now. >> Okay. Good evening and welcome to this meeting of the Boston School Committee. I'm chairperson Jerry Robinson. We'll begin with the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Because this is a remote meeting, I'll ask Miss Pavik to please call the roles. >> Thank you, chair.
>> Dr. Alkins, Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Oh, Garcia, >> present. >> Miss Torres, >> here. >> Mr. Tran >> here.
>> Miss Garrett. Miss Robinson. >> Yes. Yes, we have a quorum. >> Thank you. At this time, I would like to entertain a motion for the school committee to adjourn for the purpose of discussing strategy with respect to
collective bargaining with the Boston School Police Patrols Association, the Boston School Police Superior Office Fed Officers Federation, Planning and Engineering, SEIU Local 888, Plant Administrators
Administrators Association, SEIU Local 888, and AFS CME AFL CIO Council 93 local 2814A store keepers. The committee will return
to public sub. Is there a motion? >> Motion. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. Miss Privates, will you please call the role? >> Thank you. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. Miss Monco Garcia,
>> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Miss Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett and Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The um we have adjourned. >> Thank you. Um at this time, I'll ask my
fellow members, the superintendent and pertinent staff to log off from this public session and join the executive session using the Zoom link sent out by Miss Parvox. We'll see you in a moment. Hi, Vice Chair Scott. They just went
over to the executive session. Did we all make it? >> Not quite. Transported. >> Oh, yeah. We're all here. Where's Lena? >> I'm here. >> Okay, we're all here.
Okay, just a second. Call. We can start. >> Okay. Good evening and welcome to this meeting of the Boston School Committee. The committee just came back from the executive session where we received an update on the tenative agreements with
the Boston School Police Patrolman's Association, the Boston School Police Superior Officers Federation, Planning and Engineering, SEIU Local 888, Plant Administrators
Association, SEIU Local 888, and AF CME, AFL CIO. Council 93 local 2814A scorekeeper. These agreements will be presented and
voted on at tonight's meeting. Tonight's session is being shared live on Zoom and the recording will be posted on the school committee's web page and on YouTube. Tonight's meeting documents are posted on the committee's websitechools.org/schoolcommittee.
org/schoolcommittee under the July 8th meeting link. The meeting documents have been translated into all of the major BPS languages. Any translations that are not ready prior to the start of the meeting will
be posted as soon as they are finalized. The committee is pleased to offer live simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and American Sign
Language. The Zoom interpretation feature has been activated. Zoom participants should click the globe icon at the bottom of your screen to select your language preference. I want to remind everyone to please speak at a
slower pace to assist our interpreters. We will begin with the approval of minutes. I will now entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the June 10th, 2026 school committee meeting as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move.
>> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion or objection to the not to the motion hearing? None. Miss Pavix, will you please call the role? Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes.
>> Miss Panco Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The minutes are approved. >> Thank you. We'll now move on to the superintendent report. I present to you
our superintendent, Mary Skipper. >> Uh, great. Thank you, chair, and welcome everybody. Um, so first, um, before we get into tonight's agenda, I just want to update the committee and the public on the current state of the BPS staff reductions. I know there's been a lot of
conversation about this, um, in the media and so forth. Um, first off, Boston Public Schools is taking thoughtful steps to align our staffing with enrollment and operational needs while minimizing impacts on our students. to match the enrollment
decline of approximately 3,000 students over the past two years um last this this past this past school year and then the projection for next year. We anticipate the reduction of about 568
central and school-based positions. Um the majority of which are connected to the approved school closures and classroom consolidations. and we'll discuss those later tonight at our update for the long-term facilities plan. This adjustment maintains a
consistent 10 to one studenttoteer ratio from the 2025 to 2026 school year into next year. And it also follows a new funding formula that ensures every school has the academic programming and enrichment opportunities that our
students and families deserve. Our teams are prepared to support every educator who is impacted and identify vacancies within the district that could be a good match. And that's been going on since the budget was approved, frankly, and staffing patterns were set. So for
permanent BTU educators whose positions were eliminated, BPS is required to re to place them and reassign them into comparable positions. And that works well underway on a normal timeline. And that process happens every year within
the BPS. So for members of the BTU teachers unit, there were 374 permanent or tenured BTU educators who were without permanent positions at the start of the hiring season. As of today, there only are 52
remaining who will be hired or assigned into permanent positions within BPS by the start of the school year. So we started out with 374 and we are down to 52 and those 52 will be placed into positions for the start
of the school year. Um, additionally for members of the BTU paraprofessional unit, there were 205 paraprofessionals with seniority who were without positions at the start of the hiring season. As of today, all 205 have been
hired or assigned to positions for the 2627 school year. And there's been a small number of normal resignations and retirements. Um, but anybody that was in a position, had seniority, needed a position for the school year, has been
assigned. Uh, I'll continue to update at the next school committee meeting as these numbers continue to go down even further, particularly as the permanent BTU educators get placed, but this is just reassurance to the committee that as we indicated last spring, we are
committed and are making sure that every educator that we owed a position to from seniority uh standpoint will have that position or has already been assigned. Uh I did want to talk a little bit about summer programming. Um so this week we
officially kicked off the uh fifth quarter summer and beyond programming. Um began yesterday. Um and we started the extended school year or what we call ESY which is our programming for students with disabilities. Uh in partnership with Boston After School and
Beyond and our expanded learning opportunities department. BPS started summer programming yesterday and it'll run through Friday, August 7th. Uh so far we have about 57 students who are
enrolled in fifth quarter. We have a total capacity of 5,883. So there is still seats remaining for interested families. The registration will remain open. Um, sometimes families see programs that are open they're not
necessarily interested in and they remain on weight lists for the program they wanted. We continue to outreach to those families and let them know which programs actually have those those empty seats. So, our hope is throughout the summer we continue to enroll. Um, again,
the best way to do that is uh to go you know contact the through our website. Um, we also have helpline support. We provide in-person registration help at the Roxberry Welcome Center, uh, at Bowling on Mondays and Wednesdays, and
that will be, um, July 13th and 15th. So, there's just lots of opportunities for families to get more information if they haven't found that program yet that they want their young person to go to, um, we're certainly here and available. We will also continue to direct families
to um ALA who which is our platform for real-time seat availability and by 10:00 a.m. this Friday, July 10th, we'll send targeted outreach to families on weight lists to help them explore and secure any remaining options. So they can go on
themselves, they can look and then we will update the weight lists this Friday. Uh, additionally we have 2,252 students who are currently enrolled in high school credit recovery. This is across 12 sites and there are 358
students enrolled in middle school course recovery opportunities. Um, I personally am like thrilled to see so many of our high schoolers taking advantage and middle schoolers to get their skills built up, to get their credits recovered. Um, to me this is a
very hopeful sign. we actually had to add capacity here um because we had such demand. So that's um that's that can be a good thing. Uh also the um annual exam school initiative is almost at capacity uh has a capacity of 290 seats and it's
