to have chair um training on how to be a chair of a meeting. We determined
166that all of us chair meetings at some other time. So, we're going to do I believe one jointly, but I think I don't know if it's the right place to put it, but we should put a placeholder in everybody's mind that >> it needs to be a policy around that as well. >> And I actually have a copy of the role of the chair on my desk as we speak. >> Yeah, everybody got a copy of it a little while back, but >> thank you. If if I could briefly just quickly respond the um the policy and I I actually had that similar um question when I had this up if we should put some of that training language or make some sort of training policy. Um maybe we we can put something within a
167policy around specifically around trainings if it's the appetite of the committee. I wouldn't mind looking at that over the summer. So we'll take a look. Thank you. I have a motion, a second on new school committee member BIA policy. Dev, call the role. >> That was to approve all rates. Correct. >> Yes. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dice. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cor. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> M. Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kan. >> Yes. Finally, school committee member authority BBAA. Mr. Das. >> Thank you. This was one that was um passed back and forth um from subcommittee back up. there was some concerns. So, we passed it back down. We took we adopted the language of attorney Assad um Assad's recommendations to um
168re to um clarify some of the language of what we um what was said what we can or cannot do. So, I will make a motion to approve through all readings. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> I have a second. Any discussion on the final one? Um member authority >> hearing none have call the role. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yes. >> Mr. Ronis. >> Yes. >> Miss Riley? >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart? >> Yes. >> Mayor Kan? >> Yes. Um 115 is the human resource director's job description. >> No. >> Chief financial officer. >> Right. What do I have? Sorry. >> Is this the other one? >> I think that might that might have been on a subsequent draft >> on the
169draft. Yes. >> So it's no >> so I have update on >> what the mayor just mentioned is we need to do that too. So, >> right. >> Not sure why we, you know, maybe we take this one and then talk about that public position >> update. Chief financial officer, job descriptions presented by uh Dr. Kathleen Smith, interim superintendent of schools. >> First of all, uh it is with regret that we accept the resignation of uh Kevin Almeida. He has been in the district many years. Um he has, you know, certainly kept the district afloat during good times, you know, bad times. So, I really want to uh thank him and he came to me on my first day. I know it was difficult for him. I think I was there before 8:00 a.m. and
170he was there at 8:05. So, that was the beginning of my Friday. But that being said, um I did try to find a job description. You looked at this is back in 2008. We think there might have been one in 2011, I believe, when you were hired. Uh Mr. Almea, >> I looked and I couldn't find I couldn't find another one now. >> So, so what I'm presently doing is uh I'll work with the school committee. I'd like to take a look at uh updated uh versions uh of this particular job and as soon as possible start to come up with a job description. I also interesting enough MASBO is having their uh that's the mass uh business officers conference coming up I believe next week. Um I had not a plan to attend. I
171will go there. It happens to be in Falmouth which is where I am. So, I will start out my day there to um you know, uh start to take a look and and have some conversations about organizations making sure we're able to advertise uh to to get a wide net uh to come to forward. >> Thank anything on the uh Mr. Aguia. >> So, since this one is from 2008, it I guess it just as a normal practice doesn't get updated when we update the range. So, this one says 90 to 115. Uh >> you're talking the Sarah. Oh yeah. No. All >> so I think in an effort um without the details of the piece and understanding that superintendent just came in. We have to be realistic with the range of what's more appropriate
172to attract someone. So based on what the superintendent just said, she's going to be going to a conference. Potentially there could be somebody there that wants to get the job. They're going to ask her what is the school committee range? And she can't tell them 115. So I um I'm being facicious, but it's time sensitive. So at a bare minimum, I think we need to make a range that you can have. So you go in knowing, okay, the school committee has your support to hire whatever. What is Mr. Almeida's current salary? >> So my current current salary is 176,500 >> in the >> currently. So as of July 1, >> it'll be around 180,000. Yeah. So I think we need to obviously be in that range uh somehow based on experience. What is the recommendation
173that you might have for us on just a range of number like uh just so we can vote on it and >> what I need to do is certainly look at the area here uh look at what we're competing against. Uh you know area I can look at Brookton I can look in Taton. I can look at other, you know, area districts and what if we want to be competitive >> and we want to attract, you know, certainly a talent to come here so I can get back to you, which is exactly what I'm doing. I've already reached out. >> No, I understand. I'm just trying to make sure that we give you some authority professionally to go out. So, I make a motion that we approve the salary range from 160 to 200,000. >>
174Second. >> It's a good range. >> All right. The motion and a second is to approve the salary range for the new chief financial officer from 160 to 200,000. Deb, call the role. >> Mr. Chairman >> and Mr. Agar. >> And uh while we're at it, um we have another opening in human resources. Same conversation is going to happen relative to there's some language that we might want to put in. You might want to put in, but the salary needs to be upgraded to um attract someone as well relative to that. If you're out recruiting someone, so I'd like to amend the motion to have that uh same salary range uh be for the human resource director. >> Second. So CFO and >> human resources HR >> gives you it gives you a range. >>
175Can I ask if you're going to be making that salary range? Uh is that a se that to me it sounds like a senior level position. So you're calling it a director. Do I have the authority to start to look at titles as to >> that office needs some certainly. >> Absolutely. We've been talking about what is it going to look like as far as the um language in the contract. Is it going to be called? And at some point we wanted a deputy/HR director. We talked about another assistant superintendent. But the salary I think is just something that we can easily do to say that there's the appetite to be in that range and then you can come in with whatever and if that range isn't great, come back to us next month. But
176I want to at least give you some opportunity if a great candidate comes up that you can actually pull the trigger. >> Thank you. >> So I think we have to full verse on Mr. Aar's amendment or take them both at one. Can I do the same? You amended >> amendment first. Yeah. >> The amendment to um add the human resource director at the new scale of what is it 160 to 200 >> to 200. >> So I have a motion a second on that. De call the role. >> Is Mr. D? You seconded it. >> Yes. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. D. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Couan. >> Yes. Now back
177to the chief financial officer at 160 to 200 to call the role please. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dice. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Miss Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kogan. >> Yes. Okay. So knowing full well that uh Dr. Smith and her team are going to work on the job descriptions with a base salary. Do we have anything further on that right now? >> Hearing none. I'll go to 116, which is a discussion and vote to approve the school committee self-evaluation tool and rubric as referred by the evaluation subcommittee and presented by Miss Riley, school committee woman. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> I have a motion to second. >> Question. >> Did you want to say anything, Dr.
