Agenda for the October 20 Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

The Sixteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Date/Time

Monday, October 20, 2025

Executive Session: 5:15 p.m.

Regular Session: 6:00 p.m.

Location

Please be advised that there will be a Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee held in the Alden Memorial Chambers at Medford City Hall and 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 October 20, 2025 Sixteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Zoom Link

https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/j/92420281566?pwd=Sa6PbdiicKpUbbs9ZrvZiBHlja8sBh.1

Questions or comments can be submitted during the meeting by emailing: medfordsc@medford.k12.ma.us

Those submitting questions or comments must include the following information:

1. Your first and last name
2. Your Medford street address
3. Your question or comment

Agenda

I. Roll Call of Members and Student Representatives

II. Salute the Flag

III. Executive Session

Executive session pursuant to G.L c. 30A (a) (3): the Medford School Committee will convene in Executive Session to discuss collective bargaining with Teamsters Local 25 MTA regarding a teacher grievance dated August 25, 2025 and the Chair so declares.

Executive session pursuant to G.L c. 30A (a) (3): the Medford School Committee will convene in Executive Session to discuss collective bargaining with Teamsters Local 25 MTA regarding teacher grievance dated August 26, 2025 and the Chair so declares.

The Medford School Committee will convene in public session immediately following the conclusion of the Executive Session, approximately at 6:00 p.m.

IV. Consent Agenda

• Approval of Bills and Payrolls
• Approval of Capital Purchases
• Approval of Donations
  • Sound equipment worth $7,500 for the McGlynn School Organized by Caregivers
• Approval of Grants
  • American Academy of Pediatrics $2,500 Microgrant for Bidirectional Communication Processes
• Approval of Field Trips
• Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Regular Meeting  - October 6, 2025

V. Report of Subcommittees

VI. Report of the Superintendent

1. Mustang Moment
2. Facilities Condition Assessment Report - Mr. Kenneth Lord, Chief Operations Officer and Mr Kevin Provencher, President Habeeb & Associates Architects
3. Introduction of Dr. Meg Mayo-Brown, NSIP (New Superintendent Induction Program) Program Director and Coach - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Interim Superintendent
4. Transition/Entry Findings Report - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Interim Superintendent 

VII. Presentations of the Student Advisory Council

VIII. Report of the Subcommittees

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.

IX. Continued Business

Strategic Planning Update - Member Graham

• Community Outreach Survey
• Community Input Focus Group Series Running October through January

2025-18 Second  Reading of Policy JJIF - Concussion Policy by Member Ruseau

Concussion Policy

Purpose

This policy provides for the implementation of MA 105 CMR 201.000, Head Injuries and Concussions in Extracurricular Athletic Activities. The policy applies to all public middle and high school students who participate in any extracurricular athletic activity. This policy provides the procedures and protocols for the Medford Public Schools (MPS) in the management of and prevention of sports-related head injuries within the district or school. Review and revision of this policy is required every two years.

Pre-participation Requirements and Training

Concussion training is a pre-participation requirement for all students and must be completed prior to practice or competition. All of the following persons shall complete one of the head injury safety training programs approved by the Medford Public Schools each school year:

• Coaches
• Licensed athletic trainers
• Volunteers
• School and team physicians
• Athletic directors
• Directors responsible for a school marching band, whether employed by a school or school district or serving in such capacity as a volunteer
• Caregiver(s) of a student who participates in an extracurricular athletic activity
• Students who participate in an extracurricular athletic activity.

Approved head injury safety training programs include:

• Completing an approved online program listed on the Medford Public Schools website and pre-participation questionnaire and providing a certificate of completion to the athletic director OR
• Signing an acknowledgement that they have read and understand online materials provided to them on the online registration platform at: https://medford-ar.rschooltoday.com/

The athletic director or school nurse shall maintain an updated yearly record of staff training.

The training must be repeated every subsequent year for each person involved.

Game officials must also complete an approved training annually and provide Medford Public Schools with verification of completion upon request.