uh at 284 right now. So there's a few more spots um available. BPS specialized services office launched their extended school year which is um what we call ESY registration in March. So, this has been going on for some
time. As of today, there are 2786 students who are currently enrolled in the extended school year. Um, we have a universe of about 4380 students um who are eligible for it. So,
we still have room and if parents um of students who are eligible for ESY um are still interested, they can certainly uh still report and get that seat. Um, also on Monday, the BPS Office of College, Career, and Life Readiness launched the
post-secary transition center. This is a new initiative that's designed to support class of 2026 graduates. The center honors that um, you know, post-secondary success looks different for every kid and it's positioning to help each of them remove barriers to
successful transition. The center is being held in partnership with the Boston private industry council or what we call pick. Um this will serve as a workforce and career liaison for the students and Boston University's path program which will serve as the primary
post-secondary advising p partner for collegebound students. Uh it's located on the second floor of the bowling building uh 2300 Washington Street. Uh the center is open Monday to Friday 9 to3 and that will hold true all the way
up through the end of summer session which is Friday August 7th and it's both in person and virtual advising. Um the service is for any student from the class of 2026 who is um could be undecided on their post-secary plans. Uh
they want to explore college or a job readiness program um or a bridge opportunity. Um, it's also open for students who have a plan but still have outstanding steps to take and complete. So that could be toward college enrollment. Um, it could be paperwork,
it could be a job application. Um, and also for students who are seeking just a connection to a transition, you know, program or advisor and need that extra support. Uh the initiative also addresses the so-called summer melt um or the period between high school
graduation and the fall where students, you know, we've found that don't have consistent support, they can sometimes lose direction. Um they can sometimes get a little bit lost in the process and um even though at the end of the year
they felt like they had everything lined up, they actually don't follow through and aren't able to follow through with that next step come fall. Um, so the center is certainly there to help support and prevent that. Um, at the center itself, students will have access
to one-on-one postsecary planning and advising. They'll have access to supporting and completing course enrollment steps. Um, this could be financial aid counseling. It could be on the spot admissions opportunities uh with particular colleges that are doing
uh, you know, an enrolling admission. um job application support and career development skill building, how to build a resume, how to interview, um workforce programs, um how to get referrals to them. Uh this is really the first time
we've done this and I I I think this is incredible opportunity having seen so many young people when they leave the supports we have in high school, they then just don't know who to go back to to get to that next step of life. So, um, very thankful to Beu for its
partnership, to pick for its partnership, um, and really just spreading the word to to our young people that it's there and we're at bowling and willing and ready to help. Uh, I also wanted to address that this morning, Mayor Woo announced that the
city of Boston filed a lawsuit on behalf of the BPS uh, against Meta and other social media companies, including Tik Tok, Snapchat, and the YouTube. Um, the lawsuit is alleging that these platforms harm children's mental health and
deliberately target them with addictive design features. The research is clear. We've talked about it here. We've also heard young people come and testify to this. Social media has a negative impact on students well-being and mental health. Um, you know, there's just the
endless scrolling, the distractions, the notifications, the algorithms that are designed to keep our young people on their devices as long as possible. Um, the lawsuit seeks to have social media companies remove these addictive features and compensate the city for the
mental health supports it provides students negatively impacted by social media. Um, you know, we in BPS, I think as you all know, we've worked hard and continue to meet the need for increased mental health services through prevention, through education, through
family engagement. Our counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, they're actively addressing the mental health needs that our students come every day with that we believe are directly linked to social media use. Um,
in recent years, BPS has expanded its mental health resources to meet student needs and now we employ 24 proudly 240 social workers and 105 school psyches. Um, we also lead um, you know, Boston
school-based behavioral health collaborative, which is a group of more than 25 mental health organizations that provide direct service to BPS students. Uh the case was filed in federal court in the Northern District of California.
It'll be consolidated with complaints that have been filed by more than 1500 school districts nationwide. We'll definitely keep the committee updated on this legal action as it progresses and we thank the mayor um and the city for um you know being so pro proactive for
our students in this area. Um, I'd also like to take a moment to speak about the recent and disappointing news regarding Jaylen Brown leaving the Boston Celtics. Um, you know, at BPS, we're incredibly grateful for Jaylen's inspiration that
he provided and gave to his students, to our students over the years, and his mom's support, I might also add. Um, you know, he was definitely a frequent visitor to our schools. Um he visited multiple times over just a few years. Um
you know he's he's just uh for our kids just a great role model. He opened opportunities for our students through partnerships in his foundation and he was always encouraging our BPS kids with his message of hard work and respect for others. Um you know I definitely say it
takes a village to educate our kids and I think Jaylen Brown was a prime example of that village and wrapping arms around our students. um you know, we just we hope he stays involved with us and we just wish him the best of luck going forward because he did impact so many
different kids in in a positive way. Um so before I close tonight, uh I'd like to share a very special video with um the audience. Um, eighth grade civic students at Boston Green Academy were named the winners of the statewide we
declare I civics video contest which was commemorating America 250 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Uh, BJ's video was chosen out of 145 submissions from 44 school districts across Massachusetts
representing more than 2,000 eighth graders. The this video was played as part of the Fourth of July celebration on the esplanard. Students were it was also at the Red Sox game. Um students were honored guests at the Boston Pops concert dress rehearsal and they've been
featured in the Boston Globe on channel 7 um on the Billboard at WGBH over the Pike. Um, we're incredibly proud of our students and thrilled that they had the opportunity to celebrate this once in a-lifetime experience in such a unique
and memorable way. Um, and all 40 participating BGA students will receive $2,500 scholarship upon graduation from high school thanks to the vision and generosity of the program founder Rob Waldron. Um, so just, you know, I know
that there were other districts that also did incredibly well. Shout out to students at Amsbury Middle and to Brockton Ashefield Middle. Um, again, everybody was a winner, but we're incredibly proud of our kids um at BGA. And uh, at this point, chair, I think
we'd love to play the video. When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to >> dissolve political bands which have connected them with another, >> they should declare the causes >> which have held unto the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal. >> That they are endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, >> liberty, >> and the pursuit of happiness. powers >> from the consent >> of the governed. >> That whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of these ends, >> it is the right of the people to alter, to abolish it, and to institute a new government, >> laying its foundation on such principles, >> and organizing its powers in such tor >> as to them shall seem most likely to
affect their safety and happiness. That's kind of dropped the mic I think at this point, right? That was just That's our kids incredibly proud. Yes, they they they were phenomenal. I was able to be at the event where um
they were all, you know, their eighth grade moving on ceremony where they played this and we got to meet all 40 of them. Wonderful young people. Um the diversity that Boston represents was sitting in that room from every single
angle. and the fact that all of the kids in the class that participated, whether or not they showed up in the final video, um, are going to be recipients of the $2500. So, participation counts. >> Yes, it does.
