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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINAL - SC MIinutes January 11 2022.pdf FINAL MINU FLS MINU FEMAN REGIONAL VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT REGULAR SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING JANUARY 11, 2022 6.30 P M. VIA REMO1 E PARTICIPATION Present Pam Nourse. Chair(Acton) Michael Ruderman(Arlington) Steve LeDoux. Vice-Chair(Concord) Ford Spalding(Dover) Jennifer Leone(Lancaster) Judy Crocker(Lexington) Jeff Stulin (Needham) Alice DeLuca. Secretary(Stow) Dave O'Connoi (Bolton) Weighted Vote Weighted Vote present at start of meeting 100% Others Present Dr Edward Bouquillon, Amy Peireault, Rich Ikonen, Anthony Chiariello, Katie Bouchard, and Julia Piscgna Note. The COVID-19 pandemic continues with a new variant of the virus influencing the operations of all school districts nationwide I CALL TOORDLR• OPEN SESSION Fhe Chair called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m 2 ADOPTION OF REMOTE PARTICIPATION VOTE. To adopt remote participation by all members of the Minuteman School Committee pursuant to and in accordance with Sections(2)and (3)of the Executive Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law made by the Governo► of Massachusetts on March 12, 2020, such adoption to be effective until said Executive Order is rescinded or the Commonwealth's State of Emergency as referenced in said Executive Ordei. is terminated whichever happens first ACI ION 2022#1 Moved (Leone)and seconded(DeLuca) fo approve remote participation VOTE, 9 members in room at time of vole Weighted Vote present. 100% Weight needed• >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining: none Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote Unanimous Roll Call 1 Pam Nourse(Acton)(Yes) Jennifer Leone(Lancaster)(Yes) Michael Ruderman(Arlington)(Yes) Judy Crocker(Lexington)(Yes) Dave 0 Connor (Bolton)(Yes) Jeff Stulrn,(Needham)(Yes) Sieve LeDoux (Concord)(Yes) Alice DeLuca. Secretary (Stow)(Yes) Ford Spalding(Dover)(Yes) PUBLIC COMMENT Dr Bouquillon stated that no comments were received 4 CHAIR'S REPORT- Pam Nourse a For the Good of the Organization Committee Chair,Pam Nourse,welcomed Jim Gammill to the meeting to give an OPEB Advisory Group report with Steve Ledoux and asked that the agenda be taken out of order to allow Mi. Gammill to make his presentation FINANCE REPORT Steve Ledoux a OPEB Advisor) Group Report -Steve Ledoas VOTE• 1 o approve the report and recommendation presented by the OPEB Advisory Group Mr Ledoux stated that in the fall of 2021,the School Committee approved the torniation of an Advisory Committee to review and make recommendations. both short-term and long-term. foi OPEB The Committee consisted of Mr Ledoux as Chair of the Finance Subcommittee Mr Gammill as an et-large member, Mr Ikonen. Ms. Elliott, Dist'ict Treaswer and Mr Sandy Pooler, Finance Director and Deputy Town Manager in Ailington 1 he Committee met every Tuesday during the month of December They also met with the advisor\oho performed the biennial actuarial study The committee has completed their task and Mr Gammill presented their findings and recommendations for consideration by the School Committee (A copy of the 16 page r epor 1, addenda, and recommendation by the OPEB Advisory Group is attached) Other Postemployment Benefits (or OPLB) we benefits (other than pensions) that U.S, state and local governments provide to then reined employees Minuteman pays a share of the health insurance costs for its retirees ft is a benefit that employees earn while working bin receive while they are retired 11 is deferred compensation. The GASB net-liabihhr rs era really 525 million but Mr Gamill stated that it does not represent a financial danger to the Dish is t Steve Ledou\thanks the OPEB Advisory Group for their work. 1 le hopes that the School Committee will accept the report and direct the Finance Subcommittee to work with the Policy Subcommittee on a long- term OPFB policy and thirdly dissolve the committee as their work is complete. Mr Stulin thanked Mr Gammill for his presentation and for taking on this difficult challenge Ile shared that he was impressed by how clearly this complicated situation was summai ized and the solution presented in a very simple way Mr Stulin shared his three points 1)concern regarding the increased assessments coming at the same time we are reaching the maximum assessments due to the new building He recognized that this increase in assessment is very challenging for our members for the next tew years and his concern is not the plan, 2 but rather the timing. 