ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE CHAIR

Transcript (~12 min @ 4:39)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 4:14 Speaker 1: We don't appear to have anyone joining us, uh, virtually tonight for public comment. Um, so with that, I'm going to close public comment. And while it may be closed this evening, again, please know that you can always email us with any questions, concerns, opinions, or ideas. The next item we have on the agenda is the report of the student representatives. I'm recognizing that they may not be here this evening. I know things are pretty busy. Um, so we'll go ahead and move forward with announcements of the chair and then continue on with our agenda tonight. So, I just wanna start off this evening, um, taking just a moment to say a sincere thank you to our community for passing a historic override that will benefit both our schools and our city. Um, truthfully, thank you. And I think as a next step, I wanted the superintendent to share a little bit more about the process we will be engaging in between now and December. And so, superintendent, if you wanna share some more, I think we would all learn to love to learn from you.

▶ 5:15 Speaker 5: Great. Um, so thank you Madam Chair. Um, so I, I do have a few notes 'cause I just wanna make sure that I don't miss anything. So pardon me if I'm reading and referencing, um, a little bit my computer. So, um, I wanna ensure that I thank all of the voters in the city of Melrose, um, and show my deepest appreciation for their willingness to invest in the city. Um, and especially the schools. So, not only do the schools have a proposed appropriation of a little over $3.8 million, um, in the instruction and learning budget, but they will also benefit greatly from the proposed appropriations for DPW and it. So that includes school buildings and maintenance improvements as well as technology needs. Um, specifically I'll just mention a few of those projects that are, uh, will hopefully come to fruition. Um, uh, bathroom renovation and MHS, some front stair and sidewalk repairs, which really are a safety issue at, um, the middle school, adding security doors at Winthrop to increase safety for students, staff and families. Um, some school security cameras and elementary Chromebook replacements. So just to name a few. So, I mean, this is really an exciting time. Um, as someone who's been here for a long time to have this amount and this override it, it really is, um, an exciting time. There has been a lot of work that's been done in the last two weeks since the override passed. Um, we will continue to do hard work and planning, um, in the coming months as we discuss the second half of FY 26, as well as the plan for FY 27. So I wanna share with the school committee and the public the immediate next steps and timeline for allocating the anticipated FY 26 supplemental budget funds. So, deputy Superintendent Kelly and I have been invited to attend City Council this Thursday, November 18th. So two days from now to share information with the council members regarding the mayor's FY 26 supplemental budget request. City Council's primary responsibility is to vote on the total dollar amount for the school department and all other city of departments. But we're here and representing schools, so we're the most important at this moment in time. Um, and this vote aligns directly with the wording of the ballot question that passed. So the council is then required to, or the council is required to complete this action by voting. Um, and this includes setting the new tax rate. And that all needs to be done by December 1st, which is, is why we're moving this forward pretty quickly. Um, state law requires the council to establish the total school appropriation, but it, and it does not give them the authority to dictate how the school committee allocates those funds internally. So once the school committee formally approves the total supplemental amount requested by the mayor, the funding will come before you, um, most likely in the next two school committees in December. So in short, city council votes on the total amount first, then the school committee allocates the details into previously approved categories. Um, and then this will allow, uh, Melrose Public Schools to begin calendar year 2026 with the newly appropriated supplemental budget amounts. Um, so, and then kind of to look forward to next steps. So while the override funding is necessary and a historic investment for our schools, I wanna recognize that it does not fix everything. And PO positions that have been eliminated over the last two years will be examined in detail, um, positions that directly affect student growth and achievement will be prioritized. We're excited to bring back 17 positions throughout the district, and we'll need to be mindful and make decisions based upon student data and research. Most importantly, this year has given us an opportunity to examine what is impacting student achievement. We're currently quarter of the way through the school year, and there are some things that are going well as measured by our student achievement and growth that we've seen so far. Um, given, uh, that FY 26 is actually underway and we created a balanced budget to, to start this year. Um, there will be some, some conditions that will remain unchanged for the rest of the school year. So I'll just give you, for example, we have some contracted personnel. So, um, Jason Merrill and Brian Corrigan, um, who, uh, will remain in their current roles as the secondary principal and the deputy principal, um, for this school year. Um, the leadership team has started to make, um, I don't wanna say decisions to brainstorm and, uh, do some preliminary planning for the FY 27 budget cycle. And we're going to, with that review the needs of the second half of FY 26. Um, our future planning for FY 27 will be guided by comprehensive data analysis of student achievement and the priorities that we've outlined in our strategic plan. Um, we must determine what changes need to be made to have the biggest impact on student learning, growth and achievement in order to ensure that every student will be engaged, challenged, enriched, and self-directed learner upon graduation. Um, I'm just gonna look to Superintendent Kelly, uh, deputy Superintendent Kelly, and make sure, did I miss anything there?

▶ 10:21 Speaker 3: No, thank you. I I just would, uh, reiterate too that this is not our typical process. Typically, we would propose a budget, approve that, send that to city council for consideration. And this is kind of the other way, this is, uh, council considering the supplemental appropriation then, uh, if, if approved, that would send that back to us to discuss and, and, um, uh, assigned to the approved school committee categories. So, uh, but I appreciate Superintendent Berman's approach, very thoughtful, very deliberate, always looking to strengthen the instructional core and what's gonna be the best outcomes for kids. So, um, very much appreciate that. But, um, I'm happy to answer any questions that make 'em up along the way.

