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Home My WebLink About2023-09-12-MMTECH-min.pdf FINAL MINUTES MINUTEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING SEPTEMBER 12, 2023, 6:30 p.m. Present: Pam Nourse, Chair(Acton) Steve Ledoux,Vice-Chair(Concord) Alice DeLuca, Secretary(Stow) Jeff Stulin(Needham) Erika Elzey(Bolton) Sharon Musto (Lexington) Sarah Montague (Arlington) Charlene Cabral(Lancaster) Ford Spalding(Dover) Absent:None Weighted Vote: Weighted Vote present at start of the meeting: 100% Others Present: Kevin Mahoney and Julia Pisegna L CALL TO ORDER: OPEN SESSION The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. 2. PUBLIC COMMENT Mr. Stulin confirmed that no public comments were received via email. 3. CONSENT AGENDA Approval of the followin�: a. Draft Minutes of August 15, 2023 b. Approval of list of monthly donations c. Approval of list of monthly grants Mr. Spalding noted that he was not present and will abstain on the item for the approval of the draft minutes of August 15th Ms. DeLuca noted a technical edit on Page 2 -the Policy Subcommittee did not approve the Student-Parent Handbook,rather the Policy Subcommittee recommended the Student-Parent Handbook for approval. ACTION 2023 #75 9 members present at time of vote. Moved(Montague) and seconded(Nourse) Weighted Vote present: 100% To approve the Consent Agenda, as presented. Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 81.65°/o Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlington, Sarah Montague Yes Lexington, Sharon Musto Abstain Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Abstain Final status of the vote: Approved 1 4. CHAIR'S REPORT,Jeff Stulin a. For the Good of the Or�anization Mr.Mahoney reported that the Homecoming Event was inadvertently scheduled for Friday, September 15tb which falls on Rosh Hashanah. This event will be rescheduled to a new date and the administration will be mindful of all holidays that impact our students when planning future events. An announcement with this change of event date will be sent to parents. Mr. Stulin welcomed Sharon Musto as the new School Committee member from Lexington. Members introduced themselves to Ms. Musto. Mr. Stulin reviewed with members the School Committee meeting norms. These meeting norms will be sent to the Policy Subcommittee for review and updating and final recommendations will be brought to the full School Committee for approval. Ms. DeLuca asked that suggestions from members be sent to Ms. Pisegna. Ms. Nourse suggested a set of meeting norms for both virtual and in-person meetings. Mr. Stulin noted that would be a bigger issue and took that suggestion under advisement. ACTION 2023 #76 Moved(Nourse) and seconded(DeLuca) To approve the Policy Subcommittee to review and update of School Committee meeting norms 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlin ton, Sarah Monta ue Yes Lexin ton, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously Mr. Stulin reminded members of the importance of responding to emails on a timely basis, particularly emails for the purpose of scheduling future meetings. Mr. Stulin noted that a new secretary needs to be voted on. Ms. DeLuca nominated Erika Elzey for secretary. Ms. Elzey confirmed that, if nominated, she would serve as secretary. Mr. Stulin closed the nominations. ACTION 2023 #77 Moved(DeLuca) and seconded(Nourse) To nominate Erika Elzey as School Committee secretary 2 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlin ton, Sarah Monta ue Yes Lexin ton, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously Mr. Stulin thanked Ms. Elzey for taking on this role and presented to members the subcommittee assignment list. Ms. DeLuca noted that the last line of the Capital Planning School Building Committee description should read `it is also responsible for recommending long-term capital planning for the district'. Mr. Stulin added that the School Building Committee's name has been changed to the Capital Planning School Building Committee as we shift focus to the long-term capital needs of the district. The CAA Subcommittee name was confusing and has been changed to the Enrollment, Membership, Access,and Capaciry(EMAC)Subcommittee.This group will review enrollment,examine the membership of the district, ensure students have reasonable access to the school, and determine the proper number of students to ensure that they receive the high-quality education that Minuteman provides. ACTION 2023 #78 Moved(Nourse) and seconded(Cabral) To approve the 2023-2024 Subcommittee, Taskforce, and Liaisons, as presented 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlin ton, Sarah Monta ue Yes Lexin ton, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Absent Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously Mr. Stulin then reviewed with new members their requirements, including participation in the Chart the Course event,Open Meeting Law,and the Minuteman Policy Manual,and he explained the responsibilities of the Chair. Mr. Stulin thanked Judy Crocker of Lexington for her service on the School Committee and presented her with flowers. Ms.Crocker shared that it was an honor and privilege to serve as a School Committee member for Minuteman and welcomed Sharon Musto. 