001Good evening, House, and welcome to the April 3rd, 2025 uh meeting of the House and School Committee. Originally planned as a budget meeting, but we got something even more exciting. Um budget will the uh budget hearing will be next um next Thursday on the on the 10th. So, um please uh come join us. So be before we uh get to into our um regular agenda, we do have the consent agenda to approve some minutes. I think we're only going to approve for for release the redacted version of the November 26, 2024 minutes and we'll scrub the rest of them for later. So thank you. I will entertain a motion to approve that one set of minutes for release. Moved by Don. Second. All in favor? Carries. Um, school committee individual conference. Uh, nothing. Um, I
002just wanted to say I had the pleasure of attending the um kind of the inauguration I think of the um community bridges project this morning. um Jess Speedy and Victoria Briggs and um Laura Ryan all did a fantastic job of putting this um kind of it was kind of like a breakfast reception together um where they're really working to get um students with special abilities connected with like local businesses um various you know the parks and recck department um finding kind of cool internships and jobs And it was just a really fantastic morning. The kids were amazing. Um, so thank you for making me feel very welcome. It was really the highlight of my day. So, thank you. It was very good. Um, I just wanted to comment about the fact that there's five students
003over at the in Paris or should say in France for the French exchange and um, a number of them spent the weekend in Paris which is very exciting. So, they're all having a great time as far as I know and um hopefully we'll have lots of pictures and they'll have stories to share when they get back. Um but they won't be back until after the break, but I appreciate the community um supporting our exchange program and I hope it continues. Thanks. No comment. Okay. And nothing for for me at this moment. So, uh we do have a opportunity for for the public to comment. Um, if there's anyone on the Zoom that wishes to make public comment, please use the raise hand function and we will get to you once we get to the uh
004people in the room. Nobody. No one's on there. No, somebody on there popped off. Okay. Um, yes, please. I didn't sign in. No, we didn't have a sign in today. Um, wherever wherever. Thank you. Good evening. Hold just one moment. Barbara, how long are we doing? Okay, we'll do three minutes and I'll just let you know what the Yeah, I I'm not gonna have three minutes. Thank you so much. Um Barbara Ryan, 14 Irving Place. Um just coming uh from um two perspectives, PTO and as a parent um PTO we have a June 10th meeting. I know I need to email you um to get officially on an agenda just probably at the end of the year kind of what we've done, where we've been, but always thank you for accepting the donations and going
005through that rigor and this really helps in the classroom. So, uh we thank you for that continued support. Um we're in a really good place budget-wise. Next year, we're looking probably to have similar anywhere between 60 and $80,000 of direct support somehow to enrichment andor assemblies, those type of things. Um, and the executive board um will continue to make those decisions. Um, and then in June, a plug for anyone who's here out there, um, there will be some open positions um, in the PTO. So, and always looking for volunteers. So, thank you. Um I think I was reading today um as a parent I'll put my parent on and parent hat on. Um certainly uh the environment of the question whether the department of education at the federal level is going to remain intact or
006continue to seemingly um be dismantled. Um I have a concern not only as a parent but just I'm sure there's thought around um does federal funding really impact the state of Massachusetts? where does it impact it and how does that trickle down to the town of Hollist? I'm particularly concerned about children with different and um special needs. I don't know if that's the appropriate way to say. I like to say different abilities in my world because we all have abilities. Um so I'm really concerned about that. I just I'm sure this is on the mind of our administration and all of you, but I just want you to know as a parent um I have concerns not only for my own child um but but children everywhere. And that's part of my pediatric hat that
007I wore professionally, too. So, I'm sure you're thinking about that, but I just wanted um to put that out there um as as something that I hope you're thinking about, which I I I presume you are. And that's it. Thank you. And thank you to you and the PTO for for all your generous gifts and and we we we love accepting them. They're very nice of gifts to accept. Uh but and as far as the stuff going on at the federal level, we are absolutely watching it and it's it's uh it's a bit scary especially with the news this week of the 106 million that was uh sort of uh it impacts every student and it impacts our staff and um thank you for for being aware. So thank you. Hello. Um, and Canoni again.