Additionally, students who plan to participate in extracurricular athletic activities and their caregiver(s) must complete and sign the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) pre-participation Sports Candidate Medical Questionnaire and the Pre-participation Head injury/Concussion Reporting Form prior to each season of participation. The questionnaire and reporting form will be available online at https://medford-ar.rschooltoday.com/ and may also be obtained in the athletic and health offices. The questionnaire and reporting form will be reviewed by the school nurse prior to athletic participation. The school nurse will provide appropriate follow-up when necessary.  Students are also required to provide a copy of their physical exam to the school nurses’ office annually. No student shall be medically cleared for extracurricular athletic activities until the school nurse has reviewed the medical documents. The school nurse shall consult with the school physician or student’s primary care provider as necessary regarding a student’s medical history and/or eligibility.

Medford Public Schools may use a student’s history of head injury or concussion as a factor to determine whether to allow the student to participate in an extracurricular athletic activity or whether to allow such participation under specific conditions or modifications.

Additional Caregiver Requirement

If a student sustains a head injury or concussion during the athletic season, but not while participating in an extracurricular athletic activity, the caregiver shall complete the Report of Head Injury form and submit it to the school nurse.

Exclusion from Play

Any student, who during a practice or competition, sustains a head injury or suspected concussion, or exhibits signs and symptoms of a concussion or loses consciousness, even briefly, shall be removed from the practice or competition immediately and may not return to the practice or competition that day.

The student shall not return to practice or competition unless and until the student provides medical clearance. The coach, athletic trainer or school nurse shall provide the necessary forms for the student to take to their medical provider. These include: 1. a letter explaining the need for the medical clearance, 2. an academic recovery plan and recommendation form and 3. a description of the athletic return-to-play protocol. These forms are also available online at the Medford Public Schools website.

The coach shall communicate the nature of the injury directly to the caregiver in person or by phone immediately after the practice or competition in which a student has been removed from play due to a head injury, suspected concussion, signs and symptoms of a concussion or loss of consciousness. The coach also must provide this information to the caregiver in writing, whether paper or electronic format by the end of the next business day.

The coach or his/her designee shall communicate, by the end of the next business day, with the Athletic Director, the school athletic trainer and school nurse that the student has been removed from practice or competition for a head injury, suspected concussion, signs and symptoms of a concussion or loss of consciousness.

Return to Play

A Medford Public Schools multidisciplinary team will develop a plan for the student’s return to play. This team may consist of an athletic trainer, school nurse, school physician, teaching staff, 504 coordinator, guidance counselor, primary care provider or medical provider managing the student’s recovery and caregiver.

In general, students will follow an academic recovery plan as developed and approved by their physician and academic team and a return to play protocol as developed by the school athletic trainer.

Students must be symptom free and medically cleared in order to return to play. The following individuals may authorize a return to play:

• A duly licensed physician
• A duly licensed physician assistant, under the supervision of a licensed physician
• A duly licensed nurse practitioner, under the supervision of a licensed physician
• A duly licensed athletic trainer in consultation with a licensed physician
• A duly licensed neuropsychologist in coordination with the physician managing the student’s recovery.

Final return to play in the Medford Public Schools requires the approval of the Medford Public Schools athletic trainer.

Athletic Director Responsibilities

The Athletic Director and Assistant Athletic Director participate in the biannual review and revision of the policy.

The Athletic Director and Assistant Athletic Director complete an annual training.

The Athletic Director and Assistant Athletic Director shall:

• Ensure the training of coaches, staff, caregiver(s), volunteers and students.
• Maintain certificates of completion, attendance rosters and signed affidavits.
• Ensure that the medically cleared list is provided to all coaches, assistants and volunteers and that no student participates without this clearance.
• Ensure the Report of Head Injury Forms are completed by caregiver(s), coaches or athletic trainer and are reviewed by the school nurse and athletic trainer.
• Ensure that athletes are prohibited from engaging in any unreasonably dangerous athletic technique that endangers the health or safety of an athlete, including using a helmet or any other sports equipment as a weapon.
• Maintain records of annual training completions, affidavits and/or attendance rosters for three years.
• Maintain record of annual statistics as reported by the athletic trainer to the Department of Public Health.

