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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-22 School Committee Minutes� rq� Town of Reading kECEIVEU Meeting Minutes TOW CLERK f�- ��IMOPPOP' 01( . : �.. Board -Committee -Commission -Council: ! I 2•f.-� - �:; i 7: s <] School Committee Date: 2025-05-22 Time: 8:00 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, Carla Nazzaro, Erin Gaffen, Shawn Brandt, Sarah McLaughlin and Lara Durgavich Members - Not Present: Others Present: Interim Director of Finance and Operations Mr. 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 7:00pm and reviewed the agenda for the meeting. B. Public Comment —None Consent Agenda 1. Minutes(05-12-2025) 2. Acceptance of FY25 Computer Science Professional Development Grant Award 3. Friends of Reading Track Donation 4. Barrows America's Stonehenge Field Trip Request Accounts Payable Warrant Reports 1. 05-08-2025 2. 05-15-2025 Mrs. Gaffen motioned to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 6-0. Reports 1. Students —Student representatives shared a number of recent highlights and upcoming events: Page I 1 a. The Reading Boys Track Team won the Division 3 State Relays on Saturday — congratulations to all team membersl b. Freshman Move -Up Day is coming up soon. c. 160 seniors recently participated in the Senior Internship Showcase, highlighting their work and experiences. d. Senior Prom is taking place tonight. e. Tomorrow is the Second Act Play, made possible by support from the Coalition. f. Graduation is scheduled for May 30. 2. Superintendent — Dr. Milaschewski congratulated the high school team — specifically Ms. Buckley, Ms. Manos, and Mr. Skeffington — for their efforts in hosting a work -based learning collaboration. The event brought together representatives from over 28local school districts, creating an opportunity to share best practices and transform the high school experience. Feedback from participating districts has been overwhelmingly positive. 3. Liaison/Sub-Committee a. Mrs. Nazzaro—There have been many senior activities this week, and Mrs. Nazzaro was a privileged to present the School Committee Award to student representative Timia Jones last night at a very meaningful event. The Killam project passed the town vote on May 13th, with a high voter turnout. The next steps include negotiating contracts for the designer and Owner's Project Manager (OPM). Dr. Milaschewski thanked Mrs. Nazzaro for her leadership throughout this project and process, recognizing the tremendous effort and dedication that has gone into it. b. Mrs. Durgavich — No report c. Mrs. Gaffen — No report d. Mr. Brandt— Mr. Brandt provided an update on behalf of the Audit Committee, which will review the RMLD Annual Report next week. e. Ms. McLaughlin — No Report f. Mr. Wise — No Report E. New Business 1. FY25 Q3 Financial Update Dr. Milaschewski and Mr. Littlehale provided the FY25 Q3 Financial Update, including an estimate of where the district is expected to end the year based on third-quarter data. Overall, the district is in good financial shape heading into FY25. Mr. Littlehale gave a walkthrough of various accounts, including the general fund, grants, revolving accounts, the stabilization account, and student activity accounts. The general fund is on track to fully expend all non -personnel budget lines by the end of the year. There was also a discussion about policy language related to the reserve fund, which states that the district should maintain a balance of approximately 1%of annual net school Page 1 2 spending, with a ceiling of 1.5%. If the reserve exceeds 1.5%, the district is committed to spending it down to stay within policy guidelines. Additional conversation focused on Extended Day program changes and whether the program can be stabilized to ensure confidence in the carryover. The team reviewed current details and discussed potential adjustments for next year, including the possibility of incorporating outside programs to meet growing demand. Addressing waitlists and better meeting community needs were also highlighted. A future meeting update on the Extended Day program would be helpful to track progress and further planning. 2. Superintendent Summative Review a. Timeline Outline and Discussion Mr. Wise reviewed the timeline for the Superintendent Summative Review. The goal is to conduct the review publicly on June Sth, so the process is being planned accordingly. Committee members will receive a strategy update next Thursday, which will include most of the data aligned with the Learning & Teaching Update. They will also receive the Student Services Update that same evening. The intent is that tonight's presentation, combined with the additional information provided next week, will offer sufficient evidence for the review. A draft of the summative review will be completed within the next three to five days, followed by a review with Dr. Milaschewski next week. The final version will be completed by noon on Sunday, June 1st, and Mr. Wise will compile it for inclusion in the packet distribution on June 3rd. b. Evidence Review Dr. Milaschewski shared a high-level overview of the district's progress toward meeting both the standards and the four established goals. An evidence file and tonight's presentation will be shared with the committee for review. If there are any indicators where sufficient evidence has not been provided, committee members are encouraged to share that feedback so the necessary information can be supplied. D. Old Business 1. Second Reading, edit (if necessary), and Vote to Adopt (A) Policy GBGE —Domestic Violence Leave Mr. Wise noted that this policy was reviewed during a previous meeting as a first reading, during which feedback was provided. One point of discussion was whether the timeline referenced 30 business days or 30 calendar days. It was confirmed by HR Director Ms. Roach that the correct timeline is 30 calendar days. Mr. Wise motioned to approve the amended Policy GBGE—Domestica Violence Leave for adoption, seconded by Mrs. Gaffen. The vote passed 6-0. Page 1 3 E. New Business 3. First Reading of New Policy GBEBD— Online Fundraising and Solicitations — Crowdfunding Mr. Wise noted that this is a brand new policy, which has gone through three meetings of the Policy Subcommittee. Ms. Roach explained that the policy prohibits direct solicitation. During the discussion, it was noted that some clauses are written as if there are specific timelines for fundraising, which may make it difficult to provide advance notice to the Superintendent, especially when exact start and end dates are not always clear. There was also a question about whether staff distributing items from PTOs would be considered a form of solicitation under this policy. The committee agreed to review the policy language further during the second reading, and to seek legal input or suggestions for clarifying the language where needed. Mr. Wise motioned to approve the first reading of Policy GBEBD — Online Fundraising and Solicitations —Crowdfunding, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 6-0. 