008I wasn't going to come tonight, but um, I'm just so passionate about everything that's happening in math at Hollist Public School System, and I'm tired of watching it go backwards versus forward, and I just think we have to really think about where we're headed. Um, so I came here in the fall. I've come many meetings and I was hoping last week was my last week but um I spoke in the fall to explain how difficult it is to be a teacher at the current time especially a math teacher in Hollist public schools we are constantly under a microscope to adjust our standards we have new curriculum with minimal PD support in the continued uncertainty of the math program between Rams and HHS m creates a more anxiety for all of us math teachers as you
009know in the fall of 2023 the 13 math teachers on the math curriculum review committee voted to reinstate levels in seventh grade math and continue to offer levels in eighth grade. The administration did not like that answer. And if I recall, Jonah Manard stated at a school committee meeting that we did not have time to discuss levels, which is not true. We went down rabbit hole after rabbit hole to discuss the levels. There were several meetings we just talked about it and we couldn't we had to stop like we just had to be controlled because there were so many conversations. So here we are heading into the fall of 2025 almost two years later and we still have not we still not listened to the math teachers, the experts. I was on the school start
010time committee and we had all these people on there and at the end I remember Dr. Kusca saying, "Let's listen to the experts, the administrators. They're the ones that know the building." So, you guys went with a different plan, which I respect that and I get that, but as math teachers, we're not being listened to. Um, another committee has been formed to complete an in-depth study of the direction of the math program at Rams, which has a which will have a domino effect at the high school. My hope is that whoever chairs this committee comes in with an open mind and listens to all sides because I don't think that that is happening. I myself wouldn't be able to facilitate that meeting and I think there's a lot of other people that wouldn't be able
011to facilitate it because we come in with our ideas and I think we have to all right not I think we can't be looking at apples to oranges. We have to be looking at studies that are um not private schools. They're not um charter schools. They're not schools that are not compared to Hollist. Um and here we are waiting again. Um so I do think that um I hope that whoever does chair it will come in with open mind. Um at the last few meetings it has been proposed that you are going to remove or RAM proposed that you remove the geometry standards from the algebra 1 curriculum at RAMS. Instead these students will learn these standards in replace of art class using a math tutor. So, a math tutor, not a math teacher, which
012is not direct instruction. So, we're going to take away in our class from these students and have them learn geometry on a computer. This is like taking away a recess for these students. I encourage you all of you to speak to your children to get their feedback on. It is not the best program for learning and students aren't they don't they don't like it. So, I don't know how they're going to learn on it. And I personally don't want my child to be learning that way where geometry is fun. It can be a fun class. Okay. No, I I I want to finish. I'm gonna I'm just I'm almost done. In addition, um other school systems have done it and I noticed you have in your budget three new math tutors, two at Rams and
013one at HHS. How will these tutors be integrated into the school system? I'm concerned that we are hiring more positions without a plan in place and I think that we really need to have a solid plan moving forward and I worry that we don't. Thank you. Just one quick question. one Rams math tutor and and then one at the high school. I thought there was two in the budget. No, the two was a footnote. I I All right. Okay. It's all my fault. Um I thought I was reading wrong. So, thank you. Um I uh because of the we were trying to keep the uh the agenda brief. No brief. That's fine. Um I'm just I took the the the opportunity for our our central office administrators to uh to to comment off there, but
014we have public comment. You are obviously certainly more than members of the public, but at least members of the public. if there's anyone from central office who has any comments. Um, no, I too want to just thank um Victoria Briggs and Laura Ryan along with their support from Jessica Bey. It was a wonderful event today and I will say Laura approached me during co this is something that she's been passionate about for years and then because of the hard work that just supporting them it came to fruition and I was really pleased to see what our students are accomplishing and and some of the um people in town, the communities in town and the businesses in town that are having them work there. Just to Sarah's point, it was wonderful to see and the highlight
015of probably my entire week and maybe even longer. So, thank you to them. I will be sending out a district curriculum teaching and learning newsletter tonight. Please check it out. Tons of great videos and information and pictures of students doing wonderful engaging learning in Hollist. So, check it out. I'm just kind of reiterating what uh Dr. Kusk Fitzgerald um indicated. Uh this is also just going to add to that is to advocate to our businesses out there and anybody that's listening to this um to please open your doors for our neurode divergent students uh especially these are house and residents um oftent times or many of them are in our 18 to22 program um that are looking for employment um and opportunities that exist within our community. Um, so if you just have questions or
