The meeting began with a notable announcement from Superintendent Jill Davis regarding the receipt of two important grants. The first, a WIOA Youth Services Grant for $63,640 from the Massachusetts High Greater Lowell Workforce Board, is intended to provide services to at-risk students. The second grant, a Whole Kids Garden Grant of $3,000, will fund a school community garden managed by students in the Transitional Occupations Program.

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing and approving the 2024-2026 Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, presented by Assistant Superintendent Mr. Barton. This plan included major updates to comply with Massachusetts law changes regarding bullying and sexual harassment. The revised plan features an expanded definition of bullying to include race, color, and religious creed, and updates the incident reporting form to require more detailed information, such as specific dates and quotes, to improve the investigation process. Notably, the term “perpetrator” has been defined to identify those causing harm, which is expected to streamline procedures for addressing bullying incidents. This updated plan was unanimously approved by the committee.

Additionally, Mr. Barton presented minimal changes to the Substance Use Prevention and Intervention Plan, primarily updating the school support and resource listings. The committee approved these changes, maintaining operational relevance and reflecting ongoing support for student well-being.

Further discussion revolved around updates to the Title IX policy. These updates aimed to align with federal and state guidelines, with refined language to strengthen parental rights and protect the privacy of all involved parties. The policy now allows parents to act on behalf of their minor children during the complaint process and enhances confidentiality aspects to better protect both complainants and respondents. The updated policy also includes enhanced training for personnel handling complaints. This training is considered essential for maintaining a safe environment for both students and staff. The committee approved the updated Title IX policy unanimously, emphasizing the necessity of these changes to comply with legal standards and enhance student safety.

In addition to policy updates, the committee addressed the employee acceptable use policy for digital information and communication technology resources for the 2024-25 school year. This policy, aligned with new technology guidelines from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, applies to all district employees, students, families, and visitors. It outlines responsible and ethical use of digital resources, prohibiting activities such as accessing inappropriate content and cyberbullying. The policy mandates the use of district-provided email addresses for all school-related communication and establishes guidelines for social media use to maintain professionalism and confidentiality. The committee highlighted the importance of these guidelines in ensuring the responsible use of digital resources within the school environment.

The meeting also included a discussion on updates to the school’s website, aimed at making it more user-friendly and engaging. The new site will feature drone footage and improved transitions between video and images. Language accessibility features were confirmed, with a translation button available to ensure the site can be translated into multiple languages.

Financial discussions focused on necessary transfers related to recently settled contracts, amounting to $330,900. The committee also addressed delays in a modular construction project, with buildings currently in storage awaiting foundation approval. The project is projected to take two to three months to complete once the buildings arrive on-site, with a skywalk bridge planned to connect the new modular units to the existing school building. The committee emphasized the importance of conducting background checks on all contractors working on-site to maintain a secure environment for students.

As the meeting concluded, the committee approved the building expansion committee report from June 20, 2024, and moved into executive session to discuss strategies for negotiations with non-union personnel. Upon returning to open session, the committee approved an increase in the hourly pay rate for LPN support staff to $40 per hour.