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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Comm 09/22/2026Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB t(-L An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held on Tuesday, September 22,-2026'in roomr3AB of the Town Hall. The Open Meeting Session was called to order by Chair Jenn Walsh at 6:03,p.m. - 1( Members Present: Administration Present: Jenn Walsh, Chair Michelle McKeon, Superintendent Jenifer Sellon, Vice Chair Amy Bright, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning Lynn Cavicchi Jessica Davis, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Diane Ready Matthew Violette, Director of Finance & Operations Jamie Vitonis Members Absent: None Jenn Walsh asked for a motion to enter into Executive Session under Exception No. 2. To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel and Under Exception No. 4: To discuss the deployment of security personnel or devices, or strategies with respect thereto: District Emergency Protocols. Motion by: Jenifer Sellon / Jamie Vitonis ROLL CALL Vote: Jamie Vitonis aye Jenifer Sellon aye Tenn Walsh aye Diane Ready aye Lynn Cavicchi aye Motion Carries 5-0 Returned to Open Session at 6:56 p.m. Public Speak: None Administrative Reports: Superintendent Michelle McKeon gave a brief progress report on the Strategic Plan 2026-2031. She anticipates a district report on October 13tb. Dr. McKeon noted that she had received an email from a group of citizens requesting information about how the schools recognize Constitution Day in September. At the elementary level, staff worked on classroom rules and expectations and discussed how that compares to a community and the constitution. At the secondary level, an announcement was made at the start of the day with projects as appropriate in some classrooms. Depending on the course, there is a deep dive into the constitution throughout the year. Student Advisory Committee Report: Three students from the committee were in attendance this evening: Samuel Zade, Sarah Farley and Benjamin Hubbard who all introduced and provided some background on themselves. Sam reported on the "Great Start" program which is offered to all new transfer and school choice students. It is a way to welcome these students into the community and provide helpful information for a successful year. He also participates in the Student Voice Summit which will host the Hockomock Summit herein Mansfield this fall. Sarah Farley announced that students are taking an active role and working with the Guidance Department to make the Program of Studies an easier document to read by making it an interactive website. She announced that the casting has been set for the fall One Act play and that initial planning has started on Homecoming events. Benjamin Hubbard highlighted some Page i of 7 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB upcoming events for the Performing Arts including the Tri-M Haunted Hallways, the first Marching Band competition and the upcoming Marching Band Home Show on October 101h. Approval of the Warrant: Goods & Services 2707S 8/11/26 General Fund 239,210.91 Medicare - Capilal Revolving 1,333.83 Food Service - Gifts 141.08 Student Activity 22,387.79 Grants - Prior Year 61,691.54 $324,765.15 Salary & Wages Goods & Services 2707PS 27095 8/12/26 8125/26 369,509.76 442,511.23 2,773.08 - 47,920.02 8,696.39 13,321.55 1,186,293.05 $1,628,513.85 9,972.00 2,911.80 2,197.99 3,982.47 92,717.04 $554,292.53 Salary & Wages 2709PS 8126/26 257,594.03 2,773.08 23,912.37 7,482.05 13,321.55 1,186,293.05 $1,491,376.13 Motion to approve Warrant memo dated 09-15-26 by Jenn Sellon / Lynn Cavicchi Motion Carries 5-0. Annrnval of Minutes: Date 1st 2nd Discuss Vote Y/N 09-22-26 Open Session JS LC Y* Motion amended to include revisions JS LC 5-0-1 (Lynn Cavicchi was absent and abstained from the vote. *Diane Ready asked for clarification on the Space and Needs Assessment Committee report and Assistant Superintendent Jessica Davis asked for a correction on the number of students attending our Extended Year Programming. Motion was amended for changes and then approved. Acceptance of Gifts and Grants: Motion to the recent earmark grants by Jenifer Sellon and Lynn Cavicchi • Fair Share Earmark of $40,000 (multi -media lab space) • Fair Share Earmark of $60,000 (mental health services) • State Earmark of $40,000 (renovation, repair and replace of MHS auditorium equipment) • State Earmark of $50,000 (multi -media lab space) Discussion: Lynn Cavicchi asked if these were lump sum or per student grants and would we use all of the funds? Superintendent McKeon answered that they were each lump sum and yes, we expect to use all the funds. We are required to provide a budget report to the state. Lynn asked if the mental health grant would target the high Page 2 of 7 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB school. Michelle hoped that we would be able to use it at each school and also for