2)he also asked whether our towns wanted this paid off faster as we may have to either raise assessments to some extent or decrease services. and 3) asked what other regional school districts were doing who are in the same position. Mi Stull!'thanked Mr. Gammill and members for the great lob and sound recommendations. Mr Ledoux responded and indicated that the proposed number is in the FY23 proposed budget and that it should be relatively painless. He thinks the major concern would be that$10,000 OPEB factor and whether it be implemented for FY23 or held off an additional year He added that he is not aware of what the other towns are doing and suggested that we are probably going to he fully funded by 2030 and he believes that Acton and Concord Carlisle are similar. Di.Bouquillon noted that given the fact that the$10.000 component needs to be coditied in policy,which could take three to four months to research and vet, his opinion would be to have that impact the FY24 budget rather than try to find an additional$45 000 out of the budget two weeks before the public hearing. Mr Ledoux shared that he does not disagree with Dr. Bouquillon and that this did come late in the game The Finance Committee recently met, and members expressed why we were doing just new hires as opposed to everyone and that it does make sense to consider the whole and suggested a joint kind of policy designed by the Finance Committee and the Policy Subcommittee Ms.Crocker thanked members for the well written and concise report,which was easy to understand,and she is looking forward to working on a policy for this item. Mr. Ruderman added that the report was exceptionally well-written and inquired about what would be the worst-case scenario or downside for entities that are following the pay-as-you-go model and continuing to do what we have been doing Mr Ledoux responded that at some point, a wave of retirements will hit the district and then those numbers will really increase, so the fact that we have put aside money will help soften that It is all a tactor of who retires and when they retire. Mr Gammill added that the consultant had mentioned,as indicated on page 10 of the report,that the total open liability is broken down between current retirees versus actual active employees The$26M is split about 50/50 with$13M each for those two groups Ile explained that the districts or towns that are going to have a much bigger problem have a higher valuation lumped in with the active employees So. it the split was$6M and$20M,you might expect a large wave That would he a warning flag that at some point there is a much target pool about to crash, but relatively speaking, this district is more balanced. Regarding sustainability,he remarked that one thing you do not want to do is hire a lot of people who are age 54 with nine years of service and having short employment times and picking up all of their retirement costs Mr. Ruderman thanked Mr Gammill for his response and shared that he is solidly in favor of putting away money now for what we can see coming along. Ms. Leone added that the liability does affect the bond rating of the district and is one of those things that becomes part of the ledger. and it does affect what people see is your stability as a district, which is important. She noted that Lancaster is fully funded but their regional school district is not She said that while she agrees that the El E item should wait until the FY24 budget,there needs to be a discussion and policy that includes the new lure/existing staff issue. She suggested that while members are going in front -3- of their town's finance committees we can find out what people think about the importance of this and how they would feel if assessments are increased for OPEB It appears that the number being recommended in this FY23 budget is not going to be a problem but we do have to look forward Mr Stulin added that we need to gather information about what our towns think and what other regional school dust!rets are doing We need to move forward with some version of this and suggested that the sooner we get started,the better. Ms DeLuca noted that it might be helpful to share this report when we meet with our individual Finance Committees because she did a quick look up of some districts recent analysis and as Ms Leone noted, they are nowhere near this position She also does not believe that what she understands to be the Stow position is at the same level of sophistication in terms of planning, and it would be constructive to share this information as they may be very interested Mr Gammill added that the big change over the work of this task group was really focused online 5250 as one numbei He suggested thinking of it as a multi-year plan for that line which means that if the insurance costs for the retirees increase higher than expected, that means we scale back what we are putting inside the fund, and the flip side is that if you have a year of slow or no growth in terms of the health insurance costs for the retirees for the pay-as-you-go,then you can put more into it There is a built- in cushion which gives a more predictable pattern toi budgeting where you really set a schedule for the entire line allowing the OPEB funding to take the hit if health insurance costs go faster than expected or benefit by the fact that they go down That is an important budgeting aspect He added that to Ms Leone's point about the bond rating, Belmont has