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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-20 School Committee MinutesTom Wise, Charles Robinson, Shawn Brandt, Sarah McLaughlin and Carla Nazzaro Members - Not Present: Erin Gallen Others Present: Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Sarah Hardy, and Director of Finance & Operations Dr. Derek Pinto Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Lejeune on behalf of the chairperson. Topics of Discussion: A. Call to Order— Mr. Wise called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. to review the agenda. B. Public Comment—Karen Gately Herrick, Vice Chair of the Killam School Building Committee and Vice Chair of the Select Board, spoke about the Killam School Building Project, highlighting its critical juncture as the town prepares for a vote next spring. She also proposed a joint meeting with the School Committee and Select Board to ensure the project stays on track and to address concerns moving forward. Mr. Wise motioned to take item E4 out of order, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 5-0. E. New Business 4. K -B Literacy Update Middle School ELA Curriculum — Dr. Sarah Hardy and district educators presented to the committee on the culmination of a two-year process, recommending the implementation of Amplify ELA's 10D -lesson pathway. This recommendation includes integrating district - developed units and lessons to guarantee high-quality instructional materials and equitable ELA learning experiences for all students. The full presentation can be found in theap cket. Mr. Wise motioned for the School Committee to adopt the recommendation of Amplify 100 Dayfor grades 6-8 across the middle schools, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. There was Page I 1 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes oml� qr.. i . Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2024-06-20 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Tom Wise, Charles Robinson, Shawn Brandt, Sarah McLaughlin and Carla Nazzaro Members - Not Present: Erin Gallen Others Present: Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Sarah Hardy, and Director of Finance & Operations Dr. Derek Pinto Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Lejeune on behalf of the chairperson. Topics of Discussion: A. Call to Order— Mr. Wise called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. to review the agenda. B. Public Comment—Karen Gately Herrick, Vice Chair of the Killam School Building Committee and Vice Chair of the Select Board, spoke about the Killam School Building Project, highlighting its critical juncture as the town prepares for a vote next spring. She also proposed a joint meeting with the School Committee and Select Board to ensure the project stays on track and to address concerns moving forward. Mr. Wise motioned to take item E4 out of order, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 5-0. E. New Business 4. K -B Literacy Update Middle School ELA Curriculum — Dr. Sarah Hardy and district educators presented to the committee on the culmination of a two-year process, recommending the implementation of Amplify ELA's 10D -lesson pathway. This recommendation includes integrating district - developed units and lessons to guarantee high-quality instructional materials and equitable ELA learning experiences for all students. The full presentation can be found in theap cket. Mr. Wise motioned for the School Committee to adopt the recommendation of Amplify 100 Dayfor grades 6-8 across the middle schools, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. There was Page I 1 some discussion about including diverse texts alongside classics to continue introducing students to a variety of literary works. The vote passed 5-0. ARC Implementation Update (Data & Lessons Learned) — Dr. Sarah Hardy and K-8 Curriculum Coordinator Erin Burchill provided an end -of -year overview and outlined next steps for the elementary ARC Core implementation. They presented data from two literacy assessments: DIBELS and the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA). Dr. Hardy and Ms. Burchill also summarized feedback from elementary teachers, discussed curriculum supports and updates for the 2024-2025 school year, and highlighted promising practices to carry forward into the next academic year. The full presentation can be found in theap cket. Mr. Brandt motioned to take item EI out of order, seconded by Mr. Wise. The vote passed 5-0. 1. Parker School Improvement Plan Update Principal Ms. Rochelle Rubino and Assistant Principal Dr. Jill Story provided an update on the Parker Middle School Improvement Plan, emphasizing their efforts to enhance student outcomes. They reviewed data from i -Ready and noted that the implemented strategies are showing promising results, comparing mid -year outcomes from this year to last year. Additional updates included: • The focus on improving structures for general education intervention and supports to ensure all students have access to targeted instruction. • Coordinated professional development to differentiate and meet the unique needs of Parker • Curriculum work. • Purposeful SEL activities to increase Sense of Belonging & Connection. • Leverage coaching, collaboration, and partnership. B. Consent Agenda 1. Minutes (06-06-2024) 2. Parker School Instrument Fund Donation 3. Parker Science Olympiad Club Donation 4. Wood End Drum Set Donation 5. Request to Surplus Property— RMHS and Barrows 6. Acceptance of FY24 Skills Capital Technology and Equipment Grant Award Accounts Payable Warrant Reports 1. 06-06-2024 2. 06-13-2024 Payroll Warrant Reports 1. 05-24-2024 2.06-07-2024 Mr. Wise motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 5-0. Page 1 2 Reports 1. Director of Finance & Operations — Dr. Pinto presented the budget to SEPAC in May, addressing their questions and providing necessary information. Special thanks to Town of Stoneham Administrator Dennis Sheehan for facilitating Dr. Pinto's participation in the Office of Inspector General's Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official designation classes at no cost. Additionally, Dr. Pinto recently completed the 300 -hour apprenticeship log, a requirement reviewed by MASBO and submitted to DESE to advance their professional license. Gratitude was extended to Julian Carr for diligently tracking products, collaborating with vendors on models and pricing, and procuring over 300 devices to meet student needs. 2. Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning— Dr. Hardy noted that several teachers are engaged in curriculum -based summer work across all levels throughout the district. 3. Superintendent— Dr. Milaschewski thanked the staff working Extended School Year (ESY) over the summer. In recent weeks, there have been community questions regarding hiring and retention processes, especially concerning the non -renewal of staff. Dr. Milaschewski provided additional context to address some of these inquiries. Due to staff confidentiality and privacy regulations, the district cannot comment on decisions regarding staff non -renewals or why a staff member was not selected for a particularjob. District leaders approach these decisions thoughtfully, prioritizing the best interests of RPS students. Mr. Wise emphasized that hiring and firing decisions fall outside the purview of the School Committee, and they should refrain from discussing these matters. 4. Liaison/Sub-Committee a. Ms. McLaughlin—The Killam School Building Committee met on Monday to discuss design options. b. Mrs. Nazzaro—The next Killam School Building Committee meeting is on July 8t° and there are two community meetings on July 15th and August 14th. Both community meetings will be held at the Reading Public Library. c. Mr. Brandt —The Select Board voted to establish an ad hoc committee to commemorate Bill Russell. One member of this committee will be designated by the School Committee. Ms. Herrick has been appointed by the Select Board to serve on the facilities renaming advisory subcommittee. d. Mrs. Robinson —The Charter Review Committee met last week and will hold a public hearing on August 29th to review all proposed changes. The Recreation Committee also met to discuss summer programs. e. Mr. Wise—The Permanent Building Committee appointment meeting took place a few weeks ago, and the committee is now fully staffed. E. New Business 2. Pre Q4 Financial Update w/ Budget Transfer Vote(s), if necessary Dr. Pinto provided a snapshot review of the Q4 financial update, covering the period from April 1, 2024, to June 14, 2024. A comprehensive quarterly report will follow in September, Page 1 3 detailing the financial status through June 30, 2024. Since purchases are ongoing and invoices are still being processed, we anticipate changes in the balance. Mr. Wise motioned to transfer $111,000 from regular education day cost center to the special education cost center to cover the increased prepay for FY25 out of district tuition, seconded by Mr. Robinson. The vote passed 5-0. 3. Special Education Reserve Fund Report wf Vote on Reserve Fund Allocation Dr. Pinto presented three proposed options for the end -of -year balance and noted that the dollar amounts are anticipated and subject to change as FY24 is finalized. The committee discussed the three options and leaned towards option B, with a slightly adjusted allocation. Mr. Wise motioned to allocate $200,000 to the special education reserve fund and provide guidance that we return approximately $75,000 to the town, seconded by Mr. Robinson. Mrs. Nazzaro motioned to amend the vote to return approximately $50,000 to the town, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The committee discussed in which it was noted it is good to keep the prepay as high as possible with more students coming into the district. In a 1-4 vote, the amendment did not pass. The original vote passed 5-0. D. Old Business 1. Mid -Cycle Formative Review of Superintendent and Vote to Accept Mr. Wise thanked the committee for their time and effort in compiling their reviews, and highlighted key points from the mid-cycle formative review. The committee continues to recognize his strong leadership and collaborative nature, which have contributed to numerous successes across the district. Mr. Wise motioned to approve Dr. MflaschewskPs FY24 formative review, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 5-0. E. New Business S. Post Formative Review Discussions & Votes Mr. Wise discussed an amendment to Dr. Milaschewski s contract. Currently, the language references an annual summative review; however, Dr. Milaschewski will not undergo a summative evaluation this year due to a two-year review cycle. The proposed amendment allows for annual raises, annual retention incentives, and eventually, end -of -contract retention. Mr. Wise made a motion to approve the amendment to the superintendent's contract. The vote passed 5-0. Mr. Wise discussed the next steps regarding the superintendent's salary and reviewed a table provided in the packet to assess potential increase options in alignment with the results of the formative review. Page 1 4 Mr. Robinson motioned to use a 3% percentage increase absolute increase of $6,420 for a 2024-2025 salary of $220,420, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 5-0. 6. School Choice Update and Next Steps Dr. Milaschewski provided an update on School Choice and outlined upcoming plans. In the latest round of the School Choice lottery, we received 35 applications, of which 31 were accepted. According to Massachusetts General Law, a second lottery must be held before November, which seems late. Therefore, we propose opening the remaining seats not filled by lune 21st, with an application deadline of July 5th and the lottery scheduled for July 8th. While no vote is required from the committee, notification is provided as a formality. 7. Annual Reorganization of School Committee Mr. Wise turned the meeting over to Dr. Milaschewski for the annual reorganization of the School Committee. Mr. Wise was nominated for Chair. A question was raised regarding whether there is a School Committee policy concerning a member potentially serving as Chair or Vice Chair during an election year, and it was clarified that there is no such policy. Dr. Milaschewski then closed the nominations. Roll Call Vote — Roll Call Vote for Mr. Wise as Chair of the School Committee, Mr. Robinson — yes, Mr. Brandt—yes, Mr. Wise—yes, Ms. Nazzaro—yes, Ms. McLaughlin—yes. The vote passed 5-0. Mr. Wise took over the meeting as Chair and asked for nominations for Vice Chair. Noting that Mrs. Gallen is not present, the committee chose to postpone a vote for Vice Chair. Mr. Wise motioned to postpone the vote on Vice Chair until the next meeting, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 5-0. Mr. Wise motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 5-0. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIYGrhEU7-0 Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 9:54pm. Page 1 5