▶ 10:56 Speaker 5: Yeah, so I think, um, between, um, Mr. Kelly and myself, we can answer any questions that you have about the process. Um, I just wanna keep in mind that the money has not yet been appropriated, um, to us. Um, and so I just don't want us to get ahead of ourselves. I wanna ensure we're respect the role, um, of our city counselors in this process as well. Um, certainly there'll be opportunities, hopefully for us to discuss, um, but just don't wanna get ahead of ourselves. So with that, I'll, we can take any questions.

▶ 11:29 Speaker 2: Mr. Hartman. Go ahead. Um, thank you superintendent for, for the clarity on, on the process here. And I also wanna express my thanks to the, to the city and the voters as well for the support they've shown to the schools and, um, to the rest of the city needs. Um, and I appreciate the, the clarity you're providing in terms of how you're breaking this down in your process. And, um, I just thought I would clarify a little bit about, around the process of the city council. Like we know that they have a couple of meetings that they have to put put into the appropriation process. And mayor, correct me if I'm wrong, I think you're probably more familiar with that process in your background. Um, but that gives us time from the school side to think about those things and to converse about those things while the city council goes through their process to finalize what those numbers are that we will eventually see. Right. So that they've gotta have committee process and then they've gotta have a final vote on it as well before it comes to us.

▶ 12:15 Jen Grigoraitis: Uh, just to clarify, that process will actually occur really quickly. Mm-hmm. So the city needs to set a tax rate by December 1st. That tax rate has to include the full appropriation for the year. So that is the hard deadline for the city council to, to create any additional appropriation. So if you've looked on their agenda, they, the order already went down to them. Um, last night. The committee meeting is this coming Thursday the 20th, and then they're scheduled to take a final vote on November 24th. So it will be fully complete, plus the tax rate will be set prior to the next meeting of the school committee.

▶ 12:44 Speaker 2: Great. Thank you. Ms. McCain. Go ahead.

▶ 12:47 Jennifer McAndrew: Thank you. Um, just wanna add my, um, my thanks to the community, to the voters, to all of the volunteers who worked so hard, um, to get this historic override, um, passed for our city and our schools, and especially for our kids. Um, I echo everything that's been said. I, I just wanna put a fine point if I could, on a point that the interim superintendent made, which is that this body, if it's the will of the city council to appropriate, um, in the manner proposed by the mayor in her memo, um, will appropriate. Um, and sort of what will come to us is the operating budget of the school district. Um, that supplemental appropriation, um, the, which, if you're following along in the city council materials that they have is 3.8 million of a supplemental budget for this year, including restoring the 17 positions. Um, that, but the total appropriation that will impact the schools, um, from the supplemental budget as proposed if it's passed by the council, um, for the school, for the schools is $8.7 million. So that is literally almost $9 million. Mm-hmm. Um, of the 13 and a half being, um, appropriated towards the school. So that includes $4.3 million in school building maintenance and improvements projects there. Um, the proposed list is in the DPW part of the budget, but it goes directly to school projects. Um, the instructional learning piece, which is the piece that would come to the school committee is 3.8 million. And then there's also technology pieces within the IT line of the city budget. Again, that would be appropriated to the city it, but it serves the schools of half a million. So I just wanted to really put a fine point on that to say how, um, much of an impact this override, um, had on the school department and the, the functioning and operation of the schools. Um, overall, it also, I think, makes the point that you hear all of us talking about ad nauseum during the regular budget processes, which is process, which is how connected the city departments and the schools are, and how all of that serves. Um, so much of the city budget serves our schools and our students. So I, I really, um, appreciate all the hard work that's gone into the council process thus far. All the hard work that's being done, um, by the superintendent, deputy superintendent, and their colleagues, including the principals who I know are all weighing in. Um, and just really appreciate the hard work and look forward to, uh, what's next for us after the city council acts. Thanks,

▶ 15:38 Speaker 1: Ms. Rezi Thomas?

▶ 15:39 Speaker 3: Yes. I wanna say, um, thank you to our superintendent, um, for explaining this and making it quite, uh, clear for the community. And, um, thank you so much to the mayor for putting the override to the public to vote on and thank you to the citizens of Melrose for investing in our schools and our city in a historic way. I'm so grateful and it's been a beautiful thing to think about coming to this meeting. So it's, uh, uh, I just appreciate the courage and the, um, efforts that everyone has put into this process. So thank you all, and especially to the, the voters of Melrose. Thank you.

▶ 16:18 Speaker 1: Any other comments, questions?

▶ 16:23 Speaker 1: If not, thank you for laying out a very clear process. Again, thank you to the community. I think it's clear that this will benefit our schools and our city tremendously. Uh, so look forward to additional conversations in December and also learning more about the city council and some of the next steps we're taking too. So I appreciate it. Next on the agenda, we have outreach reports a little different that we're coming so early with outreach reports today, but does anybody have anything that they wanna add? Mr. Kelly, go