some evening parent presentations. Motion Approved 5 — 0. New Business: Consideration of the MHS World Travel Club to Italy for a Cuisine and Culture Tour: Gail Farrington and Lisa Buron, Club Advisors presented the information to the committee for their review. The high school will again use EF Tours for a 10-day trip which is slightly longer than past years but will allow for several hands-on experiences for the group which will include food tastings and visits to working farms. Students will expand their knowledge of various cultures and customs, in line with the Vision of a Graduate. They reviewed the associated cost of the trip which will. be $4979 (early registration discount) or $5229 plus $320 for snacks, spending money and $104 gratuities. Motion to approve the MHS World Travel Trip to Italy in the summer of 2028 by Jen Sellon / Lynn Cavicchi Discussion: Lynn Cavicchi noted that for any student who does not yet have a passport, the cost of the trip will increase by $200.00. She would approve the field trip this evening but asked that future trips scale back the time away and location in order to bring the cost back down. In addition to the above -mentioned costs, some families have to buy clothing for the trip. Lynn also asked for an overview of food allergies. Lisa pointed out that the advisors work with the students, families and health services to identify these allergies prior to the trip and provide the list to the tour guide (who also happens to have food allergies.) Italy was chosen because they are known for their ability to make accommodations and will do so when we send them the list of limitations. Jenifer Sellon requested that the advisors work closely with IT to make sure that wi-fi services and devices will be available for use during the trip. Superintendent McKeon noted that the district worked with the advisors and IT to determine a plan for this and during this past summer's trip there were no IT issues. Jamie Vitonis noted that the group size of 36 was smaller; is that the limit? Lisa noted that yes, we are initially working with one bus. However, if there is overwhelming interested she would consider a second bus. Motion Carries 5— 0. Presentation of 2026 — 2027 School Improvement Plans: Superintendent McKeon introduced this segment. This year's plans have been established based on our Mission, Vision and Core Values along with the four strategic focus areas developed as part of the Strategic Plan. The District took care to recognize the great work done by our district in the past and bridge this work with our new plans. The four key initiatives for this year are Connected and Supported Learner (Foster belonging, connection, and student engagement for all learners), Student -Centered Teaching and Engaged Learning (Develop a culture of deeper learning for all students), Family and Community Connections (Highlight supports available for families through community education), Systems and Future Planning (review and update safety and security measures). Each school will focus on these for areas specifically targeting one initiative per focus area. Lynn Cavicchi asked what documents will be maintained. Michelle noted that it will be The Strategic Plan, The School Improvement Plans and a Dashboard to measure goals and specific outcomes. Each five schools presented details of their plan according to the four focus areas. At the end of each focus area there was an opportunity for The School Committee to ask questions and make comments. In attendance were Principals Russ Booth, Matt McGuire, Denise daGraca, Ryan Gentili and Preschool Director Kris Delaplain. Focus Area 1: Connected and Supported Learners Page 3 of 7 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB Jenifer Sellon asked for details on the JED Foundation. Principal Booth noted that it is a suicide prevention program and with grants, we are looking to expand mental health programs in the high school. Diane Ready noted one of the common goals is to improve and/or create more activities for students (e.g. after school programming.) Have we started with a baseline so we can measure improvement? Superintendent McKeon noted that we have lists of current programs, attendance data and surveys. Lynn Cavicchi asked if there are specific attendance targets that we are working toward. Amy Bright noted that in October we receive attendance goal information as part of our accountability report. Rather than wait for annual targets, we are constantly monitoring and setting our own targets in line with anticipated DESE goals. We use Educlimber as a tool to track many factors in student success. Will these targets be embedded into the plans? Per Amy Bright, yes, but with DESE targets coming out in October we feel it is beneficial to track against our own targets. Superintendent McKeon noted that for September, absenteeism is down from last year. For consistency, Lynn suggested that the J/J and Robinson mirror some of their bullet points such as grade 