The meeting began with a public comment from Donna Amarol, who advocated for the inclusion of a school department representative on the opioid settlement fund advisory committee. Amarol emphasized the need for school representation, particularly as the committee had only seen school involvement twice in six meetings. She highlighted the statistics of local overdoses since 2019, with 112 incidents and 15 fatalities, pointing out that many of those affected have children at home. Amarol stressed the importance of utilizing the nearly $1 million settlement fund effectively to address the needs of these children, with current funds around $370,000.

Amarol’s plea was met with acknowledgment from the committee members, who agreed on the necessity of appointing a representative swiftly. One member even suggested attending the next select board meeting as a non-member to stay informed until an official representative could be appointed. Plans were discussed to hold a special meeting for this purpose before the upcoming select board meeting on July 21.

Following Amarol’s comments, the committee turned its attention to financial matters, including the approval of fiscal year 2025 encumbrances and transfers. The committee unanimously approved an encumbrance amount of $1,853,874.28 for salaries and goods and services, reflecting the district’s financial commitments before June 30, 2025. A subsequent motion to approve line item transfers totaling $373,45.37 also passed unanimously.

The committee further approved total expenditures for fiscal year 2025 at $22,650,211.30 and declared a surplus of $995.97 from transportation regular education expenses, which would be returned to the town’s general fund. During the budget discussions, one member expressed gratitude for the town’s collaboration and the hard work of the business staff.

The meeting continued with additional financial motions, including the approval to return surplus funds from custodial and substitute coverage, along with unexpended regular education expenses. Again, the committee voted in favor, confirming the return of these surplus funds. The committee also approved the return of unexpended encumbrances from fiscal year 2024 to the town’s general fund and prior-year grant unexpended funds.

In a standard procedure, the committee appointed Dr. Roy to the board of directors at the South Coast Educational Collaborative and the school building committee. These appointments were unanimously approved, reflecting routine administrative actions aimed at maintaining continuity in school governance.

The informational agenda featured Dr. Roy’s first superintendent’s report, where he extended gratitude to staff for their support during his and the new curriculum director’s onboarding period. Dr. Roy provided updates on ongoing projects, including a bathroom renovation at the West and an air conditioning project at MAC, both slated for completion before the school year begins. He also discussed federal entitlement grants, noting potential delays in certain funding streams totaling about $61,000, which are typically used for professional development and social-emotional learning programming.

The committee then considered a request from the town clerk to consolidate five polling places into one centralized location at Westport Middle High School. Concerns were raised about using a school with active student occupancy, particularly given the availability of the old high school, which is largely unoccupied during the day. Members highlighted apprehensions about the impact on the school calendar, especially after a lengthy school year, and questioned the decision to use the middle high school.

Discussions revealed a lack of clarity regarding the process that led to scheduling school days off for elections, with some members indicating they were not fully informed about prior discussions. Members deliberated on the implications of holding elections on school days, emphasizing the necessity of closing schools to avoid disruptions. They also considered the future usability of the old high school for elections and the potential need for a site survey by the building inspector.

Eventually, a proposal was put forth to consider a letter of agreement for using the middle high school for the 2026 and 2027 election dates, allowing for flexibility regarding the old high school’s future use. The committee agreed to table the matter for further exploration, enabling additional communication with the town clerk to address concerns.