AAA rating, one of the eight towns in Massachusetts that does and their OPEB liability is approximately $180M and they manage that with a school building of$300M because they have a policy in place and a treasurer who was willing to talk about the fact that they have this under control The liability number itself does not scare off the credit rating people You just have to credibly talk about it and have a multi-year plan and policy that will go a long way with your ratings If you build up a long-term endowment which you have control over, and that you can put money in and take money out with at 2/3 vote and pick up long-term gains along the way from a long-term invested fund, it is worth it He said this may not be what other districts are doing. but it is sound policy in his opinion Mi Ledoux added that Ms DeLuca makes a good point in sharing this report and that he and Dr. Bouquillon will be in front of the Concord Select Board soon and he will share this report with them as they were one of the groups that raised an issue with this item VOTE To accept the report. direct the Finance Subcommittee and the Policy Subcommittee to adopt a long-term OPEB policy,and to dissolve the OPEB Advisory Group AC HON 2022#2 Moved(DeLuca)and seconded(Ledoux) To accept the report, direct the Finance Subcommittee and the Policy Subcommittee to adopt a long-term OPEB policy, and to dissolve the OPEB Advisory Group VOTE 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present: 100°i° Weight needed >50 00% Names of towns opposing or abstaining. none Final percentage results of vote 100°%o Final status of the vote. Unanimous 4 Roll Call Pam Nowse(Acton)(Yes) Jennifer Leone(Lancaster)(Yes) Michael Ruderman(Arlington)(Yes) Judy Crocker(Lexington)(Yes) Dave O'Connor(Bolton)(Yes) Jeff Stulin, (Needham)(Yes) Steve LeDoux(Concord)(Yes) Alice DeLuca, Secretary (Stow)(Yes) Ford Spalding(Dover)(Yes) Ms Nourse thanked the committee, and especially Mr Gammrll, for the hard work on this report There were thanks to Mr Ledoux as well Ms Nourse noted that we will continue with the scheduled agenda 4 CHAIR'S REPORT-Pant Nowse a For the Good of the Organization Ms Clocker thanked those involved for the Boston Globe article on the Minuteman Technical Institute and commented that she thought it was very well done 5 PRINCIPAL'S REPORT a families for Depression Awareness and Sandy Hook's Promise Mr Clement reported that professional development for staff this year includes heavy emphasis on social/emotional learning, the first two offered in-house with our staff The Families for Depression Awareness did a presentation to staff and students We are working with them on a multi-pronged approach.There are two programs,one about stress management which students can choose,and one on depression awareness one grade at a time The program will highlight a deeper understanding of the signs of depressions and how to cope I he program will also be extended to parents This program is being offered in combination with the Minuteman Parents Association lie added that Sandy Hook's Promise will be doing a presentation on "see something, say something", and it starts with hello. These school-wide programs will take place tomorrow during Advisory period h. I lot Works Certification The Hot Works Certification was conducted last week and included 60 participants Massachusetts is increasing their requirements in an effort to teach safety around tire, and it is a real advantage for our students to be involved in this c Adrustme to the New Realities of COViD Mr Clement shared that COVID numbers seem to be spiking since the return from the holidays lie added that it was a good decision to cancel school on Monday last week which allowed families to test and prevented additional spreading in the school. We were aware of students who tested positive over vacation, so it was an opportunity to reach out to them as well He also noted that we are running the test-and-stay program When a student tests positive,we look for potential close contacts,and search the seating charts and their athletic teams Fle remarked that contact-tracing is a lot of work for our nurses and requires a team to coordinate and organize the information -5- He expressed that right now, in general, is a busy time in education and shared that the pandemic has really worn a lot of people out He shared that he read an article today that quoted the NEA reporting that one out of three teachers is considering early retirement, he shared that Dr Bouquillon talked with the Executive learn about the increase in suicidal ideation among superintendents He added that he is proud of the staff and reminds them that Minuteman is a special place Dr Bouquillon added that since December 15111, we had over a 91%attendance rate for students Since the break. the staff has had a 90% attendance rate He shared some statistics from other schools and reported that some communities have had to close school or cancelled all winter sports Minuteman has had to cancel some things and limit attendance at