001[music] I'm going to call the meeting to order. Today is Tuesday, December 9th, 2025. This meeting is being video and audio recorded for future cable broadcasts. Please silence all cell phones for the duration of the meeting. May I have a motion to open the school committee meeting? Second. We'll do a roll call. >> Mr. Ellis, >> yes. >> Mrs. McGlin, >> yes. Mr. Halcro, >> yes. >> Mrs. Piera, yes. Sister Hood, >> yes. I'll ask everyone to stand so we can start with the pledge of America. One nation, indivisible, liberty, justice for all. Okay. The first item on our agenda is the consent agenda. Everything listed in the consent agenda was distributed in advance of the meeting. Does anyone have any requests for something to be removed from the consent agenda and discussed or voted
002on separately? May I have a motion to approve and accept the items listed in the cassette agenda, including the minutes for the November 20th, 2025 meeting. So move >> second. >> All those in favor? >> I any any opposed? Seeing none, that motion passes. Unopposed. Okay, so we do have uh looks like five people signed up for uh public comment delegation. Let me just uh before we get started here, the accushian school committee values hearing from the community on issues within its responsibility. Public comment is a time to share opinions. It's not a discussion, debate, or dialogue, and the committee will not respond during this period. In order to keep the meeting moving orderly, please follow these rules. Anyone wishing to speak uh signed in at the start of the meeting. Public comment is limited
003to 15 minutes total. Please be respectful. Each speaker has up to three minutes and must state their name in town. Extensions may be granted by the chair, speak through the chair, not to individual members of the administration, and only once unless permitted otherwise. Comments must relate to agenda items or matters within the committee scope. The chair may rule out of order any comments that don't follow these guidelines. Anyone who wished to make comments longer than 3 minutes should submit uh in writing those comments to the superintendent and she will distribute those to the school committee. Committee members may ask clarifying questions through through the chair. Please Monroe looks like you're first up. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, my name is Brian Monroe. I live at 5 Casey Lane in Fair Haven. Um, good evening, members
004of the Akushnet School Committee. My name is Brian Monroe, as I've said, and I'm the chair of the Fair Haven School Committee. Um, and I'm here tonight to speak to you about this evening's discussion and vote regarding the tuition agreement for Aushna students in which district you will partner with going forward. For over a century, Fair Haven has welcomed a Krishna students into our high school. And I can say that for at least the past 20 years, this isn't just a business arrangement. It is a deeply rooted partnership that has shaped both of our communities. We in Fair Haven believe your children are worth more than the bare minimum and that they deserve a highquality education, access to comprehensive programs, and a supportive learning environment where they fit in with their peers and can thrive.
005To date, I am concerned about how this discussion has gone. I'm hopeful that you can understand why we were caught off guard by your initial proposal. While we expected to have to negotiate things like the point4 adjustment counselor, we didn't expect an attempt to set the clock back 17 years as a Christian hasn't paid close to the $8,200 amount since 2008. We were equally dismayed to be painted along with New Bedford as villains during your November 20th meeting. The message that has been stated is that our tuition is ridiculous, unfair, and a burden. While every school district's costs have increased steadily over the past years, the current proposal asks for Haven to continue to provide a high-quality education and facility, but at a rate that is 2/3 of what is being paid now. This proposal
006is far less than a Kushnet spends to educate K- through8 students, and this would mean the Fair Haven taxpayer would need to make up the difference. Furthermore, it has been stated that a Kushnet is spending more money to send students to Fair Haven than the town receives in funding for those students. And I want to be clear that this statement is not supported by publicly available state data. I'm not saying this to be divisive, but it's more important to address a fundamental piece of data that appears to have been misrepresented. The amount of cushion it pays for Haven and New Bedford is less than what you receive from Chapter 7 state aid in your required local contribution on a per pupil basis. And this is a verifiable fact. It's irrefutable. My daughter graduates from Fair
007Haven High School in June and I have made the decision not to run for reelection. I've served my town for 15 years and it's time for someone else to take the mantle. Because of this, I could have said that I don't care and I'm not going to bother to advocate for your students and for our high school. But I can't do that because I care too much about your kids and my kids. And I want to be clear, this is not about money. It's about tradition, relationships, and more importantly, investing in the future of Aushna students. Your high school students do not become a number when they move on from eighth grade, and they are worth just as much as your K through8 students. Fair Haven is committed to continuing this partnership. We value your
008students, and we want them to remain a part of our school community. We are willing to continue. I have one more sentence, Mr. Chair. We are willing to continue this discussion as long as you want. And I urge you to vote to continue our historic partnership and to work with us to find a solution that is both fiscally responsible and above all puts the needs of aushnet students first. Thank you for your time and consideration. [applause] >> Jessica Demadas. >> Good evening. Jessica dearas, reside at Farelene. I'm here again to um express my concerns about the possibility of changing our high school from Fair Haven. I understand that Fair Haven's tuition may be higher than the other prospects, but even with that difference, the full financial picture is not adding up. The numbers coming from
009the Fair Haven superintendent and the Kushnet superintendent are not matching. It makes it hard for the community to know what figures are actually accurate. Before making such a big decision, we need clear, consistent, and verified numbers. Beyond the finances, this decision affects real people. Our students and families already [clears throat and cough] have strong relationships with Fair Haven. Teachers, programs, sports teams, and the community. Many of us have grown up expecting to attend Fair Haven. I'm speaking for my son. And taking that away would be extremely damaging. Losing those connections would hurt the students socially, emotionally, and academically. It's not just about where we go to school. It's about the community that you're a part of. I feel that the students who do want to change, maybe they do want OR, they still have that
010choice. You're not taking that away from them. But think about what you're taking away from the majority of the students who are asking you to make the not make the decision to take Fair Haven away from them. I asked the committee to consider keeping Fair Haven as the high school. Until the financial information is fully accurate and the impact on students is truly understood, changing schools feels rushed and harmful. I also would like some clarification if our eighth grade students will be able to enroll [snorts] this spring to Fair Haven as the current agreement is set to expire in August. I thank you for listening and for your consideration. After all, it is in fact our students that should be put first. >> [applause] >> UH, EVAN. UH, HI. I'm uh Memo Montine. I'm a
01118-year-old senior from Freeden High School and I live in a cushion, Massachusetts at 13 Cedar Hill Drive. Uh, good evening members of the school committee. My name is Evelyn Montaine. I'm a proud resident of a Kushnet and a proud for Haven Blueevil. For as long as I can remember, for Haven High School has been a constant presence, a huge part of our community and a place where Kushnet students have looked forward to attending. I want to talk to you tonight about something incredibly important. The future of a Kushnet's relationship with Vhaven High School. And I want you to talk and I want to talk to you from a personal perspective. Before attending for Haven High School, I actually spent seventh and eighth grade at Old Rochester. And while I appreciate the opportunities that or offered
012me and the friends I made there, if I'm being honest, I never felt like I was truly at home. While I was kindly treated, I was always a guest. My life has has always included kids from VHA. We shared the same fields, the same coaches, the same experiences. They were never strangers to me. They were just my friends. That's why I decided to transfer to For Haven starting back my freshman year. From day one, I was always welcomed. There was no awkward introductions, no feelings of being an outsider. I was just one of the Blue Devils. Fraven didn't see me as an aush kid or or a number on a spreadsheet. They saw me as Evan. And because of that, I thrived. I was given an opportunity to pursue my passion not just in the
013classroom but as well as on the field. Uh I had the honor of being the quarterback for our state championship winning football team and I continue to proudly represent for Haven High School as a three sport athlete. I'm a member of the National Honor Society and I've received presidential scholarships from three different universities so far. I'm too young to truly understand the money behind all this and I'm sure that it matters. But I'm standing in front of you all today as living proof that the relationship between for Haven and Kushnet is only still working in its excellence. For Haven has invested in a Kushnet students creating a welcoming environment where we can truly reach our full potential. They haven't just tolerated us. They've embraced us. We're not just dollar signs. We are all active participants
014in their community. We are students and we are leaders. We are valued members of the Blue Devil family. I know that these decisions may not be easy, but I urge you to consider the impact that changing this relationship would have on the students of Aushnet. Don't fix what isn't broken. We are two towns that over the years have become one community. And finally, consider this. I'm not just speaking for myself. I'm speaking for all the younger students in a cushion. Those who look up to me, those who look up to us, whose dream is to wear a blue devil jersey. Keep giving cushion students the opportunity to thrive at Faven High School and leave our community intact. I thank you all for your time. [applause] [applause] [cough and clears throat] >> [clears throat] >> Good
015evening. My name is Eric Lamonte, 13 city driver Kushin. You got to hear from my son before me and I couldn't be more proud of him for standing here and speaking his mind. I wanted to talk to you today because I bring sort of a unique perspective to the situation. My oldest son graduated from OR in 2023. He chose to attend OR on school choice and we have supported that decision with very little regrets. I have nothing bad to say about or the teachers were great. I'm a huge fan of the principal. I think Mr. Dval is a fantastic individual. Evan talked about his accomplishments at Fair Haven High School. I'm also proud to say my O bulldog is doing great. He's attending UMass Amherst and living with three guys from the tritown as well