Athletic Trainer Responsibilities

The Athletic Trainer shall complete the annual training.

The Athletic Trainer shall participate in the biannual review and revision of the policy.

The Athletic Trainer shall:

• Review, in collaboration with the school nurse, the MIAA pre-participation Sports Candidate Medical Questionnaire, Pre-participation Head injury/Concussion Reporting Form and the Report of Head Injury Report Form.
• Identify students with head injury or possible concussion that occur in practice or competition and remove them from play.
• Monitor the symptoms of students with head injuries and concussions and maintain written documentation of such monitoring.
• Implement the individual Concussion Return-to-Play Protocol after diagnosis.
• Collaborate with coaches to ensure that the Concussion Return-to-Play Protocol is being implemented.
• Determine Return-to-Play eligibility or require, after consultation with the school physician, further medical clearance from the student’s physician who is managing their recovery.
  • This additional medical clearance may be required for students who may have repeated concussions or severe concussion and who, in the opinion of the athletic trainer, may be at greater risk of suffering from concussions and potential long term effects from these multiple concussions.
• Maintain all Concussion Return-to-Play protocols for students with head injury or concussion in a secure location.

• Under the direction of the Athletic Director, report annual statistics to the Department of Public Health as follows:
  • The total number of Head Injury Reports received from coaches, caregiver(s), school nurses and athletic trainers.
  • The total number of students who incur head injuries and suspected concussions when engaged in any extracurricular athletic injuries.

Coach Responsibilities

The coach completes the annual training and provides the Athletic Director, or Assistant Athletic Director, with a certificate of completion.

The coach reviews the pre-participation medical information provided by the school nurse regarding a student’s history and/or risk of head injury.

The coach shall:

• Identify athletes with head injuries or suspected concussions that occur in practice or competition and remove them from play.
• Complete the Report of Head Injury Form upon identification of a student with a head injury or suspected concussion that occurs during practice or competition.
• Promptly notify caregiver(s) of any student removed from practice or competition and provide the same notification in writing or electronically by the end of the next business day.
• Promptly notify the Athletic Director, Assistant Athletic Director, Athletic Trainer and/or School Nurse of any student removed from practice or competition.
• Teach techniques aimed at minimizing sports-related head injury.
• Discourage and prohibit athletes from engaging in any unreasonably dangerous athletic technique that endangers the health or safety of an athlete, including using a helmet or any other sports equipment as a weapon.

School Nurse Responsibilities

The school nurse shall complete annual training.

The school nurse shall participate in the biannual review and revision of the policy.

The school nurse shall:

• Review all pre-participation questionnaires and injury reporting forms.
• Review all annual physical exams.
• Review all Report of Head Injury forms.
• Maintain all questionnaires, physical exams, Report of Head Injury forms and any other pertinent medical information in the school health record throughout the student’s middle and high school career until they graduate or transfer from the Medford Public Schools.
• Share, on a need to know basis, any head injury information regarding a student that may impact their ability to participate in extracurricular athletic activities or places a student at greater risk for repeated head injuries.
• Participate in the re-entry planning for students to discuss any necessary accommodations or modifications with respect to academics, course requirements, homework, testing scheduling and other aspects of school activities consistent with a gradual re-entry plan for return to full academic and extracurricular athletic activities after a head injury and revising the health care plan as needed.
• Monitor recuperating students with head injuries and collaborate with teachers to ensure that the gradual re-entry plan is being followed.
• Provide ongoing educational materials on head injury and concussion to teachers, staff and students.

Record Maintenance

The Medford Public Schools shall maintain the following records throughout the student’s middle and high school career until they graduate or transfer from the Medford Public Schools or for three years.

