The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutSchool Comm. 07/21/2020IV Approved 11-10-20 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Virtual Meeting using GoToWebinar An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held virtually on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. The open meeting session was called to order by Chair Kiera O'Neil at 5:00 p.m. Members Present: Administration Present: Kiera O'Neil Teresa Murphy, Superintendent of Schools Lynn Cavicchi Michael Connolly, Assistant Superintendent (Teaching/Learning) Linda Fernando Edward Donoghue, Assistant Superintendent (Finance/Operations) Jenn Walsh Lauren Scher Members Absent: None ***All votes taken by roll call vote *** Roll Call Vote: Kiera O'Neil aye Lynn Cavicchi aye -- Jenn Walsh aye ri Linda Fernando aye 3 Lauren Scher aye ro Kiera O'Neil asked for a motion to enter into Executive Session pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 30A, n m Section 21 for the Following Purpose: Under Exception No. 3. To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares. Motion to enter into executive session by Linda Fernando / Lauren Scher Roll Call Vote Lynn Cavicchi Yes Jenn Walsh Yes Kiera O'Neil Yes Linda Fernando Yes Lauren Scher Yes Motion Carries S - 0 Return to Open Meeting at 5:39 pm. Public Speak: Public Speak is open for 15 minutes for anyone who has registered via GoToWebinar. NONE Communications: NONE Administrative Reports: Superintendent Teresa Murphy provided updates on three retirements: Diane Demurs a long time art teacher, Cathleen Lasher a paraprofessional and Carol D'Ambra the food services manager at Page 1 of 6 Approved 11-10-20 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Virtual Meeting using GoToWebinar MHS. Teresa had completed a summer vacation school grant. We have been awarded $12,000 which will be used for the Elementary Summer Achievement Academy. Assistant Superintendent Michael Connolly provided an update on our English Learners. A small number have been receiving services over the summer based on their test scores. Assistant Superintendent Ed Donoghue reviewed transportation. There is a lot of uncertainty right now. We delayed registration but we need to start moving forward so we can complete our bus routes in time for school. Last Tuesday a new online registration process was rolled out to families. To date we have 300 students registered (75% have paid with UniPay and 25% will submit checks.) Chair O'Neil asked if we could survey those families beyond 2 miles if they are taking the bus so we have a better handle on capacity. Ed does not feel we can do this now as it would be too confusing. Next week we have a traffic coordinator meeting us on school grounds to discuss traffic flow assuming that more parents are dropping off students. Jim Leonard is reviewing capacity on our mini buses. Approval of Warrant: Motion to approve warrant memo dated 07-13-20 by Linda Fernando / Jenn Walsh. Goods & Goods & Goods & Services Salary & Wages Services Salary & Wages Services 20050S 2020.25L 20052S 2020-26 20054-55S 6-9-20 6-12-20 6-23-20 6-28-20 6-30-20 General Fund 746,539.00 2,611,918.18 529,035.50 1,251,914.92 1,791,273.82 Medicare - - - 859.00 - Capital 50,051.61 - 2,071.14 - 93,412.60 Revolving 9,075.66 69,243.83 4,043.80 64,699.78 14,346.21 Food Service 3,170.73 24,493.65 3,614.60 24,183.12 890.42 Gifts 1,434.00 - 1,426.97 - 12,908.42 Student Activity - - 10,029.00 4,550.00 56,521.30 Grants 1,920.00 20,850.43 6,590.00 2,692.83 31,768.00 812,191.00 2,726,506.09 556,811.01 1,348,899.65 2,001,120.77 Roll Call Vote: Lynn Cavicchi yes Jena Walsh yes Kiera O'Neil yes Linda Fernando yes Lauren Scher yes Motion Passes: 5 - 0 Page 2 of 6 Approved 11-10-20 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Virtual Meeting using GoToWebinar Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve Open Meeting Minutes dated 07-07-20 by Linda Fernando / Jenn Walsh. Roll Call Vote: Lauren Scher yes Linda Fernando abstain (not in attendance) Kiera O'Neil yes Jenn Walsh yes Lynn Cavicchi yes Motion Passes: 4 - 0 - 1 Motion to approve Executive Session Meeting Minutes dated 07-07-20 by Linda Fernando / Jenn Walsh. Roll Call Vote: Lauren Scher yes Linda Fernando abstain (not in attendance) Kiera O'Neil yes Jenn Walsh yes Lynn Cavicchi yes Motion Passes: 4 - 0 - 1 Gifts: Anselone Flooring presented Mansfield Public Schools with a $1000 check for use toward the playground fund. We thank them for their support. Old Business: Committee Updates: Audit: No update CIP: No update Budget: No update Facilities: No update Policy: Reviewing MASC suggested changes and COVID related items for the handbook. New Business: Consideration of MHS Booster gift proposal for Shade Shelter: MHS Booster's President Roberta Sullivan presented the proposal for a shade structure between the press box and the new bleachers. This would provide a shady area (hopefully with picnic tables) to our fan base. It is wind resistant up to 90 mph winds. The covering would betaken down during high winds and during the winter months. Motion to Approve the Shade Shelter by Linda Fernando / Lauren Scher Roll Call Vote: Lauren Scher yes Linda Fernando yes Kiera O'Neil yes Jenn Walsh yes Page 3 of 6 Approved 11-10-20 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Virtual Meeting using GoToWebinar Lynn Cavicchi yes i Motion Passes: 5 - 0 Extended Year Update: Jim Leonard provided an update. Once DESE released their initial plans, we created a hybrid model to bring in routine services. He worked closely with Christine Cooling and Amy Donovan -Palmer to coordinate training for all applicable staff. 