016as his best friend from here in a cushion. to this point. Uh I I tell you this to this point out that both of these schools are fantastic academic options. But that alone really isn't enough in my eyes to change what we currently have. Principles will change. Teachers will retire. But if the wrong decisions made today, our community could suffer for years. My issue with the decision to possibly end our relationship with their haven and start a new one has little to do with the education part since both the great choices. My issue falls with the sense of community around it. It's not the fault of or that they are 100 years behind in the forms of forming relationships building with the town of Kushnet. But facts are facts and Fahheim and Kushnet have bonded
017together as one. Like Evan said previously, our time at or was fine, but our family with both boys truly felt every event, every celebration was a great celebration for them that we were merely getting to take part in. As kind as they were, it never really felt like home. It's a different feeling here at Fair Haven at Fair Haven High School because it was pointed out our kids arrive at Fair Haven High School already having been part of that community. Starting high school is hard enough. Let's not make it any harder on these kids. As someone on the outside watching school committee meetings on video and reading in the paper, it seems like most of this comes down to numbers. A Kushner has their numbers and they feel they're right. Fair Haven has their numbers
018and they feel they're right. I plead with you to before that before you make a decision this big that you sit down together to make sure with zero chance of error that you're making the right decision. If that means extending this contract a year, I beg for the people of our community that you do that. It's of no fault of any of the school committee members that you're in the situation to have to be making this decision. I'm horrified that this decision of this magnitude is being made by five people. If it was made 3 years prior, it might have been three five different people. Three years later, maybe a different group of people. I urge you to take the time and listen to the voices of the people of the town of Aushna that
019elected you to these positions. [clears throat] In the surveys taken, you can clearly see what the town wants. While I'm sure Dr. Bailey is a great person, I don't know her personally, and I mean no disrespect with what I'm about to say. I do want to point out that a driving force in these decisions, she's not part of our community and hasn't been. She's an employee of the town and she can move on to a new job at any point, never having to deal with the aftermath of the decisions that are going to be made today. I again plead with you not to tear apart our community. Fair Haven High School is not just an option, it's a home for most of our kids. Thank you for your time. [applause] >> Good evening, Mark Strikes
02015 Burlington Drive, East Mass. Uh, good evening, Mr. chair in the committee. Uh I'm the proud assistant superintendent for the For Haven Public Schools and I'm here with a singular uh point to make this evening and that is to offer an honest informed perspective on what this partnership means and why it matters. Over my 19 years in education, I have learned that the true measure of a school is not its test scores or facilities, although those are important. It's the connection students form with the people around them, their teachers, their peers, their coaches, their administrators. Those relationships shaped their confidence, their sense of belonging, and ultimately their success. When I arrived in Fair Haven, I immediately recognized something special about the connections at Fair Haven High School. They're not just noticeable, they're exceptional. Our NES
021accreditation process highlighted clearly, citing the strong connection between two teachers and students. But anyone who spends time in our school can feel it. FHS is a community grounded in trust, pride, and unwavering support. If I had known for my administrative role that a cushion students attended FHS, I would have never guessed. There is no divide. There is no fair haven student or a Kushet student. And in every hallway, classroom, stage, and athletic field, I see one unified community. Blue Devils. Every one of them. That unity doesn't magically appear in ninth grade. It begins earlier when children from both towns learn, train, and grow together in new sports, dance, music, and community programs. By the time they enter high school, they are already teammates, friends, and collaborators, and together they achieve extraordinary outcomes in all facets
022of their lives. The partnership between Fair and Kush has strengthened both communities for generations. It has created opportunities that neither district could provide alone. Because of this partnership, FHS offers a breath of high-quality programming and a full slate of athletics and extracurriculars at no additional cost to families. innovation pathways, dual enrollment, college and career planning, expanded internships, and we're in the final stages of securing our afterd dark partnership with greater regional bow tech and electrical uh uh shop. These are life-changing experiences that prepare students for college, career, and the world beyond high school. Maintaining this partnership ensures that a cushion students continue to have full and equitable access to all of them and to the strong academic and social environment that makes FHS what it is. There's been conversation about tuition and Weatherford Haven quote
023profits from this agreement. We have been transparent in demonstrating that we do not profit financially but we absolutely profit in ways that matter deeply. We profit in human capital. We profit when we provide a first class education to all students. We profit when our graduates succeed, contribute to their communities, and represent both towns with great pride. Most importantly, we profit from being one community, one school, one heartbeat. We are all FHS Blueb Builders. Tonight, I respectfully and strongly urge you to continue this century long partnership. The decision before you is more than a financial one. It is a commitment to your students futures, their access to opportunity. I'm almost done, sir. Thank you. And to the community they have been part of since childhood. Together, we have built something remarkable. Together, we can continue to
024open doors for every student who chooses FHS. Together, we are stronger. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. [applause] I appreciate all everyone's comments. So, at this point, Dr. Bailey, we're going to move the control total of business or >> I'm wondering if you could take one thing out of order. Okay. Um, Katherine Cooper is here. She's the executive director from SME and she would like to speak to us about the capital reserve policy amendment and we would need a vote on that. So, I would ask Katherine Cooper who is here tonight if she could just come to the podium. Good evening. Thank you for taking me out of order. I'm Katherryn Cooper, executive director of SMEC, the Southeastern Mass Educational Collaborative. We are a public educational collaborative formed under state law that allows
025two or more school committees to join together to form a collaborative to provide regional services typically around special education. Um, we are fortunate to have Ebony Miglin as our new representative from Mcushinet and and former member Miss Cadera. We are um because we are a public educational collaborative our school our board is made up of one school committee member from each member town. We have 10 members at this time and Kushnet is one of our founding members from the 70s. So most items uh most business items for the collaborative such as policies and budget and so forth can be uh approved and voted by [clears throat] our board of directors. But there are certain things that also come before the member school committees and one of those is either the um creation or amendment of
026a capital reserve uh policy and account. Uh we created it in 2015 with our board and school committee's approval. We amended it once in 2019 and we'll continue to amend it again to add some clarifying language. I think you have the language that we're looking to change in your packets. Um, in section one, we're just adding some clarifying language around where the funds might come from that we would uh have at our have available for our board to decide whether to deposit into a capital reserve account for um capital projects on our facilities or use um to purchase and repair our VP. Um our [clears throat] uh regulations require that we have a not to exceed language in our uh capital reserve policy. We're looking to increase that language from $500,000 to $2 million. We
027do not have that money. We're not asking you for that money. We just want to have the ability to deposit that up to that amount in the event that we do um require some funds. We are working with the state legislator legislators around uh facilities funding for collaborives because we're not eligible for MSBA funding. We don't get facilities aid like the charter schools do. Um all of our funding comes from the tuitions that the districts pay. So, we're trying to uh we we have some legislative action um hopefully moving forward on that. Uh and finally on section three, I just wanted to add the word acquire. We had repair and replace language in there, maintain language, but we did not have acquire. Um so, in the event that we we just bought a new building
028a couple of years ago, we may need to do that again at some point to expand our programs. So, we just wanted to add that language. So, I'm happy to answer any questions. Otherwise, I would just be looking for your approval to committee chief. [cough] >> All right. In that event, I would entertain a motion to approve the SME capital reserve policy amendment. Second. >> All those in favor? Any opposed? Seeing none, motion passes. Unosed. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> So, Mr. Chair, if we could go back to business. >> Yeah. Um, we have the revised middle school pathway exploration policy. As you know, we've already reviewed the policy. Once we submitted that policy to Desi, um, they got in touch with us and basically told us that information sharing does
029not should not include sixth grade. So, we revised the policy just to take out sixth grade and it's only for seventh and eighth grade students. But other than that, we've already approved the policy. It will remain the same. So, I'm just looking for a vote for the revised policy. Any questions? >> Uh, I would entertain a motion to approve the APS middle school pathway exploration policy revision. >> Second. >> Any further discussion? All those in favor? Any opposed? Seeing none, motion passes and opposed. >> Next up, we have the high school tuition agreement update. Um, as you know, we did an update last month. Today's update will focus more on the criteria that you've all um been going through with this as well as um the process. So, it's a brief recap and over Okay.