178Riley? >> Mrs. Riley. >> Miss Riley, I'm sorry. >> Uh, just that I think this is a good step forward. We've been talking a lot about improving how we work together, really becoming a team. I love Dr. Smith's idea about retreats and working together. And so I think this is another step to that. This is just a review of how we operate, how we operate together as as one team. Um, and that we take the time to rate ourselves, to evaluate how we're doing, and provide some opportunities for either more professional learning or for discussion on how we can improve in whatever area we feel is lacking. >> Anything further hearing? None. Deb, would you please call the role on 116? >> Mr. Igel, >> yes. >> Mr. Das, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >>
179yep. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. Mayor Kugan, >> yes. 117 is a discussion. Vote to approve the start and end times for school year 2627. >> Approve. >> Second as presented by Ken Bico. I have a motion to second. Any discussion on start and end times by anyone up here, Mr. Aguar? Just a question on the um trying to find my copy, but I think there was one change and it said, if I recall that it's to tier one extra route, >> so financially obviously that would be a good thing if we can tear a route. Is there any other um >> tiers available under the current changes? I ask the same question every year. I'm noticing one adjustment that needs to be made that's
180not related to that that I just wanted to share if possible while we're on it. >> So in the budget uh from what I understand Talbot ELT sorry in the budget from what I understand Talbot ELT was eliminated and so that change needs to be um represented here as well with a 2:15 dismissal and I'm noticing that it's still the current time of 2:45. So I just wanted to make sure I think uh Mr. meter that was proposed in the last budget cycle. >> Transportation knew that. >> Excuse me. >> Transportation knew that. Like is is this happening? >> No, I believe they knew that. I just think this might have been a typo here um for this on the sheet. So, I just wanted to mention it while we're on the topic. >> Yep.
181The only other question I had was on the um instructional hours of a K to8 school versus a traditional school. Is it the >> 900? Typically, >> if it's K to 8, they don't go by the middle school. >> They use the elementary 900. Yes. For middle school. >> Yes. >> But if we were middle, they would >> It's a slightly shorter day for elementary. Exactly. >> That was um That's interesting because that I guess if you're in a K to8 school, you minimize your instructional hours by 90 per year in a K to8 school versus a traditional middle school. >> I think all of our schools are slightly above the required, right? So, I don't think we have any schools that are right at the 900 or 990. Uh, but in the community school,
182I believe you can call you can uh utilize the elementary um hours. >> Sounds good if you say so, >> Mr. Chair. >> Anything further, Mr. Das? >> Thank you. Um, RPA, I I I thought it would be on the agenda for today, but I know it's not. um the start and end times. I I know this is really something that's in flux. However, with the current model that we approved or half approved was it would be end I thought the end time in some of the the ver if the virtual school was separate from RPA and we approved the opening of a virtual school would and we have transportation for those virtual schools shouldn't that be in this as well? the program, the virtual program. >> We haven't approved the virtual school program yet.
183>> Have we started the application process? >> Yes. >> Do you want to speak to that? >> So, it would have to be amended if if it's approved by Desty. >> I would assume that would be the process that we would take, but we are now awaiting feedback from the department in regard to that virtual school application. >> Okay. I guess we assume we're going to hear over the summer and we'll have it up and running for the next school year. >> That that is the goal. >> Um so for the RP so we're fine with keeping the language as is for RPA the transportation currently the start >> as of right now. As of today yep >> okay I yield. >> Anything further on start and end times? Mr. Rang >> just I did
184I hear Mr. I say virtual school is going to need transportation, but I I I'm not being facitious, but I don't think that if we I think we approved a virtual school application. >> I was referring to um I wasn't refer I said virtual school. I was referring to um >> evolve. >> Sorry. So, just I know you just said where we're at. I think we already approved the virtual that we want to go forward with the virtual school model. Just the the the details I guess is all we're waiting on, >> right? >> I think Yeah. Yep. I believe I I think we're waiting on the Desi piece. We need to then bring that plan forward to get a formal approval. As we know, we already have students who are in the virtual pathway.
