Agenda for the September 8 Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

The Thirteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Date/Time

Monday, September 8, 2025

Executive Session: 5:00 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 September 8, 2025 Thirteenth Regular Meeting of the Medford School Committee

Zoom Link

https://mps02155-org.zoom.us/j/92087884205?pwd=4bbhCvB8J7mN6A6HZu9VaXpCxRxaAR.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(s) dated 5.19.2025 and the Chair so declares.

Executive session of the Medford School Committee pursuant to G.L. c. 30A §21(a) to conduct a strategy session on the basis that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining positions of the Medford School Committee. Specifically, the Medford School Committee will be discussing ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). 

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

IV. Good of the Order

V. Consent Agenda

• Approval of Bills and Payrolls
• Approval of Capital Purchases
• Approval of Grants
  • Cummings Foundation $35,000 Grant for Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility
  • Steve McCarthy $20,000 in Memory of Ray O’Brien
  • Approval of Field Trips
• Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Regular Meeting, June 18th 2025
  • Special Meeting, August 13th 2025

VI. Report of Subcommittees

VI. Report of the Superintendent

1. Mustang Moments - Student Presentations
   1. Arts Update - Ms. Suzanne Fee, Director of Fine Arts accompanied by students
2. Superintendent's Update - Dr. Suzanne B. Galusi, Interim Superintendent

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.

VIII. Continued Business

2023-25 Offered by Member Hays, Member McLaughlin, and Member Mustone

Policy Second Reading

Whereas the Medford School Committee reaffirmed its support for the rights of LGBTQ+ youth through resolution 2023-13 passed on June 5, 2023, the following new policy ACA-1 NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF GENDER IDENTITY is offered for a first reading for discussion, comments, and public comment, per the Rules of the School Committee.

ACA-1 NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF GENDER IDENTITY

The Medford Public Schools is committed to maintaining an educational environment and workplace where discrimination on the basis of gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, or gender expression is not tolerated. The school district does not and will not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, or gender expression in the educational programs and activities of the public schools, and strives to create an environment where all students and staff feel safe, welcome and included. The Medford Public Schools takes allegations of discrimination and harassment seriously and will respond promptly to complaints. Where it is determined that inappropriate conduct has occurred, the Medford Public Schools will act promptly to eliminate the conduct and will impose corrective action as necessary, including disciplinary action where appropriate.

To help create a safe and supportive environment for all students, the school district will, consistent with applicable laws and guidance, take the following steps:

DEFINITIONS

Understanding the terminology associated with gender identity is important to providing a safe and supportive school environment for students whose rights are protected under the law. The following terms are not intended to label students but are defined to assist in understanding the guidance presented. The terminology in this area is constantly evolving, and preferences for particular terminology vary widely.  Administrators, school staff, volunteers, students and others who interact with students are expected to be sensitive to the ways in which individual students who are transgender may wish to be identified. 

Cisgender: the term to describe a person whose gender identity corresponds to their assigned sex at birth.

Gender Expression: the manner in which a person represents or expresses gender to others, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, activities, voice, or mannerisms.

Gender Identity: a person's internal sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female 

Gender Marker: the designation on school and other records that indicates a person’s gender.

Gender Nonconforming: a term used to describe people whose gender expression differs from stereotypic expectations. The terms gender variant or gender atypical are also used.

Transition: the process by which an individual goes from living and identifying as one gender to living and identifying as another

Genderqueer: a term used by some people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman. They may define their gender as falling somewhere in between man and woman, or they may define it as wholly different from these terms.

Nonbinary: a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female.

Sexual Orientation: describes an individual's enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to another person based on the gender of the other person.

Transgender: an umbrella term used to describe a person whose gender identity or gender expression is different from that traditionally associated with the assigned sex at birth.

Names/Pronouns

Medford Public Schools recognizes that every student has the right to choose and be addressed by the name and pronouns that correspond to the gender identity they consistently assert while at school, regardless of the student’s assigned birth gender and name that appear on the student’s birth certificate. Court orders are not required to update student records to reflect changes in a student’s name and gender markers. According to DESE, “Massachusetts' law recognizes common law name changes. An individual may adopt a name that is different from the name that appears on his or her birth certificate provided the change of name is done for an honest reason, with no fraudulent intent. Nothing more formal than usage is required.” Schools will work with the student and the parents/guardians/caregivers if they are involved in the process, or in the case of a younger student with the student and the student’s parents/guardians/caregivers, to develop a plan for communicating any name and pronoun change within the school.

Transitions

The decision about whether and how to undergo social and/or medical gender transition is personal and depends on the unique circumstances of each individual. There is no threshold medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment requirement that any student must meet in order to have his or her gender identity recognized and respected by a school. When a school is informed of a student’s transition, the school shall hold a meeting with the student and the parents/guardians/caregivers of the student if they are involved in the process, or in the case of a younger student with the student and the student's parents/guardians/caregivers, to develop a transition plan to provide a safe and supportive educational environment for the student and to address any concerns that may arise. Some transgender and gender nonconforming students are not openly so at home for reasons such as safety concerns or lack of acceptance. School personnel should speak with the student first before discussing a student's gender nonconformity or transgender status with the student's parent or guardian. For the same reasons, school personnel should discuss with the student how the school should refer to the student, e.g., appropriate pronoun use, in written communication to the student's parent or guardian.