016curiosity and you're a business owner in Hollist, uh, please reach out to either, uh, Miss Bey, uh, Miss Briggs, uh, or Dr. Ryan. Thank you. So, moving on to really the reason why we're we're here tonight. Um, we, um, have a, uh, high school schedule MOA that we reached with the HFT and the teachers. Um, and so we're here tonight to uh vote on ratifying that or or not, um, I just want to say before we we get into discussing the the MOA and and um and voting that, um, you know, this has not been an easy process and uh, certainly I think I'm just speaking for myself, but I'm sure other members of the committee recognize the sort of, you know, confusion and and difficulty this has put a lot of people in throughout
017the entire process. And um what I'll say is that was certainly uh you know we were we were working towards trying to find a solution with with uh the the the teachers that um would improve and increase you know student learning and and outcomes and it was with the students in mind that uh we were you know working on on finding the solution for. So, um I think that uh personally I I um believe that the solution that we did arrive at is a is a good one and um I hope uh that the uh the teachers will will ratify that this when they vote on Monday and um the 7th. Um, but just quickly, we don't have a a full presentation, but just to kind of go over it, it's fairly similar to the
018um the schedule that we emailed out to the community as we were working through the the schedule. It is a five period a day schedule with 64-minute periods and a 41 41 minute DSB. Um, students will take seven classes at a time. And so it's what's called a seven drop two which is uh obviously taking seven classes at a time and each day you drop two of those classes to have five classes at a time. Uh this is a very common schedule across the Commonwealth including with many of our our neighbors Ashlin need uh Hopington just to name a few. Um that said there are there are different implementations of this schedule. So, um not not every seven drop two looks the same, but um the few remaining items that we we had uh yet
019to agree on with the teachers, we were able to agree on over the last uh last week. And so, um we've uh had the ability to to review this and um now we can discuss it. So again in the seven drop two uh students would be able to have math as a fullear course um and also foreign language as a fullear course. Um I think we got we received a lot of feedback about the um 77 minute blocks which would regardless of whether we had stayed with the existing schedule or after we moved to our AB block the blocks for um w would would increase and I think we we have heard feedback in the past about how long the blocks are. This seven drop two brings it back down to 64 minutes. I think
020that's um an important change. So DSP continuing every single day as part of that schedule. Yes. Yes. For 41 minutes. And there'd be an opportunity for extra help during the DSP period or one of the DSP periods a week. Right. Correct. Some of some of the DSP periods would be it would vary based upon the the teacher, but there would be, you know, they would be available for for specifically for extra help. Um, outside of what DSB is, you know, traditionally abandoned course would be class scheduled class. Oh, sorry. And to be clear, this this is can't believe I I forgot this one. This is for the 26 27th school year. This one more time, 20 this this this schedule that that we're voting on will be will go into effect for the 26 27th
021school year. Um, we, you know, we definitely heard a lot of feedback from the community about the speed at which we were we were moving. Um and uh you know a lot of the fact that you know a lot of work you know needed to be done and so um we agreed to this uh when when um when it was presented as starting in the 26 27 school year and really appreciate the fact that uh the uh the HFD and all the teachers engaged with us on on on this seven drop two um schedule. Right. and and where the registration for our high school students was going to end um tomorrow. Tomorrow uh uh principal list has now extended it to um April 14th. Is that correct? Yes. So Monday, April 14th. So um so
022there's still time to meet with your guidance counselor. Yes. If you need to like mine is and so while you know obviously the HFT isn't isn't voting until until Monday. Um, one of the things that uh I'm looking forward to most about hopefully having a ratified uh schedule is the fact that we will be able to remove ourselves from a lot of the decision-m and really ensure that uh Mr. List and the rest of the uh central office administrative team you know are are able to um to to lead the charge on on on its implementation working with all the partners um with in the uh in the schools and and you know also seeking feedback from the community. That said, obviously if you have concerns, you're more than welcome to uh to send them
023to us and let us know. But um but reinforcing the chain of command of going through the administration. Correct. Yep. I think it's important to we on operational issues through this whole experience um all the question individual questions that came up like what does this mean for me? I have this situation. I think it's important now to have that year and have those questions answered. So I think it is without the haste that we have now or have had um having that year is going to be important and I I do want to thank the HFT and and and I think it was mentioned last week all the teachers that I mean it's not just the HFT it's the teachers that came together uh and collaborated on this and I think this is a positive
