Agenda for the June 18 Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

The Eleventh Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Date/Time

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Regular Meeting: 6:00 p.m.

Location

Please be advised that there will be a Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee held via remote participation.

This meeting can be viewed live on the Medford Public Schools YouTube channel or via Medford Community Media on your local cable channel (Comcast Channel 9, 8 or 22 and Verizon Channel 43, 45 or 47). Participants can log in by using the link below.

Agenda

Agenda for the June 18, 2025 Eleventh Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Zoom Link

https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/j/95148527687?pwd=WAaNi6ZyhfTxeooR3NllaiinyNIDkz.1

Complete Agenda

I. Roll Call of Members and Student Representatives

II. Salute the Flag

III. Consent Agenda

• Approval of Bills and Payrolls 
• Approval of Capital Purchases 
• Approval of Grants 
  • Recommendation to Approve $500 Donation to Best Buddies Program by First Baptist Church of Medford, Barbara Drauschke and member Patricia Chery
  • Recommendation to Approve Annual $1500 Krystle Campbell Medford Strong Scholarship Award to graduation senior @ MHS
• Approval of Field Trips 
• Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Regular Meeting - June 9, 2025
  • Family Engagement & Communication Subcommittee - June 11, 2025

IV. Report of the Subcommittees

V. Report of the Superintendent

1. Introduction of New Admin Staff; Dr. Kimberly Talbot, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and Ms. Chelsea McNiff, Director of English Learners - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Interim Superintendent
2. CCSR Annual Report - Rich Trotta and Student Representatives
3. Yellow Bus Transportation and Electrification Timeline - Recommendation to Approve Five Year Contract (Comprised of Three Years and 2 One Year) - Noel Velez, Director of Finance and Brenda Pike, Planning, Development and Sustainability for the City of Medford
4. Rate Card Early Pick Up Track for After School Program - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Interim Superintendent
5. Water Refilling Stations - Retta Smith, Director of Food Services

Presentations of the Public (not to begin before 7:00 pm)

“Regular Meetings of the School Committee include this ‘Presentations of the Public’ agenda item to give any resident the opportunity to place a presentation before the School Committee. A resident may only present once at any meeting.

These presentations are an opportunity for the public to make a presentation to the Committee but are not opportunities for dialog with the Committee. If one or more members of the Committee wishes to have a conversation about the topic presented, a member may request that the item be added to a subsequent Regular Meeting.

The details for submitting a presentation can be found within the policy BEDH, Public Comment and Presentations of the Public”

Pursuant to policy BEDH, Public Comment and Presentations of the Public - any resident in the audience may be given permission to speak once on any item on the agenda for up to three (3) minutes. The speaker is expected to keep their comments to the item on the agenda. The speaker must begin their comments by providing their full name and full Medford street address where they reside. A welcoming, inclusive community is both a value of the School Committee and an aspirational goal. We ask for your help in achieving this goal and value your perspective. Employees of the Medford Public Schools are exempt from the residency requirement of this policy. The voice of our employees is welcomed on all matters before this body. When a non-Medford-resident employee is participating in public comment or submitting a presentation of the public they will include their home address and identify themselves as an employee of the Medford Public Schools.

VII. Continued Business

From June 3, 2025 Special Meeting the following Recommendations to Approve:

1. Contract for Teamsters Local 25 Administrators 
2. Contract for MPS Budget Analyst
3. Increases for Non-Unit Personnel

VIII. New Business

2025-19 First Reading of Allergy Policy Offered by Member Ruseau (Linked Here for Clarity)

Policy Information

First Adopted: TBD

Last Amended: original

Last Reviewed: not reviewed

Review Frequency: two (2) years

Next Review: TBD

Version: 1

Policy ID: TBD - NEW

Legal References:

• 105 CMR 210.000
• 105 CMR 225.000
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Date Submitted: June 16, 2025

Date Requested to be on the Agenda:  June 18, 2025

2025-20 First Reading of the Field Trip Policy JJH: Offered by Member Ruseau (Linked Here for Clarity)

Policy Information

First Adopted: TBD

Last Amended: original

Last Reviewed: not reviewed

Review Frequency: two (2) years

Next Review: TBD

Version: 1

Policy ID: JJH

Legal References:

M.G.L 69:1B; 72:37N; 71:38R

603 CMR 27.00

Date Submitted:  June 5, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  June 18, 2025

2025-21 Policy Update: IKFC - MCAS: Offered by Member Intoppa

Whereas, the circumstances around how MCAS is utilized and the graduation requirements for Medford Public Schools have evolved;
Whereas now, therefore, be it Resolved that the Medford Public Schools and Medford School Committee will remove instances of passing the MCAS being a graduation requirement within our policy bank so that they do not conflict with one another.