• Verifications of completions of annual trainings.
• Student MIAA Pre-Participation Sports Candidate Medical Questionnaire and Pre-participation Head injury/Concussion Reporting Form.
• Annual physical exams.
• Report of Head Injury Report Form and medical documentation of head injury or concussion for injured students.
• Gradual re-entry plans for return to full academic/extracurricular activities for injured students.

These records will be made available to the Department of Public Health and DESE upon request or in connection with any inspection or program review.

Policy Information

First Adopted: TBD

Last Amended: original

Last Reviewed: not reviewed

Review Frequency: two (2) years

Next Review: May 2027

Version: 1

Policy ID: JJIF

Legal References:

105 CMR 201.00 Head injuries and concussions in extracurricular activities

Reviewed by Required District Personnel:

Patrick Sabia, MD, School Physician

Jennifer Silva, M.Ed., BSN, RN, NCSN, Director of Health Services

Robert Maloney, Athletic Director

Rachel Perry, Assistant Athletic Director

Jacqueline Holmes, LAT, ATC, Athletic Trainer

Date Submitted May 5, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda May 19, 2025

IX. New Business

2025-34                    Offered by Member Ruseau

Required quarterly update of the Shore Educational Collaborative

Date Submitted October 14, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda October 20, 2025

2025-35                     Offered by Member Ruseau 

The School Committee must vote on each resolution from the Report of the Resolutions Committee of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. Members received the report as part of their MASC/MASS Joint Conference 2025 materials they received via US Postal Service in September of this year. The votes we take will guide the delegate on how to vote during the assembly, which will be held on Friday, November 14, 2025.

The full language of the resolutions can be found at https://www.masc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-resolutions.pdf and will be included in the meeting materials on October 20, 2025.

Resolution 1: REMOVING BMI TESTING FROM SCHOOLS

REAUTHORIZATION OF PREVIOUSLY APPROVED RESOLUTIONS

The 2023 Delegate Assembly approved an amendment to the By-Laws that resolutions will expire at the conclusion of the Delegate Assembly three years after their adoption. Expiring resolutions may be reconsidered and readopted by the delegates at the annual meeting at which the resolutions would expire. The rationale for the amendment was that it:

• Permits three years of focus on resolutions which overlaps with two legislative cycles.
• Provides an additional opportunity for school committees to be involved in the resolution process by championing resolutions that are set to expire.
• Allows the Association to affirm what’s important to the current membership by re-adoption.
• Clears expired, less relevant, or no longer supported resolutions for new priorities.

Following are the six resolutions set to expire this November unless reauthorized by a vote of the Delegate Assembly.

• Regarding Sanctuary Laws for Transgender Students
• To Increase the Maximum Balance Allowed by the Special Education Reserve Fund
• Membership of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Preserving Local Governance of Massachusetts Schools
• Personal Financial Literacy Education
• Establishment of a Regional School Assessment Reserve Fund

The votes of the Medford School Committee are considered binding on the delegate unless the language as presented at the October 20, 2025 meeting is different from the language up for final adoption at the delegate assembly on November 14, 2025. The reason votes are otherwise considered guidance is that the exact language voted on during the assembly can be modified by amendments during the assembly and returning to the School Committee for a vote on the final language is not possible.

Date Submitted: October 15, 2025

Date Requested to be on Agenda:  October 20, 2025

XI. Reports Requested

XI. Condolences

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the family of Dan Tully.

Mr. Tully was a passionate member of our Medford community since joining the district in November of 1987. In addition to his time here as our Senior Night Custodian, Mr. Tully also worked for many years as a night custodian at Medford High School. For 37 years he made our city stronger, from ensuring clean learning environments to being a welcoming presence for the students, staff, and our community members.

We are saddened by this loss to our McGlynn School community. We’d like to offer our sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Tully during this difficult time.

XIII. Next Meeting

November 3, 2025 - Zoom Only

XIV. Adjournment