030So, our responsibility [cough] to students [clears throat] and the district state requirement. Massachusetts law states that we must legally have one high school option for our Christian students. And the question is why? Why are we doing this now? It's not driven by me. is driven because we have two contracts, existing contracts that are nearing their expiration at the end of the year in August. And then we were also approached by two other schools this year, um, Old Rochester Regional and Freetown Lakeville to be considered as a viable option for Christian students to attend their high schools. So, our community has long supported multiple pathways and choice and our guiding commitment is always always student first. Students first and considering the district's financial outlook, the committee believes it is responsible to explore all of the high
031school options in front of them, which is what we have. [clears throat] The purpose of the review is really to determine whether expanding or adjusting high school choices would better serve accord students and families. And it's a very important decision. We recognize it's a high impact decision for a cushion families. But it is the accuset school committee's decision. It is not the superintendent's decision. I have simply been the person arranging the tourist view, giving you information, etc. Things that you've asked for. how this review process began. As I mentioned, there the agreements are reaching their contractual end and we have two schools that have joined. So, we have four schools to consider. And as you know, I've told you in the past, every year with the school um choice, we have parents calling upset that
032they didn't get into the schools that they want to get into because the seats are not always available. So again, we just want to make sure that we're looking at all of the schools. In 2023, starting back a couple of years ago, we held meetings with DESIE as well as district legal counsel to ensure full compliance with all state requirements, including special education and transportation. A lot of things to consider and we wanted to make sure that we were doing this properly. So we started this process back a couple of years ago. And as I said, we had two high schools added to the mix and that really prompted the school committee to agree that they wanted to explore all of the available options for future agreements. So just to give you a highlights, um
033well before August, we sent the high schools, the all four high schools a criteria that we also shared with the school committee and you decided on that criteria. I believe it was 25 different criteria so that it was a fair process. We sent it out well in advance to the high schools so that when they presented in August they could sort of follow the criteria and know what the school committee in a Christian was looking for, what was important to the school committee. So back in August, we had four high schools uh presenting to our school committee and I know that [clears throat] those presentations have stayed on the local cable or the internet for people to view. In September, the school committee established a timeline and they wanted to make sure that we completed
034this decision by our December meeting which is tonight. So tonight plan is to take a vote on which school or schools you will be entering into negotiations with. We also had preliminary discussions with high school districts. Some districts chose to bring their school committees. Other districts the school committee um authorized their superintendent to discuss things with us. And again we had some very initial proposals at that time throughout the fall. I the high schools had some tours. They had several options for tours for all of you to attend. Um and some of those tours included parent forums, student forums, and teacher forums. We got to see the facilities and the overall student experience as well as the programs at the school. So, you were able to match what you researched with an in-person experience at
035each school. In October, we put out a family and community survey, which I went over last month, and as I told you, Fair Haven and OR were the top two choices. It was, you know, very close. Um, as their preferred high school choices. We also have had monthly updates at our school committee meetings. We have updates in our district newsletters. And again, this has been a very transparent process. All of the discussion around the high schools has been done publicly. Compliance and regulatory assurance. Again, we partnered with our district legal team. They are experts in educational law throughout the process. Because these agreements were so old. I wasn't here when the original agreements were done. They were 12 and 20 years old. We wanted to make sure that we crossed our tees and dotted our
036eyes and make sure we had a true understanding of how to go through this process. We engaged in ongoing consultation with DESIE representatives uh right up until today and yesterday, including the director of school finance, school finance programs manager, and the regional governance coordinator to ensure full compliance. We've also talked to the Secretary of Education and again I'm happy to report that we have crossed our tees, dotted our eyes. We're doing everything we're supposed to be doing. We also consulted with chapter 70 experts. We confirmed alignment with DESI requirements and Massachusetts general laws throughout this whole process. We reviewed and verified compliance requirements related to special education and transportation. And we confirmed that the tuition agreements are actually a negotiated agreement process. The two districts must come together to negotiate on a contract. And that's
037what it is. It's a negotiation. We also benchmark compliance practices by reviewing tuition agreements with other districts to identify aligned language and common requirements. So there's very few districts in the state who don't have a high school. We are one of them. and we wanted to take a look at the other existing agreements to be sure that we were aligned. I went over this timeline with you last month. We are here December 9th where we will be presenting the findings of of your findings of all the analysis that you have done and then hopefully we'll get to a vote tonight and then the plan would be to finalize any contractual terms as well as plan our high school night. I know that our kids are anxious to get to high school night. I I don't
038want to speak for Fair Haven Public Schools, but I'm pretty sure that we're both in agreement that we would want our eighth graders to have Fair Haven as a choice. We we have an existing agreement that may allow them to go and also an extension. So either way, we feel strongly that [clears throat] our eighth graders will have that choice. Okay. So data and findings most importantly students first. Every decision centers on student opportunity and well-being. We've been extremely transparent throughout the process with open communication and all all everything's been done in public through the school committee meetings. Quality was important to you. We want access to diverse and highquality programs for all students. And we also want fiscal responsibility. Obviously might not be the first on the list, but we have to have sustainable
039fair tuition agreement. And I know last month I talked a lot about numbers and there's been some disagreements. I will say the numbers are the numbers. It's all in how you present them. So, I've asked our business manager, Aldo Aldo Contronio, to talk about the numbers tonight so he can review with you um the numbers and how we see it. Good evening. [clears throat] There's been quite a bit of talk about the per pupil rate and whether it's high, whether it's low, whether it's accurate, and I'd like to um further explain that to everyone tonight. Chapter 70 and the student rates is a very it's a very complex formula. Chapter 70, it's not just a dollar amount per student. There's many factors that go into this. This chart here is from the Department of Education.
040They come up with rates. There's over 200 rates on this chart. It goes from preschool all the way through high school. It goes um has rates in there for special education. Has rates in there for English language learners. It has rates in there for low income. And it goes through each each um application that it's go goes towards that. There's administration costs assigned to each cost. Structural leadership, professional development, guidance, psychology, operations and maintenance of buildings, everything is tied in. The question has been um out there for a while is where is this $1,714 [clears throat] coming from? Where is where's this low number coming from? It's coming from right here. The Department of Ed has said that if that's the cost, that's the minimum cost that there is to educate a high school student.
041It happens to be the highest of all the grade levels. Junior high is 9,800. Elementary is 10,1 kindergarten, I can't 10,1 again, 10,0003. It's the highest of all. So, the high school does cost more. the superintendent, the school committee realize that this chart is what's used to build the overall chapter 70 formula for all districts. All districts are built from this and it goes around the the state for every district. Every year, school business officers wait for these to come through. This is what we built our budget on. These are some of the numbers that have been thrown out there and I want to clarify some of them also. Um, you're hearing the minimum education spending. You're hearing the required education spending. You're hearing the chapter 70 local the chapter 70 aid the local requirement.
042[cough and clears throat] All of these numbers here are again these are all derived by the department of a they're not derived by any of us. So basically for a kushnet this year 15.6 6 million was the minimum education spending that was required for our district. But then what the department of ed says by looking at all this they require everyone to spend above the minimum. So in doing so they looked at a cushion and they said we want you to spend 1.1 million more. That'll be your required. So that required amount is 16.7 million. How do you get there? Again every town is different but they've looked at us and they said we're going to give you 7.4 4 million from chapter 70 from the state. You your town has to match and put
043in 9.2 million. That brings you to the 16 million total they expect you to reach. Now again that's different for every single town. Some towns get 80% funding from the state. Some towns get 30% funding from the state. So when you hear about the per pupil rate, the number that's quoted the most is 13,828. That's our minimum required spending. In actuality, when you add in the required amount that the Department of Ed has issued, it's $14,810 per student. Now, what that is is that's a blended rate. That's not an actual per pupil because some of your categories cost less, some of your categories cost more. But what's included in that number are your special ed costs, your English language learner costs, your special ed out of district costs, which for those in the business know
044those run anywhere from 60 to 200,000 a student, and your lowincome students. All those factors are in there that drive that number up. You'll hear you've heard the uh the discussion that well a cushion has spent 16,000 in 2024 per student. That's correct. At the end of each year, we submit a report to the department of education. It's called our end of year report. That report has all of our spending, has all of our revenues in there, which include not only the chapter 70 and the local piece, but there's grants included in there. There's donations, there's additional funding from the town, and there's unforeseen expenses that drive the cost up. They need additional funding sometimes for health insurance and other benefits. Overall, that's what brings you up to the $16,000 per student. That is not
045what it costs. That's not what's allocated for a high school student. That's what it costs us for all of our spending. And again, that's the numbers that keep getting thrown out there [cough and laughter] that people who don't work with chapter 70, who don't understand this, get confused with. I learned chapter 70 from the department of education, from their workshops, actually from Roger Hatch, who's the guru, who is the architect who developed all this many I'm older than most people here. Many, many years ago, I learned directly from him, and from Robert Donnell, who's there, who's our director of finance. So I'm pretty familiar with how all of this works. What I wanted to show in this slide is of our budget, our foundation budget 15.6 million. Again, that's the minimum that we have to
046spend of the 15.6 million. The department of ed has said you will spend this much per category. So you have your preschool 5,000 a piece, kindergarten 10,000 a piece, and so on. high school 11,07. When you add those up, multiply them against your enrollment, it breaks up how much money you have for each of those categories. That minimum total is $15,639,000. Now, the the caveat here is you can't move any of these funds. So, if the kindergarten is supposed to spend $840,000, those funds specifically for kindergarten, it has to go there. You have to meet those minimum spendings. So, you can't just say, "Oh, well, we want to move more of that money to another area such as high school." But what you don't see here is this 1.1 million, that additional required net school
047spending that brings you to the 16.7 that you saw on the previous page. So, to go from the 156 to the 167, that 1.1 million, that's at the discretion of the school committee and superintendent. They decide where that money is going to go. Now, they could choose to put it equally across all areas of the budget. They could choose to put it in a certain program, let's say a special ed program, or they could even say, "We want to target all of that money to go towards our third grade because we want their English and their math skills so good that when they get to middle school, they succeed beyond anyone else. It's their discretion how they spend it. Let's just say they divide it equally amongst all groups. That's $982 more added per group.