>> Okay. So, thank you, Superintendent. And now I'll I'll open up the floor for questions and com and discussion. Miss Garrett, >> thank you chair and thank you superintendent for your report and thank you for bringing us back up on a
positive after which is a much needed juosition after facing um the loss of Jaylen Brown to the Sixers, someone who has contributed so much um to students uh and the city in entrepreneurship, STEM, uh the list goes on. Um a a true a
true um commitment to Boston. Um so thank you for that. Just had two um quick questions. One regarding the summer enrollment thus far. Um and if you need to circle back with these um numbers that's fine, but um wanted to know how the participation um I know
it's still very early. Um compares to last summer for those respective programs. Um understanding that it's not an apples to apples number being that our enrollment is now less. So interested in kind of the proportionality of students
participating in um both the fifth quarter um as well as the um credit recovery. Um but credit recovery would obviously be the proportion of students who need the credits. Um if that number has improved and there are fewer
students in it, that's certainly a positive as well. Um so don't know if you have any indication yet. >> Yeah, I mean I I can give you a little bit of this. I think in general we're going to run pretty much kind of on par with ESI um and ESY um in general. Um I think on
the fifth quarter itself we kept the same number of seats to your point. We've dropped enrollment um but I I think uh we are probably running a little lower right now than we were at this time last year with the number of
seats available. Um, each year I think with fifth quarter, we really try to look at the surveys of students and parents about what kinds of programs they're looking for and then respond with the next slate, the next year slate. Um, there's still some programs that get tapped out because they're that
popular, but they can't take more kids. Uh, usually just because of uh the nature of their program. Um that's the group that as parents wait for the weight list on Friday and they get that update, our hope is they'll come back and now fill some of those other seats
that are still available. Um but my sense right now uh just knowing last year um and where we sort of were with that is that we're probably slightly lower with the participation there, but I would know that better after Friday after we move the weight list. Um and
then credit recovery, I honestly think it is a couple things. I think one, you know, we have um I think with in general with Mass Core, we've been communicating so much more with our high
school kids about where they are in their high school journey. And I think my cap is another thing that is now starting to kick in. So students who previously needed credit may not have taken it in the summer that they actually should have to retain the to
get the credit. So, I actually think we're we are an uptick, right, on credit recovery, but it's a good uptick. Uh, it's not because we have more students failing. It's because we have more students taking advantage of the summer. We've also with the summer jobs worked
out ways in which the kids can actually go to credit recovery and then go to work. So, I think creating some of that flexibility doesn't make the student have to choose between advancing their credit and going and making money. So, I think we've just done a lot of things
and the students are much more aware and self- advocates for getting those credits made up. So, we we would I think we're going to come in higher on the participation for credit recovery and hopefully the August graduation, right? That is the that is the goal.
>> Thank you. And I think keeping our eye on that um fifth quarter especially numbers um as we even think proactively about budget. appreciate the preservation of summer seats, but if that seems to be an ongoing trend, maybe it's something to look at for next year
uh in terms of cost savings. Um but my last um question was around um the high school students as well. Appreciate hearing those opportunities for college support at Bowling. Um, and just uh wanted to know whether universal communication has gone out to the
caregivers of those grade levels, especially the recent grads as I know sometimes their email addresses stop working and other things um whether there's been um blanket communication to them. >> Yeah, we've been communicating out both uh to the numbers that we have on file
for parent as well as in email addresses as well as for the kids. Um, but to your point, there is a lot of movement that happens after the kids graduate and so communication, that's the reason why we're sort of blanking it here, getting the information out here. We're doing it on the websites and it'll be a lot of
word of mouth as well. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome, >> Dr. Alkins. >> Um, yes. Um, thank you uh for the presentation. Um, and always great to see just like our students sort of
stepping up um, and showcasing what they can do. Um, and um, the level of advocacy that's in that um, video um, understated and in moments um, it kind of hits you in the face and so you're
very appreciative of it. Um uh so definitely props to to them. And then also the um rounding out um a a fantastic uh graduation season for you know first
graduation seasons for for for all the schools. So just congratulations to the students and the families um who were able to to see their students walk across the stage and you know as they enter into the next part of their journey. And so, uh, we certainly wish
them well, but, um, we also like know that they will forever now be a BPS alum, and you know, that's something that they wear with honor wherever they go. Um, u, I just have a couple of questions. Um, mine, just at the top of
your report, you said that there were 570 semiod like vacancies. Those are non-permanent positions. Is that my understand? We're all positions at >> all positions. Okay. So,
>> central unions like all positions. >> Okay. Um right. So, yeah. So, something for myself and I think that the committee is is just like as we're thinking about it, it is it is great to hear that um many like that all if if
mostly um of those permanent positions are being filled. I think for us it's also thinking about that the pos that the ratios are there but also like wondering who is in those positions right and so that's part of the work that um like a number of folks are doing
because it is not just about the numbers of folks that are aligned or who are standing in front of our students. It's who and whether or not like those folks have the the the correct and proper relationships that we need them to have. So the the the quality over the quantity
so to speak. Um so we we hope to keep our eye not hope we will keep our eye on that. Um my second question is actually around the um exam school initiative. Um so I know last year um I had asked about do has anyone been looking at any data
that sort of shows like a correlation between those students that are in e you know ESI and either an increase in their scores when they take the exam or their placement. Um has there been anything
there that we've noticed? Yeah, we so we saw a pretty significant jump >> right >> year before uh those that took it uh we had um I believe it was like uh I think it was like a 40 or 45% went
into the exam schools maybe 50 uh this past year it was uh closer to 65 so we definitely are seeing and I think parents can be reassured that participating in ESI leads to the greater outcomes when it comes comes to
uh the exams and preparation uh for being able to go in there. And as you remember um and the committee actually asked for this, we've extended the ESI down to the fourth grade uh for the rising fourth. So um you know, we're hoping that that even has a stronger
impact in preparedness, especially as kids do it multiple years. Are are we seeing that the uh like that our our registrants from the fourth grade are like equally represented or are we seeing like more of a demand as early as
fourth grade? >> Yeah, when I looked at it the last time the fourth grade had a a pretty good healthy representation. I don't I can get you what the current numbers are of the breakdown of the fourth fifth sixth. Um, but I was actually to be honest with you, I was really pleased with the
number of fourth graders given it was the first time of us doing it. So, it's good. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Anyone else? >> Mr. Peralta. >> Thank you so much. Uh, Chair Robinson,
and thank you, Superintendent Keeper, for your report. I have a couple questions related the summer programming. One is what kind of effort is the district
doing or making? I never know which bird is the correct one here, but let's take doing to reach out to the families like let's take one stream. one stream you mentioned families that they are so clear about what they want and they are
waiting for that like >> these these people they are invested >> the other stream of that will be people families that I've been looking for the correct war here are
indifferent maybe not convinced of the importance of the the reality of summer lost and the importance of counterbalance that with continuing education. What effort is the district doing to
reach out to these families that won't come to us that we really need to go to them and say it's very important that your students comes to this uh one extra month of education that is offered to you for free through BPS.
>> Yeah. So this is it's a great question. So I I think what we've been employing right is through the SLAs's which are the summer learningmies the schools themselves do an incredible amount of outreach back like as early as when March when it
opens for registration to really look at the students that they believe could benefit the most from attending and then they're doing outreach to those families >> the teachers you mean sorry >> the teachers the administrators it could be the family liaison but they're schoolbased staff Right. Then the fifth
quarter, very similarly, in addition to us using all of our normal communication channels like Parent Square and the Friday Flyers and Connect Connections, a lot of the fifth quarter community orgs that actually get funded to run the
programs do their outreach as well into the community. So, you've kind you've got it spanning in a lot of different directions. But that said, you know, the there's always going to be a a groups of students who they hear about it or the
parent hears about it, but they don't actually understand the significance of it, >> right? And I think this is actually why we've been talking about with the summer programming and I I think Dr. Hawkins has been a champion of this, which is like what's the outcome if my child
goes, right? Like so that you can say to a parent, hey, kids that go to the summer program for that month, they start back school and they are at this level and with an increase, their attendance is this, they're motivated, they feel connected, like you can
actually draw those through lines. So that's that's really the look at the data that we're trying to take is really the outcome data for the parents because that's the best selling point, right? The other selling point is kids to kids. if they've had a good time, if they've
enjoyed the program, if they get up every day and they want to go in the summer, that's a selling point for the program. Um, and so you see this across the fifth quarter programs, um, that that, you know, when kids have those experiences, they then generate weight
lists, right? Like that's how it sort of builds. So we're trying I think one to help the programs that are new to it to sort of understand that and and fifth quarter does Boston school and beyond does a great job with this and for the SLAs's we had fewer sites like fewer SLA
sites and we did some combining uh one so that we could continue to serve students more you know as many students as possible um but two that like you don't have many mini tiny programs and kids actually get the benefit of being together in a group Um, and so I think,
you know, that that's the other piece that I think is drawing kids within the SLAs's. But this is an area that we're going to continue to work on as h, you know, how do we get to that parent with the messaging of what the value of that
summer is? Because as as many of you know, when you look at districts around us, people pay a lot of money to send kids to summer programs, right? Summer camps usually cost, summer schools usually cost, and here in Boston it is all free. So we should not leave one
seat, right? One seat empty uh with a student because that's, you know, that's something that somebody could have benefited from. So um we'll continue. We'll we'll see where we sort of land after the weight list clear and we go that next step. Um, and then I'll want to look at the breakdown of uh, you
know, the school SLAs's because we frankly stopped some some doing some of the SLAs's because they had such low participation and we instead awarded seats to the schools that actually had good system and could do that outreach
and got the kids to fill the seats and the kids had a a good experience. So we will continue to use those kinds of uh metrics as a way to sort of guide us as to what to fund and not to fund particularly in times when money is tight.
