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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-08-10 School Committee PacketOpen Session 7:00p.m. Reading Memorial High School Library Reading, MA Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet August 10, 2023 Town of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 1 2018-07-16 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2023-08-10 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 62 Oakland Road Agenda: Purpose: Open Session Meeting Called By: Thomas Wise, Chair Notices and agendas are to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meetings excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Legal Holidays. Please keep in mind the Town Clerk’s hours of operation and make necessary arrangements to be sure your posting is made in an adequate amount of time. A listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting must be on the agenda. All Meeting Postings must be submitted in typed format; handwritten notices will not be accepted. Topics of Discussion: 7:00 p.m. A. Call to Order 7:00 p.m. B. Public Comment Consent Agenda 1. Minutes (06-22-2023) 2. Accept the FY24 Investigating History Implementation Grant Award 3. Accept the RMHS PTO Donation Reports 1. Assistant Superintendent of Student Services 2. Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching 3. Director of Finance and Operations 4. Superintendent 5. Liaison/Sub-Committee 7:30 p.m. C. Personnel 1. Appointment of Superintendent to Collaborative Boards (A) a. SEEM Collaborative b. Northshore Education Consortium 2. Superintendent Review Timeline Discussion (A) 7:50 p.m. D. Old Business 1. Policy Updates – Review and Vote on Amended Policies (A): a. GCJ – Professional Teacher Status b. DGA – Authorized Signatures c. DH – Bonded Employees and Officers d. DI – Fiscal Accounting and Reporting e. DIE – Audits f. DJ – Purchasing g. DJA – Purchasing Authority h. DK – Payment Procedures Town of Reading Meeting Posting with Agenda This Agenda has been prepared in advance and represents a listing of topics that the chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting. However the agenda does not necessarily include all matters which may be taken up at this meeting. Page | 2 2. Review and Vote to Revoke Policy DJG – Vendor Relations (A) 8:30 p.m. E. New Business 1. First Reading – DBDA – Special Education Reserve Fund 2. Liaison and Subcommittee Discussion w/ Potential Appointments 3. Charter Review Committee Discussion w/ Potential Appointment 4. Policy Notification – Policies to be Reviewed for Amendment or Creation over the next few meetings: a. ADF – School District Wellness Program b. DJE – Procurement Requirements c. KCD – Public Gifts to the Schools d. DBJ – Budget Transfer Authority 9:00 p.m. G. Executive Session 1. To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body (Reading Teachers Association, Paraprofessionals, and Secretaries) F. Information / Correspondence 1. 10:00 p.m. Adjourn **Times are approximate Join Zoom Meeting https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/83657021146 Meeting ID: 836 5702 1146 One tap mobile +16469313860,,83657021146# US +13017158592,,83657021146# US (Washington DC) Consent Agenda Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet August 10, 2023 Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Page | 1 2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2023-06-22 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session Purpose: Open Session Version: Draft Attendees: Members - Present: Shawn Brandt, Carla Nazzaro, Erin Gaffen, Charles Robinson, Tom Wise and Sarah McLaughlin Members - Not Present: Others Present: Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Teaching Dr. Sarah Hardy, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Dr. Jennifer Stys, Director of Finance and Operations Susan Bottan, and HR Director Michelle Roach Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Lejeune on behalf of the chairperson. Topics of Discussion: A. Call to Order – Mr. Brandt called the meeting to order at 7:05pm reviewing the agenda. B. Public Comment – None Consent Agenda 1. Minutes (06-08-2023) 2. Reading Lacrosse Association Donation 3. J.W. Killam Elementary School Donation 4. FY22 EOYR Audit Report Ms. Nazzaro motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mr. Robinson, vote passed 6-0. Reports 1. Student – No report 2. Assistant Superintendent of Student Services – Dr. Stys along with Dr. Hardy gave a shout-out to the YMCA for helping a group of students who had no engagement in summer programming. The YMCA was able to provide slots for the students to join a summer program as well as transportation. This is a great show of the Reading community coming together. Page | 2 3. Assistant Superintendent of Learning & Teaching – No report 4. Director of Finance and Operations – Ms. Bottan acknowledged the facilities staff, IT/Tech staff, and Food Service staff for a number of projects and improvements made this school year. 5. Superintendent – Dr. Milaschewski congratulated the Boy’s lacrosse team for winning the state championship last week. This is a huge accomplishment and we are proud of the individuals on the team and the coaching staff. 6. Liaison/Sub-Committee a. Mr. Robinson – SWEC met last week to discuss and finalize the RFI to get a sense of interest and will meet again next week. The Recreation Committee met too to discuss the start of Phase 2 of the Birch Meadow project. b. Ms. Gaffen – The Juneteenth celebration is this Saturday, June 24th on the Town Common. c. Ms. McLaughlin – We will discuss in detail later during this meeting, but the Legal Counsel Subcommittee is moving forward with a recommendation tonight to hire a new legal counsel for student services. d. Mr. Wise – The Audit Committee met last week to review the RMLD last Thursday. There were no findings and the committee will be recommending approval of the audit. Mr. Wise shared some final notes on behalf of School Committee Student Representative Jayda Hayes. e. Ms. Nazzaro – There has been a change of events in terms of the Killam School Building Committee. Terva which is the company the committee approved moving forward with withdrew from the process. Terva is relatively new to the MSBA process and after they had some discussion with the town and MSBA they made the decision not to proceed. The committee will move forward with the second-place company Colliers. The Town Manager has been directed to enter into contract negotiations with Colliers. This was an unexpected turn of events, but grateful to Terva for allowing us to move forward. f. Mr. Brandt – No report E. New Business 1. SEPAC Year-End Update SEPAC Board Members presented their year in review. This year, SEPAC has worked hard to get the word out and continue a strong momentum to strengthen internal culture. The board sent a survey out at the beginning of the year gathering feedback and from that feedback they found those who know what SEPAC is are engaged. For those who do not know who or what SEPAC is do not know the resources that can be offered to them. There are some specific initiatives those engaged in SEPAC are looking for in the new school year and the group will be working with student services to make sure everything is lined up for a successful year. Page | 3 Some highlights from this school year include launching the new website, providing more social activities, and creating intentional connections with Friends of METCO. Part of the SEPAC’s mission is to advise Student Services, the School Committee and Superintendent. As a way to keep the momentum moving, SEPAC would like to add a member to hiring search committees moving forward. Looking ahead to the new school year, SEPAC wants to provide new social networking opportunities, expand workshops, expand Friends of SEPAC, explore fundraising, expand website partnership with the school, hold a Team Chair Meet and Greet, and continue the development of trusted partnerships with students’ services and school leaders. C. Personnel 1. SY22-23 Year-End Personnel Update Ms. Roach shared some highlights of the work the Human Resource Department has been working on over the past year and also some highlights looking forward to the new school year. Ms. Roach reviewed hiring positions that are filled vs open for the new school year. As a reminder, this is just a snapshot of year-to-year recruitment. There are areas where we have made progress. Ms. Roach acknowledged the work of Food Service Director Ms. Franzetti who has been working hard on recruitment to fill positions in the food service area. In reviewing departures year to year, we are seeing retirement numbers going up and RTA exits going down. We will not have finalized numbers until the end of August so these numbers may fluctuate. Initiatives for this past year included the development of an HR newsletter and competency and lane change forms and a formalized process. The department expanded the awards night which was well attended and we look to expand further next year possibly creating a standalone event and adding an academic excellence portion. We are receiving good data from exit surveys. When broken down, we see staff departure for similar positions and self-reported contributing factors. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to move section E4 out of order. Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. E. New Business 4. Review Draft District Strategic Plan Dr. Milaschewski gave a brief overview of the district strategic plan. There have been a lot of people involved in the process of creating the strategic plan and this is very much so a draft that will continue to be reviewed and revised. Thank you to all of those who have provided feedback over the last several weeks. We will add the strategic plan and feedback link to the website so community members can continue to provide feedback over the summer. The plan is made up of four strategic initiatives: Supportive, Equitable and Safe Learning Environments, Coherent Instructional Systems, School Operations, and Family and Community Engagement. The plan provided in the packet has live links which bring you to the logic models outlining action plans and outcomes. Page | 4 A question was raised about the length of the plan as it only goes through 2025. This is an error and will be updated so the plan extends through 2026. The School Committee welcomed Theresa Wiggins and Barbara Best who walked through the Family and Community Engagement initiative. The committee took a 5-minute break returning at 9:24pm. 1. Recommendation and Vote to Appoint Director of Finance and Operations (A) Dr. Milaschewski recommended moving forward into contract negotiations with Dr. Derek Pinto as the Director of Finance and Operations. Thank you to the screening committee for being part of this process. It was a powerful team and they went through a series of interviews. This is a difficult position to hire in general right now and the bar has been set high by Ms. Bottan’s great work. The committee interviewed a lot of strong candidates and we are fortunate to move forward with Dr. Pinto. Dr. Milaschewski outlined some of Dr. Pinto’s background which is also shared in the memo in the packet. Ms. Nazzaro moved to approve the appointment of Dr. Derek Pinto as the Director of Finance and Operations subject to successful contract negotiations. Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. 2. Learning and Teaching Year-End Update Dr. Hardy presented an overview of accomplishments from the 2022-2023 school year and reviewed plans for the 2023-2024 school year with a focus on the following areas: professional learning system, curriculum review process, and curriculum implementation. 3. Review and Approve Killam Principal Search Process (A) Dr. Milaschewski thanked Principal Leveque for her services as Killam principal the last seven years. In the packet, you will find the Killam Elementary Principal search process. This is a standard process we have gone through in the past for principal searches. We are going to expand the screening committee on the staff side because we have had more interest than anticipated. A question was asked as to why we are going for a full-time search instead of an interim and what are the expectations around what the pool might look like? We feel we are in a window where we can land a full-time candidate. This position is being posted and the process is lining up to the same as last year’s search for the Barrows principal. Knowing the outcome and success of the Barrows search it made sense to move forward at this time with a full-time search. We expect to be in an optimal position to find a full-time principal, but will be prepared to pivot to an interim if needed. We have optimism for a strong pool and some hesitation. This is a late time of year for hiring and not a lot of people applying for principal positions in general. However, we posted the position and already have 12 candidates. We will add a SEPAC parent as a representative on the screening committee. Ms. Nazzaro agreed to be the School Committee representative on the screening committee. Page | 5 Ms. Nazzaro moved to approve the Killam Principal search process. Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. 4. Review and Vote to Approve FY23 Budget Transfers (A) Ms. Bottan confirmed nothing has changed in terms of the budget transfer since the last School Committee meeting on June 8th. Ms. Nazzaro moved to transfer $740,000 from the Special Education Cost Center to the following centers: • $645,000 to Regular Day • $35,000 to Technology Software • $60,000 to Facilities Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. 5. Review Legal Counsel Subcommittee Recommendation and Vote to Approve Special Education Counsel (A) Mr. Wise reviewed the process the Legal Counsel Subcommittee underwent to select a new Legal Counsel to support Student Services. Fourteen firms were invited to participate in the process in which seven interviewed with an outcome of four finalists. One firm had to opt out at the last minute due to staffing limitations which left the subcommittee with three finalists to interview. The subcommittee agreed to recommend appointing Stoneman, Chandler, & Miller. The group negotiated a few financial incentives such as 10 hours of free transition services. Cases will be transferred and managed on an individual basis. Rates are commensurate with other firms. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to appoint Stoneman, Chandler, & Miller LLP as Student Services Counsel, vote passed 6-0. 6. Letter in Support of PARC Grant Application (A) Mr. Brandt gave an overview of the PARC Grant and what the money would support. Phase 2 of the Birch Meadow project involves redoing the area behind the high school to build a fully accessible playground where the “Tot Lot” is as well as a renovation of the basketball courts and additional parking. The town is applying for the PARC Grant, which has a submission deadline in mid-July. The grant award eligibility is up to $500k to support the project. One nuance of the grant is that the property the grant applied to has to be owned by the Town and portions of the plot land are currently deeded to the school district. If the grant is awarded, the School Committee would declare the property as unused and deed it to the Town to give them control and accept the grant. The letter expresses support for the grant and expresses our intent to move forward with the transfer of land when or if the time comes. A question was asked about the boundaries beyond the tot lot. Are the fields included and is there any risk to high school programs having priority to fields? It does not seem we would run into issues. To clarify this question, this letter just shows our Page | 6 support and when the grant is awarded or executed we will have time to negotiate and express any concerns. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to send a letter in Support of PARC Grant Application, Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. D. Old Business 1. Consider and Vote to Approve the Contribution to Special Education Stabilization Fund (A) At Town Meeting, they approved the creation of the Special Education Stabilization Fund. The School Committee still has some work to do in creating policies, but at this time we have to determine an amount to contribute to the fund. Ms. Bottan is projecting a year-end balance of $285,000. The committee had discussions about money set aside in years past in the “backstop bucket” and how the backstop bucket is spent. The committee discussed what would be a reasonable and comfortable number to set aside. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to contribute $175,000 to the Special Education Stabilization Fund, Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. 2. Policy Updates – Review and Vote on Amended Policies: GCJ, DGA, DH, DI, DIE, DJ, DJA, DK (A) Mr. Brandt motioned to moves agenda items D2 and D3 to the next School Committee meeting, Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. 3. Review and Vote to Revoke Policy DJG – Vendor Relations (A) C. Personnel 2. Review and Approve Consensus Superintendent Summative Evaluation (A) Mr. Brandt stated there were only two examples when the group was slightly inconsistent with their review and that was due to difference in opinion in how that specific goal is viewed. Otherwise, there was strong feedback across the board for Dr. Milaschewski’s review. Ms. Nazzaro motioned to approve the Consensus Superintendent Summative Evaluation, Mr. Wise seconded, vote passed 6-0. E. New Business 9. Annual School Committee Reorganization (A) Mr. Brandt turned the meeting over to Dr. Milaschewski for the reorganization of the School Committee. Mr. Brandt and Mr. Wise were nominated for Chair. The committee is highly functional at this point and the other members agreed they would be happy with either person being chair. After some discussion, Mr. Brandt withdrew his nomination. Page | 7 Roll Call Vote – Roll Call Vote for Mr. Wise, Mr. Robinson – yes, Ms. Gaffen – yes, Ms. McLaughlin – yes, Mr. Wise – yes, Mr. Brandt – yes, Ms. Nazzaro – yes. Vote passed 6-0. Mr. Wise took over the meeting as the new Chairperson for nominations for Vice Chair. Ms. Gaffen was nominated as Vice Chair. Roll Call Vote – Roll Call Vote for Ms. Gaffen, Mr. Robinson – yes, Ms. Gaffen – yes, Ms. McLaughlin – yes, Mr. Wise – yes, Mr. Brandt – yes, Ms. Nazzaro – yes. Vote passed 6-0. Mr. Brandt made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mrs. McLaughlin, vote passed 6-0. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3xwnofuKXw Meeting Adjourned 10:53pm. TO: Reading School Committee CC: Dr. Thomas Milaschewski, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Derek Pinto, Director of Finance and Operations DATE: June 29, 2023 FR: Katelyn Finnegan, Finance and Business Analyst RE: Acceptance of FY24 Investigating History Implementation Grant Award The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has awarded the Reading Public Schools with a FY24 Investigating History Implementation Grant in the amount of $29,525. Investigating History is a complete and comprehensive package of curricular materials that includes lesson plans, student handouts, and slide decks. The grant will cover the cost of professional development, as well as print costs and substitute costs, for the new Investigating History curriculum in grades 5-7 next year. Erin Burchill has a group of teachers that have signed up to field test this new curriculum before we do a curriculum review in social studies in the next couple of years. DESE encouraged districts to apply in partnership in order to more efficiently provide professional development to teachers from multiple districts at once and to facilitate cross-district collaboration among educators throughout the implementation process. We partnered with three other districts (Wakefield, Watertown, and Manchester-Essex) in this grant, so the grant funds awarded to Reading cover the costs for all four districts. Reading is the district that is in charge of paying the vendor (Primary Source) through the grant. Thank you for your support with your vote to accept the FY24 Investigating History Implementation Grant Award. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Olivia Lejeune, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent DATE: August 2, 2023 RE: Vote to Accept RMHS PTO Donation Please vote to accept a donation of $2,300 from the RMHS PTO to support the RMHS Rocket Ambassador Program. Please find attached the award letter from Linda Kiene, Treasurer of the RMHS PTO Board Thank you. Reading Public Schools Instilling a joy of learning and inspiring the innovative leaders of tomorrow 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 Phone: 781-944-5800 Fax: 781-942-9149 Personnel Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet August 10, 2023 Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thomas Wise Chair Erin Gaffen Vice-Chair Shawn Brandt Sarah McLaughlin Carla Nazzaro Charles Robinson Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Wise, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: August 3, 2023 TOPIC: Appointment of Dr. Milaschewski to the Board of Directors for Education Collaboratives One of the responsibilities we have as a School Committee is the appointment of either a member of the School Committee or the Superintendent of Schools to the Board of Directors of Education Collaboratives that Reading Public Schools is a part of. This responsibility is codified in Mass General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 4e with the following pertinent subsection: (c) The education collaborative shall be managed by a board of directors which shall be comprised of 1 person appointed annually by each member school committee or member charter school board. All appointed persons shall be either a school committee member, the superintendent of schools or a member of the charter school board. The commissioner shall appoint an individual to serve as a liaison from the department of elementary and secondary education to the education collaborative board of directors; provided that, to the extent feasible, the commissioner shall appoint an individual who has expertise in 1 or more of the following areas: educational programming and services, finance, budgeting and management oversight. Each member of the board of directors shall be entitled to a vote. No member of the board of directors shall receive an additional salary or stipend for their service as a board member. No member of the board of directors of an education collaborative shall serve as a member of a board of directors or as an officer or employee of any related for-profit or non-profit organization. The board of directors shall elect a chairperson from its members and provide for such other officers as it may determine are necessary, and may establish advisory committees as desired. Each collaborative board shall meet not fewer than 6 times annually. Each member of the board of directors shall be responsible for providing information and updates on the activities of the collaborative on a quarterly basis to the member's appointing school committee or charter school board at an open meeting. Reading Public Schools is currently a member of two collaboratives: SEEM Collaborative and Northshore Education Consortium. Given the nature of these Collaboratives and the association with the day-to-day operations of the District, I recommend that we appoint Dr. Milaschewski as our representative. We can discuss this in more detail during our meeting on Thursday. Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thomas Wise Chair Erin Gaffen Vice-Chair Shawn Brandt Sarah McLaughlin Carla Nazzaro Charles Robinson Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Wise, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: August 3, 2023 TOPIC: Superintendent Review Timeline Discussion At our meeting on August 10, 2023, we will briefly discuss our timeline options for the next Superintendent review. At the conclusion of our discussion, we will vote on one of the options to set a plan in place for the forthcoming academic year. While other options may come forward on the floor, the two primary options we will discuss as a committee are: (1) A one-year review cycle with the formative review in January/February 2024 and the summative review in May/June 2023. (2) A two-year review cycle with the formative review in May/June 2024 and the summative review in May/June 2025. As a reminder, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has published a Model System for Educator Evaluation: Evaluating Superintendents and District-Level Administrators. Please review the guide ahead of the meeting. A key point of discussion during our meeting will be the following excerpt from the “Organizing the Process of Superintendent Evaluation” section: A one-year cycle for superintendents in their first three years is important; at the committee’s discretion, it may be extended to two years for superintendents working under extended contracts, although annual goals are still strongly recommended. Thank you. Old Business Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet August 10, 2023 Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Shawn Brandt Chair Carla Nazzaro Vice-Chair Erin Gaffen Sarah McLaughlin Charles Robinson Thomas Wise Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Shawn Brandt, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: June 5, 2023 TOPIC: June 8th Policy Updates and Revocation At our June 8th meeting, we will have eight policy updates to consider and one for which to consider revocation. All of these updates are eligible for a single meeting review and adoption. A note detailing the policies for review, the reasons they have come up for review, and the process to date has been providing by subcommittee Chair Wise and is included within this memo. For each of the policies being updated, we will include both the original version and the red-lined version passed by the subcommittee in the packet. The current version of DJG for revocation is in the packet as well. Finally, we are also including the minutes from several subcommittee meetings as an FYI, as detailed by Mr. Wise below. From subcommittee Chair Wise: Below is a summary of the Policies that the Policy Subcommittee has reviewed, updated, and is recommending the full School Committee adopt (single meeting adoption in all cases): 1. GCJ – Professional Teacher Status: This policy change is the result of a review of our Director of Human Resources and is updated to be in alignment with State Law. The Subcommittee voted 3-0 during our meeting on April 13th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 2. DGA – Authorized Signatures: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in both 2021 and 2022. We made significant changes to the MASC version to align with our practice. The Subcommittee voted 3-0 during our meeting on April 13th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 3. DH – Bonded Employees and Officers: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in both 2021 and 2022. The Subcommittee voted 3-0 during our meeting on April 13th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 4. DI – Fiscal Accounting and Reporting: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in both 2021 and 2022. The Subcommittee voted 3-0 during our meeting on April 13th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 5. DIE – Audits: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in both 2021 and 2022. The Subcommittee voted 2-0 during our meeting on May 9th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 6. DJ – Purchasing: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in both 2021 and 2022. The Subcommittee voted 3-0 during our meeting on April 13th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 7. DJA – Purchasing Authority: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in 2021. The Subcommittee voted 3-0 during our meeting on April 13th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. 8. DK – Payment Procedures: This policy update was made after MASC reviews in both 2021 and 2022. The Subcommittee voted 2-0 during our meeting on May 9th to recommend these changes to the School Committee for adoption. Additionally, in our Policy Manual review, it was noted that MASC revoked Policy DJG – Vendor Relations in June of 2017. After reviewing with Legal and our Director of Finance & Operations, the Subcommittee voted 2-0 during our meeting on May 9th to recommend the revocation of this policy from our policy manual to the School Committee as well. Process-wise, all policies were aligned with MASC, reviewed by legal, updated by legal where necessary, reviewed by the Central Office administration team, reviewed and updated by the Subcommittee with appropriate Central Office administration team members, then voted upon. If necessary, a follow-up review was requested by legal as well, and no further changes were deemed necessary. Additionally, in this set of changes, we have incorporated all the changes into single documents. Thus, I am attaching the versions currently in our policy manual and the version, with all the redlines, we finally agreed upon and approved. Further, some members of the Subcommittee felt the Meeting Minutes may be insightful for members of the full School Committee with respect to the discussion, feedback, and input process we went through in our review. Therefore, I am attaching a few of the finalized minutes as well. Of note: a. GCJ – See minutes from 2023-02-15 and 2023-04-13. b. DGA – See minutes from 2023-02-16 and 2023-04-13. Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thomas Wise Chair Erin Gaffen Vice-Chair Shawn Brandt Sarah McLaughlin Carla Nazzaro Charles Robinson Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Wise, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: August 7, 2023 TOPIC: Dr. Coram Policy Feedback Dr. Coram submitted a good deal of feedback on the policies to go before the Committee before our last meeting. After checking with Dr. Coram, I am summarizing that feedback here so other members are aware and can consider the feedback as well. Policy GCJ 1. The first sentence grants PTS to teachers who have served for 3 years, without any requirement that they have been offered a position for the following year. You indicated that you want it to be a requirement that they be reappointed for the 4th year. 2. In the second paragraph, giving the Superintendent authority to award PTS after one year, should that be one qualifying year? 3. The end of that sentence may need some work, if "conducted" is removed (hard to tell in the marked-up version). It used to be "conducted ... or otherwise allowed", but it lost the parallelism. I think it reads like this: o The Superintendent will base their decisions in accordance with School Committee policy or otherwise allowed by law or regulation. But it would be better like this: o The Superintendent will base their decisions in accordance with School Committee policy and other allowable law or regulation. (I assume we don't want the decision to be made by some allowable law that conflicts with SC policy, which would be permissible if you have "or otherwise.") 4. The definition of "Qualifying years" should be changed to a definition of "Qualifying year" and perhaps should mention that it's an academic year (or the contract year specified by the collective bargaining agreement). A qualifying year is defined as o An academic year executed under a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education teacher license or another appropriate licensure. This excludes emergency and waiver situations. o No leave greater than 30 calendar days was taken during the year.  Is it OK to take two (or more) leaves, as long as each is not more than 30 days? Eg. two leaves of 20 days? If a teacher takes FMLA leave of greater than 30 days, is it legal under federal law to count that as disqualifying the year?  You could add an additional requirement that the employee not be notified that they are not being reappointed (ugh, double-negative) as part of a qualifying year. (It puts some teeth in the requirement of timely notification.) o The employee was not notified prior to June 15 that they are not being reappointed for the following year. Policy DGA 1. There may be a minor issue with the paragraph after the three cases; it looks like "on" was struck from the clause, but "agenda" was left, so it ends up with: a. In the first two cases, a record of this approval will be made available at the then-current or at the next regular School Committee agenda. b. "at ... agenda" seems wrong: "on .. agenda" was OK, or "at ... meeting" would be OK. Actually, having it in the minutes of one of those meetings seems like it would be better. 2. I think you want a hyphen before "personnel" in the next sentence: a. In the last case, non-student or -personnel identifying information. Policy DI 1. In the first sentence, "school system" was changed to "school district," but then later we have "school department." Are those two terms intentionally different? Policy DIE 1. The wording in the 3rd bullet looks wrong to me: a. * Federal grant audits: As a district that spends about thresholds required, I would expect "above" instead of "about": * Federal grant audits: As a district that spends above the relevant threshold, or * Federal grant audits: As a district that spends above the requirement threshold, I think it shouldn't say "thresholds required" because it's not the threshold that's required, it's compliance with the Act that is required based on the threshold. 2. This policy has "department" in some places and "district" in others. Policy DJ 1. The fourth bullet needs a small tweak: a. To promote social and economic goals such as encouraging local, small, and minority- or women-owned businesses to participate in bidding for District purchases. b. Right now, it's "minority businesses" instead of "minority-owned businesses." 2. Also, the third bullet mentions "requesting departments" and then later we have "appropriate unit head." I'm not sure what a "unit head" is, and whether it should be "department head" or whether the third bullet should use "requesting unit." In some cases, I was able to easily add or resolve his points. In other cases, there may be a bit more discussion and/or points of awareness for the Committee. I did also gather further feedback from our Director of Human Resources and our Director of Finance and Operations to bring to the meeting as well. Thank you. File: GCJ Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PROFESSIONAL TEACHER STATUS Teachers and certain other professional employees who have served in the school district for three consecutive years shall be entitled to professional teacher status. The Superintendent, upon recommendation of the Principal, may award such status to a teacher who has served in the Principal's school for not less than one year or a teacher who has obtained such status in any other public school district in the Commonwealth. The Superintendent will base his/her decisions on the results of evaluation procedures conducted according to committee policy. At the end of each of the first three years of a teacher's employment, it will be the responsibility of the Superintendent to notify each employee promptly in writing of the decision on reappointment. Notification to a teacher not being reappointed must be made by June 15. A teacher who attains professional teacher status will have continuous employment in the service of the school system. A teacher with professional teacher status whose position is abolished by the School Committee may be continued in the employ of the school system in another position for which he or she is legally qualified. Nothing in these provisions will be considered as restricting the Superintendent from changing teaching assignments or altering or abolishing supervisory assignments except that, by law, no teacher may be assigned to a position for which he or she is not legally qualified. Adopted by Reading School Committee on August 24, 2006. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 71:38; 71:38G; 71:38H; 71:41; 71:42; 71:43 File: GCJ Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PROFESSIONAL TEACHER STATUS Teachers and certain other professional employees who have served in the school district for three consecutive, and qualifying years shall be entitled to professional teacher status. The Superintendent, upon recommendation of the Principal, may award such status to a teacher who has served in the Principal's school for not less than one year, or a teacher who has obtained such status in any other public school district in the Commonwealth. The Superintendent will base his/hertheir decisions on the results of evaluation procedures conducted in accordance with ing to School Ccommittee policy or otherwise allowed by law or regulation.. At the end of each of the first three Professional Teaching Status (PTS) qualifying years of a teacher's employment, it will be the responsibility of the Principal and/or Superintendent to notify each employee promptly in writing of the decision on reappointment. Notification to a teacher not being reappointed must be made by June 15 or at an earlier date if required by a collective bargaining agreement. Qualifying years are defined as: 1. Each year qualifying is executed under a fullDESEMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education teacher license or another appropriate licensure. This excludes emergency and waiver situations. 2. No leave greater than 30 calendar days was taken during the three-year periodeach year. A teacher who attains professional teacher status will have continuous employment in the service of the school system district subject to satisfactory evaluations and good conduct in accordance with M.G.L. c. 71 s. 4271:42.. A teacher with professional teacher status whose position is abolished by the School Committee may be continued in the employ of the school sdystemistrict district in another position, subject to availability, for which he or she isthey are legally qualified.. Nothing in these provisions will be considered as restricting the Superintendent from changing teaching assignments or altering or abolishing supervisory assignments except that, by law, no teacher may be assigned to a position for which he or she is they are not legally qualified. Adopted by Reading School Committee on August 24, 2006. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 71:38; 71:38G; 71:38H; 71:41; 71:42; 71:43 Adopted by the Reading School Committee on August 24, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on _______________. Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0", Space After: 6pt Commented [TW1]: Not a common practice of RPS per Michelle. Commented [TW2R1]: Agreed by the Committee to stay as recruiting tool or otherwise. Commented [TW3]: Per Michelle, the law allows us to dismiss for any reason. Commented [TW4R3]: We want to look to add something here to determine how to align with the MGL option of non- renewal in the first three years. Commented [TW5]: Suggested addition from Michelle. Commented [TW6]: Grammarly suggests changing this phrase to "the Superintendent will" Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.25", Right: 0.3" Commented [TW7]: Technically an emergency license is a teacher license, but that shouldn't count toward PTS per Michelle. So, should we try to delineate here in some way? Colby previously removed "full" from this section. Formatted: List Paragraph, Indent: Left: 0.25", Right: 0.3", Space After: 6 pt, Numbered + Level: 1 +Numbering Style: 1, 2, 3, … + Start at: 1 + Alignment:Left + Aligned at: 0.24" + Indent at: 0.49" Commented [TW8]: Suggested addition from Michelle. Commented [TW9]: Suggested addition from Michelle. Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0", Space After: 6pt Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0", Space After: 12pt Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", First line: 0", Right: 0",Space After: 12 pt, Line spacing: single Formatted: Space After: 0 pt Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Right: 0", Space After: 6pt File: DGA Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES The chairman of the School Committee, or the vice-chair when the chair is unavailable, and the Superintendent will sign payrolls presented for approval. The town treasurer, who also serves as the school department treasurer, signs all checks drawn against school department funds. No other signature is valid. LEGAL REF.: M.G.L. 41:41 Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DGA Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES The School Committee understands its financial stewardship role and takes it very seriously. As such, the Committee utilizes the following process for authorized signatures with financial implications: 1. For contracts that are the responsibility of the School Committee (Union Contracts and the Superintendent Contract): The Chair of the School Committee will be primarily responsible for signing contracts on behalf of the School Committee. In their absence, if time critical, the Vice Chair can sign instead. 2. For bills, payrolls, and warrants: While Massachusetts General Law allows for the roll call vote of one member to be responsible for review and approval, the School Committee of Reading Public Schools prefers that a quorum of the body review and approve them as correct and approved for payment. 3. For contracts covered by FERPA or Employee Privacy laws: The Committee delegates authority to the Superintendent. In the first two cases, The School Committee will designate by roll call vote a single one member responsible for the review and approval of all bills, payrolls, and warrants as correct and approved for payment. A a record of this approval will be made available at the then-current or at on the next regular Committee agenda. In the last case, non-student or personnel identifying information, including a brief amount of trend analysis, will be shared with the Committee on a semi-annual basis to coincide with the second and fourth quarterly financial update. Such designation does not limit the responsibility of each member. The town treasurer, who also serves as the school department treasurer, signs all checks drawn against school department funds. No other signature is valid. Additionally, there are times when a signature is required from the School Committee as part of a state or other process (e.g., MIAA waiver applications, MSBA applications or submissions, etc.) requirement. In those cases, the Chair of the School Committee will be responsible for signing the appropriate document. In their absence, if time critical, the Vice Chair can sign instead. The Chair or Vice Chair shall notify the rest of the Committee at the next meeting that such an action has been taken. LEGAL REF.: M.G.L. 41:41; 41:52; 41:56 CROSS REF: DK, Payment Procedures Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on _______. NOTE: The above language implements a single signatory of district warrants. It should be altered according to district practice. Town and city charters often address this topic; alignment with charters is necessary. References to appropriate sections of a charter should be added as necessary. Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 0.01" Formatted: Space After: 6 pt Commented [TW1]: This is a note for consideration and investigation. It should be removed from the final version. Commented [TW2R1]: In quickly checking the Charter, I do not see any further restrictions related to signatory authority. Commented [NP3R1]: Me either! File: DH Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 BONDED EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS Each employee of the school system who is assigned the responsibility of receiving and dispensing school funds will be bonded individually or covered by a blanket bond. The cost of the bond will be paid by the town. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DH Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 BONDED EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS Each employee of the school system who is assigned the responsibility of receiving and dispensing school funds will be bonded individually or covered by a blanket bond. The town will pay the cost of the bond will be paid by the town. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 40:5; 41:109a; 71:47 CROSS REFS: DI, Fiscal Accounting and Reporting JJF, Student Activity Funds Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on _______. Commented [NP1]: Looks good to me. File: DI Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 FISCAL ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING The Superintendent will be ultimately responsible for receiving and properly accounting for all funds of the school system. The accounting system used will conform with state requirements and with good accounting practices, providing for the appropriate separation of accounts, funds, and special monies. The School Committee will receive periodic financial updates from the Superintendent showing the financial condition of the school department. Such other financial updates as may be determined necessary by either the Committee or the administration will be presented as found desirable. LEGAL REF: Board of Education 603 CMR 10:00 Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DI Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 FISCAL ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING The Superintendent will be ultimately responsible for receiving and properly accounting for all funds of the school systemdistrict, maintaining effective internal controls so as to assure the effectiveness and efficiency of operations; adequate safeguarding of property; assurance of expenditures in accordance with programs under which revenues are received; and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The accounting system used will conform with state requirements the Uniform Massachusetts Accounting System as well as and with good accounting practices, providing for the appropriate separation of accounts, funds, and special monies. The School Committee will receive periodic financial updates statements from the Superintendent showing the financial condition of the school department. Such other financial updates statements as may be determined necessary by either the Committee or the administration will be presented as requested.found desirable. LEGAL REFS: MGL 44:38 Board of Education 603 CMR 10:00 2 CFR 200.303 CROSS REFS: DBJ, Budget Transfer Authority DIE, Audits Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Adjusted, and Approved by the Reading School Committee on __________. Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", First line: 0", Space After: 0 pt, Line spacing: single Commented [NP1]: Didn’t see anything in the Charter addressing this issue. File: DIE Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 AUDITS The Town of Reading retains a certified public accounting firm to annually audit the financial statements of the Town. The financial records and transactions of the Reading Public Schools are included in the scope of this audit. Section 3.8 of the Town of Reading’s Bylaws concerns the makeup and the responsibilities of the Town’s Audit Committee. As required by the Bylaw, the School Committee shall appoint one member of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee reviews the audit plan with the independent auditor and, upon completion of the audit, meets with the independent auditor to discuss the results of the audit and the annual financial reports. The School Committee’s appointment to the Audit Committee shall report the findings of the audit to the School Committee. In addition to the audit of the Town of Reading’s Financial Statements, the School Committee must arrange for and undergo an independent review of the Reading Public Schools End of Year Pupil and Financial Report in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Education. The School Committee may also engage the services of a certified public accounting firm to audit or independently review the records and transactions of the Reading Public Schools, as the School Committee deems appropriate. Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DIE Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 2 AUDITS As a department of the Town of Reading, an audit of the school department’s accounts shall be conducted annually by external auditors within nine months, subject to auditor timelines, of the close of the fiscal year. This review shall be conducted in accordance with the generally accepted accounting principles and the Government Auditing Standards issued by the U.S. Comptroller General. The Town of Reading retains a certified public accounting firm to annually audit the financial statements of the Town. The financial records and transactions of the Reading Public Schools are included in the scope of this audit. Section 3.8 3.5 of the Town of Reading’s Bylaws concerns the makeup and the responsibilities of the Town’s Audit Committee. As required by the Bylaw, the School Committee shall appoint one two members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee determines the firm or firms of independent auditors to audit and report on the financial statements issued by the Town, reviews the audit plan with the independent auditor and, upon completion of the audit, meets with the independent auditor to discuss the results of the audit and the annual financial reports. The School Committee’s appointment to the Audit Committee shall report the findings of the audit to the School Committee. Upon completion of the external audit, the Superintendent will share the resulting documentation with the Committee. The Committee will consider the recommendation made by the auditor for maintaining an efficient system for recording and safeguarding the school department’s assets. In addition to the audit of the Town of Reading’s Financial Statements, the School Committee must arrange for and undergo an independent review of the Reading Public Schools End of Year Pupil and Financial Report in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Education. Additionally, the district is also subject to the following: • End of Year Financial Compliance Report: Every Massachusetts school district must submit the results of this report to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). This End of Year report must be submitted to DESE on or before September 30th each year. • Government Accounting Standards Board 34: The District is covered in these government financial statements of revenue and expenditures of the town. • Federal grant audits: As a district that spends about thresholds required, the District is subject to the Single Audit Act. • Student Activity Account: As required by state law, student activity accounts are audited annually. For accounts that exceed $25,000, the School Committee shall consider an audit conducted by an outside firm every three years. The School Committee may request an additional also engage the services of a certified public accounting firm to audit of the school district’s accounts at its discretion.or independently review the records and transactions of the Reading Public Schools, as the School Committee deems appropriate. LEGAL REFS: MGL 44:38; 44:39; 44:40; 71:47; 72:3 31 USC Ch 75 Commented [TW1]: This is in the new MASC Policy, but I suggest we strike it based on the Reading Bylaws reference from our old policy that provides a different path of communication. Commented [NP2R1]: Agreed! Is the current method of communication the line directly before? Formatted: Space After: 6 pt Formatted: Underline Commented [TW3]: MASC ends at Department. The rest was added by me for clarity. Commented [TW4]: MASC says Department again here. I replaced it with DESE. Formatted: Superscript Formatted: List Paragraph, Space After: 6 pt, Bulleted+ Level: 1 + Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5" Formatted: No underline Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5", Space After: 0 pt File: DIE Reading Public Schools Page 2 of 2 Town of Reading General Bylaw CROSS REFS: DI, Fiscal Accounting and Reporting JJF, Student Activity Accounts Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on _________. NOTE: References to a town or city charter may be appropriate here. The content of these references may require a change in the content of a policy adopted by a local School Committee in this area. Not every district is subject to the single audit act; check thresholds. Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5" Commented [TW5]: Not in MASC, added by me. Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5" Formatted: Font: Bold Commented [TW6]: MASC notes that can be excluded in the final version. Commented [TW7R6]: A single audit is required if a non- federal entity (e.g., not-for-profit organization, state and local government, tribe or institution for higher education) spends greater than $750,000 of federal funds in a fiscal year. In certain circumstances, a program-specific audit can be approved by a funder Formatted: Font: Bold File: DJ Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PURCHASING The School Committee declares its intention to purchase competitively without prejudice and to seek maximum educational value for every dollar expended. The Superintendent will develop and administer the purchasing program for the schools in keeping with legal requirements and with the adopted school budget. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 7:22A; 7:22B; 30B; 71:49A Revised: January 18, 1996. Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DJ Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PURCHASING The Superintendent will designate the District’s purchasing agent. The District's purchasing agent will develop and administer the purchasing program for the schools in keeping with legal requirements and within the adopted school budget. The acquisition of materials, equipment, and services will be centralized in the Superintendent’s office of the school district. It shall be the responsibility of the District’s purchasing agent: • To procure materials, supplies, equipment, and services at the lowest possible cost consistent with the quality necessary for the proper operation of the District, thereby attaining The theSchool Committee declares its intention to purchase competitively without prejudice and to seek maximum educational value for every all funds dollar expendedspent;. • To maintain the District’s reputation for fairness and integrity and to promote impartial and equal treatment to all who wish to conduct business with the District; • To encourage a mutually cooperative relationship with requesting departments, recognizing that successful purchasing is a result of team planning and effort; • To promote social and economic goals such as encouraging local, small, minority, and women-owned businesses to participate in bidding for District purchases. The Superintendent will The District's purchasing agent develop and administer the purchasing program for the schools in keeping with legal requirements and with the adopted school budget.School purchases will be made only on official purchase order formss approved for issuance by the appropriate unit head and signed by the Superintendent or designee, with such exceptions as may be made by the latter for emergency purchases. The School Committee reserves theirits legal right to direct the purchasing agent to return the goods or not approve the payment. VendorThe vendor will be informed of School Committee Purchasing Policy and M.G.L. 41:56 Chapter 41, Section 56, which protects the department forfrom paying for unauthorized expenses. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 7:22A; 7:22B; 30B; 41:56; 71:49A Revised: January 18, 1996. Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on __________. Commented [NP1]: Is this already the case, or will this addition of language change how things are run currently? I’m assuming this is already how things are done, but just want to make sure. Commented [NP2]: Is this already the case, or will this addition of language change how things are run currently? I’m assuming this is already how things are done, but just want to make sure. Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", Hanging: 0.01" Formatted: Tab stops: Not at 2.7" File: DJA Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PURCHASING AUTHORITY Authority for the purchase of materials, equipment, supplies, and services is extended to the Superintendent through the detailed listing of such items compiled as part of the budget-making process. The purchase of items and services on such lists requires no further Committee approval except when by law or Committee policy the purchases or services must be put to bid. LEGAL REF: M.G.L. 30B Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DJA Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PURCHASING AUTHORITY Authority for the purchase of materials, equipment, supplies, and services is extended to the Superintendent or designee through the detailed listing of such items compiled as part of the cost- center appropriation as part of the District budget-making process. The purchase of items and services on such lists within the cost-center appropriation requires no further Committee approval except when by law or Committee policy the purchases or services must be put to bid. All procurement of goods or services must follow best business practicepractices and/or procurement laws. LEGAL REF: M.G.L. 30B Reading Home Rule ; Charter 5.2(n) CROSS REF: DJE, Bidding Requirements Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on ___________. Commented [NP1]: I think this language is clearer and makes way more sense than the MASC suggestion Commented [NP2]: Confusing and not super accurate, in my opinion Commented [NP3]: Can committee come up with a better way of phrasing this? Formatted: Space After: 0 pt Formatted: Indent: Left: 1.5" Formatted: Space After: 12 pt Commented [NP4]: Cross-checked the Charter, Town’s Chief Procurement Officer is not responsible here, SC is. Formatted: Font: Bold File: DK Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PAYMENT PROCEDURES All claims for payment from school department funds will be processed in accordance with regulations developed by the Superintendent. Payment will be authorized against invoices properly supported by approved purchase orders, with properly submitted vouchers, or in accordance with salaries and salary schedules approved by the School Committee. As an operating procedure, the Committee will receive lists of bills for payment from school department funds. The lists will be certified as correct and approved for payment by the School Committee and then forwarded to the town accountant for processing and subsequent payment by the town treasurer. Actual invoices, statements, and vouchers will be available for inspection by the School Committee. The Superintendent will be responsible for assuring that budget allocations are observed and that total expenditures do not exceed the amount allocated in the budget for all items. The school building administrators and department directors will be responsible for observing budget allocations in their respective schools and departments. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 41:41; 41:52 41:56 Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. File: DK Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PAYMENT PROCEDURES All claims for payment from school department funds will be processed in accordance withfollowing regulations procedures developed by the Superintendent. Payment will be authorized against invoices properly supported by approved purchase orders, with properly submitted vouchers, or in accordance withper salaries and salary schedules approved by the School Committee. The Superintendent will be responsible for assuring that the budget allocations are observed and that total expenditure does not exceed the amount allocated in the budget for all items. Warrants will be forwarded to the Town Accountant for processing and subsequent payment by the Town Treasurer. As an operating procedure, tOn a monthly basisAt each regular School Committee meeting for which a previous warrant cycle has passed, tThe Committee will receive monthly lists of bills warrants for payment from school department funds. The lists will be certified as correct and approved for payment by the School Committee and thenIn compliance with Policy DGA, the designated Committee members willThe Committee will designate by vote a single member to be responsible for thereview and approve the warrants for payment. Before the approval request, the warrants will be reviewed for accuracy, legitimacy, and alignment with budgeted spending plans by the Director of Finance and Operations. forwarded to the town accountant for processing and subsequent payment by the town treasurer.Actual invoices, statements, and vouchers purchase orders will be available for inspection by the School Committee. The Superintendent will be responsible for assuring that budget allocations are observed and that total expenditures do not exceed the amount allocated in the budget for all items. The school building administrators and department directors will be responsible for observing budget allocations in their respective schools and departments. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 41:41; 41:52; 41:56 CROSS REF: DGA, Authorized Signatures Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on ____________. NOTE: Specific details established by an individual town should be substituted for those required in the policy above, which were established by that city's code of ordinances. Appropriate citations should also be substituted. The above language implements a single signatory of district warrants. It should be altered according to district practice. Formatted: Line spacing: single Commented [TW1]: MASC has "municipal auditor" in this location. Commented [NP2]: Unsure if “monthly basis” is accurate if you receive bills monthly but at diff. points in the month, but I’m assuming they all come in at around the same time? Commented [TW3]: I would suggest changing this language to something like "comply with Policy DGA" Commented [NP4R3]: Agreed. Formatted: Line spacing: single Commented [TW5]: MASC has "municipal auditor" in this location. Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Page | 1 2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Policy Subcommittee Date: 2023-02-15 Time: 8:30 AM Building: Location: Address: Session: Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Erin Gaffen, Tom Wise, and Chuck Robinson Members - Not Present: Others Present: Director of Human Resources Michelle Roach, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Stys Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Tom Wise, Chair Topics of Discussion: The meeting was held remotely via Zoom. A recording of the meeting can be found here. Chair Wise called the meeting to order at approximately 8:34 a.m. via roll call. Mr. Wise walked through the agenda. B.1. Consent Agenda Mr. Wise moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.1. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy GBA – Equal Opportunity Employment Mr. Wise outlined the brief legal counsel feedback on Policy GBA. He then outlined the changes from MASC in alignment with the Acts of 2012. Mr. Robinson asked a clarifying question about the Acts of 2012. Mr. Wise corrected himself to say Acts of 2022. The Subcommittee agreed to remove the comma between “pregnancy” and “or pregnancy-related condition” in the protected classes. They also agreed to move the adoption sections below the legal and cross-references. Mr. Wise moved that we submit Policy GBA – Equal Opportunity Employment to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.2. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve Administration And Legal changes to Policy GCJ – Professional Teacher Status Mr. Wise introduced the policy and shared legal counsel feedback. Mrs. Roach then introduced the administrative need to change the policy with a specific focus on the policy’s original first sentence, which set three consecutive years of employment as the requirement. Mr. Wise outlined the changes from MASC policy alignment. MASC did not have the opening sentence. Mr. Wise outlined legal counsel’s concerns with the policy which concurred and went further than administrative suggestions. Page | 2 Mr. Robinson asked whether legal counsel suggests revoking the entire policy. Mr. Wise confirmed that was an option but mentioned he wasn’t a fan of doing so himself. Mrs. Roach provided specific feedback for discussion. Her feedback included: • She raised a concern about professional teacher status for those coming from other districts with said status as that has not been practiced over the preceding 18 months. • She raised a concern about the last sentence of the first paragraph pointing out that the law allows for non-renewal for any reason in the first three years. • She added “Professional Teaching Status qualifying” in the first sentence of the second paragraph. • She added “and good conduct” to the first sentence of the third paragraph. • She requested adding a “subject to availability” to the last sentence of the third paragraph. Mr. Robinson asked questions about the process of hiring somebody from another district and raised a concern about losing professional teacher status when a teacher changes districts. Mrs. Roach mentioned we haven’t come across that situation yet. Mr. Wise mentioned his inclination to keep the clause as it is an optional “or” clause as he believed it would be an important lever to pull in the recruitment process. Mrs. Roach wanted to make sure this was objective, not subjective, and without bias. Mrs. Gaffen expressed a strong belief that staff must work in Reading for at least one year before attaining professional teacher status. Mr. Wise pointed out that the sentence in question was standard MASC language so other districts have the option as well. Discussions around subjective vs. objective measures and preferences of the Subcommittee and the administration. In the end, there was an agreement that a procedure could be developed by the administration to build in the objective measure while keeping the “or” clause in the first sentence of the first paragraph. Mr. Wise requested the Subcommittee discuss the definition of “qualifying years” as added by Mrs. Roach. The qualifying clause is trying to correct for long-term leaves. Mrs. Gaffen asked a clarifying question about the three years and whether it was always at year-end. Mrs. Roach mentioned it was rolling based on the hire date, but also raised questions to clarify the leave concern as well. The Subcommittee added a set of defining bullets around the Qualifying PTS years including the execution of the years under full licensure and exclusion of leave greater than 30 days. Mr. Wise asked clarifying questions about the definition of “other professional staff” and examples provided were Specialists and Nurses. Nurses, Psychologists, etc. that may not have teaching licenses were discussed. The Subcommittee agreed on “full teaching or another appropriate licensure.” There was a discussion around the 30 days clause and the Subcommittee, with guidance from Mrs. Roach, agreed on 30 calendar days as the second portion of the definition for qualifying PTS years. Mr. Wise suggested that it may be best to put this policy on the table and go back with the changes to legal counsel for strengthening and cleanup. Mr. Robinson raised concerns about the relationship with the RTA on this topic. Mr. Wise moved that we table Policy GCJ – Professional Teacher Status until further legal evaluation and updates are complete. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.3. New Business – Discuss & Review NSBA Policy Classification System Mr. Wise quickly covered the NEPN (typo in the agenda) policy coding system. He outlined the differences between MASC for JIC vs. JK and demonstrated how JIC is aligned with all sorts of Student Conduct. Conversely, JK aligns with discipline. E.4. New Business – Discuss MASC Feedback on Policy JIC & Policy JK Mr. Wise confirmed that in his follow-up with MASC, they confirmed they have no idea why there was a change between the JIC and JK policies. They changed in 2014 or early and do not have notes on why the change happened. E.5. New Business – Discuss and Review Options for Policy JK and Subordinate Policies (JKB, JKD, JKE, and JKF) Mr. Wise outlined the options for how to handle JK and potential subordinate policies – JKB, JKD, JKE, and JKF. Legal counsel confirmed that we could break up JK or go with just one JK. Legal counsel was inclined to stick with one JK due to all the MGL intertwined laws. The Subcommittee discussed the two options. Multiple members pointed out how unwieldy a nine or ten-page policy can be. Mr. Robinson voiced a preference to break down JK into JK and subordinate policies. Mrs. Gaffen agreed and focused on ease of use as well. Dr. Stys agreed to break it down as it would be easier to add links to the specific sections. Mr. Wise agreed with that inclination but pointed out how difficult this will be to break down for suspension and expulsion as those two are extremely intertwined in MGL. Page | 3 E.6. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy JK – Student Discipline Mr. Wise started walking through the nine-page version of JK, section by section, demonstrating the intertwining of the expulsion and suspension between MGL c. 71 s. 37H, s 37H½, and s 37H¾. Mr. Robinson asked a clarifying question about a felony committed outside of school. Mr. Wise confirmed the felony doesn’t have to be at school. Mr. Wise noticed that the expulsion section in 37H¾ was already covered in 37H and 37H½ so he wanted to follow up with legal counsel about why that section is included again. Mrs. Gaffen asked a clarifying question about expelled students and whether the teachers must continue to give them work. Dr. Stys thought that expelled students didn’t need makeup work. In practice, the district would suggest they go to Job Core or something else. Mrs. Gaffen asked to get clarification about our responsibilities in this case. Mr. Robinson asked clarifying questions about in-school vs. out-of-school suspension. Dr. Stys mentioned it is part of the new law with requires us to try multiple steps to resolve the issue before a suspension. Dr. Stys also mentioned that they are working to make sure the school administration members are thoughtful about suspensions and aligning punishment to the problem. Mr. Wise motioned that the subcommittee table Policy JK, JKD, JKE, and JKF until available from legal counsel. Mrs. Gaffen seconded the motion. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.7. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve Creation of Policy JKB – Detention of Students, if necessary Mr. Wise mentioned he would be making a motion to indefinitely postpone this policy. Mr. Robinson asked for background information on that recommendation. Mr. Wise mentioned it was because JK doesn’t include any information on detentions as currently crafted by legal counsel and legal counsel said we could have full local control. However, we haven’t worked to craft anything yet and could do so at any time in the future if we decided to bring this back. Mr. Wise motioned to indefinitely postpone Policy JKB – Detention of Students. Mrs. Gaffen seconded the motion. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.8. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve Creation of Policy JKD – Suspension of Students, if necessary Tabled per previous motion. E.9. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve Creation of Policy JKE – Expulsion of Students, if necessary Tabled per previous motion. E.10. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve Creation of Policy JKF – Discipline of Students with Disabilities, if necessary Tabled per previous motion. Motion to adjourn by Mrs. Gaffen, seconded by Mr. Robinson at approximately 9:59 a.m. The motion was carried by a roll call vote of 3-0. Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Page | 1 2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Policy Subcommittee Date: 2023-02-16 Time: 8:30 AM Building: Location: Address: Session: Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Erin Gaffen, Tom Wise, and Chuck Robinson Members - Not Present: Others Present: Director of Finance & Operations Susan Bottan Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Tom Wise, Chair Topics of Discussion: The meeting was held remotely via Zoom. A recording of the meeting can be found here. Chair Wise called the meeting to order at approximately 8:33 a.m. via roll call. Mr. Wise walked through the agenda. B.1. Consent Agenda Brief discussions ensued about the depth of the minutes. Mr. Robinson suggested sharing the minutes with the full School Committee when the Policies covered by those minutes move forward to the full Committee. Mr. Wise moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.1. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DA – Fiscal Management Goals Mr. Robinson suggested changing the word city to town in bullet #5. That change was made in the Policy in two places. Mrs. Bottan had no concerns about the Policy changes. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DA – Fiscal Management Goals to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.2. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DB – Annual Budget Mr. Wise briefly explained the changes made by MASC and further changes made by Legal Counsel. The Committee spent time focusing on the newly added paragraph regarding the input process from the School Council on the Budget. Mr. Robinson raised a concern about this process potentially being unwieldy for the Central Office staff. Mr. Wise provided an alternative view of how the process could work. Mrs. Bottan explained how the process worked in a past district in which she worked. Mr. Wise pointed out that the language is aligned with MGL and is one of the roles of School Councils. Mrs. Gaffen voiced concerns about the ability to execute this portion of the Policy but does agree it is necessary. There was an agreement that we should consider a follow-up item on the formation and process consistency of School Councils in Reading. Page | 2 The Committee moved on to discuss the portions of the Policy that were included from the Reading Home Rule Charter, specifically around notice to news agencies and the public hearing in the Budget process. Discussion focused on “general summary of the budget request” that should be sent to “local news medium.” The Committee finally agreed that the Superintendent’s opening message to the Budget document could be submitted as a Press Release. Mr. Wise noted he will clean up the layout of the document to improve the presentation of the material. The Committee cleaned up the inclusion of language from the Reading Home Rule Charter. The Committee went through grammatical changes to the Policy as well. The Committee returned to the language concerning “revisions to the budget may be made by the Committee, on the recommendation of the Superintendent.” The language was changed to “in collaboration with” instead of “on the recommendation of.” The Committee returned to Mr. Robinson’s question concerning state policy. The Committee adjusted the language of the paragraph in question and condensed the paragraph to a single sentence rather than duplicative sentences. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DB – Annual Budget to the full School Committee for adoption. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.3. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DBC – Budget Deadlines and Schedules Mr. Wise briefly outlined the changes to the Policy. The Committee cleaned up a few of the bullet points and removed the final paragraph as it was duplicative. Mr. Wise said it would fix the formatting prior to publication to the full School Committee. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended, with corrected formatting, Policy DBC – Budget Deadlines and Schedules to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.4. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DBD – Budget Planning Mr. Robinson asked that we include goals in alignment with priorities in the newly added paragraph. Mrs. Bottan asked about priorities vs. guidelines. The Committee changed priorities to guidance. Changes were made to the first numbered item on the Policy to add the word strategic in front of budgets and use “resource allocations” instead of “expenditures.” Discussion ensued on driving outcomes vs. doing the right thing and thus, agreed to leave “contributions” instead of outcomes in that line. Mrs. Gaffen asked about the word “taxpayers.” Discussion ensued. Mrs. Bottan mentioned the point of a town- wide interest in advocating for the word “community” as a replacement. Mr. Wise wanted the importance of people’s money to continue to be represented. The Committee agreed to change “the valid interest of taxpayers” to “the financial interests of the community.” The Committee agreed to take out the word “special” from the last sentence of the Policy. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DBD – Budget Planning to the full School Committee for adoption. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.5. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DBG – Budget Adoption Procedures Mr. Wise outlined the MASC vs. Legal changes to the Policy. The Committee discussed the fact that Legal Counsel removed the cost-center language. The Committee was able to get comfortable with the Legal Counsel changes. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DBG – Budget Adoption Procedures to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. Page | 3 E.6. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal change to Policy DBJ – Budget Transfer Authority Mr. Wise outlined the MASC and Legal changes to the Policy. Mr. Robinson raised concerns with the order and language of the third paragraph. The Committee moved the association of the annual budget approval as a predecessor to the approval of cost-center changes. The Committee added flexibility for budget transfers outside of the quarterly report process, if necessary. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DBJ – Budget Adoption Procedures to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.7. New Business – Review, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DD – Grants, Proposals, and Special Reports Mr. Wise outlined the MASC and Legal changes to the Policy. Mr. Robinson raised a question about “such purposes” vs. “stated purposes”. Mr. Wise noted that elsewhere in our policies allow us to receive donations but not necessarily use them for the purpose in which they were donated. The Committee agreed to keep “such purposes.” Mrs. Bottan raised a concern that some grants and gifts are not just educational, but also facilities, operations, etc. The Committee added “, operations, and facilities” after “educational purposes” in the first line of the Policy. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DD – Grants, Proposals, and Special Reports to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.8. New Business – Review, Discuss Options, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DGA – Authorized Signatures Mr. Wise outlined the MASC and Legal changes to the Policy. Mr. Robinson raised a concern about what if the one person to sign was not available. Mrs. Bottan agreed with that concern. Mrs. Gaffen asked a question about if there was a problem with the current process. Mrs. Gaffen was also not in favor of the one person. Mr. Wise suggested we table the discussion, edit the Policy to match the current process, and review it during the next meeting. Mr. Wise moved to table Policy DGA – Authorized Signatures until the next meeting. Mr. Robinson second. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. Motion to adjourn by Mrs. Gaffen, seconded by Mr. Robinson at approximately 10:08 a.m. The motion was carried by a roll call vote of 3-0. Town of Reading Meeting Minutes Page | 1 2016-09-22 LAG Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Policy Subcommittee Date: 2023-04-13 Time: 10:00 AM Building: Location: Address: Session: Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Erin Gaffen, Tom Wise, and Chuck Robinson Members - Not Present: Others Present: Director of Human Resources Michelle Roach, Student Intern Kate Leone, Director of Finance & Operations Susan Bottan, Director of Health Services Mary Giuliana, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Jennifer Stys Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Tom Wise, Chair Topics of Discussion: The meeting was held remotely via Zoom. A recording of the meeting can be found here with a passcode of KyH^2+97. Chair Wise called the meeting to order at approximately 10:02 a.m. via roll call. Mr. Wise walked through the agenda. B.1. Consent Agenda Mr. Wise moved to approve the Consent Agenda. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. D.1. Old Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy GCJ – Professional Teacher Status The Subcommittee reviewed the comments and other verbiage in the Policy. 1. The Subcommittee agreed to keep the option to allow PTS to be conferred on teachers moving from other districts in which they already had PTS. 2. The Subcommittee agreed they didn’t want to box the district on decisions to only evaluation procedures and adjusted the last sentence of the second paragraph to align with policy, law, or regulation. 3. Michelle asked to clarify emergency licenses vs. full teacher licenses. She asserted that emergency licenses should not qualify for PTS. While legal counsel removed the word “full” in their review. There was a suggestion to add “This excludes emergency and waiver situations” to the first bullet of the qualifying years definition. The Subcommittee accepted this change. 4. The Subcommittee removed the word “promptly” from the notification sentence in the third paragraph. Mr. Wise noted he will confirm the emergency and waiver addition with legal counsel before the full School Committee approval. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy GCJ – Professional Teacher Status to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. Page | 2 D.2. Old Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve changes to Policy DGA – Authorized Signatures Mr. Wise outlined the MASC changes that were previously discussed. He then described what he attempted to do to align the Policy to current School Committee procedures per the previous Subcommittee meeting. That attempt included both financially binding and non-financially binding documents. Mr. Robinson asked a clarifying question concerning the proposed semi-annual reporting on FERPA and Employee Privacy related contracts. For example, this may be covered by the quarterly Human Resources update, the annual Student Services update, or the budget packet reviewed each year. Mrs. Bottan asked if this section could be clarified a bit more. Mr. Wise explained that he wanted to avoid a prescriptive definition here and allow the administration to align this requirement to current processes. Mr. Robinson suggested a bit more definition around the 1st and 3rd quarterly financial updates. Mr. Wise countered with the 2nd and 4th to align the first report with the budget cycle. The Subcommittee added another example to the non-financial signature section of the Policy. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DGA – Authorized Signatures to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.1. New Business – Review Administrative changes, Discuss, Compare to MASC Master, Revise, and Approve changes to Policy ADF – Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy Mr. Wise invited Mrs. Giuliana to introduce the topic. She mentioned the policy should be reviewed every three years and that we are currently out of compliance with that requirement. She mentioned the current group that is involved in the review includes Dr. Stys, Catherine Franzetti, Katie Fiorello, Tom Zaya, and Erica McNamara. Mr. Wise furthered the conversation by sharing both the Reading Policy ADF – Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Policy and the MASC Policy ADF – School District Wellness Program. He asserted the first question was whether we wanted to base our discussion on our existing policy or the model policy from MASC. He mentioned some misalignment between the current Reading ADF and the State law and regulation. Mrs. Giuliana mentioned she would like to see alignment across the district but with input from key constituent bases. Mrs. Gaffen said the inclusion of the School Council in the Reading Policy jumped out to her as well as odd as it doesn’t reflect how we operate. Mr. Robinson suggested that the MASC Policy should be the baseline to start with, then add things that may be district unique to that. Mr. Wise concurred with that thought. Discussion ensued around individual school wellness committees vs. a district-wide committee. Discussion continued on the role of the School Committee in the district-wide solution. Mrs. Giuliana introduced another way to handle it with a core-small committee and annual or semi-annual meeting that brings more people in for greater discussion. Further discussion on the process to share the policy and ensure consistency ensued. Mrs. Gaffen asked about the inclusion of recess and the exclusion of using recess for discipline. Mrs. Giuliana mentioned some of that is in the current guidelines and pointed out that we may want to pull some of the guidelines into the policy. Further discussions ensued about the inconsistencies between schools. Mrs. Giuliana asked about specificity as they work to adjust the MASC Policy for Reading. Mrs. Gaffen suggested that things need to be spelled out to be done right, then spell them out. Mr. Wise tried to balance that and suggest the Policy stick to two to three pages so we can balance policy vs. procedures and try to walk that line. The team discussed the timing of reviews, updates, and legal counsel reviews for the rest of the year. D.3. Old Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve the creation of Policy JKD – Suspension of Students Mr. Wise moved to take E.5. Policy DJ – Purchasing out of order. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. D.4. Old Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve the creation of Policy JKE – Expulsion of Students Mr. Wise walked through the way he was approaching Policy JKE – Expulsion of Students. Mr. Wise shared that his intent is for everything common to be in JK, everything that is Suspension to be in JKD, everything that is in Expulsion to be in JKE, and all Students with Disabilities in JKF. Page | 3 Mr. Wise noted that per the regulations, expulsion is more than 90 days and 71:37H¾ says nothing can be more than 90 days. Thus, you can only expel under 71:37H and 71:37H½. He will review that with legal counsel before submitting the final version to the Subcommittee. Mrs. Gaffen expressed surprise that we cannot expel if a student attacks another student. Mr. Wise outlined that was true. They can be put on long-term suspension until they are convicted of a felony. Dr. Stys shared that there are other safeguards in place for alternative placements in those situations. Mr. Wise continued to outline the structure of the new policy. Mrs. Gaffen asked about academic progress and the obligation of teachers. Mr. Wise outlined what the expectation was for principals and the district to create plans for the maintenance of academic progress. Mrs. Gaffen asked if we had expelled a student since Dr. Stys joined the district. Dr. Stys confirmed that we have not expelled any students in her time in the district. D.5. Old Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve the creation of Policy JKF – Discipline of Students with Disabilities Mr. Wise briefly outlined JKF and noted it was a rip and replace from the new JK, but he hasn’t done anything further. Mr. Wise motioned to table JKD, JKE, and JKF (Suspension of Students, Expulsion of Students, and Discipline of Students with Disabilities) until the next meeting. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.2. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DH – Bonded Employees and Officers Mr. Wise briefly outlined the minor changes to the Policy. Mr. Robinson moved that we recommend the amended Policy DH – Bonded Employees and Officers to the full School Committee for adoption. Mr. Wise seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.3. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DI – Fiscal Accounting and Reporting Mr. Wise briefly outlined the minor changes to the Policy and confirmed there were no Charter alignments that needed to be added. No further questions were raised. Mrs. Gaffen pointed out that period was missing from the end of the last sentence of the policy. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DI – Fiscal Accounting and Reporting to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.4. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DIE - Audits Mr. Wise moved to take E.6. Policy DJA – Purchasing Authority out of order. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.5. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DJ - Purchasing Mrs. Bottan asked about the bullets since they are already codified in law. Mr. Wise addressed the question by stating that we often quote things from the law in policy. Thus, this is generally a standard process. Mrs. Bottan asked about “each public dollar” and asserted that procurement law addresses both public and private contributions. The Subcommittee agreed to change it to “all funds” instead. The Subcommittee made a few grammatical adjustments. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DJ – Purchasing to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. Mr. Wise moved to take D.4. Policy JKE – Expulsion of Students out of order. Mr. Robinson seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. Page | 4 After the review of Policy DJA and the motion to reconsider, Mr. Wise suggested moving the third paragraph become the first paragraph, the second paragraph, after the bullets, be added to the new first paragraph, and amending the sentence proceeding the bullets to show the responsibility of the district’s purchasing agent. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DJ – Purchasing to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.6. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DJA – Purchasing Authority Mr. Wise outlined the changes to the policy and his discussion with legal counsel to answer their questions. Legal counsel noted that the Town Manager’s responsibilities have an exclusion for School and RMLD purchases. Mr. Robinson asked about “extended to the Superintendent” and whether that was too restrictive. There was a discussion about whether a curriculum coordinator could be the designee. Due to knowledge of purchasing law, it was agreed that it is more likely to be the Director of Finance and Operations. The Subcommittee agreed to add “or designee” after “extend to the Superintendent”. Mr. Wise moved that we recommend the amended Policy DJA – Purchasing Authority to the full School Committee for adoption. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. The Subcommittee briefly reexamined Policy DJ to determine if it needed to add “or designee”. Mr. Wise moved to reconsider Policy DJ – Purchasing. Mrs. Gaffen. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.7. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DJE – Procurement Requirements (FKA Bidding Requirements) Mr. Wise moved to table E.4., E.7., E.8., and E.9. to the next Policy Subcommittee meeting. Mrs. Gaffen seconded. The motion was carried 3-0 via roll call vote. E.8. New Business – Review, Discuss, and Approve Revocation of Policy DJG – Vendor Relations per MASC and Legal Recommendation See motion from E.7. E.9. New Business – Review, Discuss, Revise, and Approve MASC and Legal changes to Policy DK – Payment Procedures See motion from E.7. The Subcommittee briefly discussed availability in May and June for the next set of meetings. The members of the Subcommittee expressed availability on the following dates: • May 9th or 11th • May 16th, 18th, or 19th • June 5th or 8th • June 12th, 13th, or 15th Motion to adjourn by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mrs. Gaffen at 11:58 a.m. The motion was carried by a roll call vote of 3-0. File: DJG Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 VENDOR RELATIONS Representatives of firms doing or hoping to do business with the school system will be acknowledged and interviews granted or not, depending on the circumstances. Personnel charged with the purchasing function will not be required to put their time at the indiscriminate use of sales personnel, who will limit their visits to staff members designated by school officials. Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. New Business Reading Public Schools School Committee Meeting Packet August 10, 2023 File: DBDA Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 2 SPECIAL EDUCATION RESERVE FUND The School Committee desires to budget responsibly and sustainably. As Special Education costs can occur suddenly, a key tool to achieve the Committee’s goal is the establishment and funding of a Special Education Reserve Fund. The Special Education Reserve Fund will be used in alignment with M.G.L. 40:13E. It will be used for unanticipated or unbudgeted costs of: 1. Special Education 2. Recovery High School Programs 3. Out-of-District Tuition 4. Out-of-District Transportation While the law allows for the Fund to accrue up to 2 percent of the annual net school spending of the District, the Committee understands that any money within the Fund can only be used for the limited cases listed above. Therefore, it is the policy of the Committee to adhere to the following Funding Rules: 1. Only add money to the Fund up to 1 percent of the annual net school spending of the District. 2. Budget to spend money from the Fund during the next fiscal year once the Fund has eclipsed 1.5 percent, due to interest accrual, of the annual net school spending of the District. 3. After the Fund’s second year in existence, the Committee will endeavor to maintain a minimum of .5 percent of the annual net school spending of the District. To assist the Committee in adhering to this policy, the Director of Finance and Operations for the District will work with the Town Treasurer to report the status of the Fund in alignment with annual net school spending annually on two occasions: 1. The first quarter financial report of each school year, or in a standalone report if necessary. 2. The third quarter financial report of each school year. The first report should be made before or around the annual Finance Committee’s Financial Forum in October each year. The School Committee can leverage the Financial Forum to secure secondary approval of the use of the money in the Fund for the next budget year from the Select Board if required to stay in compliance with the second Funding Rule above. If the timing doesn’t allow for approval during the Financial Forum, the Committee will endeavor to obtain the approval of the Select Board as soon as possible thereafter and before the budget guidance for the next fiscal year is finalized. The second report should be made during or before the last June meeting of the school year so the Committee can stay in compliance with the first Funding Rule and, where possible with excess operating funds, the third Funding Rule. In the event an unexpected need arises outside of a budget cycle, the Director of Finance & Operations in alignment with the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services will submit a request to the School Committee during a normal business meeting. The request will outline the need for the money, in an anonymized way, to provide sufficient documentation so the Committee can approve the request and support the request to the Select Board for their secondary approval. File: DBDA Reading Public Schools Page 2 of 2 In either case (annual budget cycle or unexpected need), once approvals of both the School Committee and Select Board are received, the Director of Finance & Operations will work with the Town Treasurer Accountant and Town Treasurer to directly charge the Fund for appropriate expenses or move the money from the Fund to the appropriate operational account at the appropriate necessary time, either as soon as possible or at the commencement of the next school year. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 40:13E, 71:91 CROSS REFS: DBJ, Budget Transfer Authority DI, Fiscal Accounting and Reporting Town of Reading Home Rule Charter Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thomas Wise Chair Erin Gaffen Vice-Chair Shawn Brandt Sarah McLaughlin Carla Nazzaro Charles Robinson Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Wise, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: August 3, 2023 TOPIC: Subcommittee and Liaison Appointments At our meeting on August 10, 2023, we will briefly discuss the existing Subcommittee and Liaison Appointments. I will ask if anybody wants to change their appointments or otherwise desires other positions. As a refresher, the current appointments are as follows: Board, Committee, or Subcommittee Liaison or Appointee Sunset or Timeline Info Audit Committee Brandt and Wise N/A Finance Committee Robinson and Wise N/A Recreation Committee Robinson N/A Select Board Brand and Robinson N/A RCTV McLaughlin N/A SEPAC Gaffen N/A Permanent Building Committee McLaughlin and Nazzaro N/A Bylaw Committee Nazzaro N/A Board of Library Trustees Nazzaro N/A Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support Robinson N/A Partners and Allies for Inclusive Reading Gaffen N/A Policy Subcommittee Gaffen, Robinson, and Wise (Chair) N/A Killam School Building Committee McLaughlin and Nazzaro (Chair) N/A Symonds Way Exploratory Committee Robinson (Vice Chair) June 30, 2024 Charter Review Committee TBD TBD Special Education Caseloads JLMC McLaughlin TBD Teacher Assessment Process JLMC Nazzaro TBD RTA Salary Schedule JLMC Brandt April 2022 – June 2023 Professional Development JLMC Gaffen TBD Technology Impact JLMC Robinson TBD In addition to those Liaison and Subcommittee appointments already established, we will also discuss the forthcoming Charter Review Committee. Attached to this packet is a memo and presentation from Town Legal Counsel outlining the Charter requirements for this committee and possible means of execution for the committee. It should be expected that this committee will have a very heavy lift over the next year or two. While the last review was more exhaustive than this coming one is expected to be, it started in September 2013 and conclude its work with Town Meeting adoption in April 2015. As a final note, we also have the option of designating somebody to cover the School Committee on this Committee if nobody currently sitting on the committee has time to participate at the required level. Thank you. Ivria G. Fried T: 617.804.2427 ifried@miyares-harrington.com _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June 22, 2023 Fidel Maltez Town Manager Town of Reading 16 Lowell Street Reading, MA 01867 Re: Revising or Amending the Reading Home Rule Charter Dear Fidel: Section 4.13 of the Reading Home Rule Charter (the “Charter”) requires that a committee be established at least every ten years “for the purpose of reviewing the Charter and making a report, with recommendations, to the Town Meeting concerning any proposed amendments that said Committee may determine to be necessary or desirable.”1 The Town established the previous Charter Review Committee (“CRC”) on September 16, 2013.2 Thus, the Town must form the CRC by September of this year. This letter details how a community may amend its charter. Briefly , there are three paths this process can take: (1) The Special Act Amendment Process; (2) The Home Rule Revision Process; and (3) The Home Rule Amendment Process. There are legal and practical considerations in relation to each potential revision option. This letter will also review the procedures employed by the prior CRC. I. Special Act Amendment Process Revising or amending a charter by special act requires a Town Meeting vote to authorize the Select Board to petition the legislature for the passage of special legislation. Once the petition is filed with the legislature it follows the traditional home rule legislative process for approval. If the bill is approved by the legislature, and signed by the governor, it becomes law. In certain cases, the legislature may mandate local acceptance of the act. Where the act does not require such a ballot 1 This provision was added to the Charter in 2015. The prior Charter did not include any review requirements. 2 Section 4.13 of the Charter states that the CRC shall be comprised of nine members, consisting of the Moderator, one member or designee of the Select Board, one member or designee of the School Committee, one member or designee of the Board of Library Trustees, one member or designee, of the Municipal Light Board of Commissioners, one member of the Bylaw Committee and three Town Meeting members to be appointed by the Moderator. vote, it will become effective thirty days after the governor signs the bill , or other date set forth in the act.3 Critically, the Special Act Amendment Process presents the legislature with the opportunity to revise the proposed bill, subject to certain limitations. The legislature could also refuse to adopt the act. Thus, to some extent, this option places the power to amend the charter in the hands of the legislature. As described below, the legislature does not play a role in the Home Rule Revision and Amendment Process. Notwithstanding the above, the Special Act Amendment process is easier and simpler than the Home Rule Revision or Amendment Process and, therefore, is frequently utilized by communities to make charter changes. In fact, Article 11 of Reading's November 14, 2022 Subsequent Town Meeting empowered the Select Board to file special legislation to amend Article 4.4 of the Charter, which outlines the composition of the Board of Health .4 The Special Act Amendment Process should be considered by the CRC as a valid and potentially desirable option for amending the Charter. II. Home Rule Revision and Amendment Process A municipality may “adopt or revise” its charter pursuant to the Home Rule Amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution.5 This is a local process, which requires electing a charter commission. Electing a charter commission can be a lengthy and involved process and is typically not recommended unless significant charter changes are required .6 A city or town may also “amend” its charter under the Home Rule Amendment. While amending a charter does not necessitate the election of a charter commission, the power to amend a charter is limited. Specifically, the amendment process may not be utilized to change the “composition, mode of election or appoi ntment, or terms of office of the legislative body … the board of selectmen or town manager.”7 Accordingly, the Town must carefully evaluate whether the desired changes may be accomplished through the revision or amendment process. a. Home Rule Revision Process As stated, revising a charter under the Home Rule Amendment requires the creation of an elected charter commission. Section 4.13 of Reading’s Charter does not contemplate the formation of such a committee. Instead, the Charter provides that the Town shall establish a Charter Review Committee comprised of identified individuals that are appointed or designated by current 3 G.L. c. 4, § 1. 4 This bill is currently working its way through the legislature. 5 Mass. Const. amend. II, §§2-4. 6 Mass. Const. amend. II, § 4; G.L. c. 43B, § 3. 7 Mass. Const. amend. II, § 4.; G.L. c. 43B, § 10. municipal officials or public bodies.8 Additionally, the CRC is only empowered to “mak[e] a report, with recommendations, to the Town Meeting concerning any proposed amendments that said Committee may determine to be necessary or desirable.” An elected charter commission can direct the Select Board to call an election related to the charter revisions. This suggests that the Home Rule Revision Process was not likely the process contemplated when the Town adopted Section 4.13 of the Charter in 2015. Nonetheless, I have outlined the revision process below. The Home Rule Revision Process commences with the circulation of a petition requesting revisions to the charter.9 The petition must be filed with the board of registrars with the signatures of at least fifteen percent of the number of registered voters in the town as of the pre ceding state election. Once the petition is certified, the Select Board must submit the question of revising the charter to the voters of the town and for the election of a charter commission.10 Such vote must take place at the “at the first annual or biennial town meeting for the election of town officers, held on or after the sixtieth day following the adoption of the order.”11 Notably, the Select Board cannot place the question to revise the charter and elect a charter commission on the ballot absent such a petition. In those situations where a municipality incorrectly initiates the revision process, special legislation must be sought to ratify the charter revision process.12 The charter commission must consist of nine registered voters of the Town elected at large, with each candidate filing certified nominations papers with the registrars of voters at least 35 days prior to the election.13 “The vote on the question [to revise the charter]… and the election of the charter commission shall take place at the same time.”14 If the question regarding whether a commission shall be elected passes, the votes for the candidates are tallied, and the nine candidates receiving the highest number of votes are deemed elected.15 Within 20 days of the election of the charter commission, the Town Treasurer must credit, with or without appropriation, $5,000 to the account of the charter commission.16 The Town may appropriate additional funds for the charter commission as is deemed necessary.17 8 See, footnote 2. 9 G.L. c. 43B, § 15. 10 G.L. c. 43B, § 4. 11 Id. 12 See, Chapter 143 of the Acts of 2010, An Act Validating the Election of a Charter Commission in the City of Holyoke; Chapter 157 of the Acts of 2010, An Act Validating the Election of a Charter Commission in the City of Everett. 13 G.L. c. 43B, §§ 5, 6. 14 Mass. Const. amend. II, § 3. 15 G.L. c. 43B, § 6. 16 G.L. c. 43B, § 8. 17 The charter commission may also accept funds from other sources, subject to certain restrictions. Id. The charter commission’s duties include drafting the text of the revision, preparing interim reports, holding hearings, and making a final report on the proposed charter revision.18 Specifically, the charter commission must take the following actions: • Within 45 days after its election, the commission must hold a public hearing within the Town. Notice of the hearing must be published at least 10 days prior in a newspaper having general circulation in the Town. • Within 16 months after its election, the charter commission must prepare a report, which includes the text of the proposed charter revision, and publish such report in a newspaper having general circulation in the Town. The Town Clerk must also have sufficient copies to distribute to registered voters requesting same. Two copies of the report must also be sent to the attorney general and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Within four weeks, the attorney general is required to provide the commission with a written opinion, setting forth any conflict between the proposed charter revision and the constitution and laws of the commonwealth. • Within four weeks of publishing the report, the charter commission must hold one or more public hearings upon the report. • Within 18 months after its election, the charter commission must submit its final report to the Select Board. The report must include “the full text and an explanation of the proposed … revision, such comments as the commission deems desirable, an indication of the major differences between the current and proposed charters, and a statement of not more than one thousand words by the commission minority, if any, provided such statement is filed with the chairman of the commission within forty-eight hours after the commission's vote approving such report.”19 A copy of the final report must also be submitted to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and to the attorney general. Once the charter commission has submitted its final report, the “board of selectmen shall order the proposed charter … revision to be submitted to the voters … for their approval . . . at the first annual or biennial town meeting for the election of town officers, held at least two months after such submission.”20 If the final report by the commission, however, does not recommend revising the charter, the Select Board may not submit the question to the voters. If the question is to appear on the ballot, the final report of the charter commission must be distributed to each residence of one or more registered voters no later than two weeks before the election. Additional copies must also be filed with the Town Clerk. The question of revising a charter must be submitted to the voters as a single question, “unless the rep ort of the charter 18 G.L. c. 43B, § 9. 19 G.L. c. 43B, § 9(c). 20 G.L. c. 43B, § 11. commission provides for separate submission of proposed revisions.”21 The ballot question must take the following form and be submitted to the Town Clerk no later than 35 days before the election: “Shall this (city) (town) approve the ch arter revision recommended by the charter commission summarized below?”.22 A new charter revision approved by the majority of the voters, takes effect on the date specified. As noted above, the Home Rule Revision Process is by far the most complex and ti me- consuming of the three options available to the Town and should not be undertaken lightly. Unless the CRC sees a significant need to use this revision process, our advice would be to move forward under the Special Act Amendment Process or the Home Rule Amendment Process, or both (as was done in 2015). b. Home Rule Amendment Process As noted above, the amendment process under the Home Rule Amendment may not be used to propose any change in a charter relating in any way to the “composition, mode of election or appointment, or terms of office of the legislative body, … the board of selectmen or town manager.”23 Amendments to a charter may be proposed by Town Meeting, upon a two-thirds vote.24 In addition, Town Meeting may vote on any amendment submitted to it by the Town Manager, any member of the Select Board, or upon submittal of a petition signed by at least ten registered voters. A request to amend a charter submitted by the Town Manager, any member of the Select Board, or upon petition must first be filed with the Town Clerk. Not later than three months after the date the suggested amendment is filed with the Town Clerk, the Select Board must order a public hearing to be held. The public hearing must be held not later than four months after the filing date of the suggested amendments.25 Town Meeting must act on the suggested amendments no later than the first annual Town Meeting held at least six months after the suggested amendments are filed with the Town Clerk. A two-thirds vote of Town Meeting on the suggested amendments is required. If Town Meeting votes its approval and orders the amendments to be presented to the voters, a copy of the proposed amendment must be submitted to the Attorney General and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. The Attorney General has four weeks to review the amendment and issue a written opinion describing “any conflicts between the proposed amendment and the constitution and laws of the commonwealth.”26 If the Attorney General 21 G.L. c. 43B, § 11. 22 Id. 23 Mass. Const. amend. II, § 4.; G.L. c. 43B, § 10(a). 24 G.L. c. 43B, § 10. 25 Notice of the public hearing must be published at least seven days in advance in a newspaper of general circulation in the town. 26 G.L. c. 43B, § 10(c). believes that a conflict exists, the order will not take effect. If no conflict is reported, the order will become effective four weeks after its submission.27 The amendment must then be “submitted to the voters at the first … election or meeting held at least two months after the order proposing such charter amendment becomes effective.”28 As with ballot questions regarding charter revisions, the ballot questi on must be filed with the Town Clerk no later than 35 days before the election, and the question must be substantially as follows: “Shall this (town) approve the charter amendment proposed by the (town meeting) summarized below?”29 Any approved amendment will take effect upon the date specified in the proposed amendment or in the order proposing the amendment.30 III. 2013 Charter Review Committee Process The Town created the 2013 Charter Review Committee in September of 2013 upon an instructional motion of Town Meeting. The CRC presented its proposed changes to Town Meeting on January 5, 2015. Over that 15-month period, the CRC met 25 times, holding various public meetings and hearing. As a result of its work, the CRC recommended two types of Charter amendments to Town Meeting: (1) Amendments that altered the “composition, mode of election or appointment, or terms of office of the legislative body [i.e., Town Meeting]”; and (2) Amendments that did not alter the “composition, mode of election or appointment, or terms of office of [Town Meeting].” Given the limitations on the use of the Home Rule Amendment Process discussed above, the CRC proposed a set of changes under the Special Act Amendment Process and a set of changes under the Home Rule Amendment Process to Town Meeting. The CRC also produced a “Reading Home Rule Charter Translation Guide” for Town Meeting that explored the various changes.31 Specifically, Article 7 of the January 5, 2015, Special Town Meeting proposed a new Home Rule Charter that included only those sections that could be acted upon by local voters under the Home Rule Amendment Process. Town Meeting acted favorably, and the matter was sent to the Attorney General's office for review and approval. After obtaining the Attorney General's authorization, the matter was placed on the ballot and, o n April 7, 2015, the voters approved the charter changes by a vote of 17,350 to 1,963. Additionally, Article 8 of the January 5 Special Town Meeting authorized the Select Board to submit a special act to the legislature to adopt those charter changes which amended the 27 Id. 28 G.L. c.43B, §11 29 The charter amendment must be distributed to each residence of one or more voters not later than 2 weeks before the election and accompanied by a summary prepared by town counsel. 30 G.L. c. 43B, § 11. 31 A copy is attached as Exhibit A. “composition, mode of election or appointment, or terms of office of [Town Meeting]”. The Governor signed the special act on April 24, 2015.32 IV.Conclusion The CRC will need to review the current Charter with a critical eye, evaluating what changes or amendments are required. After the CRC has a general idea of the scope and scale of the necessary revisions, it must then determine how best to proceed given the Town's unique needs. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Ivria Glass Fried 32 See, Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2015. A copy is attached as Exhibit B. EXHIBIT A EXHIBIT B Acts (2015) Chapter 16 AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE TOWN OF READING HOME RULE CHARTER Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows: SECTION 1. Article 2 of the town of Reading home rule charter, as amended by article 7 of the January 5, 2015 special town meeting, is hereby amended by striking out section 2.1 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 2.1 Composition The legislative body of the town shall be a representative town meeting consisting of 192 members from 8 precincts who shall be elected by the voters in each precinct. Each precinct shall be equally represented in town meetings by members elected so that the term of office of 1/3 of the members shall expire each year. SECTION 2. Said article 2 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 2.2 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 2.2 Revision of Precincts When required by law or every 10 years, the board of selectmen shall review and, if necessary, re-divide the territory of the town into 8 plainly designated precincts. The precincts shall be divided into as nearly an equal number of inhabitants as possible. The territory of each precinct shall be contiguous and as compact as possible. The territory of each precinct shall be defined, where reasonably possible, by the centerline of known streets or other well-defined limits. Within 10 days of completing its review, the board of selectmen shall file a report with the town clerk and the board of registrars of voters, showing any revisions to the precincts that are being made pursuant to this section. If revisions are being made, the report shall include a map showing the boundaries of each precinct and a list of its inhabitants' names and addresses. The board of selectmen shall also post the map and list in the town hall and in at least 1 public place in each precinct. Any such precinct revision shall be effective on the date it is filed with the town clerk. The town clerk shall forthwith notify the secretary of state of the revision in writing. SECTION 3. Said article 2 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 2.3 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 2.3 Town Meeting Membership At the first town-wide election after any precincts are revised, the voters of each precinct shall elect 24 town meeting members to represent the precinct. Terms of office shall be determined by the number of votes received. The 8 candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall serve for a term of 3 years, the 8 receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve for a term of 2 years, and 8 candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve for a term of 1 year from the day of election. Upon the certification of such election, the term of office of all previously elected town meeting members shall cease. At each annual election thereafter, the voters in each precinct shall elect 8 town meeting members to represent the precinct for a term of 3 years and shall also elect town meeting members to fill any vacant unexpired terms. After each election of town meeting members, the town clerk shall notify each town meeting member of that member ’s election in writing. In the event of a tie vote, resulting in a failure to elect the full number of town meeting members in any precinct, the vacancy created thereby shall be filled until the next annual town election by a vote of the remaining town meeting members of the precinct; provided, however, that the balance of any unexpired term shall be filled at the next annual town election. In the event of such a vacancy, the town clerk shall give written notice of the tie vote and the vacancy created thereby, to the remaining town meeting members of that precinct and shall publish such notice in the local news medium. Such notice shall provide at least 7 day’s advance notification of the time and place for a precinct meeting for the purpose of filling the vacancy. SECTION 4. Said article 2 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 2.5 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 2.5 Nomination Procedures Nomination of candidates for town meeting member shall be made by nomination papers bearing no political designation and signed by not fewer than 10 voters from the candidate's precinct. Nomination papers shall be obtained in person and signed by the candidate in the presence of the town clerk or a designee. Completed nomination papers shall be filed with the town clerk at least 35 days before the election. SECTION 5. Said article 2 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 2.6 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 2.6 Vacancies A town meeting member may resign by filing a written notice with the town clerk. A town meeting member who terminates residency in the town shall cease to be a town meeting member. A town meeting member who moves a residence from the precinct from which that member was elected to another precinct shall serve only until the next annual town election. If any person elected as a town meeting member fails to attend 1/2 or more of the total town meeting sessions within 1 year preceding the most recent annual town election, that member ’s seat may be declared vacant by a majority vote of the town meeting. The board of selectmen shall place an Article on the annual town meeting warrant to remove any such town meeting member from office. At least 7 days prior to the annual town meeting, the town clerk shall notify any such town meeting member that the member may be removed from office; provided, however, that such notice shall be deemed adequate if mailed postage prepaid to the town meeting member ’s last known address. Any vacancy in a town meeting position may be filled until the next annual town election by a vote of the remaining town meeting members of the precinct; provided, however, that the balance of any unexpired term shall be filled at the next annual town election. In the event of a vacancy, the town clerk shall give written notice thereof to the remaining town meeting members of the precinct and shall publish such notice in a local news medium. Such notice shall provide at least 7 day’s advance notification of the time and place for a precinct meeting for the purpose of temporarily filling the vacancy. SECTION 6. Article 3 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 3.2 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 3.2 Board of Selectmen There shall be a board of selectmen consisting of 5 members elected for 3-year terms so arranged that as nearly an equal number of terms as possible shall expire each year. The executive powers of the town shall be vested in the board of selectmen. The board of selectmen shall have all of the powers and duties granted to boards of selectmen by the constitution and General Laws of Massachusetts and such additional powers and duties as may be provided by the charter, by town by-law or by town meeting vote. The board of selectmen shall cause the laws and orders for the government of the town to be enforced and shall cause a record of all its official acts to be kept. The board of selectmen shall appoint a town manager, a town counsel, a town accountant, not more than 5 constables and any other appointed board or committee member for whom no other method of selection is provided by the charter or by town by-law. The board of selectmen or its designee shall be the licensing board of the town and shall have the power to issue licenses, to make all necessary rules and regulations regarding the issuance of such licenses, to attach such conditions and restrictions thereto as it deems to be in the public interest and to enforce the laws relating to all businesses for which it issues licenses. SECTION 7. Article 5 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 5.1 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 5.1 Appointment, Qualifications and Term The board of selectmen shall appoint a town manager, who shall be appointed solely on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications. The town manager shall be a professionally qualified person of proven ability, especially fitted by education, training and previous experience. He shall have had at least 5 years of full-time paid experience as a city or town manager or assistant city or town manager or the equivalent level public or private sector experience. The terms of the town manager's employment shall be the subject of a written contract, for a term not to exceed 3 years, setting forth the town manager ’s tenure, compensation, vacation, sick leave, benefits and such other matters as are customarily included in an employment contract. The town manager ’s employment contract shall be in accordance with and subject to the charter and shall prevail over any conflicting provision of any personnel by-law, rule or regulation. The town manager ’s compensation shall not exceed the amount annually appropriated for that purpose. The town manager shall devote full-time to the office and, except as expressly authorized by the board of selectmen, shall not engage in any other business or occupation. Except as expressly provided in the charter, the town manager shall not hold any other public elective or appointive office in the town; provided, however, that, with the approval of the board of selectmen, the town manager may serve as the town’s representative to regional boards, commissions or similar entities, but shall not receive any additional salary from the town for such services. Upon the termination of the town manager's appointment, whether voluntary or otherwise, the town manager may receive termination pay as determined by the board of selectmen, not to exceed 12 months’ salary in total. To be eligible for this benefit upon voluntary termination, the town manager shall provide the board of selectmen a minimum of 60 days written notice of the intent to leave. This benefit shall not be available if the town manager is terminated for cause. SECTION 8. Said article 5 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 5.4 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 5.4 Acting Town Manager 5.4.1 Temporary Absence - By letter filed with the town clerk and the board of selectmen, the town manager shall designate a qualified individual to serve as acting town manager during any anticipated temporary absence, not to exceed 30 days. 5.4.2 Long-Term Absence - In the event of the absence, incapacity or illness of the town manager in excess of 30 days, the board of selectmen shall appoint a qualified individual to serve as acting town manager until the town manager returns. 5.4.3 Vacancy - When the office of town manager is vacant or the town manager is under suspension, as provided in section 5.5, the board of selectmen shall appoint a qualified individual to serve as acting town manager under terms of employment to be determined by the board of selectmen. In the event of vacancy, the board of selectmen shall initiate recruitment for a new town manager without delay and shall appoint a new town manager within 180 days. 5.4.4 Powers – Except as authorized by a 4/5 vote of the board of selectmen, the powers of an acting town manager shall be limited to routine matters requiring immediate action and to making emergency temporary appointments to any town office or employment within the scope of the town manager's responsibilities. SECTION 9. Article 8 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 8.11 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 8.9 Elections 8.9.1 Annual Town Elections - The choice of elected town officers and town meeting members, as well as referendum questions, shall be acted upon and determined on the date fixed by town by-law by voters on official ballots without party or other designation. 8.9.2 Procedures - All elections held pursuant to the charter shall be conducted in accordance with the election laws of the commonwealth. 8.9.3 Town-wide election shall be held at the same time for each precinct at a place designated by the board of selectmen. SECTION 10. Said article 8 of said charter, as so amended, is hereby further amended by striking out section 8.13 and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 8.11 Recall Procedures 8.11.1 Application - A holder of an elective office, other than a town meeting member, with more than 6 months remaining in the term for which the official was elected, may be recalled therefrom by the voters in the manner provided in this section. No recall petition shall be filed against a town officer within 3 months after the town officer takes office. 8.11.2 Recall Petition - Two-hundred and fifty or more voters, including at least 25 voters from each of the precincts into which the town is divided, may file with the town clerk an affidavit containing the name of the town officer whose recall is sought and a sworn statement of the grounds upon which the affidavit is based. The town clerk shall, within 24 hours of receipt, submit the affidavit to the board of registrars of voters who shall forthwith certify thereon the number of signatures that are names of voters. A copy of the affidavit shall be entered in a record book to be kept in the office of the town clerk. If the affidavit contains sufficient signatures, the town clerk shall deliver to the first 10 voters listed upon the affidavit, blank petition forms, in such number as requested, demanding such recall, with the town clerk’s signature and official seal attached thereto. The blank petition forms shall be dated and addressed to the board of selectmen; shall contain the names of all persons to whom the forms are issued, the name of the person whose recall is sought and the grounds for recall as stated in the affidavit; and shall demand the election of a successor to the office held by such person. The recall petitions shall be returned and filed with the town clerk within 21 days following the date of the filing of the affidavit, signed by at least 10 per cent of the voters and containing the voters’ names and addresses; provided, however, that not more than 25 per cent of the total number of signatures may be from voters registered in any 1 precinct. 8.11.3 Recall Election - If the petition is certified by the board of registrars of voters to be sufficient, the board of registrars of voters shall submit the petition with its certificate to the board of selectmen. Upon its receipt of the certificate, the board of selectmen shall give written notice of the petition and certificate to the town officer whose recall is sought, by mail, postage prepaid, to the town officer ’s address as shown on the most recent voting list and shall cause notice of the petition and certificate to be publicly available. If such town officer does not resign from office within 5 days after the date of such notice, the board of selectmen shall order an election to be held not less than 64 days or not more than 90 days from the date the board of selectmen orders the election; provided, however, that if any other town election is to occur not less than 70 days or not more than 90 days after the date of the certificate, the board of selectmen shall hold the recall election on the date of such other election. If a vacancy occurs in the office after a recall election has been ordered, the election shall nevertheless proceed as provided in this section and the ballots for candidates shall, notwithstanding a recall provision to the contrary, be counted to determine a successor in office. 8.11.4 Nomination of Candidates - No town officer whose recall is sought may be a candidate to succeed in that office in the recall election. The nomination of candidates, the publication of the warrant for the recall election and the conduct of the election shall all be in accordance with the law relating to elections. 8.11.5 Propositions on Ballot - Ballots used in a recall election shall state the following propositions in the order indicated: For the recall of (name of town officer) Against the recall of (name of town officer) Adjacent to each proposition, there shall be a place to vote for either of the propositions. After the proposition shall appear the word "candidates" and the names of candidates nominated pursuant to section 42 of chapter 54 of the General Laws. If a majority of the votes cast upon the question of recall is in the affirmative, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected and the incumbent shall be deemed removed upon the qualification of a successor, who shall hold office during the unexpired term; provided, however, that, if the successor fails to qualify within 5 days after receiving notification of the election, the incumbent shall thereupon be deemed removed and the office shall be deemed vacant. If a majority of votes cast upon the question of recall is in the negative, no candidate shall be declared elected and the town officer whose recall was sought shall continue in office for the remainder of the unexpired term, subject to recall as before. 8.11.6 Repeat of Recall Petition - No recall petition shall be filed against a town officer subjected to a recall election and not recalled thereby, until at least 6 months after the election at which the recall was submitted to the voters. SECTION 11. The Reading town clerk may make non-substantive changes to the numbering of the sections of the town of Reading home rule charter. SECTION 12. This act shall take effect as of the date of the certification of the April 7, 2015 election results in the town of Reading Approved, April 24, 2015 Charter Review Process Charter: Section 4.13 At least every ten (10) years, a special Committee … shall be established for the purpose of reviewing the Charter and making a report, with recommendations, to the Town Meeting concerning any proposed amendments that said Committee may determine to be necessary or desirable. Charter: Section 4.13 The Committee shall consist of 9 members: •Moderator; •1 member or designee of the Select Board; •1 member or designee of the School Committee; •1 member or designee of the Board of Library Trustees; •1 member or designee, of the Municipal Light Board of Commissioners; •1 member of the Bylaw Committee; and •3 Town Meeting members to be appointed by the Moderator. 