185We've also been meeting with all of the students at RPA so we have a better sense of where students are interested in landing. So, I feel very confident that we will be able to move forward in regard to an August launch with a virtual school. >> Sounds good. Thank you. >> Anything further? Deb, call the role on start and end times for school year 2627. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dice, >> yes. >> Mr. Cory, >> yes. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Miss Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Kugan, >> yes. 118 is a discussion and vote to approve the following job description referred by facilities and operation and presented by Ken Pacico, chief operating officer. The job is the refrigeration appliance repair service technician. >> Motion to
186approve. >> I have a motion to approve. Do I have a second? Do >> I have any concerns or questions on this job at all? >> Hearing none. Deb, call the role, please. >> Miss Jaga, >> yes. >> Mr. Das, >> no. >> Mr. Corey, >> yes. >> Mr. Monus, >> no. >> Miss Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Kugan, >> yes. >> Mr. Chair, >> just want to quickly rationalize my no vote. I was coming into here. Um, I was actually looking to approve it. However, in terms of um policies in terms of um getting the backup, the backup itself was provided the last second. So, I did not have time to go through it. And I I think in terms of the committee, I know we want to have
187a rule where if we don't get receive all the backup, the item doesn't go on. And I just think we just need to be consistent. Otherwise, I likely would have voted for this position. And I trust that the administration will make sure that we are keeping the cost down which I'm happy about and this is the goal is to keep the cost down and next year I'm looking forward to seeing that report that is actually the case. I yield. >> Thank you chairman >> Mr. Agar. >> Just want to I know we voted on it but this is a position that's gone through several iterations with Mr. Pacico. The intent here is actually to save money and get more productivity out of the amount of money we spend in the cafeterias for repairs. So, we
188had to we pushed back a little bit. The committee did what they had to do. We looked at the um uh invoices to see what we're going to pay. There's still some lingering questions on what somebody can and can't do as far as repairs, but I just wanted to make it very clear that my impression is that if we spent $110,000 in that for the current year, now that we add a position that we're not going to go over that $110,000 combined between the individual as well as a vendor. Now, if it goes over, other than the catastrophe, it's going to look real bad that we said we were going to save money. So, I just wanted to lay it out there. I that's why I supported it. To me, it's a cost savings and
189we're going to get more productivity and I believe it's an 8020 split if I recall. So, 80% is going to be coming out of the nutrition account. 20% is going to come out of the district. So, I just wanted to rationalize why I supported it and I look forward to working with you in the future. >> Yes, Mr. Chair. >> It is 8020. >> 8020. Thank you, >> Mr. Dice. very quick comment. Um, and I I do also want to appreciate I know um, Mr. Monus really advocated for making sure we have the um, appropriate licensing for so I want to appreciate Mr. Pico and the administration for adding in that piece. So, and I echo my colleagueu's comments. Thank you. >> 119 is a discussion and vote to approve prepaid tuitions as presented by
190Kevin Almea, chief financial officer. So, in new documentation, I provided you with an update as to um what we paid for July through September of this year. I've projected what a 5 to 8% increase would be for next year. Uh and so at this time I'm requesting the ability to uh prepay tuition in this year's budget uh in 2026 for 20127 tuitions from July through September for an up to amount of $2,750,000. >> Motion to approve with a question. >> I have a motion. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion second. Mr. Das, >> thank you. Um don't believe we did this last year. What um I guess my one question would be is um and I hate looking back at things but just to look back um what was
191what's different this year than last year why we made the >> So last year the reason we didn't do it was because um we were in the middle of negotiations still with uh a couple of our uh unions and so I needed to be sure that we had enough funding in the budget last year to cover those negotiations. >> Thank you. Deb, can I get a roll call on that, please? >> Mayor. >> Oh, Mr. Aguia. >> The um related to the amount um where can we tie that back to where that money is coming from? Is that in subsequent um agenda items where where all those transfers are coming from? So you have so we have so in addition to that with this request I'm requesting that the ability to move the 2.7 million
192within the budget to cover this. So >> right so in essence we probably should have taken this as a have to vote I would guess >> because we're now voting for this then we're going to vote for the transfers to pay for it. But what is the maximum amount that you is the 2.75 million the maximum? >> That's that's the max. That's what I'm saying the maximum amount is. Yes. that legally we could do or is that the maximum amount that you can do? >> So the max I can do is three months and at this time the best estimate I can give you at this time is up to that 2.75.75. So we're not leaving any prepaids on the table. >> I I I can't tell you that something's going to change. >> No,
193but as you know right now that's basically >> Yes, exactly. >> Thank you very much. >> Okay, De call the role please. >> Mia. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. Yes, >> Miss Riley. >> Yes, >> Miss Stewart. >> Abstain. >> Mayor Kogan. >> Yes. 11:10 is a discussion and vote to approve the third quarter transfers is presented by Kevin Almeida, chief financial officer. >> So, within your packet, um, you have you have a total of 658,000 in transfers. um into several department uh several cost centers. Uh the first cost center is art. Second cost center is insurance. Uh the PACE special ed Watson and Westoall uh the largest transfer is required in special ed and uh insurance uh for you know several reasons as noted