>> Yeah, thank you so much. Thank you for doing all that. I I am particularly worried about you know like if a family have the means to send their kids to summer summer camp and do wonderful things, great go and do that. Many of
our immigrant families, they send their kids for a month or two back to their countries and they have a heck of a time there and they practice their Spanish or Portuguese. Wonderful. I'm worried about the the kids that are going to be in front of their cell phone for the next
two months inside their home. >> Like, how can we how can we convince those parents that there are options to do nothing? >> Yeah. I mean again I think some of this is the direct outreach to the families and the schools themselves have a lot of
credibility with this because they have the relationship. So that's the reason why we really try with the family liaison uh you know with social workers with the teachers you know that that generally for us is the best way to get those uh summer learning academy seats
full. Um, so we'll see what we have at the end of this week and then we'll do a next round of that, right, of who didn't respond or didn't pick the phone up and try again. >> Wonderful. Thank you so much for doing that. Uh, my other comments is I want to congratulate the district for the
opening of the center for the postsecondary transition. clearly that there is a huge need there and and this center is is going to help a lot with um guiding these these students. Um I have
two questions. One is um what is the the targeted number of students that you are hoping to support in this first year that that you are doing that? And the second question is
what is the length of the involvement with the students? Is this just uh right after they graduate or like can they come back if they are having trouble in their first semester in in college? What is the length of involvement that you
are looking for? >> So I think it depends on what um what service the students looking for. So for instance, if it's like job and resume building and that kind of stuff, I think the idea there is the connection with the pick the, you know, oftentimes like
our pick specialists in the schools stay connected with our alumni. And so part of what we'll do from a central perspective is make sure that the pick specialists that are based in the schools know who came in, right? Who is asking questions as a way to continue that relationship and followup. I think
on the college side, this is the like a one that needs continuation. And it's what we found with Succeed Boston, which is coaching is awesome as long as we're staying connected with the kids, particularly in their first and second years of college. And so we'll really
try to get them connected to some of our post-secary partners. Like that will be one of the goals of the handoff. Um, so even though it might start with the summer and it might start in the center, the goal will be to then get them connected as they either complete their
college process and and go that next step or you know any kind of a transition program will be then to connect them with those post-secondary partners who their work is very specifically around students that are in post-secary. Um, but that is going to be
the goal is to keep that connection. I think as far as the numbers go, I'll ask the secondary office on this. I mean, I don't know that they have a particular target other than that any of the students that we know graduated and did
not have through my cap like an actual plan. That would be the universe of students that were we're looking to serve. The second would be, and it's a little bit harder to calculate it, but the number of students who suffer from the the summer melt, right? Where they
literally think they have a plan, they're sure, and then they get detached from the school, and then they start drifting a bit, and then all of a sudden it's the fall and they don't have a plan. Everybody else is going off to college or to work or whatnot. That one's a little bit harder to predict. Um, but we're tracking the students, the
schools the students went to. We're keeping track of all the data to be able to inform it. This year will be most likely a baseline. >> Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Miss Torres, >> I want to thank uh thank you
superintendent and chair for this and all my members. Uh I have the questions everybody asked. So I learned that I'm going to have to raise my hand before everybody goes so I can get my questions in. But probably um one question. Did
you mention an app? Abella. >> Abella. >> Yeah. So uh can you talk a little bit about what would that app be for? >> Yeah. >> So we transition to this as the registration. So this allows families kind of one-stop shopping to be able to
go in. They can actually see school profiles. They can fill all their information out and really complete their evaluation online. We also used it for the summer programming. Um, and what we found is it's cut down a lot on the traffic in and out of the um,
registration centers, right, of the welcome centers. We still get a portion of parents understandably they want to sit with somebody in person and have a conversation or they their complexity of situation warrants it. We'll always have
that. But I think the more that we can get the information kind of in the system ahead of time, the more the conversation can be valuable if and when they do come in. But that is really what ALA is. It's really kind of our soup to nuts registration portal.
>> And the other question is uh for the uh center for um the new center that is open at bowling. I think it's a great thing for you know for kids that are just not know where to go next. uh how was that center promoted you know at the
beginning >> what was the promotion to it so pe kids would know to go there. Yeah. So we sent out to all the contact list for students who are graduating. So the class of 2026 would know it. Um we also have gone
through like the normal uh parent lists of the graduating seniors, our parent square, our websites like we promoted it through all of those avenues. Uh re-engagement center very similarly if we get traffic through there. uh oftent
time kids will reach back to their school if they really are unsure and they need something. So making the school staff aware of it and its existence um again it's the first time through with baseline a big pieces will be asking the kids how did you find out about it right how do you know about
this um that will help us to figure out the information flow for the kids >> yeah because I agree that uh if we promote the summer the summer part like the kids will promote it themselves if they love it you know Yeah. Yeah. So that will be so that was one of my
question what it was answered to. So um you talked about the uh teacher um there were 52 teachers to be placed. I do worry about what Dr. um Atkins was saying you know like who are the teachers and the placement will be very
important so they'll they will not be in situations where are not where they want to be. You know it's because they need to be placed somewhere. So how do how do they get um like processed to what
questions are they asked? >> Yeah. So I think um our human capital has done uh and is doing a fantastic job of being really thoughtful uh with the group of excess teachers that started with 386.
um working with principles, working to understand the school itself, the needs, the positional needs, uh and then what strengths that student, sorry, that uh staff member is bringing to that position. So there's just been I've been
so impressed like even down to sort of where schools are located and positions are located where somebody lives like really trying to think about the whole experience for a staff member and for the school in creating that best fit. >> So that will be the next step as we
continue throughout July. Um, we also get some positions that open in July just because people move, like life changes, people move or they need, you know, somebody uh is going to need, you know, a leave. And so, um, I think that's the other thing that we'll uh
we'll be doing as part of the matching is to see what happens across the schools when it comes to the positions that then open. But that is, you know, that's that's always going to be, uh, we want to put educators in uh, in positions that they can succeed. uh for sure and that schools can support and so
that is the goal for us. >> And lastly um shout out to Green Academy. That was fantastic. >> It was incredible. >> I know. Thank you. I loved it. >> Kids script it. Like that's that's the
part that's my favorite part about video production is when kids have their story they want to tell and then they figure out imaginatively like how to go about it. That's what they do, right? Like they they just incredible storytellers from
their own experience. And so I think to Dr. Alkins point, right, like it hit you at different points exactly what the kids were communicating. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Anyone else?
