001Good evening and welcome to the Greenfield Public Schools School Committee meeting for Wednesday, July 9th, 2025. Um, Secretary Deneva is in here. Um, member Martini has agreed to call the role and our votes tonight. Member Martini, >> Chair Johnson Mousad >> here. >> I am here. Member Goodwin >> here. >> Member Childs >> here. Mayor Dorger >> here. Members Vice Chair Ston >> here. I'm here. Can't tell if you can hear me. >> Thank you. We can hear you. >> Yes, we can. >> Okay, great. Cool. >> All right. All are present except for Secretary Geneive. >> Okay. Um uh to accommodate um member Ston's schedule, I move to take up agenda items six, seven, and eight immediately after item two. So be moving those items up to just after public comment. I'll second that.
002>> Uh, okay. Um, and I think that it's not discussable, so we'll just um vote. Member Martine, >> member John Chair Johnson, >> yes. >> I am a yes. Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Member Childs, yes. Mayor Dorer, >> yes. >> Member Ston, >> yes. >> We are unanimous. >> Okay. So, the agenda is um amended. So, um, public comment, anyone, um, on Zoom or in person who would like to speak? Not hearing any. Um, then let's move to item six. Um, so the first item is a business manager position update. Um, to um First of all, welcome super superintendent to your new role. Glad to have you here. Do you have any updates at all for us about the hiring for the business manager position? >> No, only only probably what you know and
003what I've heard from outgoing superintendent um that they had done some interviews and I believe some of the committee were on were members of that panel that they've done in the past and it is still posted on school spring. That's what I've been I've been told. Literally I As you know, I started last week, spent two days with the administrators in a leadership retreat. Did that which was nice. Was able to spend some time on Thursday with the outgoing superintendent and here we are this week. So, it's been a couple days and getting to know everybody's names and faces and it's been a great crowd so far >> and I think it's still posted on our um school um postings as well. So, okay. And so then um at the last meeting um a um
004a motion to approve the business manager's contract um was um we didn't act on it. We we uh voted to authorize the school committee executive subcommittee to meet with the attorney to discuss our questions and make a proposal at the um July meeting. Um, so we did meet um and um got a briefing from our attorney, answered questions, and unanimously voted to recommend um voting for the um business manager's contract. Um and I shared the recording of that. Um so hopefully people who had submitted questions um at least heard what we heard at the meeting in terms of answers. Um, are there any questions about the executive committee's recommendation before we um move on to the actual contract vote? >> Yes, ma'am. M >> um I did watch the meeting. Thank you for sharing that.
005Um did did you think of making um an amendment to it for to make it for like one year? I unders I understood all most of my questions were answered but um that was something that came up before. >> Yeah I think so when we directed the superintendent to pursue procurement for a business manager um the default had been to do a three-year procure for a three-year contract. Um the school committee um pushed back on that and but uh it was agreed that the superintendent would do procurement for a two-year contract. Um and so that is the reason why we have a two-year contract in front of us. However, it is a two-year contract that allows us to um amicably end the agreement at at any time with 30 days notice um without having to
006provide a reason. So in a it does give us two years of security in terms of not needing to go out for procurement again, but it also still allows us the 30 days to end the contract if we wish. I'm just going to say one more thing on this. I just however this vote comes out and it's fine. It's going to come out however it's going to come out. I just would like our new superintendent to hear from us that we we were all really hoping that we would be getting a new business manager. So, I will speak for myself, but I think we had taken a vote before that I'm hoping that you'll continue to be looking at that um because it was something that I think there was um I can't speak for
007everybody else, but they could speak for themselves. I think there was a the majority of folks thought that it would be a good idea to have a change. So that's all I have to say. >> Member Childs, >> I'll echo that and add the specificity of it. What the district really needs is someone who is full-time Greenfield and very much focused strategically on Greenfield. uh this is to say you know nothing about the service that is currently being provided just that we want someone who is only serving one team and that team is us. >> Member Goodwin >> I'm going to echo um my colleagues over here. It's with great hope that we get a new business manager, somebody who can help us analyze um our money um and how it's being used um and