194within the documentation and your backup. So with that I'm asking for your approval tonight. Mr. Chair, >> Mr. Das, >> thank you. Few questions. First, um I know we have um a transfer due to a an increase. We should we discuss in in tuition, special education tuitions to out of um district places. Um when we we when we prepare for the budget each year, do we build in a potential oh there could be a 3% increase or 2% increase or do we just when we build the budget do we just go with the amount in this the prior year? >> Yes, we build in an increase. >> So the um transfer so the projections or the actual costs went are projected higher than what we projected them to be. >> Yes. Okay. Um, >> few
195questions here. >> So, in our indirect cost agreement, um, >> and I look briefly at the indirect indirect cost agreement again. So, we currently have legal set any legal settlement is covered on the school side. It wouldn't be covered on the city. legal settlements we cover through our side. Yes. >> Okay. Um for I know I know um the fora the VP of FOSCA I know was um so they I know they transferred midyear which is why we're doing the cost. Would that decrease the tablet cost center at all? >> I'm sorry. So the VP of FSA uh transferred from Fosta to tablet or one of the VPs. Um >> would that be would there be any changes to Talt's cost center? >> Not at this time. >> Okay. Um I know so I also
196see that we're trying to do a transfer to save for some empty vacated par positions. have we those positions that I don't know what specifically they are in the budget if they're um not sure if it said if it was I think it was special education powers but have we made any effort to to try and fill them or those covered by um one of the um outside companies that fill >> So we still we still have several paras that that are covered by agencies um but we're doing our best we can in house to fill positions as as as people or a blank. >> So the money to cover a vacancy for for with using an outside position is that where would that money come from? Is that specifically in the school cost? Is
197that a special education? >> It's in the it's in the school cost center. >> And the salaries are they below um the salaries we pay the companies is is significantly above what the the salary is for the actual position? >> They are. Yes. Um, and last question I would have um I don't know if the superintendent has any thoughts on the on the policy of um transfers. I don't I'm not sure how it is in other districts. However, um the 50,000 is that that we receive um some sort of um explanation. Is that um normal in other districts? How would that >> what I'm sorry. What are you referring to? >> Transfer is normal in other districts. When you say transfers, are you talking funding transfers? >> Yes. Um when we do um budget transfers?
198>> Yes. >> When um we receive I guess I don't know how it is and if we're looking at through these because we we're not going to have another one for for a couple months. So I figured I would ask now or if you want if we can talk maybe through policy if there's um do you support the current model of how we do transfers here? Mhm. >> I I think I need an opportunity to really review some of your practices in the uh business office. >> Thank you. The reason I mentioned it is because um I've advocated in the past um that we should potentially if the the budget is within the entire purview of the school committee believe we should receive um explanations pretty much on all transfers. Um so I just wanted
199to um just make my my position clear of something we could talk about in the future. I yield. Thank you. Mr. Aguia. >> So on that last issue, I think uh our policy is that we have quarterly transfers uh and it's using utilizing projected expenses. So I think we should take a peek at it because we just transferred $2.7 million this quarter that we probably knew was there second quarter. So there's some probably language there where I, you know, when we knew that we had in the second quarter 2.7 million in available funds to transfer, we didn't transfer it. But now in the third quarter, we're actually transferring 2.7 million. So unless that 2.7 million came out of somewhere between the second quarter and third, there's just probably a technicality of uh we're not necessarily
200doing quarterly transfers um in my mind, but a couple of requests. one is can we get uh through the superintendent what we have left over when all said and done here. Um >> it's it's at the bottom of the sheet. >> Yeah, as long as it's um I don't want to say I don't want to say not accurate, but um for instance, all of these transfers were exactly $100,000. That's not that's not just coincidence there. >> You know what I'm saying? It's to get you to the 2.7. I totally understand that. There's other money available some in in other lines that uh we should know under separate cover or um the circuit breaker funds that are in the other um discussion that's not being touched that's sort of >> the plan is to carry over
201the full year's >> reimbur the remaining balance >> correct >> unencumbered unc unounted for and um the um agency transfers is another one that we talk about all the time. So once again quarterly uh if we had a person for instance at a given school since September fill in a agency rather than a salary if we are doing with fidelity quarterly transfers that first quarter should have transferred some that position would have been transferred from school salaries to the uh it comes out in the wash a little bit. It's probably a little bit more money, but I just think we need to as we move forward look at the quarterly transfer language to make sure that we're not inadvertently not following the policy even though it's more functional to probably leave it there. Um, so
202I I just think we need to tighten up some of those things and I know we got you for a few months, right, Mr. Alita? >> I'm sorry. >> We still have you for a few months. So >> if you've got me for a couple months. >> All right. So we can we can talk about it. Thank you very much. I yield. >> Anything further on the third quarter transfers? Miss Stewart, >> I just have one question. Why are all of the principals over? >> I'm sorry. >> Why are all of the principal budgets over? >> Why are all the principal budgets overines? >> All the principal salary lines? >> Because we updated their salary scales, the salary tables after I did the budget last year. And so that changed some of those salary amounts.