Uh I did just um my team did to communicate that there are 54 fourth graders in ESI. >> Oh good. >> It's a good crop. It's good. >> So those are kids who have self-identified or were they invited or
encouraged? How do the fourth graders get there? >> Combination, right? like this is like where we talk to schools about what we're doing, why we're doing it, the reach back to fourth grade and schools came to the table of working with fourth graders and their families. Um, so real
intentionality. >> Um, the one question I have is I want I want to thank you again for reinforcing the number of um, teachers that we still have yet to place. But I guess my question is because over the last several weeks we have seen over and over again um in the
globe from union from city councilors continuing to push the fact that there are going to be 500 people losing their um their jobs in Boston and over and over again you have provided information
that that is not true. So my my question is, you know, what is it that we all should be doing to help people understand what the process is around when schools close, when numbers change,
what by law must the district do when timetable to let people know if their job is not going to be in the place it was this past year. Versus, you know, when teachers tell you whether they are returning for next year, how
many open placements are there and how does that big, you know, switch off happen? How do we create a better, more positive communication strategy with the city, with the public around this?
because it feels like it it it creates a lot of needless stress for students, for families because everybody is confused by the information they're hearing or how it's being interpreted. >> Yeah. I think um first of all, I think
it's an really emotionally charged topic um understandably, right? This is people's livelihoods. Um staff, you know, are like family become like family, right? To families, right? So this is it's very emotional and I think people see things in different ways and
they take different parts of fact in you know and kind of hold on to that. I think actually the Globe article that came out like I think it was a week and a half ago or two weeks ago it actually create it actually contained a lot of the correct data. Um you know we start
with a universe every year. It's it's no different any other year. In fact, in some years when we go back in the data, it was much larger than 500. Um, and it ended much larger with uh with permanent educators not being placed. Um, so we
start with sort of a universe every year and that can be lots of reasons why somebody doesn't stay in a position. It can it can be because the position gets cut or it can be because of certification issue. It can be uh people
self access out of positions um or decide they want to look for something different. So lots of different reasons to that. Um but the the things that you crystallize down are, you know, uh are there educators who have tenure who are
owed a position, right, from state statute and contractually that we we owe that position to who have not been placed, right? Like that is one data fact that's super important. Uh and the answer for us is no because these 52
teachers will continue to be placed throughout July. um in August. Uh and then the pair is very similarly like you start out with a universe of 205 in some years it's been much higher than that but 205 and for
those sen uh those pairs with seniority how many of them will not have a job at the end of it and the answer is none they all have a job right so that's what that is really the first component of it I think the second component gets into
the question that Dr. Alkins asked and uh vice chair asked as well which is sort of like the uh and uh and actually sorry uh member Palano Garcia like who is go who is going into the positions right like besides the the sen senior
folks like who's left so there's lots of provisionals right and our goal is to have those provisionals fill positions right because we our positions it's not 500 and something positions we have lots of positions every that open either because new programming
opens, people move. Like there's lots of other reasons why uh a position becomes available. Um we want to make sure that people that have been provisionals with us that they are looked at, right? That our our principles are interviewing them
and considering them for all the open positions. So that's been a big message of ours particularly in this hiring season is please look at the provisionals that worked with us last year. So each of these has a data point to it that's important and I think
because it is emotional people grab different data points and that becomes their data point that they want to talk about. For us we need to make sure everybody we owe a job to um that that is owed contractually a position uh
among our BTU educators in Paris have that position. We've done that like as we said we would. The next is the provisionals to make sure that as many of them who are ready and qualified and wanting a position can get back into a
position. Um and so that's the job for us to report on those. I also think it's why you hear different numbers. But why people grab on to a particular data point chair I think really comes down to what it is that is important to them.
um or how they understand the data. Uh so we're going to keep reporting on this exactly as we have been very consistently. Uh and as you can see very much what we said we would do in the spring we are doing now. >> Great.
>> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> All right. >> All right. So if everyone is finished, we will now ask to accept superintendent report. Is there a motion?
>> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> I'm lost. Okay. Is there any objection to the motion? None. Hearing none. Miss Peral Miss, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins. Yes,
>> Mr. Peralta. >> Yes, >> Miss Palano Garcia. >> Yes, >> Miss Torres. >> Yes, >> Mr. Tran. >> Yes, >> Miss Garage. >> Yes, >> Miss Robinson. >> Yes, >> the superintendent's report is approved.
>> Okay, thank you. We will now continue with the first group of reports. Our first report is the collective bargaining agreement with the five unions I mentioned earlier. Let's aim to keep the presentation within seven minutes and I will ask Superintendent
Skipper to give some introductory remarks. >> Uh great. Thank you, Chair. So, uh BPS Office of Labor Relations Council Mike Ryan is here tonight to present five collective bargaining agreements and the costs associated with those agreements
that Chair Robinson named. Um I'm going to turn it over to Attorney Ryan so that he can go through each of them. Thank you, Superintendent Skipper. Uh, good evening and thank you to Chair Robinson and the rest of the committee. I want to first apologize that I don't
have any inspiring student videos and I'm just going to talk to you about contracts, but I promise we'll get through it together. Um, so like uh superintendent said, I'm here to present the tenative agreements that we have reached with five of our union uh partners and recommend that you vote in
favor of these agreements. Uh, three out of the five uh, tenative agreements I'm presenting to you tonight uh, represent just a simple one-year extension to the collective bargaining agreements that are uh, set to clo uh, set to end uh, in the fall. We worked closely with our
city finance team under the direction of the superintendent and made the determination that given the current uh fiscal uncertainties in the city. It would be beneficial to all parties to enter into a one-year agreement focused solely on wage increases reflecting the
city pattern of 2% uh plus $800. All the parties have agreed to push any substantive changes out until next year when the district may have a better idea of what the city's financial outlook is. Um the district has built a strong relationship with these unions over the
years and we really appreciate the respective bargaining teams and their members for understanding the position uh we are in as a district and and really agreeing >> please slow down. >> I apologize. >> Thank you. >> In agreeing to the terms of these uh MOAS
I'm going to share with you the um PowerPoint and walk you through each now. So the first um of these tenative agreements is with uh the storekeepers um AFL CIO council 93. Uh this is
actually our smallest union with only 10 members. Um but they do important work of distributing necessary supplies across our school district. Uh the parties reached a tenative agreement with the union on June 29th to extend their current contract through August
31st, 2027. Uh the union ratified uh their their agreement on June 29th. Uh the financial package of the 2% plus $800 uh carries a one-year total cost of $10,320.
Next, we have the Planet Administrators. This is another another one of our small but mighty unions with only 16 full-time employees who oversee all the custodial services uh the groundskeeping and other operational services at our schools. Um
the parties reached their tenative agreement on July 6th to extend their current contract through August 31st, 2027. uh the union uh ratified this actually on before on June 26th. Uh the
standard city package carries with carries a one-year total cost of $40,365. Uh the next union we have is the planning and engineering union. Uh this is a union of 37 full-time employees. They're all licensed professionals who oversee the district's long-term
facility planning and and major renovation projects. The party reached its tenative agreement on June 18th to extend their current contract through August 31st, 2027, and the union ratified um the agreement on July 2nd.