3 5. INTERIM PRINCIPAL'S REPORT,Katie BouchaNd a. Back to School Update Ms. Bouchard shared that classes and programs are in full swing. The freshman students have finished their mini-exploratory week of the 19 CTE programs. Students make their final program selections in January/February. She noted that there has been a huge increase in athletics with over 250 students registered for fall sports. She noted that this increase comes with challenges and thanked Mr. Fusco and Ms. Devereaux for their help in managing the increase in interest in Minuteman athletics. Upcoming events include: • September 13t''-Early dismissal and Professional Development for staff • October 11 r"—Parent Virtual Workshop with Middlesex Partnership for Youth on Healthy and Safe Relationships with their Teenagers Student events include: • September l lt''-15t''- Spirit Week • Club bussing for afternoon activities has begun Ms. Bouchard provided some year-end highlights on a number of pathways: • Communication Media Pathway includes Design and Visual Communications(DVC),Multimedia Engineering and Programming, and Web Development - all classes saw an increase in their enrollment. These programs offer a number of certifications, including OSHA and Adobe ACA Association, and numerous students from these programs participated in Ski11sUSA. The Outstanding Vocational Student of the Year was from DVC. • The Engineering and Production Pathway includes Engineering, Robotics and Automation, Metal Fabrication, Welding and Advanced Manufacturing. Enrollment for these programs has steadily increased, with continued work to build the Robotics Program. Pathway certifications include OSHA, Hot Works, Sold Works, and FESTOs. The Robotics Club won the district championship, and numerous students participated in the Ski11sUSA. • Trades and Transportation Pathway includes electrical,plumbing carpentry, and automotive. Enrollment—electrical is filled with a waitlist and includes four female students. Carpentry and plumbing also saw a large increase in their freshman enrollment. These programs offer certifications which include OSHA,Hot Works, CPR, and ASED Education Foundation Entry-Level Technician Student activities include the completion of the Habitat for Humanity House in Acton, and they will continue their partnership with Second Chance Cars. 4 • Health, Hospitality and Human Services Pathway includes the culinary arts, early education, cosmetology, and health assisting programs. Ms. Bouchard shared these service-industry programs have seen a dip in enrollment which she contributes to COVID, but hopes to see enrollment increase again in these programs as we return to our normal routines. Certifications in these programs include early education and care-infant teacher certification, Stop the Bleed, CPR/First Aid, ServSafe, Pro Start, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and Barbicide Certification. There is also an EMT and EKG course offered. • Agriculture, Environmental and Life Sciences Pathway (environmental science, biotechnology, horticulture and landscaping technology,and animal and plant science)-Ms. Bouchard shared that the animal science program finished its second year and ran a full freshman class with a waitlist. Environmental science received additional sophomores. Horticulture and biotech also had an increase in freshman enrollment. Certifications include OSHA, CPRO/First Aid, and basic drinking water treatment. Student activities included over 50 different field trips, and students received medals at FFA, as well as National Ski11sUSA gold medal winners. Comments from Committee Members Mr. Spalding thanked Ms. Bouchard for the very informative report and for all her efforts on the grants. He also noted the improvements on Minuteman's social media presence. Ms. DeLuca also thanked Ms. Bouchard for the great report and shared that it is a wonderful way to start the year off. Ms.Nourse asked if there has been any shift in the interest of students among the pathways. Ms. Bouchard noted that it goes in waves year-to-year from the typical pathways to science pathways, and it does not match the applications coming in. She noted that the exploratory process is truly exploratory for students, and they typically do not pick what they think would. Ms. DeLuca asked if we have what we need for 250 student-athletes. Ms. Bouchard responded that it is a challenge with more students wanting to play sports and noted the importance of planning for this in the budget next year to include coaches,uniforms, �eld time, and sports enrollment. Ms. DeLuca added that she recently attended the MASC Summer Institute, and the MIAA hot topic was focused on what sports are teaching students. Ms. Bouchard reported that the increase equates to 100 more student-athletes. b. Bussing Update Ms. Bouchard shared that while we continue to make strides with our bussing, there continues to be a bus driver shortage across all districts. The opt-out option to minimize travel has been very successful. The webpage has been revamped to include daily times and schedule adjustments for parents, as well as an up- to-date blackboard message app for last-minute communication issues. We will be re-evaluating bus capacities when sports are not in session and all students are leaving at 2:30 p.m. 5 Currently, we are one route short and while NRT has a bus available, they continue to struggle to find drivers. We are also working with NRT for weather-related issues so that we are able to get that message out to parents as soon as possible. Ms. Bouchard noted that Minuteman has one of the most dispersed routes in the state which spans 162 square miles area for our buses to cover. Comments from Committee Members Ms. Musto thanked Ms. Bouchard for the bussing update and noted that the biggest complaints she hears are regarding the busses and the inconsistency of the pick-up times. Ms. Bouchard reminded all to contact Mr. Tildsley's office with any bussing issues. Ms. Musto also brought up a concern with the speed of the bus drivers. Ms. Bouchard will bring it up to that issue with the bus company. 