203And it's because the um it's because of people that would have come into positions that were in there within the principal's within the principal's salary line. There are also other positions in there. So we have department heads, we have vice principles in there. So either people we would have hired the salaries would have been a little higher than what was budgeted for. So those >> that's in the principal's line. >> Yes. >> It's not just the principal. >> Gotcha. Because it so principles is vice principles too. Everybody's in that same line. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah. >> I just um have you closed purchasing for the year? >> No, we will we'll we'll close it June 15th. That's >> June 15th. You're so brave. I know. >> I know. >> It's a big It's
204a big mine. It's a big district. So, >> yeah. No, I get you. Um I'm just So, if lines are running in the red, do they have to ask for your permission before they run in the red? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Mr. Chair, >> Mr. D. Sorry, just one final um um follow-up question from my colleagues question um for principles and I might go further into this in the general um budget update. Um does principles have they anyone in the last year has anyone received an increase in in salary >> this this year? >> Yes. >> Were were all those school committee approved? >> Yes. >> All the salary ranges were approved by the school committee. >> All approved. Yes. >> There were I'm sorry. They were approved by the school committee
205and and the superintendent >> in executive session. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Let's call the vote on 1110 third quarter transfers. Deb, please. >> I need a motion. >> A motion to approve. >> I have a motion to have a second. Second. >> I have a motion to second. >> Mr. Aam. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> M. Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Cougan. >> Yeah. 1111 is a discussion and vote to approve the third quarter revolving fund is presented by Kevin Almeida, chief financial officer. >> Motion to approve. >> Oh, thank you. >> Question, >> Mr. Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Mr. Mr. Mr. Dus, >> thank you.
206Just a question on this. So, if um we charge I'm just trying to understand the language here. So we charge vendors for all outside vendors for security and overtime. >> We charge them a fee and that's part of it is is that cost? Yes. >> To cover because I I've seen one bill and like I I don't know if it's across the board that we that's itemized for security for custodian. Um so I guess my question would be so why um is the 26,000 being transerred? I'm just trying to understand the process. >> So what we've done historically is um the only expense that you see within the report for the quarter is the transfer from last month. So all all ex all all all overtime associated with the use of schools account is charged
207to the operating budget and every quarter I come to you with what that total is per quarter and upon your approval that money is then transferred to the use of schools account. So we take we accumulate all we accumulate a total of what that is for you every quarter and upon your approval we transfer it over. >> Thank you. Um thank you. Just one final question. And so are there any cuz I know we have a specific policy for use of schools. Are there any organizations that use our facilities that um that might require that security and that overtime? I know some like if it's a small neighborhood association, they wouldn't have like um security there. But is there any that we that require both those that we don't charge or is it pretty much?
208>> No. Okay. Thank you. I >> 1111 vote to approve the third quarter revolving fund. Any further discussion? >> Deb Caldwell. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes. >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kugan. >> Yes. 1112 is a discussion and vote to approve the yeartoate budget report as presented by Kevin Almeida, chief financial officer. Any discussion? >> Mr. Chair. >> Mr. Das. >> Um, so I have um few questions. So, um I recently saw the um audit of the city expenses which includes the school department as well. The nutrition account and I know we brought up this issue last year. Believe it was in the 8 millions last year and this year it's 9.6. Um could
209you please um and it was high it was flagged in a in an audit. So can can we talk about what we've done through the past year to resolve that issue? Um, he has the floor. >> I just want to make a point of clarification. >> Go ahead. >> That this item is on the agenda for Monday night's facilities meeting, >> just so you know. >> So, I would recommend that we hold off on questions until Monday when everyone's more prepared for it because it it's actually the first item on the agenda. >> Thank you. I I'll hold I have other questions, but I'll hold off on on that until Monday. >> Thank you. um the um snow removal and I know we see we saw batches over the winter come in. Um what what
210what accounts does snow removal come out of >> within the facilities cost center? >> My question would be and and when I saw the indirect cost agreement, snow removal is a city expense. Wouldn't those be directly built to the city? Uh >> so the city depending on on what part of the operation um falls on the city. So all of the snow removal, not snow plowing but snow removal. Anything taken off site would be part of the city's expense. So those are pass through. We don't touch them. Um we uh get involved in the selection of the contractors uh do the assigning um >> but the city pays >> and then the city pays those bills. Yes. >> What do we touch? >> You said which ones don't pass through >> for snow plowing within
211the district. So for instance, not all of the work that was done during the blizzard was the city's responsibility. We still had to clean sidewalks. We still had to clean our parking lots. the snow hauling part of it was on the city's expense, >> right? I I would be a regular >> advocating for the school department. When I see the indirect cost agreement and it says snow removal, >> I would take the position that covers everything and any anything that has to do with snow should go right to the city. >> No, it never has. I can tell you for 10 years on the DPW side, th those charges were basically a cost that kind of like uh maybe the auditing department or or the other expenses as a percentage of the city services that