This uh one-year contract covers a cost of $85,879. Uh the final two tenant agreements we have are with our school safety unions. These agreements are actually three-year extensions of a prior collective bargain agreement that actually expired back in
2024 and they'll run through 2027. Uh the agreements follow the city's wage increase pattern of 2% increases plus a flat rate every year. Uh we've been working diligently with these unions over the past couple years to finally reach an extension that was mutually
beneficial to both parties. Uh the first uh is the Boston School Police Patrolman's Association. This union uh represents 50 of our school safety officers who uh work to keep our students in schools safe every day. Uh the parties reached a tentative
agreement on June 25th to extend the CBA, their CBA through August 31st, 2027. The union ratified the agreement on June 26th. The financial package uh carries a total three-year cost of $68,335.
Uh the first two years are actually be covering using our existing reserves that we have. Um the increase in year one, which is actually two years ago, uh is 2% plus $250 costing $58,26.
Uh in year two, which would actually be this current year, is uh 2% plus $900 costing $164,888. Uh year three, which is going to be next year, fiscal year 27, is a 2% increase
plus $800 costing $268,887. Now, the last tenative agreement uh to present is the Boston School Police Superior Officers uh federation. This union represents our 19 superior officers or our captains, our sergeants
and lieutenant who oversee all our school safety officers uh every day. Uh in addition to the three-year city pattern wage increase. Um this uh agreement also includes uh some
clarifying language to the contract that codifies our current practices. Uh the first it allows members who were hired uh before 2013 who qualified for floating holidays to keep that status that they are promoted from the
patrolman unit to the superior officers um union. The second it codifies the current practice of uh keeping a member that is promoted uh to a higher position on the same salary step in the salary grid as they were in their previous
position. This ensures that any promotion doesn't result in a loss of wages. Uh the parties breached this tentative agreement on June 25th to extend the CBA through June 30th of 2027 and the union ratified this agreement on
June 26th. The financial package carries a total three-year cost of $25,154. Um and like the uh patrolman, the first two years are going to be covered by using existing reserves. Uh the increase
in year one, which is last year, uh 2% plus $250 costing $24,628. In year two, which is this current school year, uh 2% plus $900 costing
$68,724. In year three, which is next school year, fiscal year 27, 2% plus $800 costing $111,82. Now, I want to say thank you to all the members of the bargaining team um and
all the members of the union for coming to terms on these tentative agreements and for all the hard work they do every day uh at our schools. A lot of this work is done behind the scenes. Um but we really could not run the district without them. and you know for all the members of the school safety unions uh
really for keeping our schools safe and our kids safe and you know letting parents send their kids to our schools and you know not be worried about you know their children. Um I want to thank the the partners of the city finance team. Uh huge thanks to the
superintendent and thank you all uh the school committee uh for inviting me here today. And >> again, we ask that uh you vote in favor of these five uh tenative agreements and uh supplement appropriation requests as
ratified by the various unions. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um I will now open it up to questions and comments from the committee. >> Any questions? Okay, as we said in um the previous session, we want to thank you all for
your hard work and we look forward to um voting on these agreements later this evening. Thanks. Our next report is the authorization for revolving funds for revenue generating vocational programs. Let's aim to keep the presentation
within five minutes. Now, I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent for introductory remarks. >> Wonderful. Thank you, chair. So, we're asking the school committee to vote in favor of our request to establish a dedicated revolving fund for revenue
generating vocational school programs, which is required under the Massachusetts General Law. This revolving fund would be modeled after the district's existing student activities accounts and it would be held in a bank account maintained by the city
of Boston Treasury managed by our financial controls team. Members are in receipt of a memo explaining the purpose of the fund, how it will work, and our plans to create guidelines and procedures around its management and use
to ensure accountability. The memo is available with tonight's school committee materials at the boston school committee.org. Chief financial officer David Bloom is here tonight to answer any questions you may have. And at this point, I will turn it over.
Thank you so much, Superintendent and uh members of the school committee. Um, so, uh, I want to give you just a little bit of information about our revolving, uh, request for a vocational revolving account.
Um, so, specifically, these revolving funds are set up under a section of, uh, Massachusetts general law specifically for vocational technical programs. Um essentially you can think about it like a specialized bank account for any
vocational programs that raise fees. Um so for example um if a school has a uh a culinary program um and they are selling
any of their baked goods or other things, it can go into this type of account. The funds then are used to buy things that then are used in the program. So proceeds from a culinary account would be go used to buy food or other pro uh equipment um for the
program itself. So um the school committee is the governing body authorized to accept and establish this program. Um so essentially you would be voting to authorize the superintendent uh myself
and my team to manage and improve the revolving fund payments and the scope of the business practices. Um so how does it actually work? Um very similar to some of our other accounts. Uh it is a it is under the control of
the city of Boston treasury managed by our finance team um using very secure sort of traditional banking interfaces. Um each school and program would have its own account uh similar to what we've been doing with our student activity
accounts and we've based a lot of our practices off of our successful and um well audited student activity account processes. Um, so we need to have very specialized transaction workflows that holds everyone accountable to making
sure that all of the uh sales are deposited correctly and then expenses actually get made through our purchase order and requisition process. So no one's going to be sort of cutting a check for anything with this. It has to
any payments coming out of these funds need to go through a specific program. If there is for any reason a reimbursement directly to a staff member, that requires a very significant uh additional review to ensure we're preventing any fraud um on these
accounts. So um what happens next? Um so the school committee votes to create the accounts. Uh we then go back and work with our um colleagues at the city auditor's office to finalize formal account a formal accounting manual. And
we then work with each individual school to set up individual sub accounts uh for all active school sites. Um and then there are annual trainings on how to manage these accounts that every uh responsible member of the school
organization would need to go through. Um and then we would submit annual reports back to the school committee about how these accounts are working. Obviously, the vast majority of this work would happen at Madison Park, but there are also uh potential for these
programs to exist in other schools that have um vocational programs. One thing I will note is this does not need to be a formal chapter 74 uh vocational program. This is any vocational program. So, as we're
thinking about starting up more vocational programming at our next program for students with disabilities who are over the age of 18, as they're helping to transition into the workforce, those programs would use these accounts just as another example that's outside of Mass Park.
>> Okay. >> Um, oh, sorry, my mouse is not working. And that's the last uh slide I have for the committee this evening. >> All righty. Thank you. I'll now open it up to questions and comments from the committee.
>> Miss Torres, >> I'm starting first now. Thank you. Thank you, chair. Thank you, David, for that presentation. One one question I had is this um which vocational schools I know that you
mentioned Madison, but um does uh this funds apply to. How many uh schools do we have? >> Yeah. Uh before I let Cynthia give a little bit of an answer on that, I do want to apologize. I told her that if it wasn't on a slide, I'd probably forget to do it, which is my fault. So, I actually want to quickly introduce
Cynthia Beltree, who's our director of financial controls, who manages her team manages all these specialized accounts. She's also on the call to answer any questions you have. Um, and uh, Cynthia, I don't know, do we have a short list already of um, schools that are
interested or are we developing that once the school committee approves us to to use it? developing once the school committee approves and uh we want to pilot with Madison Park because they have wellestablished vocational programs uh and then spread the word to other schools. >> Okay.
>> Yeah. I know I know of about five schools offhand um that are are likely sort of early adopters because they have programs that are good fits for this. Um and uh then I think sort of more
programs will adopt as we go on. It's probably going to be limited to high schools >> um for the most part because any sort of vocational work that's happening in an elementary or K8 is probably not generating any revenue. The key thing here is you're taking in money from the
public for something you're doing in the program. >> Okay. So another question I have. So kids will be involved. kids will be the focus of all this. Will they get uh what are the benefits for them? What do they get out of it? I know learning a trade
but also do they get paid? Do any compensation? How did this works? >> So mostly mostly this the students are not paid because most of this work is happening as a part of their education.