sporting events. He recognized that people are burnt out, parents students, teachers administrators, and the importance of taking care of each other If we need to slow things down we can take an early release day or a snow day. There are differing opinions about what we should do. This is all on a day-by-day basis He noted that this is hard Mr Stulin commented that as a teacher, the only thing that is keep him going is the understanding that the surge will not last forever and things will look better sometime around mid-February He noted that schools are being battered with all of the sometimes-conflicting things that are happening simultaneously He asked if we were still happy with the district's current approach to COVID testing and if there are sufficient resources to carry it out effectively Dr. Bouquillon stated that the test-and-stay program has extensive contact-tracing requirements that sap the energy of a lot of people Some schools are getting permission from their local boards of health to change this He thinks that there are enough tests lir the program, but that individual families are having trouble finding tests. i le noted that on January 27 there will be an onsite vaccination clinic at the school Mr Clement shared that the test-and-stay program requires a lot of time and resources from a lot of people, and there are some school communities that have gotten permission from the Department of Public Health to not do contact tracing He added that contact tracing requires an incredible amount of time and he questions the value add from it He described some examples where the cases became very complicated over lapping contacts Mr Stulin asked if it would be fair to say that we are very happy w ith how the test-and-stay program is working, but because of the number of cases the contact tracing is impractical. He asked if there was anything that the School Committee could provide or assist with, such as resources,to keep things at an even keel as we continue to move through the next tour or six weeks,or anything politically that can be done,or through allocation of funds that could assist them'' Ms Nourse asked for clarification from Mi Clement asking when he refers to the level of burnout. what would be the one thing that would make the biggest difference and impact'? Dr Bouquillon suggested a four-day week, noting that the weekend would break the infection cycle for the first couple of days, as opposed to five to seven days Ms DeLuca added that she is happy to hear that we are taking care of each other because there are a lot of"thoughts and prayers' out those aren't really effective She asked whether we could do a four-day week. calling snow days on Friday or whatever day they want, until we get through to the peak in February,to get them through this grim part of the winter. Dr Bouquillon suggested that he would be able to determine that after the data conies in for the next couple of days and determine what direction we are pushing in, and that our decision will he based on -6- solid information Ile would also work with the union and noted that the Commissioner of Education remarked that he may give some leeway as to the 180-day requirement. but there is not that same sense of flexibility from the Governor Ms. DeLuca added that she is seeing how difficult this is in all realms of life, particularly now, and it is very tough on people, perhaps due to the holidays being over but there is something different about this past week,and reiterated that she hopes we continue to find ways to look after one another. Mr Stulan remarked that Governor Baker will be very tough until he can't be tough anymore because the data will speak for itself l le noted that the staff is all very important to us. He added that he is very happy that this crew is in charge, because so far in this pandemic we have made a lot of very good decisions If you need an emergency School Committee meeting to discuss this further or for support of your decision,that can be arranged He sees this unfolding,both from the perspective as a teacher and as part of the team dealing with all of this, so if the district needs anything,the School Committee is there for support Dr Bouquillon thanked members of the School Committee for their support. 6 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT- Dr Edward Bouquillon a School Buildinit Committee Report— Ford Spalding Mr. Spalding shared that he does not see the need for the School Building Committee to meet during the winter as there is snow and ice on top of all the fields so there is no work going on now until the spring when we can spread the loam and plant grass b. Capacity Building Update o North Out Building Bid Update Dr Bouquillon provided an update on the north outbuilding which is the expansion of the metal tab shop area. The bids went out and were very good. The lowest qualified bid received was from Seaver Construction out of Woburn. He noted that the architects, Kaestle Boos Associates were hired approximately six months ago to manage the process