Rachel Alan

The meeting commenced with an announcement confirming that school would be in session the following day. Superintendent updates highlighted several positive activities, including the commencement of a pen pal program between senior citizens and a third-grade class, the opening of kindergarten and preschool registration, student projects connecting with Spanish cultures, and middle school science students working on STEAM fair projects. The committee addressed two action items: approving the February 3rd, 2026 meeting minutes and approving the appointment of two members to the MASC policy update subcommittee. Consideration for approving the next school calendar was tabled pending review by the teachers association. A significant portion of the discussion focused on an upcoming Integrated Monitoring Review (IMR) by the Department of Education in May 2026, covering special education processes, infrastructure, professional development, and compliance. The Superintendent also reported on corrective actions required following a Department of Labor Standards inspection at the Middle High School concerning roof safety rails, ladder access, and personal protective equipment. Updates regarding MSBA business included upcoming interviews for construction manager selection.

The meeting commenced with roll call and an announcement regarding meeting recording and availability of minutes/agendas online. A public comment session followed, featuring a student presentation on high school activities, including academic updates (term end dates, holiday observance), club activities (Chemistry Club fundraiser, DECA district conferences, Steam Scholars field trip), and sports achievements (long jump record, basketball victory). Further updates covered elementary science methods engagement with younger grades, an upcoming assembly featuring a resilience presentation by a dog named Ivy, and a food drive donation to the Mills Food Bank by fifth-grade leaders. Midyear progress monitoring in reading and math was discussed, along with middle school units on cells and inequalities, and results from a schoolwide math competition. High school updates focused on NES preparation and staff standard reviews. A significant portion of the meeting addressed recent transportation challenges experienced at the end of 2025 due to a cement truck collision and subsequent weather-related tree falls, detailing the contingency plans executed for student pickup and communication issues encountered.

The meeting covered several key administrative and financial discussions. Student representative updates included information on the start of term three, sophomore research projects, a Rostro Cup competition, a Mock Trial competition, and various track and basketball team achievements. The teacher representative reported on a successful assembly featuring a service dog named Ivy and her owner, the upcoming kindergarten and preschool registration dates, the grade five concert, CPAC volunteer needs, and the high school and middle school choruses performing at a Bruins game. Significant action items involved the approval of the January 6th meeting minutes and the facility fee waiver request for the Metro West Pride AAU basketball club. A substantial portion of the meeting was dedicated to financial proposals regarding the kindergarten revolving fund deficit, including proposals to reallocate salary expenses between preschool and kindergarten funds to achieve sustainability, and a motion to approve a 2.86% fee increase for full-day kindergarten for fiscal year 2027. Additionally, the committee discussed adapting the tuition sliding scale for kindergarten fees to align consistently with federal guidelines used for other school programs.

The meeting covered updates from the student representative regarding various school activities, including football games, student of the month recipients, cross country achievements, and upcoming band, chorus, and drama club performances. Teacher representative updates highlighted numerous activities across grade levels, such as fourth-grade presentations by the Clyde Brown Wing Masters, a community thank you assembly at CFB, a third-grade immersion field trip to purchase food for the food bank, science curriculum updates, and a joint field trip for Spanish language immersion students to see Zootopia 2. Further updates included the progress of the Paw Post student journalists and World Kindness Day celebrations. Action items included the approval of additional middle school clubs (such as Turp Tickery, Fishing Club, and Homework Lunch Club) and a detailed discussion and consideration for approving the local competency determination for high school graduation requirements, which now includes US History for the Class of 2027.

The meeting included a student representative report detailing upcoming events such as a college planning and admissions panel for juniors, the February vacation schedule, musical performances, a successful thrift shop hosted by Peer Leaders, and several senior projects focused on drama, collecting birthday supplies for homeless shelters, and facilitating a Buttonwood Zoo event at the library. Following the student report, there was a presentation regarding a three-day marine biological laboratories trip taken by STEAM and AP Environmental Science students, where they conducted lab work on cyanobacteria and toured research facilities. Action items included the approval of the January 20th, 2026 meeting minutes and the approval of a proposed trip to Costa Rica for the 2026-2027 school year, which involves hiking, volcano viewing, visiting waterfalls, and engaging with an NGO using soccer for community building. The committee then discussed the appointment of a subcommittee for the MASC school committee policy update project, noting the required time commitment and member interest, particularly from a new committee member seeking to learn policies.