Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith presented an update on the district’s strategic plan, encapsulating the extensive entry process he undertook over the previous year. This process included data collection, stakeholder engagement, and a report shared with the school community in April. The strategic planning involved four intensive days of work by the leadership team, resulting in three primary strategic objectives aimed at improving educational outcomes, organizational effectiveness, and addressing facilities’ needs.

The first strategic objective focuses on eliminating disparities in access and achievement for every student. Dr. Smith highlighted that only about one-third of students have met state benchmarks over the past few years, and there are significant achievement gaps for historically marginalized groups. This objective includes improving tier one instruction, utilizing high-quality instructional materials, and implementing a research-based social-emotional learning curriculum.

The second objective emphasizes creating consistent district-wide systems to enhance organizational effectiveness. This includes standardizing processes for student program entry and exit, improving communication strategies, and modernizing administrative systems such as payroll. Dr. Smith emphasized the need for a cohesive approach across all schools.

The third objective addresses the district’s short- and long-term facilities and capital needs. Dr. Smith pointed out the disparity between new and older school buildings, stressing the importance of developing a prioritized plan for capital improvements over the next five to ten years. Each strategic objective is supported by specific initiatives to be tackled over the five-year plan.

Another topic was the revision of student handbooks to enhance clarity and student-centered language. The revisions included moving accreditation rubrics, specifying attendance and dismissal policies, and updating the discipline policy to a tiered approach aligned with the middle school. New grading practices and the incorporation of specific MCAS dates were also added. The principal emphasized the importance of aligning with the school committee’s policies while allowing school leaders to make decisions for their respective schools.

Concerns were raised regarding the cell phone policy, particularly its consistency across the district. Students are required to turn off their cell phones and surrender them to their adviser upon entering their advisory, a policy that reportedly has a high success rate. A committee member suggested further discussion to ensure all stakeholders, including other grades and principals, were involved in the decision-making process. The inclusion of smart watches in the list of prohibited devices was also considered due to their internet access capabilities.

The assistant principal of the middle school presented major revisions to their handbook, including a new policy against loitering and the introduction of social probation for students receiving failing grades. These students would be barred from social events and required to stay after school with a specific teacher for support.

Additionally, the meeting covered the district’s capital improvement needs. The speaker emphasized the need for a collaborative effort among the school community to address facility and grounds needs, with a rubric to assess readiness and need on a four-point scale. Financial feasibility and working with town partners to identify appropriate funding mechanisms were key points of discussion. The committee stressed the importance of a comprehensive communication strategy to secure support from governance boards and taxpayers.

The committee also discussed the importance of regular updates on the strategic plan’s initiatives. There was consensus on the value of biannual updates to monitor progress effectively.

In other updates, the inspections of all daycare sites by EEC staff were completed, and a full handoff to Alphabest was expected soon. Alphabest has waived fees for families for the month and will reimburse the district for staff costs associated with daycare staffing. The company has also engaged with families through open houses, addressing earlier concerns about the registration process.

The committee addressed the issue of public comment timing, with discussions about moving it to the end of meetings to ensure comments are informed by the meeting’s content. There was a suggestion to have two public comment sections, one at the beginning and one at the end, to accommodate various topics of interest.

Lastly, the superintendent’s report included acknowledgments for community donations, such as a contribution of over $700 in school supplies from the Sons of Aaron. The meeting concluded with a review of logistical matters, including upcoming open houses and the scheduling of an early release day.