6. Finance Report a. Finance Subcommittee Report—Steve Ledoux Mr. Ledoux reported that there has not been a recent Finance Committee meeting. The committee and their new members will be meeting this week to approve warrants and bond payments, as well as plan their meeting schedule moving forward. 7. ACTING SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT,Kevin Mahoney a. Staf�ng Update Mr. Mahoney provided an update on staffing. They are actively working to fill one Special Education teacher position), an engineering technology position, a special education paraprofessional, and two technical positions. On the administrative side, we continue to fill the IT network administrator position and the Director of Operations. Comments from Committee Members Ms. Nourse asked if the percentage of students on IEP/s this year has changed. Ms. Bouchard responded that, in general, it has remained the same. b. Approval to Authorize the Actin� Superintendent to Post and Be�in the Hirin�Process for the Position of Director of Operations Mr. Mahoney asked for approval to move forward with the hiring process for the position of Director of Operations. He noted that the position has taken on different fortns as they continued to look at the different needs of the administration. He believes it makes sense to hire a director of operations who would oversee more than plant management and assume the role of facility rentals, coordinating clients, and issuing contracts and billings. There is also a Human Resource component for this role that will oversee the position of Human Resource Coordinator who handles all day-to-day items. The role will have oversight of the maintenance and facility scheduling, human resources, and overseeing of procurements and budget for facility and equipment purchases. He believes that this position captures the Director of Operations with a Human Resource Director and Facilities Coordinator without the need to add additional staffing to meet those needs. 6 Comments from Committee Members Ms.Montague asked whether there were any duties that were previously handled by the Business Manager, such as negotiations of contracts and purchasing and accounting functions. Mr. Mahoney responded that while it is different, the Business Manager would also support such things as the calculations of contracts and proposals. Procurements will be more specific to the unique purchasing for the building and the facility. Ms.Nourse expressed concern that Human Resources would be short-changed in this constellation of skills because it is a very specialized field and that it seems to be one thing that does not quite fit the same as the other. Mr. Mahoney noted that while that is a fair observation, he feels there is a candidate who would be able to handle that depth of background that could handle. After further discussion with the administrative team, he feels there is enough support with the Human Resources Coordinator currently in place, and that is why this position would provide an administrative layer that can cover all those responsibilities. Mr. Spalding noted the importance of the 5-year capital planning and asked if this position would be responsible for that. Mr. Mahoney replied that this position would be responsible for drafting that capital plan and would work with the subcommittee on that. Mr. Stulin reiterated the same concern for the Human Resource element and the candidate would need to be evaluated very carefully. Mr.Mahoney believes that there are administrators,particularly those who come from other school districts, who have experience in these areas, and they will be very cautious about the selection so that they do get the right person. Ms.DeLuca added that while the School Committee does not typically approve this position,they are doing so due to Mr. Mahoney serving as Acting Superintendent. ACTION 2023 #79 Moved(Spalding) and seconded(DeLuca) To authorize the Acting Superintendent to post and begin the hiring process for the position of Director of Operations 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 10% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton, Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlington, Sarah Montague Yes Lexington, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously 7 c. Minuteman Technical Institute Update—Dr. Nancv Houle Dr. Houle provided members with an update on the current happenings of Minuteman Technical Institute and highlighted the Chapter 74 evening program offerings, the industry-recognized credentials, and the recent awards received totaling$3,000,500. She reported that MTI is currently running at 73%capacity. She noted that to date,97%of tuition has been received for the 2022-2023 program year. Dr.Houle shared the new branding for Minuteman Technical Institute—Your Experience,Your Tomorrow, Your MTI