048That would bring the high school line item to $12,696 per pupil. So again, we're below the $13,800 you saw. We're below the 14,000 you saw. That $12,696, that's about what we pay out in tuitions right now. So it sounds great. It sounds like we're we're fine. The problem is we're acting as a regional school. We're not acting as a regular district. We're transporting our students to other towns to go to school. So if you take the number of students we have divided by our transportation costs, which by the way, I'm sure everyone's experienced this. They're up 37% from a year and a half ago. There's no control over it. Most districts don't even get any competition when they bid it. That comes to $1,275 per student. So, if you back the $1,275 we spend per
049student, transport them from the $12,6 that we have available to them, that leaves us with $11,400 per student that we can put towards the high school tuitions. That's the discrepancy between what other districts are saying that we're not spending enough and we're saying that it's costing us money. It is transportation is a real cost that the proper ed has said that when we negotiate our contracts, we can negotiate whatever we want. In a regular school district, transportation is separate. But in this school district, since we're basically acting as a regional, we can negotiate whatever is fair. To further drill down on that $11,714, you can see per per pupil, every portion here has a cost. Administration, they figure $457 per student. Teachers, they figure out $4,900 per student goes towards that $11,7. There's professional development
050that goes there. There's guidance and psychological services that are factored in here. Um, operations and maintenance. It was it was said that we should be paying money towards maintaining buildings. Well, we are. $1,100 per student is going towards building maintenance. So, that again brings us back to 11,07. If the school committee were to equally distribute all of our um our required funds across all categories, again, we have $982. Again, it brings you back to the 12 to the$,275 for transportation. brings back to $11,421 per student. These numbers aren't made up. They aren't us trying to get out of paying. We've even factored in now we currently have seven buses that are delivering the students to two schools. Factored out the costs. There's a there's a lot more hidden than there is. It's easy to explain.
051There's there's seven buses. We figure if there's three schools, we'll we'll ship the buses. There'll still be seven buses, but because of the way we because of the way they have the [clears throat] difficulty of transportation is we don't know which students who are living where are going to go to which school. So you can have um five students are going to go to one school but they live in every other corner of of the town. So you have to have one bus traveling through that entire entire area. You got to figure out the mileage. You got to figure out the time cuz you don't [clears throat] want students on the bus for more than really 45 minutes. Not only that, now you got to get to the school and then get back. This is
052the first run of the day. You got to get back in time for your middle school run and then your elementary run. Same thing at the end of the day. You have to look at the roots. You have to look where those students are. They change every year. That's a whole process in itself. to do this to from two schools to three schools. My rough estimate is about $59,000 to make that happen. Now again, that number could be less, could be a little more depending on where the students are coming from, where they live, and where they're going. There's a lot of moving parts in the entire high school tuition translation analysis process. The figure that was put out, the original figure that everyone is has been talking about the 70%, uh, 8,200, that was
053a starting point. That was a an amount that was given to open a discussion. That was an amount when you negotiate, you start somewhere. Three of the four schools have all said, "Okay, well, we can stop there. We can talk about this." That's all it was meant to be. It wasn't meant to to to to take away funds from a school and generate a profit for a cushion there. We're going to look at creating a profit. We're looking at sustaining what we have. Everyone has a budget crunch. Everyone's towns are looking to level fund them, duck them the funds they are. We're looking to find a way that we can meet the needs of the parents, the parents who are asking for more choice and at the same time take care of all of our
054students and get them where they want to be. There's a lot of moving parts in this in this program, but one thing's for sure, our funding is limited. And with most small towns in the state, we need to be very strategic about how we allocate and spend our funds so that all of our students receive the best education at every grade level across the district. We're here for more than just a high school. We're here for our entire school system. I don't want to take funding away from my prek to 8 in order to sign an agreement for a high school tuition that makes the other side happy. I'm looking for something that's equal to all. I don't want any of our students to lose anything that they currently have. >> And I will say
055um in speaking to Oh, sorry. In speaking with the school committee, I know that tuition rate is not your number one thing. And we we decided a long time ago that this had to be a very fair process in the way that you looked at the four schools. So we did set forth a criteria. I'm not going to read the slide to you, but there are 25 criteria listed there that we looked at deeply. And I know that all of you have spent hours looking at new information, [cough] touring [clears throat] schools, and I appreciate that very much, and I'm sure the families appreciate your time. But just to point out a couple, we looked at academic program and opportunities, what the student experience was like, athletics, teacher longevity and credentials, facilities, uh, middle school
056connections, safety and security, AP courses, etc. Um, and you had the rubric from the get-go. And the high schools also had the criteria that was sent to them in terms of what we were looking at. So there were no secrets about this. We were very honest and upfront. So you individually took a survey and you took a survey based on that criteria. So these are the overall results the results of the 25 part rubric and the scores awaited the four four points for exceeds expectations three points for meets expectations two points for approaching expectations and one point for does not meet expectations and five of you took it. So there's a maximum possible points of 500. So the rubric scores are one component of a broader view. But the way this came out was that
057old Rochester regional scored 396 first. Then came New Bedford 379. Aonquit was next in the scoring of the rubric and Fair Haven was fourth at 310. You also took another survey where you were looking at a ranking based on everything that you did. And this again was done individually. This came out to Old Rochester Regional High School first, New Bethford High School second, Fair Haven High School third, Aonaput Regional High School fourth. Now, these two slides, I will point out that that doesn't mean that's the way you're going to vote tonight. That's just the way that you completed the survey based on that criteria. This was an extensive review. And not only does the rubric include things such as highquality curriculum, building infrastructure, teacher longevity, communication, the the surveys from the parents, student voice, but
058we also took into consideration such as exclusivity, districts that may want to not partner or want us to partner with other districts. our commitment to students. The tuition agreement review has been grounded in what matters most, student experience, opportunity, and outcomes. I was so happy that you were able to talk to students, to families, to teachers, to administrators in your experiences when you went into these schools. By evaluating all potential partners, the committee is ensuring families continue to have meaningful choices that reflect the strengths, the needs, as [clears throat] well as the interests of our community. We remain committed to a solution that is academically strong, centered on what benefits students first, and also fiscally responsible. I want to thank our neighboring districts. Um, all of them, New Bedford, Cra Haven, Old Rochester, and Aonquit.
059They took the time to set up a lot of tours for us because of all of your schedules. Um, and really making sure that you had your questions answered. I know even after the fact you would email me and say, you know, can you find out more about this? I would get the information back to you and they they were timely in their responses. So, we appreciate that partnership. We appreciate the presentations that were prepared, the thoughtful tours that were offered um as well as the panels in some of the schools and it really did help us learn deeply more about these schools. So, no matter what is decided tonight, we will always view one another as partners in education committed to supporting students and families. I also want to thank our school committee. Obviously,
060you're an un you're serving in unpaid positions, but I do know that many of you took vacation days to go on these tours. Um, and that's very very much appreciated because you were very thoughtful about this. You took it seriously um from the get-go and I know it's been a lot of countless hours in this process. So, you approach it with care, diligence, and a student centered focus always. You are very thorough and you reflect a very deep commitment to our school community. I want to thank you for your leadership, your collaboration, and your service to a Christian families. This is not a vote for the superintendent. It never was. I only provide you with the information. This is totally a school committee vote. And that's why it's important that you did your homework and
061you took the time to do what you have done. So I thank you for that and I think at this time Mr. Chair we can have the school committee have a discussion about their findings. >> Uh thank you Dr. Billy. Just one thing before we do that um on the agenda the next item is actually union contract. So we're going to take that post executive session. Is that correct? Okay. >> Yeah. This is still though the discussion will be part of the update. >> [clears throat] >> Uh so before we move to vote, I wanted to give uh all of the members of this committee an opportunity to say uh a few words or a lot of words or whatever you feel. I know Mr. Ellis, it'll be a lot of words. Um but I
062want >> the time >> but I wanted to give everybody a chance to say uh a few things. >> So you just want to go around. >> Mr. Hra, you want to start? I welcome the the opportunity uh to address one of the many challenges that we have in public education. This is one of we are in the midst statewide of an academic crisis and that is the diminishing value of a high school diploma. I'll read from the Boston Globe last week. An editorial said, "A high school diploma should mean something. Employers in colleges should be able to trust that a graduate from a Massachusetts public high school has mastered basic academic subjects and critical thinking skills and is prepared for the next stage of their life. As a school committee me member, I have
063I have a we have a social compact and an obligation to the community to provide and and st and support the best educational pol policies and procedures of our of our all of our children. I'm really I'm really excited about the journey that we are now going to embark and uh I just want to uh say how fortunate I feel at this moment in time that we're going to make such a momentous uh decision in the best interest of all of our children. Thank you. >> Thank you. Kevin, could you just get closer to the mic when we speak? You're having a hard time hearing us now. >> Okay. Could you hear me? >> How about now? >> That's better. Okay. So, I I think some of this was already spoken to, but we did
064I feel like we did do our due diligence. We went to go view all the schools, and I know I've had some experiences with some of the schools, but not all of them. And when I considered this whole process, I tried to just start on a clean slate and kind of see what it would be like to be an eighth grader coming in as an accushed student. Um, and I do have to say that each school has their own strengths. We've said that before. I am going to read some of this because I don't want to forget some of the important stuff that I know I will if I go off. Um, but none of this process was taken lightly for me. I do have an eighth grader myself, but I'm not considering just my
065eighth grader. I'm considering what my my daughter has gone through. She's actually at Crystal Aggie now. Um and also what all the students here will be exposed to and the options that they'll have. So that being said, um I know that at the when we did the parent survey, the Fair Haven came really high on the ratings and I think part of that is we said the history that we have with Fair Haven and I think that ORR came pretty close to that especially considering there wasn't much experience and I think parents would have may have a different perspective if they actually knew more about ORR as what they had to offer as well. some may not. Um, but I do think that viewing these schools and walking into their doors and seeing what they
066had to offer, the atmosphere um really did change my perspective when I went through to see the schools and talking to the parents and talking to the students that made a difference for me. Um, the first school that I visited was a ponyquit. So, I'm going to go through each school individually. Um, and that that one uh we were welcomed with the eighth graders. Um, so it was really easy to see what that would be like because the eighth graders from the middle school were actually going through and doing their tours during that time. So it was that was an experience that I was able I started doing that with all the schools. They're thinking of an eighth grader going in. What would it feel like? How are the teachers approaching the students? How are
067faculty and staff treating one another? How are they treating the students? How are the students engaging with the staff? Um, and that was important to me. They had a they have a strong DECA program that goes far too with business and setting people up for success, the students up for success. And they also did through a civics project, which my area that I always look at is the special ed. And a civics project that they had, the students had was creating a life skills area for this the children that are in this the students that are in a special ed program. and just having that dedication to the special ed um students was very important to me. Um but they also wanted us to just go with them solely. So that kind of took them
068off the table for me. Um unfortunately then I went to New Bedford High. Um and that one again I have students that I work with that go there but I went with okay as if I knew nothing going through there and I was amazed by the different opportunities that were there for our students, the diversity that's there. Um we don't have that at all the schools unfortunately. Um but it was it I can say the JOTC program that's amazing. Such an opportunity for our students. The pool I mean I mean okay maybe I have civil pleasures with the pool. I [laughter] feel like I was spoiled. I didn't have that pool. So a little jealous too. Um and a planetarium in the school too which is pretty amazing. Um so really they just and also
069our special education department there. I think there's a lot that can be offered right within the school rather than going out of district for services which I think is strong a sense of community and that fosters that community for our students. Um then I think the next one we went to is Fair Haven High School. Um and there is like I said before a lot of history there and the building I have to say is pretty amazing. The architecture there and the it it just was that piece of it was I'm always amazed when I drive by anyway by that. Um, and of course they won the Super Bowl. So for the the football players, um, very proud of them and they got accreditation. So I think that all of that I did look up
070what that more detailed what the full accredit accreditation meant and it says committed to quality, continuous improvement and accountability, which I think is huge for any school. I think they everyone needs that. But there was a concern and I'm not sure about exclusivity for them too because I think at one point it was stated that they wanted exclusivity and then at another point it was stated that they're not. So I'm not sure where that stands. Um and then ORR that was the last one that I had toured. Um and I looked at their science rates that were really high. Um [laughter] and it was nice to see some of this the science class too with hands-on experiences that they're doing in the classrooms. um they're committed to curriculum development, professional staff development and readiness planning.