2 to 3 transition. Principal daGraca noted that this is a focus at each both schools. However, in keeping the improvement plan manageable, we documented top areas of focus. There are many other tasks that get done on a regular basis including transition plans. Lynn also asked that the 1/1 list be modified to remove repetition regarding student voice/leadership. Jamie Vitonis asked if each school should list an attendance action item. Principal Denise daGraca noted that each school shares attendance information with staff real time and evaluates absenteeism by month. Absenteeism is also a focus of our regular Leadership Meetings. Regarding transitions from one school to another, Diane Ready asked why QMS and MHS did not include this in their plan. Michelle noted that the school transitions are an important and ongoing process. Not having them listed does not mean that we are overlooking the importance of transitions. Lynn inquired about the "Great Start" program. The Student Advisory Committee noted that this focuses on new transfer and school choice students. Can we expand that to include 8" graders moving up to grade 9? Principal Booth would like to expand the transition program for 8t" graders but noted that the "Great Start" program targets those students who do not yet have student IDs, understand our Chromebook usage and guidelines, or generally know their way around the district. Focus Area 2: Student Centered Teaching and Engaged Learning Regarding final assessments in every MHS course, will these be part of the final grade? Principal Booth noted that they will. Every class will have some sort of assessment whether it be an exam, project, or paper. Our report card will have a new column to reflect the final assessment grade. Jamie noted that it is important to start communicating this to students and families throughout the year. For Robinson, Jamie agreed that common planning time is important but asked how Principal Gentili is finding ways to carve out additional time for staff. Ryan noted that there has been a change to the master schedule so that specialist time is more aligned, providing some additional planning time opportunities. Superintendent McKeon noted that the planning work around this focus area was very deliberate to make sure every student has access to deeper learning. This includes adding the final assessments, aligning staff time, and making sure every student has access to curriculum. Lynn asked the high school to document what is meant by "authentic assessments on page 19. Diane Ready noted that there are a few items across the document that should be defined or spelled out such as VoG for Vision of a Graduate. Diane had some concern with teachers being able to manage the additional work Page 4 of 7 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB needed to grade final assessments. In some cases, it is an easy test to grade while other times it might be a project or paper that needs a lengthy review. Can these final assessments be team projects? Principal Booth noted that we are still working through some of the details of the assessments; he would like them to be meaningful to the students. Lynn asked if the final assessments applied to both internal and externally run programs (Dual Enrollment and AP courses). Russ noted that we might not use them for AP courses. Dual Enrollment are MHS classes (certified for college credits) so there will be a final assessment. Jamie Vitonis noted that students do have a period of time that the AP exams have been completed and the end of the school year; perhaps they can take on a project such as a civics project. Russ noted that the high school is also considering student portfolios. Lynn Cavicchi asked about the new J/J Buzz Block. How does this impact teachers; what is their time commitment? Principal daGraca pointed out that this enrichment or extra help is already taking place. The new block of time allows us to align time schedules and allow students to remain in their core classrooms with fewer pull outs. Focus Area 3: Family & Community Connections Lynn Cavicchi asked if the high school is in a position to maintain counseling services with recent budget cuts and how are we supporting those students who used to be in the Bridge Program. The Bridge program did not run last year and new programs were created as new opportunities for these students. We feel comfortable that we are able support our students. Two examples provided were the programs through the JED grant and Dual Enrollment. Diane Ready asked about the increase of parent volunteers at the Jordan/Jackson. Are there always teachers present to handle emergency or difficult situations? Parents are not left unattended with students. Jamie Vitonis asked if we will be able to track a correlation between attendance and the new offerings. Denise noted that we have seen these programs affect attendance and we anticipate a positive impact going forward. Diane Ready asked if we can track how