2013 Charter Review Committee Created: September 16, 2013 Adopted Revised Charter: April of 2015 Amendment Options Special Act of the Legislature Home Rule Revision Process Home Rule Amendment Process Special Act •Uses: Can be used to amend any provision of the Charter •Art. 11, 2022 STM – BOH membership •Process: Town Meeting vote, Legislative approval, potential local acceptance •Control: Potential for denial or requested amendments Home Rule Options Revision Any provision of the Charter Amendment Cannot be used to change the “composition, mode of election or appointment, or terms of office of the legislative body, the board of selectmen or town manager.” Home Rule: Revision Process: 1.Petition (15% of voters) 2.Ballot Question: •Amend Charter; and •Elect Charter Commission 3.5k credited to Commission 4.Public hearing, reports, submittal to AG for review 5.Within 18 months of election, final report to SB 6.SB places on ballot; report distributed to each residence of registered voter Likely not contemplated in 2015 when current Charter adopted Home Rule: Amendment •Uses: Limited. •Process: •Proposed by 2/3 vote of Town Meeting, Town Manager, SB member, or petition signed by 10 residents •Amendment filed with Town Clerk •Hearing within 4 months •Town Meeting must act no later than first ATM held within six months (2/3 vote) •Issue order to propose to voters at ballot •Post approval review: AG review. If no conflict, moves to ballot vote •Voter Approval: First election held at least two months after the order proposing such amendment 2013 Charter Amendment CRC Administrative Offices 82 Oakland Road Reading, MA 01867 781 944-5800 READING SCHOOL COMMITTEE Thomas Wise Chair Erin Gaffen Vice-Chair Shawn Brandt Sarah McLaughlin Carla Nazzaro Charles Robinson Thomas Milaschewski, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools TO: Reading School Committee FROM: Thomas Wise, Reading School Committee Chair DATE: August 3, 2023 TOPIC: Policy Subcommittee Update – First Reading of DBDA and Notification of ADF, DBJ, DJE, and KCD At our meeting on August 10, 2023, we will undertake the first reading of Policy DBDA – Special Education Reserve Fund. This policy was reviewed by the administration team, reviewed and updated by the Policy Subcommittee, and passed via a 3-0 vote at our meeting on June 29, 2023. As you may recall, the entire committee briefly discussed the need for this policy when we asked for the creation of the Special Education Reserve Fund via Town Meeting in April. This is a Reading specific policy as there is no equivalent MASC policy. Additionally, at the same meeting on June 29, 2023, the Policy Subcommittee voted 3-0 to approve edits to the following policies: (1) ADF – School District Wellness Program. This policy undertook a major overhaul vs. the old Reading specific policy and is now much closer to the MASC template policy. The overhaul happened because of the review of the Wellness Program Coordinators, led by Director of Heath Services Mary Giuliana. The policy subcommittee met with Mrs. Giuliana and Dr. Stys in May to discuss options and they agreed more closely align with the MASC model policy. They then took away updates for our review and approval in the June meeting. (2) DBJ – Budget Transfer Authority. This policy needed a minor change to align with Policy DBDA. As such, we made that change. (3) DJE – Procurement Requirements. After a great deal of review with former Director of Finance and Operations Susan Bottan and legal counsel, this policy was finally approved by the Policy Subcommittee. Changes were necessary because of changes in Massachusetts General Law in the fall of 2022. The policy is also far more robust than it was previously. (4) KCD – Public Gifts to Schools. As the final policy of the financial policies reviewed by MASC in the fall of 2021 and again in the fall of 2022, this policy was reviewed with Director of Finance and Operations Susan Bottan and legal counsel prior to the review and approval by the Policy Subcommittee. All these policies will be on our agenda for the August 24th meeting for a single meeting review and approval. Thank you. File: ADF Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 4 SCHOOL DISTRICT WELLNESS PROGRAM The School Committee recognizes the relationship between student well-being and student achievement as well as the importance of a comprehensive district wellness program. Therefore, the school districtReading Public Schools will provide developmentally appropriate and sequential nutrition and physical education as well as opportunities for physical activity. The wellness program will be implemented in a multidisciplinary fashion and will be evidence basedevidence-based. Wellness Committee and Coordinators The school district will establish a wellness committee that consists of at least one (1): parent/guardian, student, nurse, school food service representative, School Committee member, school administrator, member of the public, and other community members as appropriate. If available, a qualified, credentialed nutrition professional will be a member of the wellness committee. The Sschool cCommittee designates the following individualrole(s) as wellness program coordinator(s): ___________________ (title) 1. Director of Health Services 2. Director of Food Services 3. Director of K-12 Health and Wellness 4. Assistant Principal for Athletics and Activities . Only employees of the district who are members of the wellness committee may serve as wellness program coordinators. Wellness coordinators, in consultation with the wellness committee, will be in charge ofoversee the implementation and evaluation of this policy. Nutrition Guidelines It is the policy of the school district that all foods and beverages made available on campus during the school day are consistent with School Lunch Program nutrition guidelines. Guidelines for reimbursable school meals will not be less restrictive than regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant toaccording to law. The district will create procedures that address all foods available to students throughout the school day, including the Reading Public Schools Extended Day Program, in the following areas: • guidelines for maximizing nutritional value by decreasing fat and added sugars, increasing nutrition density, and moderating portion size of each individual food or beverage sold within the school environment; • separate guidelines for foods and beverages in the following categories: 1. foods and beverages included in a la carte sales in the food service program on school campuses; 2. foods and beverages sold in vending machines, snack bars, school stores, and concession stands; 3. foods and beverages sold as part of school-sponsored fundraising activities;, and 4.3.refreshments served at parties, celebrations, and meetings during the school day; and 4. specify that its guidelines will be based on nutrition goals, not profit motives. Formatted: List Paragraph, Numbered + Level: 1 +Numbering Style: 1, 2, 3, … + Start at: 1 + Alignment:Left + Aligned at: 0.25" + Indent at: 0.5" Commented [TW1]: Should this be USDA instead of the Secretary of Agriculture? File: ADF Reading Public Schools Page 2 of 4 5. Foods and beverages offered or sold outside the school day at school-sponsored events (athletic events, performances, dances, etc.) will be strongly encouraged to meet the nutrition standards for meals or food sold during the school day. Nutrition and Physical Education The school district will provide nutrition education aligned with standards established by the USDA's National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in all grades. The school district will provide physical education training aligned with the standards established by the Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education. The wellness program coordinators, in consultation with the wellness committee, will develop procedures that address nutrition and physical education. Formatted: Normal, No bullets or numbering File: ADF Reading Public Schools Page 3 of 4 Nutrition Education The following list contains examples of goals your school district may want to consider for inclusion in its policy. Each school district must determine its own goals and include them in its policy. • Students receive nutrition education that teaches the skills they need to adopt and maintain healthy eating behaviors. • Nutrition education is offered in the school cafeteria as well as in the classroom, with coordination between the foodservice food service staff and other school personnel, including teachers. • Students receive consistent nutrition messages from all aspects of the school program. • Division health education curriculum standards and guidelines address both nutrition and physical education. • Nutrition is integrated into the health education or and could include core curricula (e.g., math, science, language arts). • Schools link nutrition education activities with the coordinated school health program. • Staff who provide nutrition education have appropriate training. • The level of student participation in the school breakfast and school lunch programs is appropriate and reviewed annually for continual improvement.. Physical Education Activities The following list contains examples of goals your school district may want to consider for inclusion in its policy. Each school district must determine its own goals and include them in its policy. • Students are given opportunities for physical activity during the school day through physical education (PE) classes, daily recess periods for elementary school and middle school students, and the integration of physical activity into the academic curriculum where appropriate. • Students are given opportunities for physical activity through a range of before- and/or after-school programs including, but not limited to, intramurals, interscholastic athletics, and physical activity clubs. • Schools work with the community to create ways for students to walk, bike, rollerbladerollerblade, or skateboard safely to and from school. • Schools encourage parents and guardians to support their children's participation in physical activity, to be physically active role models, and to include physical activity in family events. • Schools provide training to enable staff to promote enjoyable, lifelong physical activity among students. Other School-Based Activities The wellness program coordinators, in consultation with the wellness committee, are charged with developing procedures addressing other school-based activities to promote wellness. The following list contains examples of goals your school district may want to consider for inclusion in its policy. Each school district must determine its own goals and include them in its policy. Commented [TW2]: Staff wanted to add "and will eventually include" here. Let's discuss. Formatted: Space After: 6 pt Commented [TW3]: Staff highlighted this for removal or rewording. File: ADF Reading Public Schools Page 4 of 4 • An adequate amount of time is allowed for students to eat meals in adequate lunchroom facilities. • All children who participate in subsidized food programs are able tocan obtain food in a non-stigmatizing manner. • Environmentally-friendly practices such as the use of locally grown and seasonal foods, school gardens, and non-disposable tableware have been considered and implemented where appropriate. • Physical activities and/or nutrition services or programs designed to benefit staff health have been considered and, to the extent practical, implemented. Evaluation The wellness committee will assess all education curricula and materials pertaining toabout wellness for accuracy, completeness, balance, and consistency with the state and district's educational goals and standards. Wellness program coordinators shall be responsible for devising a plan for implementation and evaluation of the district wellness policy and are charged with operational responsibility for ensuring that schools meet the goals of the district wellness policy. Wellness program coordinators will report to the School Committee annually. LEGAL REFS: The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Section 2004, P.L. 108-265 The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1751 – 1769h The Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1771 – 1789 MGL 111:.223 105 CMR 215 CROSS REFS: EFC, Free and Reduced-Cost Food Services IHAMA, Teaching about Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs KI, Public Solicitations/Advertising in District Facilities Adopted by the Reading School Committee on July 31, 2006 . Revised and Approved by the Reading School Committee on May 28, 2013. Reviewed, Revised, and Approved by the Reading School Committee on _______. Formatted: Space After: 6 pt Commented [TW4]: Staff highlighted this as something to discuss. Should the goal be 30 minutes? Commented [TW5R4]: Leave it for now, but explore with the principals prior to full SC meeting. Formatted: Space After: 0 pt File: DJE Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 2 BIDDING PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS All purchases of materials and equipment and all contracts for construction or maintenance will conform to the requirements of the law. To foster greater efficiency, the District will enter into state and local intergovernmental agreements where appropriate for the procurement or use of common or shared services. Purchases of $100,000 & over IFBs – Invitation for Bids For any purchase of a supply or service over $50,000100,000, bids will be advertised appropriately as part of a competitive bidding process. Suppliers will be invited to have their names placed on distribution lists to receive invitations to bid. When specifications are prepared, they will be distributed to all merchants and firms who have indicated an interest in bidding. All bids will be submitted in sealed envelopes, addressed to the Superintendent, and marked with the name of the bid, bid number, and the time of the bid opening. Bids will be opened in public at the time specified, and all bidders will be invited to be present. The Committee reserves for the District the right to reject any or all bids and to accept the bid that appears to be in the best interest of the school district. The Committee reserves for the District the right to waive any informality in, or reject, any or all bids or any part of any bid. Any bid may be withdrawn prior to the scheduled time for the opening of the bids. Any bid received after the time and date specified will not be considered. All bids will remain firm for a period of 30 days after opening. The Committee reserves for the District the right to reject any or all bids and to accept the bid that appears to be in the best interest of the school district. The Committee reserves for the District the right to waive any informality in, or reject, any or all bids or any part of any bid. Any bid may be withdrawn prior tobefore the scheduled time for the opening of the bids. The bidder to whom an award is made may be required to enter a written contract with the school district. RFPs – Requests for Proposals The Town of Reading’s Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) has delegated authority to the District’s Director of Finance and other certified delegates in the District to take part in the RFP process, as required by Chapter 30B. Reading’s CPO also conducts RFPs for and in collaboration with the District. A bid under an RFP is awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder that submits the most advantageous proposal, taking both price and non-price factors into consideration. The District will follow all proper RFP procedures as outlined in Chapter 30B, including giving public notice of an RFP within a reasonable time prior tobefore the date for the opening of proposals. Purchases between $10,000 - $100,000 Commented [NP1]: Thinking this should be the extent to which we mention construction-related contracts. Formatted: Font: Bold, Underline Formatted: Font: Bold Formatted: Underline Commented [NP2]: Would this be to SI or Town’s Manager? Formatted: Underline Formatted: Font: Bold, Underline File: DJE Reading Public Schools Page 2 of 2 A procurement for a supply or service in the amountPurchases ofvalued between $10,000 and or greater by not more than $1050,000 shall require the procurement officer or delegate to attempt to secure three written quotations, one of which will be awarded to the responsible party offering the needed quantity or supply. among three written quotations sought and retained by the procurement officer. Purchases less than $10,000 ProcurementPurchases in the amount of $10,000 or less shall be obtained through the procurement officer’s (or delegatedelegate’s) exercise of sound business practices to secure the best quality at the best price.School officials shall be governed by the purchasing and bidding practices as required by M.G.L. Chapter 30B. Exceptions Under Chapter 30B, the District may make noncompetitive purchases in any amount for software maintenance; library books; school textbooks; or educational programs, courses, or curricula in any media, including educational software, newspapers, serials, periodicals, and audiovisual materials, if the Chief Procurement Officer or delegate determines in writing, after reasonable investigation, that there is only one practicable source for the items. Additionally, special education contracts for services and supplies are exempt from Chapter 30B. LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 7:22A; 7:22B; 30B;, 149, 30:39M CROSS REF: DJA, Purchasing Authority Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on ____________. Formatted: Font: Bold, Underline Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt,Bold, Underline Formatted: Font: Bold, Underline Commented [NP3]: This paragraph is where sole source comes into play, but after speaking with Susan, we both decided that it was best to not overly explain concepts like sole source and just have some information about the most pertinent example of it, which is the purchasing of textbooks. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt Formatted: Indent: Left: -0.01", Space After: 12 pt Formatted: Font: Not Bold File: KCD Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 PUBLIC GIFTS TO THE SCHOOLS In accordance with state law, The Superintendent will have authority to accept all grants and gifts to the District shall be reviewed and accepted by the School Committee before expenditure or use.and offers of equipment for the schools in the name of the School Committee when the gift is of educational value. In the case of gifts from industry, business, or special interest groups, no extensive advertising or promotion may be involved in any donation to the schools. Where possible, the District will engage in discussions with the donor on the intent, need, and/or appropriate use of the gift. Gifts that would involve changes in school physical plants or sites will be subject to School Committee approval. Gifts will automatically become the property of the school systemdistrict. Any gift of cash, regardless of donor intent, whether or not intended by the donor for a specific purpose, will be handled as a separate accountwill be accepted by vote of the School Committee, kept separate from the general fund, and expended at the discretion of the Committee, as provided by law. The Committee directs the Superintendent to assure that an appropriate expression of thanks is given to all donors. LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L. 44:53A, 71:37A CROSS REFS.: DD, Grants, Proposals, and Special Projects GBEBD, Online Fundraising and Solicitation – Crowdfunding KHB, Advertising in the Schools Adopted by the Reading School Committee on March 26, 2007. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on ________________. Commented [NP1]: Do we have an advertising and sponsorship policy? If we did, I’d cross-reference it here. Formatted: Space After: 6 pt Formatted: Space After: 0 pt Formatted: Indent: First line: 0" Formatted: Tab stops: Not at 2.02" File: DBJ Reading Public Schools Page 1 of 1 BUDGET TRANSFER AUTHORITY In keeping with the need for periodic reconciliation of the school department's budget, the School Committee will consider requests for transfers of funds between cost centers as they are recommended by the Superintendent. The Committee wishes to be kept abreast of the need for these adjustments so that it may act promptly and expedite financial record-keeping for the school system. Once the annual budget is approved, all requests for transfers between cost centers must be submitted to the School Committee for approval as part of the Director of Finance and Operations’ quarterly report at the business meetings of the School Committee. If a transfer is required more urgently, the School Committee will consider the request as needed. All fuAmountsnds in the general account fund not expended by the closeend of the fiscal year will be transferred to the Special Education Reserve Fund in alignment with Policy DBDA and/or returned to the town. LEGAL REF.: M.G.L. 71:37 DOR 94-660 CROSS REFS.: DBG, Budget Adoption Procedures DI, Fiscal Accounting and Reporting DBDA, Special Education Reserve Fund Adopted by the Reading School Committee on September 28, 2006. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on March 16, 2023. Reviewed, Revised, and Adopted by the Reading School Committee on _____________.