>> Okay. Um it's uh so for example uh you can take your car to Madison Park to get your oil changed and some other basic repairs done and you can make payments to that Madison Park program. That money then gets used to buy more oil and um
filters and I'm now going to expose how little I know about how my car works, but um it basically just goes back into the supplies for the program mostly. Then what the students gain is this experience and then through partnerships we have with our trade unions and with
other organizations, they're then getting they have experience to then go get a job. So maybe they have a job then after school or over the summer directly with um an outside organization um utilizing the skills they've built up
through the vocational program. >> Thank you, David. anywhere else. >> I just uh welcome Cynthia to this wonderful team here. Um what is the status quo now? Where is the money going
now? >> Yes. So currently um schools like Madison Park they'll maintain a separate account that is overseen by the school administration but also uh is reviewed um semi-regularly by the auditing
department >> and and so that we want improve that like what is not working there that's what I'm trying to understand. So with a having a separate account that isn't completely under our uh management you
know there are some financial risks uh but also just having the opportunity to take uh the program and you know bring in the work of the auditing department treasury and my team financial controls to be able to support the schools. Um
>> yeah, >> so that that's the the benefit is like reducing risk but also being able to support more closely because we are involved with the accounts. >> And I will say so Madison Park has done a tremendous amount of work with this >> um themselves. Their their financial
program has been audited several times and always does great. Uh, one of the first things I hear from Scott Finn, who's our city auditor, is uh, he has faith that we're building this correctly if he knows that Madison Parks team has been involved in how we're setting it up because we can learn from their policies
and procedures as our programs are also happening in other schools. This will allow us to formalize those things without having to build something like we did for Madison, which was such a unique situation. Um, and it brings us
fully in compliance with um, state law. Thank you, >> Miss Palano Garcia. >> You're muted. >> I don't know. See, Rachel is first than me. I think so. >> No, you're okay. >> Okay.
Thank you, uh, Madame Chair. Thank you David for the presentation. Um Joel, director financi. >> Yes. Uh thank you madam chair. Thank you David. I was able to see that the financial director.
>> So uh my question is it is my understanding that the director will have a direct supervision of this financial package. So my question to you is who will supervise you or her? Uh so Cynthia is our director. Um she
has a person on her team who's the special accounts manager and Cynthia then reports to me. >> Okay. Very good. So the second question I do have I do think that is a very interesting program. Uh the question is have you
guys thought about uh the uh community schools because those schools they do have pretty good programs as well. Are those being considered the community schools? >> It's a certainly a great idea and we'll reach out to them next.
Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Miss Garrett. >> Thank you. Uh and thank you for the presentation. Just uh two questions, I think. One is are uh vocational programs
able to sustain the funds in the account year over fiscal year or must the expenditures be spent within the school year that they are accumulated? >> Uh yes, these are revolving accounts so they carry over year-over-year.
>> Great. and um just making sure that choices around BPS allocations to these vocational programs are separate and apart from any funds that they may earn
uh from running the vocational program. So, in other word, if the the automotive program does quite well, um we're not anticipating that we would adjust our allocation to that program since they have their own. >> No, I we certainly are not anticipating
any changes in our general fund appropriations based on this. And most of the programs so far price their services pretty much at cost to try and attract, you know, more business for their students to work on. Um, it's a cheap oil change at Madison Park is what
I'm saying. Gonna make the plug for the great work that's happening. >> A nice commercial there. Perfect. >> Thank you. >> Cheap and high quality. Cheap and high quality. >> Yeah. A lot of times the revolving get used for consumables. >> Yeah. I think I think what we we would
encourage most programs to spend most of the money, you know, sort of expeditiously within the year. Obviously, they can carry it forward and if there's a reason to, but we don't want these things to be building up big balances. The goal is for the money to be reinvested right back into the
programs. >> Great. Any more questions before we move on? >> If not, again, thank you for your presentation and we will vote on this matter later this evening. Okay, our third report port report is
the nomination of school committee member Lydia Torres to the opportunity and achievement gaps task force that's aimed to keep the presentation within five minutes. I'd now like to turn it over to the superintendent for comments. >> Great. Thank you, chair. So, I would
like to wholeheartedly give my support to member Torres um for OAG. You know, having I think Dr. Alkins on the OAG task force and chair Robinson prior to that. It just really has ensured kind of the deeper collaboration um and
alignment between the task force and the committee and the district. And I think member Torres will absolutely, you know, help us deepen even more at a time when we really need to with the OAG policy and ensuring that all of that work is
happening cohesively. Um, you know, member Torres, uh, you know, we go back as educators in the BPS, but, you know, she's she's not just a BPS educator. Um, she's also, you know, as a member of this body, she's, you know, demonstrated
what it takes to, you know, be involved in and be a committed member of school committee, um, visiting our schools, becoming really engaged and educating herself around the BPS as it's evolved. She's also, as you know, longtime
educator for BPS. She's BPS parent. She's a former student. Um, you know, she really, uh, she's a tireless advocate for our multilingual learners, uh, and for actually for all of our students. So, um, I would really urge all members to approve her. I look forward to being able to work with you,
Member Torres, on the on the committee in that formal way. Um, and at this point, I'll turn it over to Dr. Alkins um, for a few comments. Um but go member Torres. >> Uh yes. Um I couldn't have said it better myself. Um so the the OG task
force um uh is pleased to to nominate member Torres um to be a part of our our task force. um bringing a a wealth of knowledge and advocacy for for for all students, but especially when we think about um some of our most vulnerable
populations, our multilingual learners and our students with disabilities. Um, and just as a testament to that commitment, um, you know, member Torres was already present at our June meeting, um, and just contributing to our
understanding of the the metrics that we should be looking at, um, as a task force and monitoring, um, for the future. Um, and so, uh, we can't thank her enough for her, um, her dedication and her commitment, um, to this group
and to the elimination of, um, those gaps. So, uh, we we we strongly encourage this this nomination. Thank you. >> Great. Now, I'd like to just open it up to questions and comments from the committee.
>> No questions. Well, to member Torres, I know that the work that this committee has to do and um glad that you um have been willing to step up to become part of this work to bring your knowledge both as school leader, as working with
educators, etc. to this very important work. So, we look forward to um taking a vote on this later this evening. Thank you. Yeah, I want to thank you all for all that nice comment and also I didn't know u what the task force was really
all about and when I went I was asked to come as a guest and I said to them I said so which goal are you giving me so I can uh work on it you know they told me if you you know step back a little bit it doesn't work that way so you know
I'm hoping that I can learn and support like all the goals and uh objectives for the opportunity achievement gap. >> Great. Thank you. >> All right. So, we will um be tableabling
the Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School Memorandum of Understanding A for a future meeting. Um so, we are now ready to move on to general public comment. Miss Parex. >> Thank you, Chair. Um,
the public comment period is an opportunity for individuals to address the school committee on school related issues. Questions on specific school matters are referred to the superintendent. Questions on policy matters may be discussed by the committee later. The meeting will feature two public comment periods with
the first comment period limited to 1 hour. After 1 hour, anyone who hasn't testified would have the opportunity to do so at the end of the meeting. We have two speakers this evening. Each person will have three minutes to speak and I would remind you when you have 30 seconds remaining. Please feel free to
email your comments for distribution to the committee. Speakers may not be assigned their times to other and the times their interpreter uses for English interpretation would not be deducted from speakers allotted time. Please direct your comments to the chair and refrain from addressing individual
school committee members or district staff. Please note the comments of any public speaker do not represent the Boston public schools or the Boston school committee. Please state your name, affiliation, and where you live before you begin. If you're um please
sign in using the name you registered with for public comment and be ready to unmute and turn on your camera when it's your turn to speak. Please raise your virtual hand when I call your name. Our two speakers are Dedra Manning and John Mud.