071Also, um our students can achieve high levels. So, again, I go into the special education. When we walk through the classrooms and the buildings, I saw administrators engaged with the children that are in special ed classes. That went far with me by saying their names, engaging in the conversation with them. That goes far with me. Um, and then it just seeing the different shops that they had for these kids. There was a a little snack bar that the kids were working at and they were engaged with the seniors have these privileges of being able to purchase snacks from and I I was like, I could see a lot of the students doing this like this this is phenomenal um and and being recognized for their unified sports as well. I think when it comes down
072to considering all this, I think we have to consider for me this whole process was eyeopening. I in going in here I really didn't know where I was standing and I and my perspective changed through the process too. Um and I I just have to say that for parents I get it as a parent this process it's change is scary. It's scary for our children is scary for us but change doesn't have to be a bad thing. I think we we have our students that we we need to foster these relationships anyway. I think for a sense of community, um, we we need to be able to know that we're working with people that are willing to work with us, too, and to know that our children are safe in school, which I think hopefully
073will be true for any of the options. Um, but that long-term fostering relationship is going to be so important. Um, and I just think that each school handled us very differently. Um, and I did consider in my choices anyway, and I can't speak for everybody else, but I had considered the education, the sense of belonging, and what the schools have to offer specifically for special education, too. Um, but we all, like I said before, we all did our due diligence. And I think the bottom line is, and it's been said before, our children aren't a number. It's not a dollar amount that we're putting on our children. We want what's best for our students here in a Kushnet. And I know that all towns around here can always use more money. I mean, we're all
074in this together. And I just think that we have to think of a way brainstorm a way that we can make this this successful for our students. [clears throat] Excuse me. Um, so yeah, I mean we got the opportunity to tour all of the neighbor all of the partner schools or prospective partner schools and you know Ebony already touched on a lot of the things that I would call out as being real strengths in the different school districts that we toured. Um, frankly I think that all of the schools offer some very unique programming options and opportunities that aren't available through um, you know, other schools that are part of this discussion. The things that really stood out to me were Fair Haven High School's um banking program where they actually have like a you
075know bank teller at the school where kids can get financial education and and dive right into the financial field if they choose to do so or get a big leg up in um in college. New Bever has the JOTC program. Um they also have you know multiple uh awards over the years for their drama program, their music program. um they've always been very competitive uh from a sports perspective as well. And then another thing that I actually I learned about during these um meetings was that Newfred has a community health center that's associated with the school. Um, so it's it's a way that students [clears throat] can actually get primary care, vision care, mental health care, uh, and dental services on school premises, uh, that they might struggle to have access to if, you know,
076if it came down to just their parents and their ability to access those facilities, access that level of care. Um, when we took a look at some of the details for it, they were actually the only school in the entire southeast coast. when we looked at a map everything all the other schools were out further close to like Worcester Boston and uh New Edward is the only one in this area. So that really made a [clears throat] big impression on me. Um [cough] the technology robotics and uh engineering of uh programs available at OR were I mean second to none. I I was extremely impressed and Aonquit and their real focus on uh the DECA club civics and a really robust um athletics program for being a relatively small school really made a big impression
077on me. So the things that I've I've really been focusing on when evaluating these schools are leveraging a Kushnet's unique position in the Commonwealth to actually provide choice to [clears throat] our families. Um there are other tuition school districts. Um I am frankly not aware of if every single or any other ones have multiple high school tuition partners. I know some do. um I don't know if all of them do. We're in a unique position where we've been able to offer multiple avenues for students to pursue based on their interests, where the community and their family um encourage them to go and frankly where their friends go too. Um there's been a lot of concern over the last few months related to the fishnet kids choice when it comes to the vocational school partners that
078we have. Um, as I think most people are aware, the vocational schools have all moved to a statemandated lottery system. Um, so student achievement, attendance, um, etc. aren't weighted in, um, the decision-m on which kids get slots at those vocational schools. And with the old colonies uh building project um not passing the the multi-town uh multi-member town elections that happened fairly recently, we also know that we're not going to be seeing any increase in uh attendance level at that school. They're not going to be expanding it in the short term uh to increase the maximum number of kids that could theoretically go. that not only creates a certain degree of uncertainty for parents and students, but it also reduces the predictability of their kids, even if they're extremely high achievers with perfect attendance, being able
079to attend the school that they really want. So that aspect of of school, not I shouldn't say school choice because we're not talking about enrollment through the school choice program, but that aspect of having multiple avenues open to our students weigh really heavily on me because now we see some kids that maybe wanted to attend a vocational school and that may not be a reality for a larger percentage of them than have been in previous uh years. So I I will I will say frankly that I was very disappointed when we learned that the proposal from Aponquip was one of school exclusivity and their proposal was not even just restricting the number of total schools that we could theoretically partner with but to be the sole partner. Um frankly for me that's a real concern
080both because we don't have a strong community tie with that district currently. A lot of students aren't familiar with it. They maybe haven't even been there and they haven't been a tuition partner with a Kushnet in I mean decades, decades and decades. So with that requirement for exclusivity that really heavily impacts my decision-m when it comes to vote. I know that there's also been um some discussion amongst the Fair Haven School Committee. Um, I actually attended the Fair Haven School Committee meeting on the 3rd and sat through all of the discussions around the uh, tuition agreement and our proposal. And what ultimately was voted on was a proposal that did include um, the preference, and I'm not sure if that was actually a requirement of any counter proposal that they made to us. We'll learn
081that shortly here. Um but the preference that the status will be maintained and that New Bedford and Fair Haven be the only schools that are available choices for students. Well, while that's not restricting the number of choices we have now, it is mandating that in order to partner with that school, we're not allowed to then expand that choice to other districts that may have some unique things to offer our students. So, that's a real significant cause for concern with me as well. Uh my hope is that regardless of how the vote pans out in terms of entering into a um tuition negotiation with their haven that at the very least we will continue to pursue the proposed one-year extension to give us more time to come up with something more concrete. That's just my personal
082preference. The other thing that I actually have done quite a deep dive into um Ebony would be proud of me was special education. And you know, I don't come from a family who has traditionally needed to access special education services. Um, but now learning a lot more about what availability and expansiveness of services in a given district means for our students that go to them has been a real eye opener for me. So essentially, if a school district has less robust um special education services and we send students there on a tuition basis, that school district has to make a decision at some point whether or not they can meet the needs of the students in that special education program. Um, and that school district makes the decision strictly amongst themselves, consultation with that student's
083parents on [clears throat] whether or not that child will remain in district, meaning remain at a given high school or be moved to an out of district tuition placement. Well, having spoken to a bunch of parents about their special education needs, it really became evident that the absolute last thing that most students and parents want is for those children to be moved to an out of district placement. Um, frankly, they're often times very far away. They can be as far away as, you know, Mansfield, Swansea. Um depending on the you know the scope of services that are required, it can be quite difficult and disruptive for those parents if they suddenly have to move their child from the school that they wanted to go to to then move over to one of these out out
084of district placements that they now need to figure out transportation for. Um, I actually, um, I ended up speaking to a couple of a parent of a pair of young girls that my sister used to serve as like a parapro for many years ago. Um, they went to one of the schools that is involved in this conversation and they ended up having to get moved to an out of district placement because they were high need and it threw their entire family into tumult. they suddenly needed to try and figure out how to manage transportation to and from a facility. I believe it was in Swansea um two times a day every day and it really put a big strain on that family. So a a school district's available special education services and their willingness and
085commitment to try and keep as many children in district as possible is critically important to me. Um, also because if one of those children's gets moved out of district, we as the Kushnet school system have to cover the entire cost of that child's out of district placement, which to although in Dr. Bailey's point can range anywhere between [clears throat] 60 to $200,000 a child per year depending on the level of services. So making sure that our school partners have robust special education programs to maintain the children and families abilities to attend those schools and also maintain a more firm financial footing for the Aushnet uh school district and ultimately taxpayer is really important in my eyes. Um, I I'm pleased to say that the schools that we're reviewing all have pretty robust special education programs.