Restrooms, Locker Rooms, and Changing Facilities

All students are entitled to have access to restrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities that are sanitary, safe, and adequate, so they can comfortably and fully engage in their school program and activities. Students in the Medford Public Schools will have access to the restroom, locker room, and changing facility that corresponds to their gender identity. Transgender and gender nonconforming students who are uncomfortable using a sex-segregated restroom, locker room, or changing facility should be provided with safe and adequate alternatives, such as private changing areas, designated gender neutral restrooms, single stall gender neutral restrooms, or the nurse's or main office restroom. However, under no circumstances will a student be required to use gender neutral facilities because they are transgender or gender nonconforming.

Privacy, Confidentiality and Student Records

Under state law, information about a student's assigned birth sex, name change for gender identity purposes, gender transition, medical or mental health treatment related to gender identity, or any other information of a similar nature, regardless of its form, is part of the individual's student record (see Massachusetts Student Records Regulations, 603 CMR 23.00). Medford Public Schools will ensure that all information in relation to a student's gender identity shall be kept confidential in accordance with applicable, federal, state and local privacy laws and regulations.  Information that may reveal a student's gender identity to others will not be disclosed unless the school is legally required to do so, or unless the disclosure has been authorized by the student, or in the case of a younger student, by the student's parents/guardians/caregivers.  School staff will consult with a student and the parents/guardians/caregivers of the student if they are involved in the process, or in the case of a younger student with the student and the student's parents/guardians/caregivers, when determining whether any such information should be disclosed, and if so, how much information should be disclosed and to whom.

Gender Markers on Student Records

A gender marker is the designation on school and other records that indicates a student's gender. For transgender students a documented gender marker (for example, "male" or "female" on a permanent record) should reflect the student's gender identity, not the student's assigned sex. Upon request by the student or, in the case of young students not yet able to advocate for themselves, by the parent or guardian, the school should change the gender marker on the record for transgender students. In addition, transgender students who transition after having completed high school, may ask their previous schools to amend school records or a diploma or transcript that include the student's birth name and gender. When requested, and when satisfied with the gender identity information provided, schools should amend the student's record, including reissuing a high school diploma or transcript, to reflect the student's current name and gender.

Physical Education Classes and Intramural and Interscholastic Athletic Activities 

Physical education is a required course in all grades in Massachusetts' public schools, and school-based athletics are an important part of many students' lives. Medford Public Schools will ensure that where there are sex-segregated classes or athletic activities, including intramural and interscholastic athletics, all students will be allowed to participate in a manner consistent with their gender identity. With respect to interscholastic athletics, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association will rely on the gender determination made by the student's district; it will not make separate gender identity determinations.

Dress Code 

Students are permitted to dress in compliance with the school district's dress code in a manner consistent with their gender identity and/or gender expression. 

Cross Reference:

JB Equal Educational Opportunities
AC Nondiscrimination
ACAB Prohibition of Harassment

AC-E/ACA-E Title IX/Chapter 622
JI Student Rights and Responsibilities
MA 603 CMR 26.00 Access to Equal Education Opportunity Regulations
MA, 603 CMR 23.00 Student Records Regulations
Title VI Civil Rights Act of 1964
MA St. 2011, c.199 An Act Relative to Gender Identity
MA St. 2016, c. 134 An Act Relative to Transgender Anti-Discrimination                              

Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) General Rules, Rule 43: Gender and Participation

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment- Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity

First Adopted: TBD

Last Amended: N/A

Last Reviewed: N/A

Review Frequency: TBD

Next Review: TBD

Date of Request: October 11, 2023

Date Requested to be on Agenda: October 16, 2023

IX. New Business

1. Recommendation to Approve New Voting and Non-Voting Members to the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee (MHCSBC) - Offered by Member Graham
   1. Voting Member - Kenneth Lord, MPS Chief Operations Officer
   2. Non-Voting Member - Dr. Kimberly Talbot, MPS Assistant Superintendent of Academics and Instruction

2025–24 Offered by Member Ruseau

Resolution in Support of the I AM bill, H.534/S.2491

Whereas half the world menstruates, and like all other basic bodily functions, menstruation is not a choice;

Whereas residents Medford believe that menstruating individuals have the right to live their lives as fully as non-menstruating individuals;

Whereas the federal government does not allow food stamps or WIC funds to be used for menstrual products;

Whereas approximately 1 out of 10 menstruators in Massachusetts lives in poverty and struggles to pay for menstrual products;

Whereas a 2019 study by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Mass NOW) found over half of school nurses reported students missed class to obtain menstrual products and a quarter of shelters did not distribute menstrual products;

Whereas period poverty is a public health issue, and addressing period poverty can lead to reduced economic inequity, educational disparities and improved health;