of bidding with our district office We have budgeted approximately $700,000 foi the building and the hid for the slab floor,doors,and rooftop fans coming in at approximately $435,000 We expect to receive more information next week, as well as a detailed project timeline with substantial completion of the building in June 2022. The remaining work will be completed as a workplace learning opportunity for the trade students from electrical and plumbing o East Campus Development Protect Update Dr. Bouquillon reported that foi the east development project, or the veterinary clinic area, he recently received approval from the regional office to directly contact the corporate headquarters of Blue Pearl to discuss a partnership with them in more detail, understanding fully that any kind of public-private partnership would need to go out to bid. They have been great about donating time, materials, and equipment and Dr. Bouquillon wanted to personally speak to them further about their interest. c Town of Lincoln and Permitting Fees Refund Update Dr. Bouquillon reported that he received a letter today from the town Administratoi of Lincoln Mr Spalding reported that there was a meeting with the District's attorney. Skanska,Kaestle Boos,and staff, and he will provide further details at the next scheduled School Committee meeting in executive session on February 8 e Fall 2022 Admissions Update—Anthony Chiariello o Applications Received to Date 7 Mr Chiariello provided an update on the applications received and noted that there is a 12 % increase from last year and almost a 20% increase from the class of 2024 He highlighted the most significant increase is from Concord. We continue along with the interview process To date,we have interviewed 100 students. with another 61 interviews scheduled. He also noted that this is the time of year where we start reaching out more proactively to get these interviews completed and ensure that the student and families who are interested in Minuteman complete the entire process, so that if they are qualified, and can be accepted to Minuteman Ile added that based on historical data, the percentage of students who accept their offer of admission. we would need between 210 and 220 qualified applications to meet our admission number of 175 students for the class of'2026 and he believes that can be accomplished by the February 15' deadline He noted that we currently have 71 out-of-district applications to date. which a bit more than last year, with the town of Watertown having the most, all of which was done with no marketing or recruiting and is based on word of mouth and reputation. Mr Stulin asked if since we have more applicants from in-district and fewer slots this year(175), is there is reasonable chance that we will have a significant waiting list for in district students this year9 Mr Chiariello said that a high amount would be 40-50, more likely 20-30 as a guess, so that might be considered a significant number of in-district students for whom there will not be space He said that students who apply after February 15 will not be able to obtain a space We will be transparent and honest with them, explaining that their chances will be slim e.Discussion on Draft Watertown Correspondence re Regional Agreement Dr. Bouquillon reminded members that in July, they voted that the Superintendent explore what the impact would be of adding towns to the district,with the focus on Watertown. He provided a letter in the school committee packet, from Ms.Nourse to Watertown. which he reviewed with the Officers for edits and adjustments He referenced that Deanne Galdston, Superintendent of Watertown, did a report on CTE high quality career technical education in Watertown and Minuteman is referenced throughout the document. They have formed an ad hoc committee. Dr Bouquillon and Mr Mahoney met some time ago with members of the Watertown City Council and school committee and had great discussions We have completed a financial analysis on what the impact of Watertown's membership would he to our membei towns, as well as the slot allocations for current member towns, and it equated to a reduction of one to four slots per town if we added Watertown in at the current projected enrollment (which has been declining each year) He noted that traditionally, Watertown had 60 to 70 students If Watertown joined in July 2023, that would be their impact on the slot allocation, assuming 160 freshman and our capacity can handle that. He noted that there is a vote before the Committee this evening to approve that letter. Mr Stulin commented that if they were to join, the argument for increasing the capacity of the school to 800, (200 per class), would be easier to make because that would reduce member assessments and we would reach 800 students quickly if Watertown was to join the district I ie also noted that the Watertown report referenced Medford and Waltham Di Bouquillon reminded him of the previous SOLVED collaborative where it was offered as an option for students that would allow them