212part of the indirect cost agreement. Snow removal is one of those pieces. Okay. there. On any given snowstorm, you will see city vehicles coming through our property, whether they're helping out on assaulting operation, whether they're taking care of the surrounding streets, adjacent properties um as as part of that. So, on the city side, those expenses end up on an indirect cost agreement. They're not outright snow removal. >> Thank you. if we can um I think at the next meeting, I know this was brought up at the joint meeting, if we can get an update on the um negotiations on a new indirect cost agreement. I I know um I know the superintendent wasn't here, but I know we're currently in negotiation for that. If um that'd be nice if we get an update um the
213Medicaid reimbursements, and I know my colleague, Mr. Agar has touched on this um extensively in the indirect cost agreement. Um it's a school department expense. So it just makes sense to me that we that it shouldn't be that in terms of any net school spending arrangement, it should be based off our our agreement, it should be covered by us. I'm not sure why the city would claim it. Um, my last point I'm going to make and I've been very very vocal is the warrant process. If um I don't know if we should touch on this in policy, we got we have to touch on it at some point in my opinion and um I just don't think we're doing it the right way. most commi many communities have the monthly warrant process within um they
214have it on the agenda and it's approved monthly. I know um that there's other expenditures that the only expenditures that should be on there is the the expenditures that we've done from the prior month. I know there are some that are going going to be later. However, I think I still think it would be easier on both ends if it's just in a monthly report. You can even be at a consent on a consent and we can ask the questions beforehand and the process would go much more smoothly. What we do right now in the district is we send them to different members of the committee to sign off and it's broken apart. I I don't think and and it's on the agenda for later. I don't think that follows the open meeting law and
215I just don't believe that's the way it should be done and I think we need to get more backup within the documents themselves. I know when Mr. Rapo was working he he put in some policies and we we've seen some improvements but I think there's a lot more that has to be done improving the warrant process. I yield >> M Stewart >> if I could speak first. >> Oh, go ahead. I'm sorry. Mr. Mr. >> Um, so what I will say is our process has been very slow in the past and it hasn't improved much. Um, I I was hoping that with the electronic process that things would go a little bit smoother, a little bit faster. As far as the documentation goes and everything that's attached, I you know, we attach invoices to all
216the bill schedules. Everything is there. I think if you make it a process where it's going to go into a monthly basis, it's just going to delay the process even more. I'm just going to put that out there. I understand um I I I get if you want to change the process a little bit, but to take away the ability to process the bills, you know, on a weekly basis and to try to get them signed, uh it's going to slow down paying vendors even more than it currently is. So, I just want to say that publicly. Miss Stewart, >> I agree and disagree with Mr. Das. I do agree that we need to change up the process a little bit, but I disagree with doing it monthly. I think that things need to get
217paid a little faster than they already do. I do not agree with doing it monthly. I think that that things will get paid way too late and we already have issues with that. Changing it up some, absolutely, but doing it on a monthly basis, I think that that's way too long to do it monthly. >> May I respond? >> Oh, Mr. Dice, >> they I guess um there's two points. Is is the the guidance um from MASD and they do provide guidance on warrants and the law. I'm not an attorney, but the way I read that is it's supposed to be a monthly that the way I read that that's actually the law. I'm not sure and I've looked at other agendas from other communities and they have monthly warrants. Um some city like for
218example the redevelopment authority has monthly warrants. I know they have many less expenditures than us. However, I don't know if it's I don't know. >> So I I what I'll say is, you know, we followed what the MASC guidance was at the time. And so we've we've since updated our policy. We we've went from four signatures down to two signatures. But what we've done is every month, you know, when I provide you with the documentation in executive session, it's the whole warrant of what's been processed in that month. and I summarize all the batches and all of the bills are all summar that you can see. I don't have the the documentation for the bills because they've already been approved, but I have a listing of every single thing that was processed for the month
219for the warrant warrants that were approved. So, everything is there. It's not we are still following a process. >> I appreciate that. Uh last question is um once once the the the whatever contract we pay once it passes it goes to the city has there been any issue in paying a vendor after that point? I I know I asked the question beforehand. Has there been any issues paying a vendor after it's been signed off by the committee? there. You know, you get the occasional, you know, this account is slightly over and so we correct, you know, we correct, you know, things slightly, but um we this year we've cleaned up our procurement process quite a bit. And so, um, you know, as far as all of our documentation and everything goes. And so, things have
220been a little bit slower this year, I will say, because of the additional amount, you know, amount of time required with the paperwork and everything. But as far as there being like an actual holdup on the city side, I wouldn't say there's this major hold up on the city side. It's just a cleanup of our procurement. That's all. >> Okay. This just because I I mentioned it. I think there um just want to make sure once the school committee signs off on a contract or um purchase order that >> they're and signed off by the city, we're making sure those um vendors are being paid on time so they're not having to pay out of pocket and they're not running into issues. >> Thank you. I >> Mr. Aguia >> on that on that issue.
