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Home My WebLink About2024-11-07 School Committee Minuteso4N *OFa 4i -4 i♦ Town of Reading `� : � Meeting Minutes ?;C 3 !3 Board - Committee - Commission - Council: School Committee Date: 2024-11-07 Time: 7:00 PM Building: School - Memorial High Location: School Library Address: 62 Oakland Road Session: Open Session Purpose: Open Session Version: Final Attendees: Members - Present: Tom Wise, Charles Robinson, Shawn Brandt and Carla Nazzaro Members - Not Present: Erin Gaffen and Sarah McLaughlin Others Present: Student Alex Vincent, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sarah Hardy, Assistant Superintendent Dr. len Stys, 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. B. Public Comment—None Focus on Excellence 1. RISE Director Alanna Shone highlighted some of the innovative and engaging workshops offered for RISE families and members of the Reading community. Consent Agenda 1. Minutes (10-10-2024) 2. Reading Girls Soccer Parents Association Donation 3. Reading Volleyball Parents Organization Donation 4. New England Patriots Charitable Foundation Donation S. RMHS Arts Enrichment Field Trip Request 6. RMHS Ski Club Field Trip Request 7. RMHS Science Olympiad Field Trip Request Accounts Payable Warrant Reports 1.10-10-2024 2. 10-17-2024 3. 10-24-2024 4. 10-31-2024 Page I 1 Mr. Wise motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mr. Robinson. The vote passed 4-0. Reports 1. Assistant Superintendent — Dr. Hardy discussed the successful in-service day held on November S. Staff feedback was gathered afterward using a new tool, ThoughtExchange, to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This tool offers a polished interface and an At component that efficiently consolidates responses, enhancing the feedback process. 2. Assistant Superintendent — Dr. Stys shared that on November 15, the schools are partnering with the coalition to co-sponsor a providers' breakfast. This event will offer valuable networking opportunities with local providers and help enhance understanding of the processes and supports available for both the town and its students. 3. Superintendent — Dr. Milaschewski introduced Mr. Phil Littlehale as the interim Director of Finance and Operations and provided a brief overview of his background. 4. Liaison/Sub-Committee a. Student Alex Vincent shared the following updates: i. Fall Musical: We Will Rock You is underway. ii. Fall Athletics: The season is wrapping up, with highlights including the marching band and color guard winning second place at the NESBA finals. iii. Homecoming Spirit Week: Excitement is building for the upcoming spirit week. iv. Thanksgiving Football Game: The game will be held at Fenway, with tickets available for purchase online. b. Mrs. Nazzaro—The Permanent Building Committee met with the new OPM (Owner's Project Manager). The Killam project was pushed into the schematic design phase following MSBA approval. Community meetings have been held over the last few weeks, with another one scheduled for December. On November 20, the committee selected the HVAC system, marking the biggest decision to date. A financial forum presentation took place on October 30. Additionally, Mr. Nazzaro attended the Veterans Day assembly at the high school, where a community member gave a heartfelt speech, and a thank you for service was expressed. c. Mr. Brandt—No report d. Mr. Robinson —The Charter Review Committee met to review feedback from legal counsel. e. Mr. Wise — The Right to Read viewing on October 15th went very well, with multiple towns in attendance and great feedback from the panelists. The policy subcommittee has met and will be gathering feedback from legal counsel on updates made to policies. Additionally, the first Children's Cabinet meeting of the year took place last night, and discussions began on the next steps and actions moving forward. Page 1 2 E. New Business 1. MASBO Presentation, Donation & Vote to Accept (A) Dr. Milaschewski introduced Sam Rippin, past president of MASBO, who presented the MASBO Presidents Award. Mr. Robert O'Donnell, Director of Finance for DESE, conferred the award and explained his reasons for selecting Reading to receive it. Mr. Wise motioned to approve the donation from Robert F. O'Donnell in the amount of $1,500 as the result of his receipt of the MA560 President's Award sponsored by Boston Business Technologies, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 4-0. C. Old Business 1. Athletics Facility Naming Advisory Committee Presentation, Recommendation, & Vote to Accept (A) Mr. Robinson discussed the recommendation from the Athletics Facility Naming Advisory Committee to name the Fieldhouse Gymnasium after Phil Vaccaro and Turf 2 after Charlie Hardy. He also thanked the committee for their time and commitment to the process. Mr. Wise motioned to accept the nomination of the Athletics Facility Naming Advisory Committee to name the Fieldhouse Gymnasium after Phil Vaccaro, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 4-0. Mr. Wise motioned to accept the nomination of the Athletics Facility Naming Advisory Committee to name Turf 2 after Charlie Hardy, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 4-0. Mr. Wise thanked the committee and sponsors for their time and commitment, and for sharing why Mr. Vaccaro and Mr. Hardy are deserving of this honor. E. New Business 2. School Improvement Plan Presentations & Vote to Accept (A) Dr. Milaschewski thanked school leaders for being here tonight to present their School Improvement Plans. These plans include a process that involved many participants, including school councils, parents, students, and staff at each individual school. Each principal provided a high-level overview of their improvement plan. Topics included an overview of the process, commonalities at the elementary school level, middle school commonalities, and what lies ahead. A link to the presentation can be found here. Mr. Wise motioned to approve the School Improvement Plans for all eight schools of Reading Public5chools, seconded by Mr. Robinson. The vote passed 4-0. 3. LEAD Program Review Dr. Stys welcomed Dr. Tiffany Hogan and her team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), noting their leadership in the field. They provided a needs assessment for the LEAD Page 1 3 Program. Dr. Hogan and her team explained what a needs assessment is, how it differs from a program review, what is working well in the program, and suggested directions to move the program forward. Mr. Wise thanked the administration for conducting this assessment and highlighted that the presentation revealed the district is in the 95th percentile for the program compared to other districts. While there is work to be done to strengthen the program at the high school level, it is a tremendous accomplishment for the district team. The full report, along with a video, will be released, and over the next few months, we will share how we are responding to the findings. 4. October Enrollment Dr. Milaschewski provided the October 1st enrollment data submitted to DESE, noting that nothing significant stood out. Kindergarten enrollment is lower than expected, but no major issues were identified. Some families have mentioned the tuition fee, and it's possible they are waiting for next year when tuition may be free. The main trend observed is that families have moved out of the district, and some have mentioned holding students back because they were not ready. Regarding the trend of students attending private high schools versus public, attrition was around 12-15% a few years ago. We plan to look at the current numbers and ask families why they are making this choice. A survey has been sent to families who left the district in the past year to gather data and identify any potential issues that we can address. Mr. Wise motioned to adjoum, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 4-0. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5reCvgGbPvE Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 8:47pm. Pa.. 1 4