IKFC - MCAS

In order to be granted a high school diploma, students must fulfill all of the local requirements and pass both the English Language Arts and Mathematics portions of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). All grade 10 students are required to take the MCAS. (For more information, go to www.doe.mass.edu/mcas.)
Certificate of Mastery
There are other incentives for students to do their best on the MCAS test. Recipients who earn a Certificate of Mastery and who enroll in a Massachusetts public college or university may apply for a merit-based, four-year tuition waiver from the Board of Education, a value of approximately $700-$1,700 per year.

To qualify as a candidate for the Certificate of Mastery, a student must score "Advanced" (260-280) on at least one grade 10 MCAS test subject, and score at least "Proficient" (240-259) on the remaining sections of the grade 10 MCAS. Applicants must be juniors or seniors, Massachusetts residents, and attending secondary school. Students who wish to improve one or both of their MCAS scores after grade 10 in order to qualify as a candidate for the Certificate of Mastery may take the MCAS retest during their junior and year. Students should notify their guidance counselor of this interest at least one month before the Retest. (See www.doe.mass.edu/FamComm/Student/mastery) for more information.

Criteria for Award of Certificate of Mastery

To receive the Certificate of Mastery, students must fulfill additional requirements (e.g., qualifying scores) through one of the following combinations covering both fields of arts/humanities and mathematics/science:
2 AP exams; or
2 SAT II exams or
1 AP exam and 1 SAT II exam (in. a different subject*); or
1 AP exam and 1 other achievement; or
1 SAT II exam and 1 other achievement.

MCAS Performance Appeals

The Superintendent may choose to file a performance appeal for any student who has not passed one or both of the MCAS tests. The Superintendent shall include in the performance appeal evidence that the student meets the eligibility requirements for a performance appeal, by submitting documentation that the student:

• has taken the grade 10 MCAS at least three times;
  has on at least one attempt attained a score of at least 216 on the test(s) subject to the performance appeal;
• has maintained at least a 95% attendance level (no more than nine days of absence from school in a 180-day school year) during the school year prior to and the school year of the appeal, provided that the superintendent may present evidence of extenuating circumstances such as a student's serious illness that would justify an exemption from this requirement; and
• has satisfactorily participated in the tutoring and other academic support services made available by or approved by the school to strengthen the student's knowledge and skills in the subject(s) at issue.

Students and parents should go to www.doe.mass.edu/mcasappeals for additional information about appeals and/or for the latest revisions of the above regulations.

Date Submitted: June 9, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  June 18, 2025

2025-22 Required quarterly update of the Shore Educational Collaborative Offered by Member Ruseau

See attachment 

Date Submitted: June 10, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  June 18, 2025

2025-23 Building Accessibility Needs & Concerns Offered by Member Intoppa                    

Be it resolved that the Medford Public Schools will assess and evaluate building entry points over the summer, specifically for accessibility concerns. The administration will report back with found issues and proposed solutions by the beginning of the start of the next academic school year/first day of classes.

Date Submitted:  June 13, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  June 18, 2025

2025-24 Designer Selection Panel Appointment Offered by Member Ruseau, Member Olapade & Member Reinfeld

The Medford School Committee appoints School Committee Vice Chair Jenny Graham, Chair of the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee to the Designer Selection Panel for the Massachusetts School Building Committee's Designer Selection process.

Date Submitted:  June 14, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  June 18, 2025

2025-25 Disciplinary Practice of Suspension Offered by Member Graham & Member Ruseau

Whereas the Resolution on the Disciplinary Practice of Suspension was unanimously adopted by the Medford School Committee on October 14, 2020;

Whereas the language of the Resolution on the Disciplinary Practice of Suspension provides that the following actions will be taken by Medford Public Schools:

• Ends the use of out-of-school suspensions effective the first day of the school year 2021 except as provided by law;
• Provides for the continuation of a learning environment for every in-school suspension;
• Ensures that in-school suspensions will not occur in isolation without instruction or rehabilitative counseling;
• Selects alternative tools for use in discipline, such as restorative justice wherever possible;
• Establishes an annual reporting process that includes but is not limited to, system-wide disciplinary measures reporting to the school committee as well as establishing staff feedback process;

Be it resolved, the Superintendent will provide a detailed report of disciplinary actions taken for the 2024-2025 school year as well as data from 2 prior school years. The report shall include: count of suspensions/suspended days by reason for suspension and count of other means of student discipline for those save reasons. The report will show data disaggregated by school, by grade level, and by school and grade level.

Be it also resolved that the Superintendent will make recommendations to the School Committee based on the data presented. The report will be presented no later than October 31, 2025         

Date Submitted:  June 15, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  June 18, 2025

IX. Reports Requested

X. Condolences

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the family of Joseph Licausi the father of retired vocational graphic arts teacher Angelo LiCausi. 

XI. Next Regular Meeting

• September 8, 2025 - Alden Memorial Chambers, Medford City Hall in addition to Zoom. 

XII. Adjournment