Jessica Lynn Cook

The meeting addressed procedures for public access, noting that if real-time access failed, a record of the meeting would be posted online. A motion was made and seconded to enter executive session for the purpose of non-contractual matters, after which the committee voted on the motion.

The committee meeting, conducted via remote participation due to public health orders, focused exclusively on the election of the Director of Support Services. The process involved a screening committee, public meet and greet sessions with finalists, and subsequent reference checks. The Superintendent recommended Mr. Jeff Albert for the position, citing his extensive experience as an assistant executive director, special education director, and supervisor. The committee voted to approve the nomination of Mr. Albert, contingent upon successful contract negotiations, with a Personnel Subcommittee meeting scheduled to discuss salary and benefits prior to the final contract vote by the full committee.

The subcommittee meeting focused on Attorney McAvoy's recommendation to consolidate several existing policies, including those related to harassment and non-discrimination, into a single overarching policy to cover all protected classes, aligning with updated laws. Members expressed concerns regarding the loss of detail and specificity when consolidating policies ACA, JBA, and others. Discussions also covered the role, selection criteria, and authority of the compliance officer responsible for initial investigations, with a note that the investigation procedures should be detailed in the student handbook, which was recently updated following changes to Title IX regulations. The committee ultimately voted to move the recommendation forward to the main School Committee for approval in October, despite some members advocating for tabling the item to allow for further research and stakeholder input.

The meeting commenced with the introduction of new school committee members. The primary agenda item involved a public hearing and subsequent vote on whether to allow school choice into the district for the 2021-2022 school year, with the recommendation being to vote no due to existing waiting lists, potential elimination of occupational technical preferences, and enrollment projections indicating a full complement of students. The committee voted unanimously not to be a receiving district. Following this, the committee moved to take an item out of order to proceed with the reorganization of the school committee, including the election of a chairperson, vice chairperson, treasurer, and secretary. During the chairperson election process, candidates Ms. Muse and Mr. Peterson presented their goals, which included experience in guiding the committee through the upcoming superintendent search process, with specific discussions on the appropriate composition of a superintendent search committee.

The meeting commenced with a public hearing regarding school choice for the 2023-2024 school year. The committee received a recommendation from the superintendent to vote against being a receiving district, citing concerns over eliminating occupational technical preferences and full enrollment projections. Following the public hearing, the committee conducted its organizational meeting, electing officers for the upcoming year, resulting in Charlie Fiore being selected as the new School Committee Chair. Discussions also covered the approval of a bill for cleaning services, which was tabled for further discussion at the main meeting to gain more background on service specifications. The committee then voted to approve the School Improvement Plan. The Business Manager provided updates, noting the preliminary FY22 audit was received and that FY23 budget planning with department chairs was nearing completion. The committee also approved minutes from the March 21, 2023 meeting.