HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-16 School Committee Minutes�N OFRFg0
Town of Reading
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Board - Committee - Commission - Council: -
School Committee
Date: 2025-01-16 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, Erin Gaffen, Sarah McLaughlin (remote), Charles Robinson,
Shawn Brandt and Carla Nazzaro
Members - Not Present:
Others Present:
Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Dr. Jennifer Stys, Assistant
Superintendent for Learning and Teaching Dr. Sarah Hardy, Interim Director
of Finance and Operations Phil 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 7:01 p.m. to review
the agenda.
Roll Call Attendance — Mr. Robinson —here, Mrs. Nazzaro — here, Mr. Brandt— here, Mrs.
Gaffen — here, Ms. McLaughlin — here, Mr. Wise — here
B. Public Comment —None
Focus on Excellence — None
Consent Agenda
1. Minutes(12-19-2024)
2. Parents Supporting Student Theatre Donation (2)
3. Parker Instruments Donations
4. Friends of Reading Field Hockey Donation
5. Friends of RMHS Cheer Donation
6. RMHS DECA Field Trip Request
7. RMHS Ski Club Field Trip Request (2)
B. RMHS Habitat for Humanity Field Trip Request
9. Acceptance of FY25 METCO Boston Bridges Initiative Grant Award
10. SEEM Collaborative Annual Report, 2023-2024
Gage I 1
Payroll Warrant Reports
1. 12-06-2024
2.12-20-2024
3. 01-03-2025
Accounts Payable Warrant Reports
1. 12-19-2024
2. 12-26-2024
3. 01-02-2025
4. 01-09-2025
Mrs. Gaffen motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mr. Brandt.
Roll Call Vote — Ms. McLaughlin — yes, Mr. Robinson — yes, Mrs. Nazzaro — yes, Mr. Brandt —
yes, Mrs. Gaffen — yes, Mr. Wise —yes
The vote passed 6-0.
Reports
1. Interim Director of Finance and Operations— No report
2. Assistant Superintendent for Student Services — Dr. Stys shared two upcoming SEPAC
events. On January 22nd, there will be an Understanding the IEP Workshop. On
February 26th, Dr. Hardy, Renee Limauro, and Erin Burchill will present on screeners
and reading, including how they are implemented in Reading.
3. Assistant Superintendent for Learning and Teaching — Dr. Hardy shared a reminder
that preschool registration is now open. Additionally, kindergarten registration is
open, and we are encouraging families to register by January 31st to ensure priority
placement at neighborhood schools, as part of efforts to plan and be proactive. Dr.
Hardy and Dr. Milaschewski also had the opportunity to visit a classroom at Killam
for the Young Authors Celebration.
4. Superintendent — Dr. Milaschewski shared that the 2024 RPS Community Report will
be distributed within the next week or two. This will mark the release of our third
annual report.
S. Liaison/Sub-Committee
a. Ms. McLaughlin —No report
b. Mr. Robinson — No report
c. Mrs. Nazzaro—The Killam School Building Committee has scheduled a vote
at the April/May Town Meeting, with the timeline moved up from June.
The project is under budget and on target for submission to the MSBA on
February loth. A cost estimate discussion will take place at the January
22nd meeting. If the vote does not pass, the district will lose MSBA funding.
d. Mr. Brandt — No report
e. Mrs. Gaffen —Mrs. Gaffen shared behalf of PAIR, the MLK Jr. Day
Celebration will take place on Monday at the PAC and will feature multiple
performances.
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f. Mr. Wise —No report
E. New Business
1. FY26 Budget FAQ Process
Dr. Milaschewski reviewed the FY26 Budget FAQ process. Budget -related questions should
be submitted to Olivia.leieune@readina.kl2.ma.us by January 23rd at 11:50 p.m.
An updated budget publication, including FAQs, will be included in the School Committee
packet on January 28th in preparation for the School Committee vote on January 3Dth.
2. FY26 Budget Presentation & Discussion
Dr. Milaschewski introduced the FY26 budget, highlighting that it is generally a level -service
budget. He reviewed the budget additions made over the last several fiscal years and
outlined two significant additions for FY26:
1. A 1.0 FTE Kindergarten Teacher:
Based on kindergarten projections for the 2025-2026 school year, an additional
kindergarten teacher is anticipated to accommodate the increased enrollment. Current
projections suggest a higher number of students than usual, though actual enrollment
may fall short of these estimates. Assumptions are based on census data and delayed
enrollments from the previous year.
2. Universal, Tuition -Free Kindergarten:
The move to tuition -free, full -day kindergarten represents a significant achievement for
the committee. Thanks to strategic planning, this initiative is now becoming a reality in
Reading.
Currently, 230 kindergarten students are registered, which is higher than the same period
last year. While no vote is needed at this time, if the additional teacher is not required, the
committee will decide how to strategically reallocate the funding.
Dr. Milaschewski also discussed items for future consideration, emphasizing the importance
of ongoing conversations about additional priorities.
Mr. Littlehale provided a review of the budget by cost centers, starting with the Finance
Committee guidance, followed by the recommended budget by cost center, the capital
plan, and a review of other funding sources. Some key points include:
• This is a transitional budget book with some adjustments made to improve clarity.
Charts from previous years continue to be used, and FTE numbers have been
corrected where errors were identified in the original presentation shared with the
community. These corrections did not impact the budgeted dollar amounts, only the
FTE figures.
• Regular Day Budget: Up 1.6%, driven by turnover savings and the use of offsets.
These offsets have increased, making year -over -year comparisons challenging.
• Special Education: Adjustments were made to correctly allocate items previously
misclassified under regular day. Nine paraprofessional positions funded by the IDEA
grant were moved to the general fund.
Page 1 3
• Capital Plan: Mr. Littlehale reviewed the capital plan, which aligns with the Town's
plan and incorporates other funding sources.
A copy of the full presentation can be found here as well as a link to the FY26 budget book.
Mr. Wise motioned to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Robinson.
Roll Call Vote — Ms. McLaughlin — yes, Mr. Robinson — yes, Mrs. Nazzaro — yes, Mr. Brandt —
yes, Mrs. Gaffen — yes, Mr. Wise —yes
The vote passed 6-0.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYiXzHb2m
Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 8:31pm.
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