which is more fitting to the experience of the students. Dr. Houle detailed the next steps for MTI which include a focus on the impact of MassReconnect, an increase in social media, moving all programs to build-it models, introduction of the new SIM system for registration and enrollment, and the new program offerings. Dr. Houle will also continue to spearhead the CTI Director's Group for increased presence and communication between CommCorp and grantees. Comments from Committee Members Mr. Spalding commented that this a great opportunity and the more advertising,marketing,and social media that can be done to attract more students the better, and suggested Lt. Governor Driscoll visit as she is a real advocate for vocational education. Ms. DeLuca thanked Dr. Houle for the report and her continued work with other directors. Mr. Stulin suggested that Committee members tour MTI in the near future. d. Continued Discussion on Phase 2 Minuteman Athletic Complex Development RFP Mr. Mahoney continued the discussion on the Phase 2 Minuteman Athletic Complex Development RFP previously discussed with Committee members. He reviewed the previous presentation which provided an update on how the proposal identified with what we were looking for in our RFP and areas of concern to be mindful of if we were to enter into this type of partnership. There was also a financial analysis of the partnership which illustrated conservatively that we could have that as a self-sustained enterprise,as well as covering the debt associated with it so that it does not have any impact on our member towns meeting our initial goal as we set out on this project. He noted that the award for this proposal has not been awarded as of yet. He has continued to communicate with officials at Lesley University. He will also be meeting with the representatives from Lesley, our athletic directors, and the representatives from the Boston Bolts, our primary field users, to coordinate schedules and address any administrative issues, and ensure that we are meeting expectations with our major tenants. Mr. Mahoney noted that there is still work to be done if we desire to enter into a Licensing Agreement for this project with Lesley University which would include a 1,200-seat capacity grandstand,six tennis courts, fieldhouse, and other items. This would be a 10-year agreement with two 5-year option years which would be in exchange for time provided by Minuteman to Lesley for the purposes of their intercollegiate sports schedule and other events. He presented the three possible motions to the Committee member which awards the proposal to Lesley University, contingent upon negotiations of a mutually agreeable Lease Agreement to be approved by the Committee. 8 Mr.Mahoney reiterated that based on the advice of counsel,even though the proposal that Lesley University brought forward had some items that we were very interested in and aligned well with our RFP request, it also had some things that we would not agree to because the initial intent is to ensure that Minuteman is the owner and the primary user and everyone else takes a back seat and that we are not awarding the proposal as written,but rather we are continuing to negotiate what we would need to do enter into a Lease Agreement. He added that if that step is taken, that would engage the administration to continue to meet with the chief executive officers of our member towns to discuss with them where we are with this process in the event that they wish to express some concerns or issues about access and any issues relating to Minuteman, and that could go concurrently with the negotiations if we choose to award the contract. In addition to that, as recommended by counsel, we would name a negotiating committee to work with Lesley University. including a liaison from the School Committee, so that we can report back to the full School Committee on where we are with those negotiations. Finally, to allow the process to move forward with those negotiations so that we do not lose any time, the third motion will be to authorize the preliminary Site Access License drafted by our counsel and allows Lesley to do their analysis and due diligence on what they need to do in order to execute the project that is being proposed. Comments from Committee Members Mr. Stulin asked for confirmation that Motion No. 1, the award bid, does not bind us to anything, except for negotiating an actual agreement and is necessary for us to move forward with our exploration of the next step until we do that. Mr.Mahoney responded that as far as our RFP,we did have a commitment to award by a date-specific time which we have exceeded, but due to there being only one bidder in the process, we can negotiate an extension on that award. He noted that we are well beyond the timeline that we intended to award so delaying the vote would delay the formality of the proposal moving forward, and likely from their perspective,may delay their moving forward with the Site Access License. Ms. DeLuca noted that she was nervous before because there was no previous contingent part included in the previous motion,but she is much more comfortable now and that it is clear that the language of this Site Access License was written by our counsel, and it is all about Minuteman first always. She added that seeing `contingent upon successful negotiations' made her feel better about her concerns in the