to remain a Watertown student but participate in vocational education in Medford The scheduling of such a thing would be problematic. It diverts the attention to the option of Minuteman as being the most viable option Even if they were to build a new school it would be similar to Newton North that CTE programs that students go for a few periods a day -8- Ms DeLuca added that the percentage of voting needs to be included in the letter Mr Ruderman asked what the terms would be that we would admit a new member town to be discussed or are they governed by parameters that would tix the negotiating points. Dr Bouquillon stated that the process is well-defined in the revised Regional Agreement, but basically would require Watertown City Council to vote prior to December 15d to join and then we would have to take that to all our member towns who would have to approve that because it is a revision to our Regional Agreement. Pending approval, the following July Is'they would become a member. It is a long process that goes through the town meetings so that each town can weigh in.ask questions, and vote to approve or disapprove it. but we need to have unanimous approval. Mr Ruderman stated that he knows that Arlington will ask what we are going to charge them for coining to this brand-new building. Dr Bouquillon replied that it is all laid out in the revised Regional Agreement, as well as part of the analysis that we did for them They would get their share based on the four-year rolling average of enrollment, similar to a member town He noted that he would not even consider the option of a 4-year escalation as it would not make a difference because their enrollment is low now. Ms DeLuca said there are many advantages for both Minuteman and Watertown from such an arrangement. VOTE: To approve extending an invitation to the Watertown Public Schools to consider joining the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District and for Ms.Nourse, as Chair of the School Committee,to contact John Port?, Chair of the Watertown School Committee. ACTION 2022# Moved(DeLuca)and seconded(Leone) To approve extending an invitation to the Watertown Public Schools to consider joining the Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School District and for Ms Nourse,as Chair of the School Committee,to contact John Portz,Chair of the Watertown School Committee.as amended VOTE. 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed: > 50% Names of towns opposing or abstaining Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote. Unanimous Roll Call: Pam Nourse,Chair(Acton)(Yes) Jennifer Leone(Lancaster)(Yes) Michael Ruderman(Arlington)(Yes) Judy Crocker(Lexington)(Yes) Dave O'Connor(Bolton)(Yes) Jeff Stuhn(Needham)(Yes) Steve LeDoux(Concord)(Yes) Alice DeLuca(Stow)(Yes) Ford Spalding(Dover)Yes) -9- 7 FINANCE REPOR I a. Finance Committee t odate—Steve Ledoux Mr Ledoux reported that the Finance Committee met last evening and reviewed the latest version of the Dr Bouquwllon's budget The Finance Committee recommends the budget of the Superintendent b FY23 Budget Presentation and Recommendations—Dr Bouquillon and Steve Ledoux Dr Bouquillon reminded members that the Public Budget Hearing is scheduled for January 27'1,We will make the presentation and hear comments and questions from the public, followed by another School Committee meeting to discuss the budget He noted that as he continues to get updated information. he will make additional adjustments The snow date is scheduled for Thursday. February 3rd Dr Bouquillon presented his FY23 Superintendent Recommended Budget PowerPoint presentation (v 5 1) FY23 Operating Request $22,092,652 (6 57% above I-Y22), FY23 Capital Request $1,235.608 (8 89°ro above FY22), and FY23 Project Debt$5,682,363 (1,60%below FY22) (A copy of the 1;Y23 Superunendem Recommended Budget (1'5) is attached.) Ms Crocker thanked everyone involved. She noted that Lexington is looking for its individual town assessments Dr Bouquillon said that the District has sent the updates to the towns She would like a hard copy of the PowerPoint and the budget Mi Stulin commented that in terms of the hard information per slide it is far beyond most presentations It is incredibly dense because there are so many topics of importance that are explained in more detail than one would usually see I hat is a great positive He asked if it is accurate to state that the primary driver of the 15%assessment increase is that member towns are sending more students to the school therefore their assessments go up,while at the same time we get less money from out-of-district students to reduce assessments,or are there other major factors? Dr. Bouquillon responded that is the primary driver Mr Stulin asked for a slide explaining exactly that it is not due to overspending, it is not a huge increase in capital but rather what was requested for 20 years which is more member town students coming and few out of district students coming. This is the primary reason for the 15% increase A separate sheet of' paper