008make some help us make some hard decisions that we know are coming down the pike. Um, I will add that I think that if we want to attract and retain a good business manager, we may need to um do some really strategic thinking and an analysis of why it is that um people are applying and then withdrawing their applications. Um so there I think there may be need for a greater strategy about how um we go about the search given our unique situation in in Greenfield and finding out exactly what those factors are and addressing them. Um because um I don't think we'll have I don't expect we'll have much more success with our search than we're having now if we don't make changes. Um, and I think some of those changes have to do
009with both how how we treat the business manager and how the city council treats the business manager. Um, so I think that those are important issues to um to address, but I don't know. I think that it might be worth um taking a closer look at why um people are withdrawing their applications after they um submit them. Uh, any other anything else on the executive committee's recommendation on the business manager contract? Okay, >> Glenn. >> Yes, member Stan. Thank you. I just I just wanted to make a clarification in your um in your preamble sort of setting up the vote, you said that we can end the contract with a 30 days notice. It's actually 10. Um, so I just wanted to make sure that folks had that correct uh timeline. >> Thank you. All
010right. Um, great. Uh so the the motion that um I made that um member child seconded and that um was postponed till tonight was um GJM moved that the school committee approve the business manager contract as presented and further direct the administration to exercise due diligence in the procurement of additional business services in cases where services are reasonably anticipated and available at a lower cost. The administration is encouraged to pursue those more cost-effective options in alignment with sound fiscal management practices. Um I think that since the meeting in June um there have been some amendments to the contract that are noted. So I would um like to amend my motion to say uh approve the business manager contract as amended. Um, member childs, are you okay with that change? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, so
011let's see. I don't know my Robert's rules. Do we need to take a motion to pick it up again or I guess not. Why don't we just assume that the motion is here on our table since uh we are you thinking, mayor? >> Put it on the table. >> Well, we didn't put on the table. We postponed it. >> Okay. Great. Um, so this is the motion and so any discussion on the motion. Okay. Um, member Martini, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson Mousad? >> Yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Goodwin, >> no. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Mayor Disorger, >> no. and Vice Chair Ston. >> Yes. >> Motion carries four to two with one absent. I mean, okay. Um, I that just to share my my thought process is it's
012really difficult for me to imagine voting no on on the motion to retain the business manager because we're legally required to have a business manager and there's no other option. So, I don't understand voting no. I'll just share that, I guess, rather than pretend like I I'm calm. I'm not that calm about it. Um, all right. Let's move to enter into executive session. I move to um enter executive session pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 3A subsection 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation. If in open meeting an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares and to comply with or act under the authority of any general or special law or federal grant aid requirements, this
013committee will return to open session. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Member Martini, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson Mousad? >> Yes. >> I am a yes. Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Mayor Dorer, >> yes. >> And Vice Chair Saxton, >> yes. >> All right. Um, so we will um we go to the other room for our executive session. We are returned from executive session at 7:08 I guess. Um we are moving on to new business um item 8A a vote to approve the unit A collective bargaining agreement. Um, I would like to hear a motion to approve the agreement between the Greenfield School Committee and the Greenfield Education Association unit A as presented. >> So moved. >> Second. >> A motion for member Charles
014and a second from member Goodwin. Discussion. Member Stton. Vice Chair. I just really wanted to thank uh all of our educators for the bargaining that they did and and how they showed up. Um I won't necessarily say it was a pleasure, but it was uh you know um I think that it was one of the better union negotiations that I've been part of. Um and I've been part of a few. So thank you >> and thank you so much for your countless hours working on that. you you did a wonderful job of the both in the room with the unions but also keeping us posted as the process went on. Um I I'm really proud of you and everything that you've done and everything that everyone did together to make this happen. So, thank you.
