School Committee Update - November 12, 2024

Posted Date: 11/15/24 (12:04 PM)

Meeting Update | November 12, 2024

For Reference:

Upcoming School Committee Meetings

School Committee Policies

District Strategic Plan

School Committee Contact Information

Meeting Highlights:

Gwyneth Poutasse, Student Representative, shared that parent/teacher conferences are coming up so there will be a lot of fundraising going on. She also said the Student Council is planning dances for the middle school and the junior class was able to make some money from the recent volleyball tournament. Additionally, sports play-offs are coming up. Nina Iverson, Student Representative, said a lot of the athletic teams are in state competitions now and that there was a coffee house last week which went really well. The mock election was also held last week and seniors are planning on painting their parking spots and organizing a Friendsgiving during flex.
Abigail Besse, School Committee Chair, shared an update on the proposed land swap and said she and Dr. Dwight walked the Small Land plot with the architect who designed HES. He said that because this plot of land is large and relatively flat, it would be possible to build the necessary fields there. There are additional details that will need to be reviewed in the weeks to come to determine the appropriate path forward.

Other noteworthy agenda items:

Dr. Linda Dwight, Superintendent, shared her update with School Committee members.
Dana Labb, Assistant Superintendent, shared his update as well. He also presented on Star Renaissance, an assessment tool designed to drive instruction and accelerate reading and math growth.
Dr. Dwight also shared a draft of the FY26 recommended budget and provided a memo in which she identified several stress points impacting the budget. Committee members had an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

Future meeting dates and agenda items:

The next School Committee meeting is scheduled for November 18th. Agenda items will include the FY26 budget, a vote on the proposed land swap, and policy.