086I think a few stand out above the others. Um, New Bedford and ORS are are really quite impressive to say the least. Um, so that's weighted pretty heavily on me. Really have anything else to share. Did she talk longer? >> I don't think so. All right. Fair enough. >> Thank you, Mrs. Square. >> Thank you. Um, I took probably a week of, um, brainstorming and writing and throwing things away and picking up the pencil again and writing. Um, so I'm pretty much going to read this. Um, just bear with me. It's a little bit long, but I want to go back to when I was elected. So, throughout the process, I've spent a great deal of time reflecting on my why. Why was I cho Why did I choose to serve on the Kushner School
087Committee? And my answer has always been simple. It's always been the same. To help ensure students receive the best, very best education that we can provide. So this high school placement decision required careful, thoughtful consideration of every available option. We toured each school, listened to presentations, met with administrators, spoke with students, spoke with families, and reviewed all academic data. Each school clearly demonstrated real strength. And this process was never about listing what was good and what was bad. It was about what thought it was about thoughtfully determining which opportunities best meet the collective needs of our students here at Christian. As I worked through my decision, I centered my thinking around six priorities. Uh I'm a former teacher, taught kindergarten for 20 years. So I I think I bring a unique perspective to this whole
088this whole thing. Uh so my [clears throat] six priorities were academic rigor, access to career pathways, school culture and belonging, special education, student supports, college preparation, and preserving meaningful choice for our students. Throughout this entirely transparent process, our community our committee remitted to the criteria that we established right from the beginning. Each high school was given an equal opportunity to showcase its programs, highlight strengths, and demonstrate how it would serve our students. That fairness is and consistency matter to me. I strongly believe that student choice matters. When families and students have more than one strong educational pathway available to them, it allows each child to find an environment where they can truly thrive. For that reason, any unwillingness to collaborate or to support genuine choice is a non-starter for me. Over the course of this
089process, some options effectively remove themselves from consideration based on that reality. I approached this decision with deep respect for our families, our students, and the weight of this responsibility before us. My perspective is the result of months of listening, learning, and reflection. [clears throat] Always guided by one central question. What best serves the future of a Kushnet student? Our students deserve the strongest educational support, educational opportunities possible. And that belief guides every single decision I made on this day. Before I summarize each school, I want to sincerely thank all of the superintendent and leadership teams, many of whom are here tonight, for their time and their care that they devoted to this process. Their willingness to host visits, arrange student and family panels, and thoughtfully answer our questions. It was invaluable. So, I'll start with
090Aonquet. A Ponoquet had very strong academic offerings. They offered a well-rounded educational experience. The school provides a solid selection of advanced placement and honors coursework, college and career pathways, performing and visual arts, and a supportive learning environment. Students students benefited from multi-tered academic support, inclusive special education services, and a school culture that balances academic expectations with engagement through athletics and extracurricular activities. AON offers many wonderful opportunities for these students. However, the requirement for an exclusive partnership conflicted right with my commitment to maintaining real educational choice for our families. Fair Haven High School. Our committee had the opportunity to tour Fair Haven High School alongside the superintendent and district leadership. The visit highlighted the school's proud history, beautiful architecture, and thoughtfully designed building. There's a strong sense of tradition here at Fair Haven, and it's important
091to acknowledge the deep relationships between Fair Haven and Kushnik. Our communities have long-standing ties, particularly through athletics and shared family histories, and those relationships deserve respect. At the same time, tradition alone cannot guide a decision of this significance. While tradition and friendships matter, our responsibility as a committee is to place student opportunity and educational outcomes at the forefront of our decision-making. Academic rigor rigor must remain central to ensure every child is challenged, supported, and prepared for the life beyond high school. One highlight I shared at our last meeting was the student bank which provides valuable realworld learning especially for those students interested in finance, business and professional careers. Fair Haven has promising ideas and strong intentions though some initiatives are still in the developmental stages. I also want to address our recent partnership discussions related
092to the tuition agreements. Th those negotiations were difficult and at times strained. While our district offered an extension opportunity, the requirement tied to limiting partnerships, including with Old Rochester. This is not aligned with the collaborative approach or student choice values that I hold. I believe our students benefit most when doors remain open rather than closed and when districts work together and expand her expand options instead of restricting them. As we review academic offerings, and overall program rigor, I continue to focus on what matters most. Strong instruction, meaningful pathways, and experience that prepare our students for college, the workforce, military service, or whatever their future may lead to. My goal throughout this process has remained simple. Keep student outcomes front and center, protect long-term flexibility for our district, and preserve high quality educational options for our
093families. New Bedford High New Bedford High School offers exceptional opportunities through its career, vocational, technical programs, strong arts curriculum, and wide ranges of academic pathways and student supports. Its list [clears throat] of programming provides students with meaningful options connected directly to their interest and future goals. There's truly something here for everyone. Whether students are aiming to go to college with dual enrollment opportunities, pursuing military service through their robust JOTC program, or acquiring specialized academic supports, New Bedford offers wellestablished comprehensive programs that meet those needs. One moment that stood out to me, visiting an early [clears throat] childhood classroom, an incredible hands-on experience for high school students exploring careers and teaching in early education. Despite serving a Despite serving approximately 2,800 students, the school felt welcoming and manageable. The house structure created smaller learning communities and
094adults were consistently present and visible, supporting students throughout the day. I was impressed by the school's no cell phone policy. It truly fostered student engagement, presence, and a positive connection. Most importantly, I felt a strong sense of safety throughout the building, something I deeply value for both our students and staff. Old Rochester Regional offers impressive academic rigor and extensive selection of advanced placement and honors coursework, respected career pathways, and strong college preparation outcomes. Beyond academics, the school's culture blends high expectations with exceptional student support, including an intensive mentoring program where students are truly known, guided, and encouraged. When we visited, I honestly found myself wanting to go back to high school. The welcoming the welcoming atmosphere, the rich course offerings and overall sense of enthusiasm were contagious. There was genuine energy in the halls and
095in the classrooms. Students were engaged. Teachers were present and learning that felt vibrant and alive. What continues to stay with me most is what we heard directly from our is when we heard directly from the students including an Aushnet student who spoke to us. That student athlete captured the experience that we hope every child has. Feeling challenged, supported, and excited about what lies ahead. Hearing that perspective grounded this entire process in what truly matters, [snorts] the lived experience of our students walking into their school buildings every single day. As we conclude this process, I return to the responsibility that we all share. Making decisions rooted in student outcomes, not convenience, comfort, or pressure. We owe our families transparency and explaining not just what we prioritize but why. This decision centered centers on ensuring a cushioned
096students have the access to rigorous academics, meaningful career pathways, strong supports and student cultures where they face feel safe, known and connected. It also protects real choice because no two children are the same and the best education fit for one student will not always be the right fit for the other. Our job is to safeguard [clears throat] the widest possibility range of highest sorry. Our job is to safeguard the widest possible range of high quality options. At the same time, protecting choice must be balanced with our responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Fiscal responsibility and student opportunity are deeply connected. Sound financial decisions ensure the pathways that we offer today remain strong, stable, and accessible for the future. I'm truly grateful to everyone who contributed to this work, our administrators, the school leadership
097teams who welcomed us, the educators who shared their perspectives and shared their classrooms with us, the families who offered feedback, and especially students whose voices gave this process meaning. They are the reason we do this. As we move forward, my hope is that we can remain united around what matters most. building strongest for building the strongest possible future for Kushnet's children's children and making choices we can all stand behind not just tonight but from years from now and we'll and when we see the lasting impact on these on these lives of our students that was it for sorry um let me just start uh I want to thank the administration uh for supporting the school committee throughout this process you know always being here I saw a lot of the requests come come in for
098data information and and and we really appreciate the support that he gave to us. I want to thank um my colleagues here on this committee because uh I can see how hard how serious that you all took this uh decision and I certainly uh appreciate that. I'm I'm going to try not to repeat a lot of the things that have already been said, but I I do want to say a few things. You know, I wanted to serve on this committee because I care about the kids in this district and I care deeply about uh the quality of the education that they receive. And that's all kids. I have an eighth grader. I have a sixth grader. I have one who has a high school decision before her. And I have one that will have
099one uh in in a year or two from now. But but I care about all the kids in this district, not just my own. Every decision I've made during my time on this committee was made with with all of our kids' best interests at heart. That doesn't mean that I haven't made mistakes, that I don't regret a decision or two along the way. But ultimately, you know, I've made the decision based on the information that was available at the time that I thought was best. And that's what I'm going to do here tonight because I believe that I have an obligation to do so. And that has been my only focus throughout this process. So public negotiations sometimes uh can get difficult. I don't think they're always the most productive. Um I think at times