024direction. Yeah. I I would just ask one thing. You know, there have been lots of questions about AB versus, you know, other things. And um I know that if the the the schedule is ratified by both parties, uh Mr. List will begin, you know, uh communicating details to people. I just ask for a little bit of additional patience as as they work through it. there are tons of different things that are going to need to be decided and and worked out over the next um months uh you know um maybe year whatever. Um so please you know make sure that you your your voice and concerns are heard but but also be patient as as lots of the details need to need to be worked out because this is even more than the AB is
025a is a dramatic change in sort of the the schedule. So um lots of decisions need to be made over over time and um I'm sure some of them may involve us eventually after Mr. List makes a recommendation with with the central office but on program of studies and things like that the traditional role of the school committee but um um because I we I can guarantee you that uh if the agency ratifies on on on Monday no one will be able to tell you what a schedule will look like the next day. So just and that's why it's important to note 26 27 26 27. So we're not switching schedules again for 25 27 drop too. And is Mr. List are you continuing theformational sessions within the classrooms? You you mentioned that you were
026having information sessions. Sorry, I know you're So, we had informationational sessions this week um with students and finish that up with counselors um and I met with uh each of the classes um and then should everything ratified, then we'll send out information for folks um so that they know what to do and um sort of replay that time where kids can go and talk to the counselors or um makeshift to what their requests had been. Okay. And the HFT is not ratifying till well they don't have their vote until Monday because they have to give a 7-day notice, right? So whereas we just have to give like two days. So I just wanted to it wasn't like anybody's trying to delay anything. It's just they are processed. Yes, that's a good point. Any other thoughts
027and things you want to questions? Questions. No, I feel good about it. I'm just, you know, hanging on my I know. Just really I hope that they ratify it so we can all move on. But that's Yeah. And I guess I just want to hopeful thank the students too for really bearing with us. I think um yeah, it was difficult. We we heard we heard we listened to you guys and we know that it was difficult these last few weeks trying to figure out what was going to happen, what next year was going to look like, what future years were going to look like here. So, um just you know you guys were troopers and it was you know thank you. It was difficult right? It was difficult. It's a challenging change and anyway so
028thank you. I just think I mean it is difficult not sort of having certainty on on the future of what your your classes are going to look like, what your your schedule's going to look like and you know what that might mean for for your future for for college or for your careers um and how that is compounded by all the other uncertainty that's going on in the world and you know it's uh it's it's uh it's not easy stress. Yeah. Yeah. Um it's it's challenging. We uh you know we we I certainly appreciate um bearing with us as we we we try to figure this out. Okay. Okay. So, um if there's nothing else, do we want to put it up on the big board or no? Uh we could certainly the the MOA.
029Yeah. Okay. Would you like to put up the Do you have the MOA? I can find the sign. I don't have I didn't actually forget the It has to be a signed copy so much as just so that everybody can see what they're looking at. Yeah. [Music] You want me to share with you? I could share with you. I got it. Do you have it? You got the cut. You got the I can forward it to you. Did you hear that? Uh, did she Okay. Yeah. So, um, just remember that the dog. Yeah. Well, this will be just here. Mhm. So you sort of scroll down. Yeah, there you go. This is actually slightly there's a there's one la we don't have to there's one more sentence. No, no. There's just one more sentence in
030the official signed version which is just simply that uh it's subject to ratification um that was added to the at the right the minute and it just says this the sorry this agreement is subject to ratification by the committee and by federation membership at the um which was always what we were operating under the offices of but it was was added by council at the last minute not last minute but right before we signed Okay. Can you make sure to send us the signed copy when you're I I need to rely to send it to me. So, yeah, I don't have I don't think I have a scan yet. Okay. Yep. We have signed though. For anybody looking at this, I just want to make sure the language is clear to everyone. The last second
031to last sentence, evaluating the schedule yearly does not mean the schedule will change yearly because It's also current contract language. So yeah, it's it's Yeah. Yeah. We always evaluate but yes it's evaluation is not changing. So um with that I will entertain a motion to um ratify the memorandum of of agreement which tenative agreement on the new schedule for the Hollston High School for the 26 27 school year um based on a seven drop just seven drop two schedule format as laid out in the MOA. So move second. Who's who who's seconding it? Hillary did. Okay. Okay. Hillary. Okay. Hillary. All right. Well, um we'll take a roll call in just a second just so you know um we do the the town manager, town administrator uh is is given the opportunity to to vote.