015And it was nice to hear people coming out of it talk talking in public session about their appreciation of you and um the former superintendent and the way everyone worked together to make those contracts happen. Um so, any other discussion before we vote? Okay. Member Martini, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson Mad. >> Yes. >> I am a yes. Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. Mayor Disorger, >> yes. >> Vice Chair Saxton, >> yes. >> We are unanimous with one absent. >> Excellent. The motion carries. Um, and member Ston, you can uh leave whenever you want. Just let us know when you're going so we can >> one more. One more. >> Oh, >> vote unit C. Thank you. That's what you were trying to say. Tell me. Okay. I'd
016like to hear a motion to approve the agreement between the Greenfield School Committee and the Greenfield Education Association pair of professionals. >> So moved. Second. >> Motion from Mayor Disorder and a second from member Childs. Any more discussion? >> Member Martini, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson Musat. >> Yes. >> I am a yes. Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Mayor Dorger, >> yes. >> Vice Chair Ston, >> yes. again unanimous except one absent. >> Okay, great. Um and with that, thank you. I think I will scoot. Um I will give your best to my family here in Kansas. >> Unless you don't want me to. >> You do unanimous. Unanimously. >> All right. Thank you all. >> Okay. Um Okay. Uh now we are working back in time
017on to our agendas um to items three um a the business manager. Um so because we don't have a didn't have a contract with the business manager. Um I've basically signed a short-term contract with him to keep some services going but instructed him to keep his hours to a minimum under those conditions. So, um, we agreed he would not attend tonight, but did present the written report. Um, any questions about the business manager's written report. Okay. Not hearing any. So, we'll move on to um uh the report from the assistant superintendent and the superintendent. We have um assistant superintendent Sullivan is also not here tonight and has given us a written report. So unless you have anything to add from that interim superintendent and anything you want us to share about your own report having
018been here for all of what >> a matter of some days now, right? Yes. Yeah. >> No, I just wanted to echo the the politeness of people, the welcoming that people have been to me as I'm getting around to the schools and different city departments. So, I appreciate that. Um I know as I spent six months here last year, it was a great place to work. So, I'm glad to be back and look forward to working with you in your transition for the next year for that. Um, obviously don't have a lot to report on in that scenario and you have the report from Assistant Superintendent Sullivan who was away this week on vacation, but he was so kind to prepare that report and I think it it may speak for itself or I'm open
019to questions for what little knowledge I have in this past week of his report. >> Great. Any questions on the assistance superintendent report? Okay, thank you very much. Oh, sorry. I didn't have my microphone on. Um, so then we're on to the consent agenda. I'd like to hear a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> So moved. >> Motion from member Chess. >> Second from member Goodwin. Any discussion? I uh anyone want wish to remove anything from the consent agenda? >> Okay. Um member Oh, we're all in person now. All those in favor say I. >> I. Motion carries unanimously. Uh I don't um well I guess I'll have I'll give a brief report some email exchanges today but for the time being um I have communicated with um President Wandelowski of the
020city council to say that we um we're not intend I'm not intending for the superintendent or myself to attend those meetings unless they have something specifically like to discuss until we've had a chance to kind of reset our relationship. So, I'm working on setting up um a meeting with her and the vice chair to have that discussion. Um other than that, there's not too much to report other than all the work that we've been doing. I just I think I'd like to thank the committee for uh how hard people have worked since um May 30th. We have a um interim superintendent, a new administrative assistant, and a business manager's contract signed. So, congratulations to us on getting all that done. Uh and the chair of the community engagement subcommittee is not here to report. I
021didn't have any items from her before the meeting. >> Um so then um let's see that is included in the consent agenda that we passed. Do we Yeah. So then our final item adjournment. I'd like to hear a motion to adjourn the meeting. >> So moved. Motion from member Goodwin. Is there a second? >> Second from Mayor Sorger. Any discussion? All those in favor? >> I I >> Motion carries unanimously and we are out of here at 7:16 p.m. [Music]