100uh things have been said. Um but my focus here along the entire process has been to try to elevate the level of conversation here to do what's best for our kids. I've spent more time analyzing research and and thinking through this decision than any decision I've made in my time on this committee. And I don't say that to pat myself on the back. I say that because I want to be clear how important this decision is to me because I know how important it is to all of our kids' futures. Before I get to what were some of the things that were important to me in this decision, I want to start with something that isn't important to me. Again, given the public nature of the negotiations, I think we've lost the plot a little
101bit here over the last few weeks, and we spent a lot of time arguing about numbers and chapter 70. And if anyone could figure out chapter 70, let me know. But I couldn't care less about chapter 70. What I care about is giving our kids as many highquality options as possible. Let me talk about what is important to me. A couple of my colleagues here hit on a few of them. Restrictions and what I mean by that is limitations on on what schools that we can be in an agreement with or what schools we can't. So if I if I talk about a pona quit my you know my guiding principle here is how giving kids as many high quality uh options as possible not not one sizefits-all. Aonquit is an amazing school high academic
102standards. I said this last meeting they brought a group of kids here in August. I was blown away by those kids. They were so impressive. Panquid is a very formidable school. Being in an exclusive arrangement is in direct um conflict with my principle of giving our kids as many high as possible. Aonquit is a non-starter for me. I want to talk about for Haven and we can talk a little bit more about them here because I I believe we received an update uh this morning from their superintendent um responding to their meeting last week. And so I'd like to hear uh about that uh Dr. Bailey after uh I finish here in terms of giving an update on what the email contained. U but again I think uh what I I was at the meeting
103last weekend for Haven and and what I heard is that they would prefer to be uh in a similar arrangement to what we have currently with new and I have concerns about that. I just have a general belief that if you have confidence in your product, you should be willing to put that product up against anybody else. And so I understand that there are planning issues that are caused in terms of staffing needs and those kinds of things by maybe not knowing exactly how many kids are going to come and if you're in an agreement with a similar school that may split the numbers, it makes it harder to plan and those kinds of things. I appreciate that challenge. Frankly, it's not my concern, right? I don't say that to be cute. I say that
104because my obligation is to provide the kids and families in a cushion with the best possible options. And so for for our families, having choices creates competition and that's a good thing for our kids and families. And so I strongly believe that the choice should be with our kids and their families. I won't go through every factor, but some of the things that were important to me, uh, the variety of academic offerings from AP AP offerings to early college pathways to high quality curriculum throughout the catalog, so to speak, vocational offerings, just like my colleagues talked about, special education offerings. I've looked at test scores, not that that was the be all and end all, but how well are these schools preparing our kids for college and other things? extracurricular activities, clubs, sports, right? Some
105some kids are those are their passions, right? And that keeps them engaged on the academics. So, kind of looking at those programs in totality. The point was is that I want to ensure that my choice gives every single kid in our district something appealing. Furthermore, I think there's a a huge factor here that's often missed. And for me, what are the systems and support resources that each school has in place to ensure our kids fit fit in and are set up for success? I think it's an often underrated component of kids education and I place a huge value on that. And I think there was one school that exceeded all others as it relates to that. So my choice today is going to be based on the options that are in front of us today.
106Um, we have the luxury of being presented with four good options. My my choice today isn't a reflection on any other school. It's simply based on what I think is best right now. I am hopeful that in the future we can continue to have conversations and that the options that will be in front of us may be more plentiful. So, we can talk about that here in a few minutes. Dr. Bailey, could you just so everyone is crystal clear in terms of uh Fahit's meeting last week and what the position was of Fah coming out of that that >> Yeah. So Fair Haven Fair Haven had a a school committee meeting on December 3rd and we do appreciate them changing their meeting so they can have this discussion. Um with our initial proposal um I
107received an email this morning from Terracola, the superintendent of schools of Haven. So it says your proposed tuition figure. The Fair Haven School Committee unanimously expressed its desire to remain an option for Christian students. They propose a figure at least as high as our current tuition agreement. And then whether or not Fair Haven would still participate if other schools were included in the agreement. She says the Fair Haven School Committee would prefer exclusivity as the small school option as we have seen the benefit of working towards a place where Kushnet students feel part of the fabric of our school community. And then any preferences or recommendations regarding transportation logistics. The committee did not discuss this but I am sure it would be amendable to discussing as negotiations move forward. She said, she goes on to
108say regarding the oneyear extension draft sent to our chair. The proposal was tabled because they believe there may be a mechanism in our current tuition agreement for eighth graders to attend next year. And I have to agree with that. Uh we will loop our legal counsel and discuss this at our next meeting in January. And I am a strong proponent of having our eighth graders have the full choice as they've had in the past. they've gotten to eighth grade. Um, I believe that Fair Haven is open to extension for eighth graders and it it does seem to fit in our current agreement because the students register in the spring and and that's what what she wrote this morning. I didn't have a question. Um, I guess one of one of my concerns is with regards
109to current eighth grade students being able to enroll in Fair Haven. Um, regardless of whether an extension or a contract is is negotiated between us is it's very important especially for the students who are in 8th grade right now. Um, I know one of the big causes for concern amongst students and parents in the district has been finding out with what they consider, you know, pretty limited notice um that they may need to pursue a different high school option. I mean, realistically, I think applications for uh the vocational schools are due by what the second week of January. I think it's the second week of January. Um so having to you know only a few weeks notice to kind finally make a decision on where they want to pursue enrollment is um very stressful. Now,
110with all that said, you know, let's say nothing changes tonight and you know, or I'm sorry, let me rephrase. Let's say that our decision tonight is that we're not prepared to move forward with uh tuition uh negotiations with Fair Haven because of the exclusivity requirement. We'll just theoretically say that even if we have kids that are in eighth grade right now that want to enroll, well, there's going to be a new cadre of eighth graders next year or seventh graders and they would not be included in the current wording of the agreement. So, I would be very very strongly in favor of if we are unable to um vote as a committee to move forward with Fair Haven's proposal. Granted, you know, understanding that they're requesting no changes to the current high school tuition partnerships
111and to remain the small school option presumably um with Honquit and Old Rochester Regional would be small schools in their eyes essentially saying that they want us to maintain just the two existing partnerships. I would still very very strongly want to move forward with um a one-year extension because like I said, ultimately we're going to have a new bout of eighth graders next year and a lot of them probably want to attend Fair Haven just as much as the eighth graders that we have this year. Um do we do we know you said you're pretty confident that the current wording of the contract will allow for eighth graders this year to enroll in their >> Yes, I do check with legal. >> Okay. And if we were to move forward with an extension of the
112existing contract for one year, giving us more time to negotiate with Fair Haven and come up with something that's amendable to both districts, could we make sure that the same wording remains in place for that extension such that eighth graders next year would also be able to enroll [clears throat] if they choose to do so. >> Mr. Chair, if I may. >> Yeah. >> So, can I just go ahead? Um, obviously there's more conversation that needs to happen around Fair Haven. So, um, I'd like if we could push that off. Um, but right now to make a motion that, um, that we're authorized, we're authorizing representatives to enter in negotiations with New Bedford Public Schools and Old Rochester for our high school tuition agreements beginning in the 2026 2027 school year. That's what I'm looking
113for. And and just to be clear, you're looking for a motion and then we're going to have additional conversation. Correct. Okay. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Um so we'll do a roll call. >> Any further discussion? >> Yeah. Any further discussion? >> Roll call. >> Mr. Ellis. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Yes. Mr. Hol. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Yes. >> Mr. Yes. Okay. So, uh, back to the conversation with Grey Haven. I would be willing to entertain a motion to continue negotiations, uh, with Khaven Skypes, Gre Haven High School on both. Um, we think we have something in place with them that will allow the eighth graders to go to go. If we find out otherwise, we continue to talk about a one-year extension if that's necessary. But I certainly would be willing
114to entertain a motion to continue conversations with them about a long-term agreement and having them added to um the school choice options. Obviously contingent upon them being willing to let go of their preference to be in a in an agreement only with high school. >> Some move. >> I'll second. Do a roll call. >> Mr. Ellis, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mr. Alcohol. >> Yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. Mr. Yes. >> Okay. So, if it's clear, we're going to >> Yes. I will send out a letter um to those districts that you just voted on um to get the ball moving because um to me there's a little bit of a sense of urgency here because our students want to make choices and decisions and we need to move on with the business of our schools
115and district. Okay. Um so that concludes my report tonight. >> Thank you. I think we can uh are there any other items? We don't have anything that wasn't anticipated at the time of posting, right? Correct. Uh so the next item is the business manager's update and I think we can just move into that. >> Sure. Right. Um be kind of quick on my update. I'm working right now preparing the FY27 budget. Um I'm I'm going through the FY26 budget and I'll use that as my basis for creating the FY27 budget. I will prepare it in three fashions. It'll be first it'll be what's considered the superintendent's budget. It'll be all the budget with all budget requests. Um and then from that I'll create a level services budget and then a level funded budget so we
116can see what the variations are between. Um I'll be using the historical data um for the past couple of years on each of the categories that we have and that budget will be brought forth on the superintendent budget to the school committee. The school committee will then go through the budget and whether it's just one or whether you do again a level funded and level services where you'll create what is then sent to the town as a school committee requested budget. We'll wait for the town to come back and tell us if they'll fund it or if they're going to reduce it. If so, then we'll have continuing conversations beyond that to make whatever reductions are necessary to meet the figures that they proposed to us. Um, I know that they are still looking for