221Uh going to try to tie it into this quarterly report, but I um I think it needs to be re revamped in some way. As you know, I've had issues with the way that it's signed, how long people look at things and just sign off on things willy-nilly. But, uh for whatever reason, and it's not just this year, it's for years. School and city, it takes forever to pay vendors. I've heard it. I'm sure the mayor's heard it. Ever people heard it. I don't know when and how long it's going to get to the point where somebody says we're going to fix it because we've been talking about this same thing for for multiple years. And please, whoever's listening on the school side, the city side, it takes too long to pay a vendor. Whatever
222that is, we got to figure it out. And we just can't keep doing it. It's just it's sickening already. The uh question I had was on the paragraph the fourth paragraph where it says with these two formats used we're slightly over by 200,000 and 600,000. Can you please explain what that means? >> Yes. So that's the that's the insurance projection health insurance projection uh for this year. And so using using the reimbursements uh from either this year the projected for this year or the projected for last year. So depending on what method we use, that's where we would be. >> And what methods are you referring to? >> Uh using last year's revenue or this year's revenue, one or the other. >> And >> so the 204 is using the projected for this year and
223the 600,000 to the good is for using the revenue from last year. >> I I'm I'm missing something. It says using all reimbursements for insurance. So are you talking about the rebates? >> Yes, rebates and the stop loss. Yes. >> So which The rebate hasn't been clarified yet. >> Correct. >> But the stop loss from the city joint meeting was in our end of the year for So which one includes what is in our end of the year? >> Both include the rebates. One method is using reimbursements from prior year. One method is using what the projected amounts are going to be for this year. >> It's just clarifying. So, we got no credits for rebates before because they said we didn't need to. >> We did not. No. >> Now, you're saying that we
224have it for last year. So, they've agreed to give us money for rebates. >> I I'm just giving you the I'm giving you the scenario what it would look like if we were to get the credits. That's what That's what I'm doing. >> Right. So, last year the debate was over $2 million in rebates. How is that in where does that come in here? We're almost threequarters of the way through the the year. Mhm. >> So rebates have not been agreed to yet. >> Correct. >> But stop loss has and paying claims has. Take the rebates out. Where are we with the healthcare? Is that one of these two numbers or neither? >> It's neither one of these numbers. Neither one of these numbers. >> So I would just like to ask that through the
225superintendent we get what is currently in our end of the year agreement. >> And I'll back out the rebates. And um the rebates I I mean I'm still convinced that it is. Um I'm going to be sending an email back to the legislature and the new superintendent to try to get her up to speed with what uh the feeling is. Um what I would like to ask is that as the CFO, you uh try to get the information on the actual rebates for the current fiscal year for our employees. If you could get that to us, I'd appreciate it. >> Sure. >> Thank you very much. I yield. >> Mr. Chair guys, one final question, >> Mr. Das, >> thank you. Um, what what do I should know this, but I'm I'm going to ask
226this so I know. What do we use? Um, for our accounts, do we use one bank account or separate accounts depending on the cost center where we put our money? >> I'm sorry. >> Where do we store our money? >> We have nothing to do with the money. The money is the treasur's office. The treasur's office has several bank accounts. Okay. So I guess my question is if um how would we know do we have any knowledge or anything um do our internal statements match um the bank accounts statements? >> The city the city is who reconciles cash? We don't reconcile cash on this side. >> Okay. So we wouldn't have it wouldn't be any of our error for any >> I'm not sure I'm not sure who you're referring to. There was an audit
227that came out where um the city is um I don't know who wants to explain it better, but there's 218,000 that's unaccounted for between the bank and our internal financial statements. It doesn't there's a discrepancy. >> Okay. >> I just want to make sure it was nothing to do with the schools. >> Colin, just to be clear, that's that 218,000 is a surplus. It's not a short. >> Oh, I didn't see that in the audit. >> Yeah, I know. It's it's it was just misrepresented. It's a surplus, believe it or not. I checked on it today. That's 218,000 to the good. >> Thank you. Are you >> Anybody have anything else? >> One more. One more question. >> Yeah. Mr. 112. >> Yep. 1112. >> Mr. Almea, one one other question. Mr. Das raised the
228question. So, the schools get the revenue for from the deesc. The city gets the investment income. Does that ever get netted out? the investment income >> we and as far as investment income for what in particular I'm sorry >> so if it's school funds I know it's the city handles the school funds >> but if those funds let's say came to the school >> and then the school invested the money and received that money like there's consider every time we go to the city council we hear the CFO say there's great investment income it's great investment income well if half of that money is based on the school revenue. We're not receiving any credits. >> We do not. No. >> Thank you. I yield. >> Anything further? Can we vote on 1112, please? >> Motion
229to approve. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Dep please. >> Miss Jaga. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dice. >> Yes. >> Mr. Corey. >> Yep. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes. >> M. >> Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kan. >> Yes. Um, obviously number 12 is retirements, new hires, death notices. I'd like to have a vote to place them on file. >> I have a motion, a second for that. >> Second. >> I have a motion, a second. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Unanimous. >> Um, let's see. I'm sorry, guys. Any new business number 13 to come before the committee tonight? >> Hearing none. Do we have a reason to go into executive session? Mr. Mayor, >> somebody said something. >> Oh, who said something? >> Superintendent,