4. Policy Updates a. GBJ — Personnel Records Mr. Wise noted that this policy requires a single approval. It has been updated in alignment with MASC recommendations and to comply with public records law. The policy clarifies that while most personnel records are confidential, certain information is considered public. Additionally, it provides clarification on HIPAA, including when and how it applies. Mr. Wise motioned to approve for adoption the amended Policy GBJ — Personnel Records, seconded by Mrs. Gaffen. The vote passed 6-0. b. GCA— ProfessionalStaffPositions Mr. Wise reiterated that the policy has been updated to align with MASC guidelines. The update specifies that the School Committee establishes positions based on the Superintendent's recommendation. The Superintendent is responsible for developing and presenting job descriptions to the School Committee for review and approval, rather than requiring formal approval for every modification. Any position changes must comply with existing bargaining agreements. While this process is not currently being followed formally, moving forward, these updates could be handled as a consent agenda item to notify the committee. Mr. Wise motioned to approve for adoption the amended Policy GCA — Professional Staff Positions, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 6-0. Page 14 c. GCBA —Professional Staff Salary Schedules Mr. Wise noted that the policy has been updated to align with MASC recommendations and now includes language stating that the salary schedule is designed to incentivize retention, ongoing development, and leadership opportunities. It specifies that principal and administrator salaries will be based on documented evidence such as performance, achievement of district goals, and regional market rates. The Superintendent will present evidence supporting salary increase recommendations to enhance transparency and ensure alignment with Massachusetts law regarding HR salary wages. The committee also discussed the addition of the phrase "regional market rates for comparable positions." Regarding community feedback, there was discussion about the use of the word "shall" and its implications as a requirement from the committee. It was noted that while the term appears in contracts that are typically one year in length, there is little flexibility in changing it. Since the committee must provide a salary figure annually anyway, using "shall' does not pose a problem. Mr. Wise motioned to approve for adoption the amended Policy GCBA — Professional Staff Salary Schedules, seconded by Mrs. Nazzaro. The vote passed 6-0 d. GCBB — Employment of Principals (formerly known as Employment of Administrators and Directors) Mr. Wise noted that the policy has been updated to align with MASC guidelines. The Policy Subcommittee discussed adding assistant principals to the policy but decided against it, since Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) apply specifically to principals and not assistant principals A question was raised about whether it is new that the committee would review and approve the employment of principals. It was clarified that, as Chair of the committee, there are opportunities to approve or deny certain decisions individually, but not typically as a full committee. When asked if this process could slow down hiring, it was acknowledged that waking for an executive session might cause delays. However, there are usually few adjustments or negotiations involved. Technically, the School Committee is not the hiring authority but holds financial responsibility. The Superintendent retains the authority to hire. There was further discussion about the formality of the policy. The committee agreed to develop clearer language that reflects these discussions while ensuring compliance with MGL. Page 1 5 Mr. Wise motioned to table Policy GCBB — Employment of Principals pending further review and discussion between the chair, superintendent and HR Director, seconded by Shawn. The vote passed 6-0. S. First Reading of New Policy GCBC— Professional Staff Supplementary Pay Plans Mr. Wise noted that this is a new policy from MASC, updated to improve clarity, consistency, and readability. There was discussion about adding a reference to the principal policy, stating that if a principal is appointed to a new position, it requires School Committee approval. It was also noted that principal contracts, as well as individual contracts, include a clause specifying that any supplemental pay or extra assignments must be approved by the Superintendent. Mr. Wise motioned to approve the first reading of Policy GCBD — Professional Staff Supplementary Pays Plans also known as Supplemental Compensation for Extra Assignments, seconded by Mr. Brandt. The vote passed 6-0. Before moving into executive session, Mr. Wise provided a rundown of the agenda items for the remaining meetings. The committee also requested that the upcoming meeting schedule be included in the appendix of the packet and asked for a preliminary schedule for July through September to be provided before the committee's reorganization takes place. G. Executive Session Mr. Wise motioned to move into executive session to conduct strategy and preparation for negotiations with non -union personnel (Central Office & Principals) to not return to open session, seconded by Mr. Brandt. Roll Call Vote — Mrs. Nazzaro — yes, Mrs. Durgavich — yes, Mrs. Gaffen — yes, M r. Brandt — yes, Ms. McLaughlin — Yes, Mr. Wise — yes The vote passed 6-0. htti)s://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWW3G9TpFb Meeting Adjourned from regular session at approximately 9:53 pm. Page 1 6