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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Comm 09/28/2026Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 08 2026 In Person room 3AB G An Open Meeting of the Mansfield School Committee was held on Tuesday, September 08, 2026 in room 3AB of the Town Hall. The Open Meeting Session was called to order by Chair Jenn Walsh at 6:02 p.m.. 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. Motion by: Diane Ready / Jamie Vitonis ROLL CALL Vote: Diane Ready aye Jenn Walsh aye Jamie Vitonis aye Motion Carries 3-0 Public Speak: Tom Faria, Mansfield, MA spoke regarding his desire to have the MHS Athletic Field renamed in honor of Michael Redding. Tom was the football public address announcer for 36 years and had a lot of praise for Mike Redding as a coach, teacher and (interim and assistant) athletic director. His honors include: the longest tenured coach at MHS, the coach with the most wins for both Varsity football and Varsity Girls basketball. He noted that he has read the school committee policy regarding naming rights including the requirement that the person must have stopped serving the community for at least 5 years before a conversation for naming a facility can be considered. Mr. Faria noted that although Mr. Redding is still employed as a coach and recently as the Assistant Athletic Director, Mr. Redding actually retired from teaching 5 years ago. He is asking The School Committee to consider an exception so that the field can be renamed while Mr. Redding's father is still alive and his youngest two students are still in high school. Chair Walsh thanked him for the information. Communication: Chair Walsh noted a letter received from Tom Faria regarding the renaming of Alumni Field and a letter from Town Manager Aronstein requesting the School Committee's presence at an upcoming Tri-Board meeting. Administrative Reports: Superintendent Michelle McKeon thanked everyone who worked over the summer for their efforts in preparing for the return of students on September 2nd; we are very excited to have students back in the building. She also provided an update on the Strategic Plan process. We have received a copy of the final dashboard which builds upon the work we did last year. The leadership team is using this information to build the School Improvement Plans for this school year which will be presented on 9-22-26. Lastly, Dr. McKeon distributed a postcard with our strategic focus for the year: Belong — Connect — Engage — Grow. Page 1 of 6 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 08 2026 In Person room 3AB Assistant Superintendents Amy Bright and Jessica Davis provided an overview of our enrollment on day one of the school year. There are 3,276 students in district. Key demographics are 3.4% of our students are ESL, 1.2% are school choice (from other towns), 19% are low income. Special education students make up 17.7% of the population while 10.6 % are on 504 plans. Finally, 32.2% represent students designated with high educational needs. Twenty-nine students are either homeless or are in foster care. The Committee requested comparisons to last year. Overall, we are close to the figures from last year. The number of IEPS for FY26 were 563 and for this year are 581. The number of 504 Plans for last year were 335 and for this year are 348. The numbers for EL are very close though were not available at the time of the meeting. The committee asked for a copy of the enrollment numbers for the first day of school. Director of Finance and Operations Matthew Violette provided a summary of summer projects. Funding was limited though the district was able to: replace the PA systems at QMS and J/J, replace the MHS auditorium doors, install new facilities management software, complete work on the MHS media lab and upgrade the Robinson building management system by replacing all thermostats with new digital units which we received in the spring through a Green Schools Community Grant. Lynn Cavicchi asked if the PA systems were installed via CIP. Yes, money was approved at the December 2025 Town Meeting. Are we working toward spending down the food services revolving account? Yes, we are working on HVAC improvements in kitchen areas. The committee then discussed the need to review the current CIP plan. That does need to occur though the town has already scheduled a CIP meeting in late September. We will do our best to review the CIP priorities before that date. Aooroval of the Warrant: Salary & Goods & Salary & Goods & Salary & Wages Services Wages Services Wages 2701PS 27035 2703PS 2705S 2703PS 712/26 7114126 7/15126 7/28126 7129126 General Fund 157,484.64 184,147.61 271,990.16 338,431.65 378,983.45 Medicare 2,884.00 - 2,773.08 - 2,773.08 Capital - 193,151.61 - - - Revolving 5,226.35 425.00 70,340.26 3,115.68 82,143.44 Food Service 4,090.00 - 6,728.48 9,618.30 7,482.05 Gifts - - - - - Student Activity - - - 2,880.00 - Grants - - 17,614.60 - 16,821.55 Prior Year - - 1,353,254.22 242,254.17 1,194,493.05 $169,683.99 $377,724.22 $1,722,700.80 $596,199.80 $1,682,696.62 Motion to approve Warrant memo dated 8-13-26 by Jenn Sellon / Diane Ready Motion Carries 5— 0. Approval of Minutes: Date 1st 2nd Discuss Y/N Vote 06-16-26 JS DR Y* Motion amended to include revisions JS DR 5-0 06-16-26 Executive Session no release JS DR N 5-0 Page 2 of 6 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 08 2026 In Person room 3AB *Diane Ready requested that her comment regarding CIP recommendations be modified to align with her statement. Acceptance of Gifts and Grants: Motion to Accept IDEA and EC IDEA grants by Jenifer Sellon and Lynn Cavicchi Fund Code Grant Name 0262 i,Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Program Federal '.. Entitlement Grant 0240 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Federal Special' Education Entitlement Grant District Total '.. Amount $42,002 $1,035,417, $1,077,419', Discussion: Superintendent McKeon reviewed the funding noting that there was a decrease of approximately $12,000 from last year in the IDEA grant. Motion Approved 5 — 0. Motion to Accept the Comprehensive School Health Services Grant by Jenifer Sellon and Lynn Cavicchi FY27 Total Grant Award $33,500.00 Discussion: We are pleased to once again receive this grant which is slightly higher than last year. In the past the grant funded screenings and the P.R.I.D.E. survey. Lynn Cavicchi asked if the amount is per pupil or a flat rate. It is a flat rate. Motion Approved 5 — 0. Motion to Accept local school supply donations by Jenifer Sellon and Lynn Cavicchi • Dairy Farmers of America • Emerson Automation • St Gregory's Church The Paper Store (within 48 hours) Discussion: We are pleased to once again receive donations from local businesses and organizations which were distributed across all five schools. We thank the community for their generosity. Motion Approved 5 — 0. Old Business / Committee Updates: A Policy Subcommittee meeting was held on 8-24-26. The advertising policies and procedures are on the agenda for tonight as a first reading only as there is a lot to review. New Business: Consideration of the MHS Band and Color Guard to MetLife Stadium: Band Director Justin DeJoy was present to discuss the trip which has run for several years. It gives an opportunity our marching band to compete with several other bands. After the competition, the students will stop in New York City for lunch at Ellen's Diner and for some brief shopping in Times Square. The Band Parents Association is covering the competition admission fee leaving approximately $290 plus the cost of two meals (approximately $20 each) to be paid by each student. Students do have the opportunity to reduce this amount through various fundraisers. Page 3 of 6 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 08 2026 In Person room 3AB Motion to approve the MHS Band & Color Guard Field Trip to Metlife by Jen Sellon / Lynn Cavicchi Discussion: Lynn Cavicchi asked for details on trip cancellations and refunds noting that the district cannot take on the cost. Justin noted that the trip is fully refundable except for the deposit at Ellen's Diner which will be absorbed by the Band Parents Association if needed. She also inquired about the privacy regarding those students who need financial assistance noting the Band Parents should not have access to this information. Justin said that it is all handled as confidentially as possible. However, the Band Parents do manage the student accounts in order to allocate fund raising so he will do some research into alternate methods. Motion Carries 5-0. Consideration of New Policies: Code / Title Notes Motion 1 Motion 2 Vote ACL Interacting with Law Enforcement Officers Engaged in Civil Law Enforcement Comments below / One JS LC 5-0 motion for both ACL-R Administrative Procedures for Interacting with Civil Law Enforcement Discussions on how to interact with ICE or any other civil law agents approaching students and/or families on school grounds have been ongoing for over a year. The Protect Act was signed by Governor Healy in August. Quickly, DESE and MASC provided guidance on policy and procedure templates asking schools to implement these at the beginning of the school year. Superintendent McKeon commented that although the policy and procedures are new, she has been working with district leadership on guidelines on any potential interactions. Lynn Cavicchi has adopted the recommended language into a Mansfield policy. Diane Ready asked if teachers already know how to implement these changes. Michelle noted that it was discussed with leadership; however, we will review the final policy again with leadership and will ensure that the information is provided district wide. Lynn Cavicchi asked that we be sure to include athletics, bus drivers and anyone who would be involved with off campus events. First Reading of New Policies: District Administration and the Policy Subcommittee have developed three documents regarding advertising and sponsorships. The process can expand