032I think that on our sort of main contract. I was I couldn't quite find the language to know if that was something that was necessary for something like this, but I did extend an offer to to Miss Buckley and uh she she would have been happy to attend, but I also thought that that she it wasn't necessary. She didn't want to and didn't need to take more time away from from from her personal time. So, um with that, we will uh we'll vote. Frank Stink Bug, uh yes. Hillary, yes. Joe, yes. Sarah, yes. Uh, Cynthia, yes. Don, yes. I vote yes as well. So, uh, we have now ratified uh, the MOA. I will communicate that uh, to Miss Katona, the HFT president, and um, we will go forward from there. Okay. Um, and there
033will be a communication going on. Next item. So, the next item on the agenda is to discuss a communication. Just go with the agenda. Thank you, Sarah. Bring this together. Yes. So, I put on here general community. I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking about when I put that on there, but so we can unless there we'll continue with our house reporter updates. We just put one in for the last meeting which was just last week. So, we'll do another one for this one. Great. That's and then Yeah. And so so looking those specifically at a high school schedule um uh communication that was Sarah was nice enough to spend some time putting that together. Um it's in our drive. Do we want to discuss it further? Do we have changes? Let's read. Let's
034read. Should we put the date at the top of it? Yep. Is it going to go tonight or tomorrow? Since we have uh Dan here, we'll send it out tonight. So, we'll just say tonight. Yeah. Good. Yeah. Yeah. Do you want me to read it? Sure. And and this Dennis will go to to the parents, guardians, students. No, no worries. There's so so many different lists. Um and then the community list too. Yeah. Um I I think given given the fact that the the teachers have not voted on it yet, I I don't everybody's addresses not staff just because they have not voted on yet. I just want to be be uh cognizant of that. Um but if any any um staff are watching, it's just that we're just trying to make sure we're we
035we're obeying the rules. Um but then we if we could maybe post it also on on Facebook so that way the public can't see we're not part of it. Shall I start? Oh, you want to read it? Yeah, we put the date in. I put the date just did. Yeah. Where? Oh, right on the top. Is that okay? D. The internet is really slow. It took like a minute for it to to the date to pop. Okay. So, dear parents, guardians, and students, we are reaching out to provide an update on the Hollist High School schedule. The Hollist High School, sorry, the Hollist School Committee and the Hollison Federation of Teachers have successfully reached a tenative agreement subject to ratification by both parties on a new seven drop two schedule for Hollist High School. This
036new schedule was ratified by the HSC at our meeting tonight and will be voted on by the HFT on April 7th. The tenative agreement stipulates an implementation for the 2026 2027 school year. Under the new schedule laid out in the tenative agreement, students will take seven classes at a time with both semester which are half credit and year-long classes full credit with five classes meeting each day on a rotating basis. Each class will meet three or four times per week and five times in a 7-day cycle. H each class will be followed by a designated study block DSB once per cycle. Further, teachers will have some DSBs as designated extra help periods for further opportunities for students to receive additional support from their teachers. Classes will be 64 minutes in length while the DSP period
037will remain 41 minutes. This structure is designed to support year-long learning for core subjects like math and world languages while allowing for happier electives. Additionally, abandoned course will be offered as regular period electives as was planned under the AP schedule. We recognize that this has been a difficult process and we want to thank the entire community for your valuable feedback, thoughtful input, and patience. We especially want to recognize all of the students who have endured this period of uncertainty with their high school future, especially at a time when uncertainty abounds everywhere. We also want to thank the HFT leadership, all of the members of the schedule subcommittee, and the entire group of high school educators for their collaboration and dedication in helping us reach this point. Ultimately, we believe that this new schedule will enhance
038the overall student experience at HHS. We realize that many of you continue to have unanswered questions about what exactly happened, how did we get here, and most importantly, what will the next year look like as our educators and high school leadership work on implementing this new schedule upon HFT ratification. These are all very legitimate and reasonable questions. We expect to continue to put out additional information over the coming weeks and you can expect even more details from high school administration as they more fully take over the process in collaboration with the teachers over the coming year. In conclusion, please do not hesitate to continue to share your opinions with us about the schedule or anything else you want to bring to our attention. While this process was anything but smooth, please know that our goal
039at all times was to improve the educational experience of the students of the Hollist public schools. Ultimately, students are the main focus of everything that we do. Sincerely, the Hollist School Committee. I have two two things. Okay. You said um let's see in that paragraph hold in that paragraph where you're just second paragraph where you're describing each class you said each class twice. So it says each class will meet three or four times per week and five times in a day cycle each class will be followed by a designated and will be should say and will and then my only other thing is that you said we will in the fourth paragraph it says we expect to continue to put out additional information instead of put out. Can we say disseminate? Oops. What about share?