117a new town administrator and they're still looking for a town accountant. So, I don't know what the timeline is going to be in that process, but um as every city and town in the in the Commonwealth, basically they they look for the governor's budget, which comes out usually the third week of January every year, and then um and about April will be the the the House budget on that. But most people base their budget on the governor's budget hopefully or usually only goes up from there. So, that'll give us a point to start working with. Um hopefully in January we meet we'll have our budget underway. Just a brief update on the elementary school gym closet project. So uh it's slated to be done any day now. The weather has been a problem because the
118the temperatures are below freezing uh way below freezing. So that affects the concrete and the and the uh the different um adhesives that they're using within the project. So, um, everything's gone smooth. They found the problems from before, which was basically the the flashing behind the brick wall that's above the gym closet. That should be done any day now. Hopefully, if the weather stays uh above 30° the rest of this week, during the day, I think we'll be pretty good shape to complete that. We're in the heating season. We are um working on all of our UNI events uh schools. Um our team of of of Jake, our facilities director, and Josh, the assistant. Um they've been great. Um Jake has a wealth of knowledge with steam boiler heat um um units for builders this
119large. They've begun actually replacing um units and parts in these machineries room by room, starting getting them to work. Um we've been having success. We've been ordering parts from supplyh houses and even from Amazon. Um and we'll continue to do that especially over the the Christmas break and into um January and February. Um we've been talking with New Bedford Regional Votech who have students that are trained in steam boiler uh maintenance repairs. We're going to try and do a co-op with them. Get a couple of their students here. So, for what I consider short money, we'll have some people doing hands-on work on all of our machinery. Hopefully getting our buildings in better shape. As you can tell, the library is a little bit cold. It' be great if we can get it so that
120our thermostats room by room are actually working, and that's what we're working on. Um, they've been successful with a couple of rooms that they've attempted it with. So, we're going to keep moving forward with that. And I've asked tonight Alan Guiles from Select Energy to come and show you some artist rendering of the solar array that we're hopefully planning to put between the two schools in the parking lot. Um if Hi folks, Alan J from Select um energy. We're uh uh based in Oton and Viset our 50th year anniversary. Um and our most of our business is working with uh the state municipalities and school districts on implementing renewable energy strategies that help um manage electric costs and meet any kind of decarbonization goals that the district might have. Um been working on this project
121for about 3 years now. a lot of due diligence, a lot of changes, back and forth. Um, but as you can imagine, just like you went through, putting a project like this together is like putting a puzzle together. Not only do I have the volatility of the federal government, I have changes at the state level, I have the utility who makes changes all the time, as well as the local building codes and working with the select board and school districts. But when we took a look at this, um, I wanted to design a system that could produce as close to 100% of the electric load for this building as I possibly could. At the same time, I was given some other parameters, which is I'd like to walk between the schools without getting wet. [laughter]
122So, we I had to I couldn't help myself. Um, so we we took this parking lot. We um we've done a lot of due diligence on it. Um came up with this design for a canopy um that fits in that parking area there and cuts directly into the school. So the idea of the system is that it produces the electricity that comes into the school and gets used first before the school asks for electricity from that source. And what we're able to do with this, we actually own the system, maintain the system, ensure it, make sure that it's working. Uh we enter into a contract with the school district um for um to pay for electricity at a fixed amount over 25 year period of time. So the idea is to be able to give
123the ability to know exactly what his electrical is going to be from this building for the next 25 years. Any questions? >> Just two more slides. >> The other slides. >> This is a rendering I had done of the existing canopy um and how it would look in the parking lot. The back the elementary school was behind you looking at the the middle school. I just like everyone to note that one of my considerations here was plowing and where the posts could be in the way and this rendering shows that they're out of the actual parking lot. So whatever snow gets under there would um ease the plow and and the way the roof runs off the same thing would not cause a problem for us. It it's one of my goals when I designed
124these canvas um with our engineers is that we don't lose any parking spots. We we understand that parking spaces equal occupancy. And where is the runoff? >> That's a great question. Um, it's hard to see, but the canopy um so the um the canopy is going to run um the high point is towards the grass and best angle is to the south. But the last couple rows of panels that you see there are actually at an incline like this >> so that it catches the snow. The worst thing can ever happen is snow slide onto while they're loading the car. Right. >> So we have these inclines and it catches the water there and we have drainage that goes into the and it's designed to work with the uh the infrastructure that's already in the
125parking lot. This would be more of a question for probably Aldo and um the school, but in terms of plowing, um obviously we've taken consideration for where the snow would be placed because, you know, presumably we're going to get snow that goes underneath the canopy. Um does the town or school use any overight vehicles for plowing large blocks like this? >> My question was bus height. >> Bus height. Yeah, it's a big one, too. So, so the state came out with uh new building codes came out in July this year. Um and they added in um uh height requirements for and you have to be able to get an emergency vehicle underneath that. >> Sure. >> The low the low end is actually 14 1/2 ft and the high end is actually at 16. I
126I can get a hook and ladder truck underneath that. >> Okay, great. Thank you. Good question. So where do we stand in the process now? >> So right now um the the contracts are with um the town's lawyer KP Law. Um KP Law represents over 150 municipalities. So they've seen our contract I think close to 200 times now. Um it we just need uh when we'll take their comments, their edits, come back. want to have the school uh district's lawyer take a look at it too. Um and then once the language is approved, then we go uh if you vote to move forward, then we go to the select board um and we ask them for voter support. We did go to town meeting back in 2024. Um, and town meeting voted to support the
127project and to allow the um the uh uh town administrator and the um the board to uh negotiate and enter into agreements. So there's actually two agreements with it. One is it's a site lease that gives us permission to own and operate the asset. That is what we do with the town. And then the power purchase agreement because the school district pays the bill on the electric. So that is that um that contract gets signed approved by the folks and signed by um by Paul. >> And what's the um expected useful life of the equipment and what happens when it reaches end of life? >> Great question. Um you said bring it up. >> [snorts] >> um the expected life of and warranty in all the assets is 25 years. So the contract length is
128for 25 years with a 5-year extension option. Um and if you choose not to um take the option under the contract, we come back and take everything back and we bring it right down to the concrete. >> Thank you. Any other questions? move forward to try to make this happen. >> Thank you very much. >> Um I it might not be appropriate but um when I go through um the process of recording the deeds and everything, the uh the registry makes me um record your vote, the select board's vote. So if if by any chance if you could actually take a vote um so it could be recorded at any time. If if this is not an appropriate meeting then we can do it at another meeting. >> Just to clarify, are you asking for
129a vote of what was already voted on? >> I didn't know it was voted on already. So if there's a vote of support, I'm all set. >> Okay. I apologize. >> Sometimes I walk away. >> Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thank you very much. >> Okay. Um, do we have any formal reports from school committee members? >> Yeah, I have a I have one. Yeah, please. >> So, um, at the last school committee meeting, um, I was appointed as the liaison for the air quality improvement project at the elementary school. I just wanted to give the committee an update. Um, I was actually briefed today uh on where the project stands, uh, what the next steps um, are and have an idea of some essentially what the timeline looks like along with some additional
130concerns that were raised uh, related to federal government guidelines around some um, potential needs to change some refrigerant and some equipment. That's part of the original proposal. Um, so we actually have a meeting scheduled for later this week with town officials to keep the project moving forward and uh my hope is that we'll be able to get some answers very quickly. >> Uh, Mr. Ellis, thank you for doing that and we're really looking forward to you getting this project back in motion and we we're all here to support you any way we can, but we appreciate your efforts there. >> Of course. >> Anybody else? All right. Uh so also included in our packets were some communication and other information. We had the December air quality update to staff, AES newsletter, FMS newsletter, strategic planning
131invitation, uh December district newsletter update letter, staff personnel report. Anyone have any questions about any of those uh materials? Okay. So that being said, we're going to adjourn uh the meeting to enter into executive session pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3A section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation in the open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares uh the units are the CF uh the cafe the secretaries and the par profofessionals and then return to open session. So >> I'll second call. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mr. Blake. >> Yes. Mr. Hoff. >> Yes. And Mr. >> Yes. Um we had an item here uh to approve the union contract memorandum of the agreements for
132the secretaries is what we did. We did that in executive session. Just to summarize, uh that agreement had some change to the hours of work to give our secretary some flexibility, particularly in the summer hours. They like to work different days, different hours. Uh we had some sick leave incentive adjustments in the contract, a salary change, and we made some changes to longevity bonus. Those are some of the key uh changes, and they may some other, you know, administrative type of changes. So, uh that is it. And so with that, we're going to adjourn the meeting tonight. If I can find my Okay, let's So, uh, our next school committee meeting is on Tuesday, January 13, 2025 at 6 p.m. in the FMS John Tvaris Library. May I have a motion to adjourn tonight's meeting?
133>> So, motion. >> Second. >> And we'll do a roll call. >> Mr. Ellis, >> yes. >> Mrs. McGwin, yes. >> Mr. Hawk, >> yes. >> Mrs. Cordera. >> Yes. >> Mr. Hood. >> Yes. >> Okay. The meeting is a journ. [music]