230I just >> It's not really new business, but I just wanted to follow up on something very quickly. Uh, tonight um in public comment, we had talked about swim and the pool and going forward into some program. I met with Miss Snickerson this week. I sat with her for about 40 minutes and spoke with her about um the pool about a couple of weeks ago. I had worked with facilities and I had sent over some paperwork um that was asked about who serviced the pool and how we're servicing it. I am in conversation about the pool and I will have an update for the superintendent to bring uh to June 3rd's meeting on the pool and and at the facilities subcommittee on Monday and moving forward. >> Thank you. Do we have a reason to
231go into executive session? >> Yes, we do. Ma'am, >> do you want to read them first or you want me to take a motion? >> Sure. >> Can I get a motion to second to go into executive session? >> I have a motion and second. Mr. Assad, please please read the reasons. >> Mass General Laws chapter 38 section 21A7 to review and approve the executive session minutes for April 1, 2026 regular school committee meeting. Mass General Laws Chapter 3A section 21A7 to review and approve the executive session minutes for April 15th, 2026 special meeting of the school committee. National Laws Chapter 38 section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated March 8th, 2026 filed by Colin Das regarding the March 4, 2026 school committee meeting. The complaint alleges that a certain complaint brought
232against certain um school committee members was discussed in executive session and another member of the school committee revealed the information in a communication on social media. Mass General Law chapter 38 section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated March 12, 2026 filed by Melissa Panchley regarding the March 4, 2026 and March 11, 2026 school committee meetings. The complaint alleges that both meetings had a lengthy executive sessions. She and others left for a period of time. Upon returning to attend the school committee meetings, the doors to the buildings were locked, thereby denying the public access to the school committee meeting in violation of the open meeting law. National Laws Chapter 38, Section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated March 11, filed by Taylor Perry regarding the March 4, 2026 and March
23311th, 2026 school committee meetings. The complaint alleges that her citizens input that she submitted in writing was not read by Chair Paul Cookin at either meeting. National Laws Chapter 38, Section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated April 22nd, 2026 by Patrick Higgins, alleging that Chair Paul Newman and andor his staff did not respond to his request for meeting minutes for the years 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, and 1978 within 10 days. National Laws Chapter 38 section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated April 11 2026 filed by Colin Das alleging that the for school committee approved month warrants monthly. The complaint alleges that for the month of March the warrant was not approved in or at the March meeting. National Laws Chapter 3A section 21A1 to discuss complaints brought against school
234committee member. National Laws Chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining agreement including grievances relative to all par profofessional employees of the for school system represented by the for federation of par professionals as the chairs determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on the bogy position of the committee mass general laws chapter 38 section 213 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation regarding the department of labor relations in the matter of ask me council 93 and the City of Fall River/Fall River Schools GR number 269-26 number two206-144- SS-SK L period 1118 as the chair has determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on the litigating position of the committee. National Laws Chapter 38, Section 21A2, the to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiation with non-UN personnel
235and or to conduct negotiations with non-UN personnel, specifically Kathleen Smith, interim superintendent of schools, and Elizabeth Lgo, interim deputy superintendent of schools. We will reconvene. There may or may not be statements at that time. >> Uh, good. Deb, could you please call the role and go into exact session? >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Das. Yes, >> Mr. Cory. >> Yep. >> Mr. Monus. >> Yes, >> Mr. Riley. >> Yes, >> Miss Stewart. >> Yes, >> Mayor Cougan. >> Yes. Uh, we're going into executive session, but can we stand in front of the uh table for one second? U, Superintendent Smith wants a picture with everybody. I have no idea why. that we're back in session. Please call the RO. >> Mr. A >> here. >> Mr. D, >> here. >> Mr. Corey, >> here.
236>> Mr. Monus, >> here. >> Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> here. >> Mayor Kan, >> yes. Anything further to come before the committee? like to make a motion that we approve the executive session minutes for April 1, 2026 regular school committee meeting. >> I need a second. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion to second. Any discussion? Deb, call the role, please. >> Mr. A, >> yes. >> Mr. D, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >> yes. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Mayor Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Kan, >> yes. Anything further? >> Yes. Mr. Mayor like to make a motion that we approve the executive session minutes for April 15th, 2026 special meeting of the school committee. >> So
237moved. >> I have a second. I have a motion, a second. >> Any discussion hearing? None. Deb, please call the role. >> Mr. Daga, >> yes. >> Mr. Das, >> yes. >> Mr. Corey, >> yep. >> Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Miss Riley, >> yes. >> Miss Stewart, >> yes. >> Mayor Kugan, >> yes. Anything further come before the committee? >> Like to approve the make a motion to approve the contract as negotiated with Kathleen Smith, superintendent. >> So moved. Second. >> I have a motion and a second on Kathleen Smith. Any discussion hearing? None. Deb, please call the role. >> Mr. A. >> Yes. >> Mr. D? >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory? >> Yes. >> Mr. Mus. >> Yes. >> M. Riley. >> Yes. >> M. Stewart. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kogan. >> Yes.
238Anything further? >> One more. Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make a motion that we approve the contract as negotiated with Elizabeth Legal, >> Deputy Superintendent. >> Second. >> I have a motion, a second on Liz Legal. Any discussion? Hearing none. Deb, please call the role. >> Mr. Yes. >> Mr. Das. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cory. >> Yes. Mr. Monus, >> yes. >> Mr. Riley, >> yes. >> Mr. Stewart, >> yes. Mayor Kan, >> anything further? >> Motion to adjurnn. Mr. >> Motion to adjurnn. All in favor? >> Um, open meeting open meeting law stuff. Do we have to take votes out here? Open meeting law. Okay, >> I need a second. I have a motion and a second to adjurnn. All in favor? Opposed? We're out. >> Have a good night.