Whereas at least 12 states and DC provide free products in schools, at least 24 states and DC provide free menstrual products in correctional facilities and at least 3 states provide free menstrual products in homeless shelters (https://documents.ncsl.org/wwwncsl/Health/Access-Menstrual-Products-Brief.pdf);

Whereas the I AM bill, (H.534/S.2491): An Act to Increase Access to Disposable Menstrual Products in Prisons, Homeless Shelters and Public Schools, is critical state legislation that will provide free menstrual products to all menstruating persons in Massachusetts prisons, homeless shelters, and public schools, including our elementary schools;

Whereas the I AM Bill is being considered by the Massachusetts State Legislature and in October 2023 passed the Senate unanimously for the second consecutive legislative session; 

Whereas the I AM Bill is endorsed by numerous professional associations including the Massachusetts Sheriffs Association, AFT MA, Massachusetts Medical Society Women, NASW-MA, National Women's Law Center, The School Superintendent Association of MA; and

Whereas the Medford School Committee recognize the importance of period products in ensuring health and providing economic stability and thus distribute period products through various channels; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that the Medford School Committee:

1. recognizes menstrual products are essential and a long term cost saving measure;
2. recognizes menstrual products are essential and should be considered public goods;
3. supports the passage of the I AM bill this legislative session;
4. directs the Superintendent to transmit official copies of this resolution to the following: Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Edward Markey, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, State Senator Patricia Jehlen, State Representative Paul Donato, State Representative Sean Garballey, State Representative Christine Barber;
5. directs the Superintendent to transmit an official copy of this resolution to the Medford City Council in accordance with Medford School Committee Rule 77; and
6. directs the Superintendent to transmit an official copy of this resolution to the Mayor of Medford

Passed by the Medford School Committee this 8th day of September 2025.

2025–25 Offered by Member Ruseau

BGI - Policy Hygiene

To enhance clarity and promote compliance, the Committee aims to make its policies easier to read.

While detailed language can help explain complex ideas, it often makes policies longer and harder to follow. Brevity improves readability—and when policies are easier to understand, people are more likely to follow them.

To support this goal, Committee policies will utilize standardized language shortcuts throughout our policies to maintain conciseness without compromising meaning.

Exceptions to the shortcuts below should apply when:

1. Required by law
2. Policy does not want to allow for the shortcut’s meaning
3. Clarity is required
4. The shortcut has more than one meaning in the particular policy

Shortcut	Full Meaning
Superintendent	Superintendent or designee
Caregiver	Parent, guardian, responsible adult, or caregiver
Committee	Medford School Committee
MPS	Medford Public Schools
Principal	Principal or designee

All policies, when adopted, should reference this policy as a Related Policy.

Policy Information

First Adopted: TBD

Last Amended: None

Last Reviewed: not reviewed

Review Frequency: three (3) years

Next Review: TBD

Version: 1

Policy ID: BGI

2025-26 Offered by Member Graham

Medford School Committee Resolution Requesting City Council Adoption of Chapter 399 – School Bus Stop-Arm Camera Enforcement

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted Chapter 399 of the Acts of 2024, titled An Act Concerning the Safety of School Children Embarking and Disembarking School Buses, which authorizes municipalities to install and operate school bus violation detection monitoring systems; and

WHEREAS, this law allows cities and towns that formally accept its provisions to use bus-mounted cameras to detect and record motor vehicles that illegally pass a stopped school bus displaying flashing red lights and a deployed stop-arm, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Sections 14 and 14C; and

WHEREAS, pilot programs in Peabody and Salem have demonstrated the effectiveness of these systems, with thousands of violations recorded in a single school year, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced enforcement tools to protect students; and

WHEREAS, the law includes strict privacy protections, requiring that non-violation recordings be destroyed within 30 days and violation-related recordings within one year of final disposition; and

WHEREAS, the safety of Medford’s children is a top priority, and the implementation of stop-arm cameras has been shown to deter illegal passing and improve compliance with school bus safety laws;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Medford School Committee respectfully requests that the Medford City Council formally accept the provisions of Chapter 399 of the Acts of 2024, thereby enabling the City of Medford to install and operate school bus violation detection monitoring systems;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the School Committee recommends the establishment of a joint committee—including one representative from the School Committee, one representative from the City Council, the Chief of Police, the Superintendent of Schools, and the Mayor, or designee—to evaluate and recommend policies regarding the use of revenue generated from citations;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the School Committee respectfully requests that the Mayor agree to earmark citation revenue for exclusive use as directed by the recommendations of this committee, with priority given to student safety initiatives, transportation infrastructure improvements, and public awareness campaigns.

X. Reports Requested

XI. Condolences

The Members of the Medford School Committee express their sincerest condolences to the family of Anna C. Fioretti.  Anna gave her spirit and energy to her classroom for 40-plus years as a fourth grade teacher in the Medford Public School System, where she educated generations of children.

XI. Next Meeting

September 22, 2025 - Alden Memorial Chambers, Medford City Hall in addition to Zoom

VI. Adjournment