51 students were brought in across the 4 buildings. We are hearing a lot of gratitude from parents for getting their students in the building. Our staff is happy to be in as well. All students and staff are monitored daily with self check -in. Lynn Cavicchi has heard great things from parents. She asked that Jim meet with SEPAC soon to discuss fall options. Jim will definitely meet but is awaiting further information from DESE first. Lauren Scher asked if we have been able to measure the degree of regression in students. Jim reported that for the first week we were reintegrating students back in the building by establishing routines and keeping anxiety low. During week 2 we started a slow increase of services. Unfortunately at this time, we don't have a good sense of regression. At the end of the summer we will have a good handle on student progress. Feasibility Study Update: We have been tasked with providing a back to school feasibility study with DESE. This plan (to be submitted end of July or early August) must have 3 models (Full in person, Hybrid, Full Remote) with supporting plans. The important considerations in identifying a plan: • Safety and well-being of students and staff • DESE goal of getting students safely back in school where possible • Meeting child care needs of families • Recognizing that we need a better remote model than what was used in the spring Masks will be mandatory and desks will be setup between 3 feet and 6 feet apart. Parents and staff are anxious and want decisions made. Unfortunately, the summer is short and the DESE guidance is coming in very slow. We recognize the concerns and are working hard on a plan. Our district priority is the health and well being of our staff and students. During the slide show presentation, Teresa Murphy and Michael Connolly reviewed highlights and challenges from each of the 3 plans. This includes drilling down to the specific needs of each school. The district did a quick survey and found that the majority of parents want their students in school while following health and safety guidelines. Questions/Comments: Lynn Cavicchi asked what the district can offer for those families who opt not to send their students to school. What is the state proposing for these students? Teresa Murphy indicated we don't have a lot of information yet. DESE is pushing the use of state run programs for these students. We would use Mansfield teachers to oversee these programs. However, at this point we don't know what programs the state will offer or how many students will be able to attend. Page 4 of 6 Approved 11-10-20 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Virtual Meeting using GoToWebinar Lauren Scher expressed concern that parents do not understand the difference between homeschool and virtual remote. Can we communicate this out to families? Is there a breakdown by school? The percentages by grade are similar. It is a fairly even split of parents who want students to stay at home vs. those who want their students to attend full time. Can parents still respond? Yes, the survey will be open for one more day. Were incoming kindergarten families included? Yes Remote Learning Survey Results: Included in the packet are the high level results. The primary goal of this survey was to hear what parents think of the remote learning that took place this past spring. Each school sent out their own surveys. There is a lot of data by school but for tonight, Mr. Connolly will present some of the highlights. Topics surveyed: • Level of student independence • Amount of parental support needed • Concerns about screen time vs Ideal amount of Remote learning per day • Delivery methods • Internet availability in the home • Grading Some of the key take-aways: • Elementary- Need a schedule with fixed Google meet times; videos would be helpful for asynchronous learning; 1-3 hours per day is ideal; parents cannot always be counted on to help students during the day. • QMS- Students wanted more flexibility/asynchronous in their schedules while parents wanted more live stream synchronous learning; prefer to start later in morning; students were looking for 2 - 3 hours of screen time per day while parents were looking for 3 - 4 hours per day. • MHS- approach was split between parents and students similar to the middle school. Teachers were split on preference between synchronous and asynchronous learning. • Overall- grading should be more typical to a normal school year; parents concerned about social emotional impact on students; students should be required to participate in Google Meets. • Grading needs to be more detailed. Lynn Cavicchi noted that listening tours were helpful. Did principals have listening sessions with staff? Not formally but there were regular discussions throughout the school year where we received staff feedback. COVID-19 Cost Expenditures to -date: Ed Donoghue reviewed spreadsheets of costs incurred building including staff hours, cleaning/PPE supplies. We send all of this information to the Town and they determine what can be reimbursed Page 5 of 6 Approved 11-10-20 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Virtual Meeting using GoToWebinar via FEMA or the CARES Act. To date we have submitted about $550,000 which will be reimbursed to us. This process will continue until time or money runs out. The availability of supplies is improving slightly. We will be expanding the nurses' offices in each building for isolation rooms. Those expenses, we believe, will be reimbursed. FY21 Budget Update: Lynn Cavicchi noted it will be important to understand what we see for unanticipated costs such as additional PPEs, plexiglass, signage, etc. Ed Donoghue noted that there are systems in place to consolidate requests for supplies. New School Committee Business: At next meeting: Proposed Calendar Changes DESE Return to School Plan Communication Plan by District / Schools Other- Items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting: None Documents Referenced: Feasibility Study Remote Learning Survey Results COVID Expenditures year to date Motion to adjourn: At 7:42 p.m., Motion to adjourn the open meeting by Linda Fernando / Jenn Walsh Roll Call vote: Lynn Cavicchi yes Jenn Walsh yes Kiera O'Neil yes Linda Fernando yes Lauren Scher yes Motion Carries 5 - 0 Respectfully Submitted, Diane Nugent, Secretary to the Superintendent & School Committee Page 6 of 6