original RFP response relating to their partners and their intramural sports, along with other undefined items,and she now feels comfortable that this is allowing them to just come onsite and do the drillings,but the results of the drillings become the property of Minuteman. They also have to behave according to our rules,because it is Minuteman's school and fields, and she votes yes. She also added that she recently spoke to her town manager who mentioned as we put money aside for field replacement,we should also put money aside for anything to do with the basketball court,such as the floors, and we should be preparing to replace those items due to wear and tear. Mr. Spalding added that it is more than just rental fees from the fields,it is rental income from the basketball, athletic facilities, and building rentals. There are tremendous opportunities here and the key is the development of Phase 2 of the athletic complex. He added that the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets and construction costs continue to rise and reiterated the need to make a decision. 9 Mr. Stulin added that while he is not ready to fully sign an agreement, he is willing to explore the opportunity and we need this to move forward. Ms.Nourse added that while she had problems with the original proposal,she is surprised now at how much this protects Minuteman and is very happy about that. She emphasized the importance of communication with our towns during this process. ACTION 2023 #80 Moved(Nourse) and seconded(DeLuca) To award the contract in BID#23-02 to Lesley University, contingent upon negotiation of a mutually agreeable lease agreement to be approved by the Committee. 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlington, Sarah Montague Yes Lexington, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously ACTION 2023 #81 Moved(Stulin)and seconded(Cabral) To designate Ford Spalding as the Committee's liaison for the purpose of negotiating a lease agreement with Lesley University, the final approval of which shall subject to vote of the Committee. 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlington, Sarah Montague Yes Lexington, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously Mr. Stulin noted he was comfortable moving forward with this document as it is clearly all about Minuteman. Ms. Cabral noted that Page 5, under insurance, should read' subcontractors and the University shall be named as additional insured,not`or'. Alternatively,a period could be added before the word subcontractor to make that a new sentence so that they are added as additional insured. She also expressed concern on Page 8, subsection J, section 13 — Miscellaneous Provisions — as it is contradictory and needs to be clarified. 10 Mr. Stulin added that subject to the items Ms. Cabral just mentioned that our lawyers will review, we can move forward with this agreement and the motion on the table with the specific changes mentioned to be made, and the other is a request for our lawyer to eliminate ambiguity. Ms. Cabral added that the notice provisions also need to be updated. Ms. DeLuca added that on Page 6,No. 8, the word gross, as in gross negligence, is highlighted in yellow. She also noted under page,clause,and responsibility,if Lesley is taken over by a bigger university as small colleges are vulnerable now,that is the only location where she found it would be protecting us if there was some change in Lesley's status and she wanted to ensure we are covered in the event they are taken over by a larger university. Mr. Stulin replied that those items would be answered by the attorney before the Chair signed the document. ACTION 2023 #82 Moved(Cabral) and seconded(Spalding) To authorize the Chair to execute a site access license with Lesley University,in substantially the form presented to the Committee. 9 members present at time of vote. Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% Vote: Acton,Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlington, Sarah Montague Yes Lexington, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously 11. Executive Session VOTE: To enter into Executive Session and not return to Open Session,with Attorney Josh Coleman and Julia Pisegna attending: a) Pursuant to M.G.L.c. 300A, Section 21(a)(2)for the purpose of discussing strategy as it relates to contract negotiations with none union personnel: Superintendent/Director b) Pursuant to Purpose 7; M.G.L .c. 30A, §21(a)(7) to comply with, or act under the authority of, any general or special law, specifically M.G.L. c. 30A, §22(�, and §22(g),regarding approval of eXecutive session minutes and review of eXecutive session minutes for release or continued non-disclosure, specifically, minutes for the executive session held by the School Committee on April 11, 2023, and from May 31, 2023 to August 29, 2023. ACTION 2023 #83 Moved (DeLuca) and seconded(Nourse) 9 members present at time of vote Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed: > 50% Final percentage results of vote: 100% 11 Vote: Acton, Pam Nourse Yes Lancaster, Charlene Cabral Yes Arlington, Sarah Montague Yes Lexington, Sharon Musto Yes Bolton, Erika Elzey Yes Needham, Jeff Stulin Yes Concord, Steve Ledoux Yes Stow, Alice DeLuca Yes Dover,Ford Spalding Yes Final status of the vote: Approved unanimously Respectfully submitted, Julia Pisegna Erika Elzey District Assistant Secretary 12