in scope in the future but the initial plan will pertain to the MHS scoreboards at Alumni field and in the gymnasium. At this time the scoreboard will only be run at athletic events where a scoreboard operator is already on duty otherwise the revenue will be reduced by the salary of a scoreboard operator. Superintendent McKeon reviewed the history of this effort noting that the district hopes to earn some revenue from the scoreboard through thoughtful partnerships with local businesses while setting guardrails on what can and cannot be advertised. All requests will be reviewed by the superintendent and no appeal process will be available. We have also included a termination clause if we find the need to end any contract. Jamie Vitonis asked if the advertising would influence our purchasing decisions. For example, can a sponsor determine where the advertising funds will be used? Michelle noted that there will be one revolving fund serving several needs. The district, not the sponsor, will allocate spending and will track by sub accounts per group. For example, an advertisement during a football game may be directed to both the football team and the marching band. Lynn Cavicchi noted that student activities accounts must be factored in. It was noted that any funds raised for a student activity must be deposited in that activity's revolving account. Superintendent McKeon framed the work as a good start for a baseline policy and procedure. We expect to review these at the end of the year and adjust as needed. Finally, a fee structure has been created. Each advertiser will Page 4 of 6 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September 08 2026 In Person room 3AB be offered a one-year slot. In the future the time frames may be adjusted. All three documents will be reviewed by our attorney and brought to the 9-22-26 meeting for consideration. Consideration of policies with Revisions: Code / Title Notes Motion 1 Motion 2 Vote JLCD Administering Medicine to JLCD was not included in the packet and will be reviewed at the next meeting. Students JLCD-R Administering Medicine to Students- JS LC 5-0 Health Protocols Director of Health Services Betsy Savoie was present at the meeting to explain the reasoning behind the changes as well as the approach taken by Mansfield Public Schools. The changes made align with the updated MA Department of Public Health (DPH) regulations. Specifically, there is new language regarding staff and who can administer medication. Language was adjusted to identify storage of medication, self -administration by students and staff training in administering as -needed emergency rescue medication. Any staff that would be administering medication would be required to take state -based training. It was noted that with the new regulations we can delegate staff to administer these meds; however, we do not have to delegate. This is still up for review. Lynn Cavicchi worked on this policy with the district and provided some historical perspective and the recent changes. This past fall, the district updated our policy JLCD to reflect the changes in regulations. However, a temporary pause was placed on the procedures to give the district time to determine how this could be rolled out to staff. MASC created a separate policy to address self -administration and self -carry of medication; however, the district felt that it would be best to keep the language as part of JLCD-R. Jamie Vitonis asked when student self -administration would be appropriate. Betsy noted that this would be based on the prescriber's orders, evaluation of the student's ability and a discussion with the parent/guardian. A student who turns 18 would still fall under these guidelines within the school setting. Typically, this would be something that would occur on a field trip or for a student with frequent and/or quick need for a medication such as diabetes medication. Jenn Walsh asked if the health offices stock Narcan. Yes, each school carries an emergency supply of Narcan, EpiPens and Albuterol. Consideration of policies to be deleted: Code / Title Notes Motion 1 Motion 2 Vote DBI Budget Operation and Control* All policies were read into the JS DR 4-0 DDA Gifts and Contributions record and will be removed from DFF Control over Internal Funds our policy manual. JKA Corporal Punishment *This policy had been recently added to our binder; however, it is all part of MA General Law and there is no associated MASC policy so it will be removed. Page 5 of 6 Approved 10-13-26 Mansfield School Committee Meeting Minutes for Tuesday, September08 2026 In Person room 3AB School Committee Business: None School Committee Questions and Comments: None Other- Items not anticioated by the Chair 48 hours prior to this meetine: Documents Referenced: Correspondence (Tom Faria and Town Manager Aronstein) Warrant Minutes School Nurse resume End of Year Financial Data Memo from Town Manager re mileage reimbursement Policies Motion to adjourn: At 7:58 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 6 of 6