many times a newsletter is opened. Yes, we are able to see how often the newsletters are read. Focus Area 4: Systems and Future Planning In the essence of time, Superintendent McKeon noted that for the most part every school has stated similar tasks in order to support our schools. She asked if the committee wanted to continue a detailed report or if a summary would suffice. They agreed to a summary so Michelle McKeon provided an overview of actions focusing on emergency plans, identifying student individual needs at onboarding, continue to enhance reunification procedures and crisis response plans. Lynn noted that some of the bullet points do not state an action that can be easily measured. Page 5 of 7 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB Consideration of New Policies: Code / Title Notes Motion 1 Motion 2 Vote KHB Advertising and Sponsorship Comments below / One 15 LC 5-0 KHB-R Administrative Procedures for Advertising and motion for both Sponsorship KHB-E Tiered Fees for Sponsorship and Advertising One amendment made 1S LC 5-0 Superintendent McKeon reminded the committee that this policy was brought forward at the last meeting and asked if there were any questions. Lynn Cavicchi recommended that the policy state that it should be reviewed next summer prior to the start of the fall season. The rate page should contain a date and should clarify that they are for the scoreboard only. The rates should be added to the annual rate review process. With no additional questions, the policy, procedure and fees were considered. Consideration of policies with Revisions: Code / Title Notes Motion Motion Vote 1 2 JLCD Administering Medicine to This policy was reviewed at the last meeting. However, the revisions were JS LC 5-0 Students not listed in the packet and therefore not voted. Consideration of the School CIP Priority List: Last night the Town/School CIP Committee met to determine priorities for the upcoming Fall Town Meeting. Unfortunately, with the timing of the meeting, the school committee did not have an opportunity to discuss and vote on the school CIP priorities prior to the CIP Committee vote. Matt Violette noted that during the August fire inspections, it was determined that the district needs to replace all of the school fire panels and then all of the associated pull alarms. He noted that there is no immediate threat to the schools. Town Manager Mallory Aronstein allocated $200,000 for use toward the fire equipment and $400,000 for general building maintenance and upkeep. This proposal allocates funds to us while giving us a little flexibility in how the money is used especially if there is an unexpected issue. The committee discussed the pros and cons of a new CIP subcommittee. It could be incorporated into the Facilities Subcommittee or created as a standalone committee. A decision was deferred to a later date. Matt's recommendation is that we keep our priorities as is and use the $400,000 for paving and if funds remain for bathroom upgrades. Lynn inquired about town paving and if there was any benefit to aligning our projects with the town. Matt noted that this is more of a convenience process as each lot must be bid and cost out separately. Does the Town Manager plan on allocating CIP funds as a bundle going forward? It is unclear right now how this will be managed going forward. It was agreed that there should be further discussion on priorities before the Spring Town Meeting so that the district is prepared when projects and funds are prioritized. Motion to approve the school CIP Priority List by Jenn Sellon / Lynn Cavicchi Page 6 of 7 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 In Person room 3AB Motion Carries 5— 0. Consideration of Warrant Articles for Town Meeting: In order to manage revenue from advertising, the district will set up a new revolving account. This and its spending limits must be established at town meeting. Matt Violette is working with the town's attorney on wording. It was decided that no vote was required rather the final motion will be reviewed prior to town meeting Lynn asked if there will be a motion at Fall Town Meeting to add funds to the Special Education Stabilization Fund, Matt believes that there will be funding but he is not sure the amount. It is rumored to be $75,000. School Committee Business: None School Committee Questions and Comments: Diane Ready asked that we look into the agenda item related to 48 hours. There was discussion at the CIP meeting to remove that from their agenda items. Other- Items not anticipated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meeting: Documents Referenced: Warrant Minutes Field Trip School Improvement Plan CIP Priority List Policies Motion to adjourn: At 9:08 p.m., Chair Walsh called for a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn by Jenifer Sellon / Lynn Cavicchi Motion Carries 5 — 0. Respectfully Submitted, Diane Nugent, Administrative Assistant to Superintendent & School Committee Page 7 of 7