040Share or share is fine, too. Share. I like share. Share is better. It's a little Sharing is caring. Sharing is caring. Don't Don't steal my motto. You can't have it. Yeah, it is. Thank you. Those are good good catches. Thank you. Um, any other edits or comments? So I think that this actually reminded me now of why I put on general uh communication. You know, do we want not tonight or anything, you know, do we do we want to sort of request that the communication? So can we put together something on on more of an overview of sort of um the pro once once everything is sort of finalized assuming that it is um put something together sort of on the the process go forward or what do you mean though? No, you know there
041are a lot of questions about what happened. Okay. In terms of um when we started, where we were in December, all of those pieces, I guess. You mean just kind of codifying what hap the I'm not going to codify it. Historical perspective. I mean, not like even saying the record. It's just more there's just a lot of questions about, you know, what what's going on. And I get, you know, for us, we were we were living it sort of, you know, intensely and and most most people don't have the same um you know, probably masochistic. My sense is move forward. I think we need to move on. Yeah. Let's move on and move forward. people have specific questions. I was going to say this specific questions I'm happy to answer. If we continue if we
042if we going forward if we have questions about how we got here, we could put on FAQ. We could always we could put I just wanted to talk about it just because you know there was so much I know I know confusion about that. So yeah, I I personally just I think that I think I'm just thankful we've gotten to this point. Um, it was definitely harder than I ever anticipated it would be. Um, and that was unfortunate, but I still am thankful for where we are right now and full steam ahead. I think this is a will will be you know a a a huge improvement um and and really meeting a lot of the the sort of issues that were identified you know through numerous different reports and yeah but if people have
043specific questions I'm I think we are all happy to answer so feel free to email but that's process questions and purpose of following came to the policy but more anything operational needs to go not to us so because we're not really going to be doing the dayto-day, please. I can't build schedules. Um I don't want to. Nor nor should I. Do we need to vote on our communication? Should we vote on Yeah. So, uh um I'll uh entertain a motion to approve the uh the uh dissemination of this uh this sharing sharing the dissemination of this uh sounds. Did you make go ahead? Okay. Okay. So moved. Are you make the motion? Motion to share the communication. Motion to send the communication. Communication. Yeah. Okay. All right. All in favor? Yes. Thank you. You should
044have all access and everything to it. So, just uh if you could send it out, put our email addresses at the bottom. Um and then just, you know, subject to high school schedule update. May put a date on it now because we've been sent so many of them. Yeah, I might want to put April 3rd on Yeah. But April 3rd, Hson High School scheduled out to April 3rd. Um All right. [Music] Um well, we have three hours, so what should we talk about? Oh my god. All right, I'll entertain. We do not have the reason for executive session. Do you Are you guys good? Just like it's good night tonight. So perfect. Um uh we do not have reason for executive session. Our next meeting will be next week on April 10th uh for our
045budget hearing. So we've uh disseminated our budget. If you have questions, please come. Shared our budget. Shared our budget. We shared our budget. We are presenting our budget to the finance committee on Tuesday. Um and so uh then we will do the the budget update on the 10th. Um anyway, no executive session. With that, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Moved by Cynthia. Second by Don. All in favor? Yes. We stand a journ. Thank you very much. Have a good night.