HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-12-05 School Committee MinutesF
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opX Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
School Committee
Date: 2024-12-05 Time: 7:00 PM
Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library
Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session
Purpose: Open Session Version: Final
Attendees: Members - Present:
4
Tom Wise, Charles Robinson, Shawn Brandt (remote), Erin Gaffen, Sarah
McLaughlin and Carla Nazzaro
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Student Alex Vincent, Interim Director of Finance and Operations Philip
Littlehale, and Superintendent Dr. Thomas Milaschewski
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Olivia Lejeune on behalf of the chairperson.
Topics of Discussion:
A. Call to Order— Mr. Wise called the meeting to order at approximately 7:03 p.m. to review
the agenda.
Roll Call Attendance — Mr. Robinson — here, Mrs. Nazzaro — here, Mrs. Gaffen — here, Ms.
McLaughlin — here, Mr. Brandt — here, Mr. Wise — here
B. Public Comment — None
Focus on Excellence
1. The committee recognized and celebrated the RMHS Boys Cross Country Team for their
first state championship win in 50 years.
Consent Agenda
1. Minutes (11-07-2024)
2. Acceptance of FY25 METCO REI Implementation Grant Award
3. Acceptance of FY25 MyCAP Planning and Implementation Grant
4. Request to Surplus Property — Coolidge
5. RMHS Wrestling Tournament Field Trip Request (2)
6. Coolidge Middle School Drama Donation
7. Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Donation (2)
8. Unified Sports Donation
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Accounts Payable Warrant Reports
1. 11-07-2024
2. 11-14-2024
3. 11-19-2024
4.11-27-2024
Payroll Warrant Reports
1. 08-16-2024
2. 08-30-2024
3. 09-13-2024
4. 09-27-2024
5. 1G-11-2024
6.10-2s-2024
7. 11-08-2024
8. 11-22-2024
Mrs. Geffen motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mr. Robinson.
Roll Call Vote — Mr. Robinson—yes, Mrs. Nazzaro—yes, Mrs. Gaffen—yes, Mrs. McLaughlin
—yes, Mr. Brandt — yes, Mr. Wise—yes
The vote passed 6-0.
Reports
1. Interim Director of Finance and Operations — Mr. Littlehale thanked the central
office and principals who have been helpful in getting up to speed. He also
expressed special gratitude to Assistant Business Manager Kate Finnegan for her
support and guidance.
2. Superintendent — Dr. Milaschewski encouraged the community to attend the
Festival of the Trees this weekend, as well as the Reading METCO brunch.
3. Liaison/Sub-Committee
a. Student representatives shared the following updates:
I. Homecoming Week: Students celebrated homecoming week prior
to Thanksgiving break. The RMHS football team and students got to
experience the Thanksgiving game at Fenway.
ii. Innovation Career Pathways: Students in the healthcare pathway
recently went on a Held trip to meet with the Medford Public Health
Office and learn about careers addressing public health issues.
iii. Business Students Field Trip: Over 40 business students took a Heid
trip to the Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell for a
business immersion experience.
iv. Winter Athletics kicked off on December 2nd.
v. STEM Talks: A series of talks centered around STEM have been
launched during the flex period and will continue throughout the
year.
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b. Mr. Robinson —The recreation committee has met and had alight agenda
while the charter review committee was scheduled to meet, but had to
reschedule.
c. Mrs. Nazzaro —The Killam Open House will take place on Monday with a
quick presentation, the next school building meeting is on December 16th,
and a sustainability community meeting will be held in January.
d. Mrs. Gaffen —Thank you to REF for the concierge tree. Mrs. Gaffen shared
that the annual menorah lighting will be on Sunday evening at 5 PM.
e. Ms. McLaughlin —The Coalition met and provided some great updates
around support for health classes and mental health first aid, though there
was nothing school -specific discussed. The Dickens Faire will be on the
14th, featuring arts and crafts. The Select Choir will be caroling around
town.
f. Mr. Brandt — No Report
g. Mr. Wise —The ACE Committee will have a delegate, Ryan Johnstone, who
has a strong legal background and experience with public policy, and
London Stith Nichols has been nominated for the student delegate
position.
E. New Business
1. High School Professional Development
Principal Callanan and Assistant Principal and Director of Academic Achievement, Ms.
Buckley, provided a presentation on the continuous professional learning plan at RMHS. In
their presentation, they shared a high-level overview of professional learning at RMHS,
explained the expanded role of Department Heads as instructional leaders and leaders of
content -focused professional learning, and outlined the types of professional learning
structures in place for all staff at RMHS. A full copy of the presentation can be found in the
packet.
2. Q3— FY 25 Financial Update
Mr. Littlehale provided a Ql FY25 financial update for the period ending September 30,
2024. In terms of the general fund, everything is tracking well. He commended the staff for
the number of grant applications submitted. Regarding revolving accounts, Mr. Littlehale
emphasized the importance of ensuring there are enough funds to offset expenses and
projected the full year for all lines. He also mentioned making some adjustments and
sharing more graphs in future updates.
3. FY26 School Committee Budget Priorities Discussion
While anticipating a level -funded budget, the committee outlined the following priorities
for the administration to consider as they formulate the FY26 budget, along with
considerations for the future such as:
• Support for High -Risk Groups: Build on METCO grant and summer reading
opportunities; focus on high-risk groups such as MLL, students with IEPs, etc. to address
learning gaps.
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• Program Evaluations: Continue evaluating existing programs to ensure effectiveness
and efficiency.
• Executive Functioning Tools: Investment in tools to support executive functioning skills.
• Busing Needs: Address the need for bussing in general education.
• HVAC Upgrades: Consider HVAC review and upgrades in the capital plan.
• Math Coaches: The addition of these positions has had a clear impact; explore the
possibility of expanding this program as funds allow.
• Support for Behavioral Needs: Additional support or programming to address
behavioral challenges in the lower grades.
• Half -Day Fridays: Evaluate the impact of half-day Fridays at the elementary level, with a
focus on maximizing time for learning.
Mrs. Gaffen motioned to adjourn to Executive Session and not return to open session to
discuss strategy in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel (Central Office &
Principals) as the chair declares an open meeting will have a detrimental effect on the
negotiations, seconded by Mr. Robinson.
Roll Call Vote — Mr. Robinson — yes, Mrs. Nazzaro — yes, Mrs. Gaffen — yes, Mrs. McLaughlin —
yes, Mr. Brandt — yes, Mr. Wise — yes
The vote passed 6-0.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWqYhCmWg4
Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 8:49pm.
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