Everett School Committee
Monday February 5, 2024
Clickable Transcript Printable Transcript Agenda
The order of items in transcripts appear in the chronological order in which they were taken up. Some Agenda items may have been skipped.
Agenda Item III.
Cristiano opened the session, requesting the superintendent to outline the agenda, specifically focusing on the reading of records. William Hart, from the Everett School Committee, indicated this as the next order of business. Marcony Barros queried whether to address each meeting's minutes individually or collectively, ultimately proposing a motion to waive the reading and file the minutes of the meetings held on January 18, January 11, 2024, and to postpone the review of the minutes from December 20 and December 27, 2023. Cristiano confirmed the motion, asking for votes from the members, leading to unanimous agreement to waive the reading and collectively file the minutes as proposed without any opposition.
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Agenda Item IV.
During a public hearing, residents expressed various concerns including the employment and qualifications of interim superintendent Billy Hart, the financial handling and transparency within the school committee, and the state of school facilities in Everett. Peggy Serino criticized Hart's qualifications and the school committee's decisions impacting school overcrowding and renovations. Paula Sterite called for greater financial scrutiny, an audit by the state auditor, and updates on investigations into complaints. Mary Fortin and David Fortin questioned the honesty of the mayor and the handling of complaints against a previous superintendent, advocating for a state audit and transparency. Concerns were also raised about the lack of information on the website of a consulting firm involved in a superintendent search. The session concluded with a motion to close public comments.
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Agenda Item V.
The student representative reported various sports achievements and events at a public hearing. Senior night for boy's basketball and cheerleading is scheduled for the 13th. The track team excelled at the GBL championship, with some members advancing to state competitions on February 16th. The boy's basketball team has made it to the playoffs following a win over Revere, and the girls’ team also celebrated a victory. The hockey team enjoyed a senior night win, and the wrestling team showed strong performance against PODSaugas, with individual wrestlers heading to state competitions. Spring sports sign-ups are underway, highlighting an occasion where Joao, an artist from EHS, and Mr. Chico visited the state house to display artwork purchased by Senator DiDomenico. The report concluded with a motion to accept and file the student representative's report, which was unanimously agreed upon.
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Agenda Item VI. 1.
In a recent public hearing, the superintendent highlighted several accomplishments and initiatives within the district. Three Effort High School students from the class of 2024 were announced as QuestBridge Match Scholarship recipients, receiving full four-year college scholarships from a pool of over 20,000 applicants. The district is also promoting the Adventure Academy for K through 5 students during the school vacation week, offering free academic support and daily activities. Additionally, an Everett High School junior received the Massachusetts Student Achievement Award for exceptional MCAS scores. A mentoring day was held to support students headed to college, emphasizing a continuous effort to provide educational pathways. School buildings will be closed during the upcoming vacation week, but administrators will be present. Committee member Samantha Lambert also highlighted an upcoming energy fair aimed at assisting residents with energy bills and weatherization projects. The report concluded with a motion to accept the superintendent's report, which was unanimously agreed upon.
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Agenda Item VI. 2.
The discussion revolves around the approval of a memorandum of agreement with the Brookline Center For Community Mental Health for the implementation of the BRYT program at Everett High School. BRYT (Bridge For Resilient Youth in Transition) is aimed at helping students transitioning back from hospitalizations due to medical or mental health issues reintegrate into school. Originating from Brookline High School approx. 20 years ago, the program is recognized as a national model and is utilized in over 200 Massachusetts high schools. Funded by the Department of Mental Health, the program seeks to provide academic and clinical support without incurring any immediate costs aside from providing space. The memorandum of agreement is highlighted not necessarily for approval but for informational purposes and to facilitate the utilization of designated funds. There's a discussion about the space requirement, which has been addressed by planning to utilize a small area within the school's library. The program is new to Everett High School but has been successfully implemented in other districts. The motion to approve the memorandum of agreement was made, seconded, and unanimously passed.
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Agenda Item VI. 3.
Mary Puilio, attending the meeting to discuss Item three, proposed an initiative to update resources in the library by sorting through publications to determine which ones are outdated, irrelevant, or inaccurate. The plan includes donating, recycling, or disposing of these items based on their condition, which will also free up space within the library as a benefit outlined by vice-chair Lambert. The motion for approving the initiative to handle recyclable materials was presented, followed by a unanimous approval from the members present.
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Agenda Item VII. 1.