clearly demonstrating that fact would be very valuable. Dr Bouquillon noted that this executive summary is included on page 4-5 of the budget book Mr. Ruderman added that the hrnance Committee has been working on the graphics in the budget presentation,but the story they tell is that as one end of the teeter-totter goes down the other end goes up and the narrative and story continues through all the data He shared that he is confident that we will be able to make people understand Ms. DeLuca asked that information about the Minuteman Technical institute (M'fl) be included in the budget Dr. Bouquillon said it is time for an addendum on MTi He noted that it is typically discussed in the revolving funds and is done after the budget is approved in February t Ie said that the finance Subcommittee will be looking at it in February 10 Ms. DeLuca added that though grant funding has its own page in the budget book she does not see where it integrates with the rest of the budget,and she would like further details to share with interested parties Mr Ledoux noted that there will be the Public Budget Hearing on January 27, followed by a School Committee meeting. so there is no action needed tonight. Mr. Stuhn thanked Dr. Bouquillon and the Finance Committee for a ten ific job on the budget. Dr. Bouquillon praised Nikki Andrade's work 8. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS a Communications.Access,and Admissions Subcommittee—Jeff Stulm Mr Stului stated that he only has two comments 1) in the back of his mind. is the tact that we will have a lot of unhappy parents this year(due to waitlists)so it is likely we will hear about that;and 2)he understands that the revised website is going to go live soon,and lie is very much looking forward to it Dr. Bouquillon noted that the company they were working with had a security issue, so fortunately we had not released anything It was delayed for a few days, but we expect to have it up and running shortly. b Sunermtendent Finalist Grouo— Ford Spalding Mr Spalding noted that on January 5'h, Dr. Amy Perreault spent the day at Minuteman. On January 12th' Kevin McCaskill will spend the day here On January 19'x', Dr. Kathleen Dawson will spend the day at Minuteman The schedule. Candidate arrives at 1 115,have lunch with the student ambassadors, followed by a tour. The candidate then tours the campus with Mr lkonen, followed by a 2.45 meeting with the Minuteman faculty and staff, both in person and via Loom, then a parent advisory meeting on Zoom, and finally the interview with the School Committee On January 26th, the School Committee will meet to deliberate on the candidates He added that January is a very,very busy month,and he thanked everyone Ms DeLuca thanked Mr. Spalding for his huge efforts on behalf ofthe Committee Mr. Rudennan asked if there was an avenue those that are participating in the process at the school,as well as for the public,to submit their comments to the school committee Mr. Spalding confirmed that there is a sate where people can submit their comments and/or questions and those written remarks will he made available to School Committee members Di Bouquillon put the link in the Zoom chat Mr Spalding will work with Julia Pisegna to make sure that is advertised more fully 9 SECRETARY'S REPOR I„Vice DeLuca a Approval of Draft Minutes of December 14 2021 Ms DeLuca noted that she did not receive any comments on the Minutes VOTE: To approve the draft minutes of December 14,2021,as presented ACTION 2022# Moved(Leone)and seconded(Crocker), To approve the draft minutes of December 14,2021,as presented 11 VOTE. 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present: 100% Weight needed > 50% Names of towns opposing or abstaining. Final percentage results of vote 100% Final status of the vote Unanunouc Roll Call Pam Nourse,Chair(Acton)(Yes) Jennifer Leone(Lancaster)(Yes) Michael Ruderman(Arlington)iYes) Judy Crocker(Lexington)(Yes) David O'Connor(Bolton)(Yes) teff Stulin(Needham)(Yes) Steve LeDoux(Concord)(Yes) Alice DeLuca(Stow)(Yes) Ford Spalding(Dover)Yes) Ms Nourse reviewed the calendar of upcoming meetings. January 12th and 19111- interviews January 261h-School Committee meeting in person,to deliberate January 27th- Public Budget Hearing(on Zoom) January 27"1 -School Committee meeting 9)ADJOURNMENT ACI 10N 2022 # Moved(Leone)and seconded(O'Connor), To adjourn the meeting at 8 41 p.m. VOTE: 9 members in room at time of vote Weighted Vote present 100% Weight needed:> 50% Names of towns opposing of abstaining Bolton Final percentage results of vote: 92 85% Final status of the vote: Unanimous Roll Call Pam Nourse.Chan (Acton)(Yes) Jennifer Leone(Lancaster)(Yes) Michael Ruderman(Arlington)(Yes) Judy Crocker(Lexington)(Yes) Dave O'Connoi (Bolton)(Yes) Jeff Stulin(Needham)(Yes) Steve LeDoux(Concord)(Yes) Alice DeLuca(Stow)(Yes) Ford Spalding(Dover)Yes) Pam Nourse reminded members to test for COVID pi for to the in-person meeting the following day. Respectfully submitted. Julia Pisegna Alice DeLuca District Assistant Secretary -12-