During the public hearing, discussions centered on addressing the issue of homelessness among students in the school district. Mr. Barros initiated the conversation by seeking an update on the number of homeless students and inquiring about the partnership with Youth Harbor. It was revealed that there are currently 249 homeless students, a number that fluctuates but has seen a decrease from a previous count of 288. The school administration provided details on how these students are categorized (e.g., couch surfing, living in shelters), and confirmed ongoing collaboration with Youth Harbor, which currently supports 15 families by providing housing resources and temporary accommodations. Mr. Barros shared his efforts in securing funding and initiating a pilot program in collaboration with the Mez Housing Shelter Alliance and Youth Harbor, which supported and found housing for homeless students, significantly aiding in their ability to graduate. This discussion led to broader conversations about the importance of addressing housing insecurity and its impact on academic achievement, with suggestions for a holistic approach to support students facing such challenges. Committee members including Lambert and Hart recognized the value of the program and the need for continued and expanded support. New members expressed their interest in learning more and contributing to efforts to support vulnerable students. The discussion also expanded to include recognizing similar issues of homelessness among college students, indicating the need for broader systemic solutions. The session concluded with motions to refer the matter back to the sponsor for further action.
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Agenda Item VII. 2.
Mr. Barros highlighted the outdated nature of the Everett School Committee rules during his presentation, pointing out the lack of mechanisms for addressing misconduct among members and the obsolescence of rules dating back to as early as 1996. He emphasized the need for comprehensive review and updates to align with contemporary standards and ensure that procedures exist to uphold ethics within the committee. To initiate this necessary overhaul, Barros proposed that the matter be referred to the subcommittee on rules, policy, and procedure, suggesting collaboration with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and possibly outside counsel. The motion to refer the school committee rules for review and potential revision, aimed at modernizing and making them relevant for current governance, was unanimously approved by the committee.
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Agenda Item VII. 3.
The administration was requested to update on the progress of the 2024 Student Opportunity Act Plan and to organize community stakeholder meetings in various languages for input into the plan. Miss Lambert explained the Act and its funding implications, highlighting the upcoming report due in April 2024, which will include an addendum due to the district being a significant recipient of Chapter 70 funding. Despite the pandemic causing a delay, stakeholder meetings were previously successful, and the same inclusive process is planned for this cycle. There's a mention of awaiting specific evidence-based practices from Commissioner Riley that districts are to implement, which has caused some delay in setting stakeholder meeting dates. The discussion covered the importance of community engagement, both via Zoom and in-person through local organizations, to gather input on which aspects of the Student Opportunity Act should be prioritized for funding. The process is collaborative, involving administration staff, community input, and the school committee, to ensure the funding is directed in the most impactful way.
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Agenda Item VIII. 1.
During the public hearing, discussions centered around the proposal to hire a state auditor for the Everett School Committee's financial audit, previously recommended favorably by the finance and negotiation subcommittee. Deliberations included the audit's scope, with emphasis on a financial review rather than a comprehensive operational audit, contrasting previous audits and addressing concerns about timing amid administrative transitions. Questions arose regarding the necessity and timing of the state audit, especially given the school district's history of independent financial audits and the recent administrative changes. Despite initial support for the state auditor's engagement, the committee decided to send the proposal back to the subcommittee for further discussion, aiming for a more thorough review before making a final decision.
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Agenda Item IX.
The section of the hearing involved discussions on bills and payroll under Roman numeral IX, where Lambert proposed a motion to enroll and pay bills and payroll totaling $3,497,798.95. Cristiano seconded this motion, noting the exact amount to be submitted for bills and payroll. Lambert reiterated the motion specifically for the payment of these bills and payroll, with Cristiano again providing a second. The motion was clearly focused on approving financial expenditures totaling $3,497,798.95.
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Agenda Item X. 1.
The discussion centered on the request to close all public schools on March 5, 2024, for the presidential primary, with Superintendent Hart providing updates after consulting various stakeholders including the Everett High School principal, public safety officials, and the teachers' union, all of whom support the closure for various reasons, including the fact that many schools serve as voting locations. Despite concerns about lost instructional time, especially for 10th-grade students preparing for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, it was mentioned that measures like tutoring could mitigate the impact. The motion to close the schools on the specified date was eventually passed with an 8 to 1 vote.
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Agenda Item XIV.
In the final moments of a meeting, Cristiano called for a motion, which was promptly made and seconded, to conclude the session. Following the roll call by the clerk, Cristiano officially announced the adjournment of the meeting and bid everyone a good evening.
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