De Romani. >> I guess I'm first. Um my name is Dear Danning. I am a Dorchester resident and um parent single parent of two public school children. Um here to make three points today. Uh, one, I am really
excited to hear about the lawsuit um, filed by the city initiated apparently by Mayor Woo. I do want to let the school committee know that I have been complaining about um, BPS access to YouTube via Chromebooks since 2020.
Um, back then I had an 8-year-old who was presumably searching for pranks and ended up on websites such as I'm pregnant by my sister's boyfriend. absolutely ludicrous that a parent would complain frequently and have um BPS
abdicate any responsibility at all for how those devices are used by uh young people. Um really frightening and um absolutely nuts. Um I want to address a point made by uh member Peralta um
relating to recruiting for the ESI summer program. Um I don't believe there's any outreach to charter schools. I'd like to say um if the school committee isn't aware that um charter school students are public students. This funding for the ESI program is
public funding. This type of program should be available to all city residents. I actually wrote an email on behalf of a Latina so that her daughter might be enrolled in the program and the mom got a response back saying that the program is full. So I did text her and let her know that there are six
openings. Um I did not hear from her that they reached out to her to say, "Hey, we've got spots available." Um but I'm hoping that they do that. Now, I also wanted to point out that um it's the third admission cycle where the superintendent had promised to provide information on student outcomes related
to the exam school admission construct. That information has not been provided. And what I think is really um disingenuous is for the superintendent to state his school committee me members that we want you to vote on a policy
that amends um the exam school construct and that we don't want any more changes for I don't know 3 years, 5 years, whatever it was. I think that's ridiculous when you haven't actually fully informed school committee members about how the program is working. That information on student outcomes I think
is vital to evaluate the success or lack of success of the changes and to have school committee members take this vote in a vacuum >> is simply not acceptable. I also want to point out that we have good friends. Um the older son goes to BLS. The younger
daughter uh did not get into BLS. She has um a Matapan address. Um, it is a very modest home and that might be a bit of an overstatement and the fact that that's considered a tier 4 home is really ridiculous. I mean, come on people, let's get your act together. Um,
having underresourced families living in Matapan. >> Thank you very much. >> compete with Back Bay is not right. >> Your your time is up. Thank you. Our next speaker is John Mud. Please unmute and start the video. >> It's not unstopping un start my Oh,
here. >> Does it start? Yes. Thank you very much. >> As usual, I'm I'm out. Can you see me? Because I'm I'm out. >> Yes, we can see you. >> Okay. Thank you. My name is John Mud, as you know. I'm a a
resident of Cambridge and a longtime education advocate in Boston. Um, as you think about the priorities for improvement coming from the superintendent's evaluation and the priorities for work this summer, there is nothing more important than making it
clear to the superintendent and staff developing the strategic implementation plan than having smart goals in critical areas. Many school committee members repeatedly stressed the need to have annual goals for improving student achievement. The school committee should
insist that when it is asked to review the strategic plan developed this summer, it must include smart goals in uh a number of areas. Obvious ones would include student outcomes and state tests, the reduction in achievement
gaps, and teacher and parodiversity. Without progress in these areas, BPS will not be fulfilling its responsibility for improving education and life opportunities of our children. As you also know, I have repeatedly pointed to the failure of BPS to educate
multilingual learners who constitute as much as onethird of BPS students. Despite the research evidence, too many students are still being dumped in Englishonly instruction, general education classes with ESL, and not
enough are receiving evidence-based instruction using the students home language. The school committee's own opportunity and achievement gap task force has recognized this fact and has adopted a policy which was approved by the school committee for BPS to develop
a long-term plan with milestones and timelines to expand bilingual education and bilingual teachers. In addition, on June 24th, the Boston City Council also unanimously passed a resolution adding
its voice to the need for BPS to have a long-term plan to expand bilingual education. The BPS strategic implementation plan to be developed this summer is to lay out a roadmap for putting BPS policy into
practice. The school committee should be sure that this roadmap includes the plan with smart goals and timelines for expanding bilingual education. And just as a quick note uh on uh community engagement as the superintendent
evaluations makes clear >> school committee should adjust stake uh involving stakeholders and engage school communities in planning and not just the implementation of new
facilities plans. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Mud. That concludes public comment here. >> Thank you, Miss Parex, and thanks to you. Thank you to those of you who spoke this evening and shared your perspectives. Your testimony is very
important to us. We have two action items tonight related to the grants department this evening. The first item is grants for approval totaling $4,313,5.99. The section action item is the inind donation with a total estimated value of
$100,000. I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent to walk us through the grants and the inind donation. >> Uh great. Thank you very much, chair. Uh so as chair said there's 15 grants for your approval tonight totaling approximately 4.3 million. Uh there's
too many to name individually. So in the interest of time I'm just going to give a brief overview. 10 of the grants totaling almost $3.2 million will support academic instruction districtwide and at specific schools. The largest of these is a nearly $1.6 6
million Boston Arts Academy Foundation continuing grant donation serving 490 students and 50 educators at BAA. This will fund salaries, scholarships, equipment, provide support for full inclusion, teacher professional
development, and other costs. The remaining five grants totaling 1.1 million approximately fall into several focus areas. career tech, uh, career and tech education, culture and belonging, health and wellness, facilities
improvement, and college and career readiness. We're also asking the school committee to accept a generous inkind donation of furniture for the district's early childhood programs from the friends of JP. This is valued at approximately $100,000.
I would ask the members to please vote favorably for these grants and and this donation. Uh we're very thankful uh for all of this support uh for various priorities within the BPS. >> Thank you. Now open up to questions,
comments. Miss Garrett, >> thank you. Um just a a question of interest around the um grant at the Bates Elementary for a Japanese language program. um just really interested in
opportunities for for us to build on the strengths of multilingualism for our district. And as we think about opportunities to um create more enrichment and you know robust curriculum at the elementary level, um
it's heartening to see us thinking about uh world languages in our youngest grade levels. I'm just wondering if there's um opportunity or thinking about um other schools to expand these two or is this more of an isolated um program?
>> Yeah, David, do you have a a background on that particular grant? >> Yeah, I think um this one in particular is a little bit more of a unique situation, but I will say we are seeing um a slight uptick in this program. Um we did a we had a
similar partnership um around an Arabic program at Brighton High School as well. Um and so I think we are continuing to look for ways uh through our world languages department um to expand opportunities and exposure to world languages across across our schools.
>> Thank you. I think it can be a powerful asset as we think about parent choice, especially in our earliest grades, as it's the best time to start learning a language. Um, and you know, also, of course, thinking about increasing our opportunities for dual enrollment programs.
>> Thank you, Dr. Alkins. >> Sorry, I meant dual language, not dual. >> Yeah, we know. Yeah. >> Uh, thank thank you for this package. Um I think um everybody knows like I'm
always a I'm always questioning sort of where where the and I hate using the term ROI but that's essentially like what it is. Um but this is just for the team like as we're compiling these grants packages
for us. So particularly as I look at the continuing grants, for every continuing grant, I'm also expecting to see basically an outcomes report from the previous iteration of it. So for example, if I'm looking at the first the
the BAA foundation grant, right, where it does actually list what the anticipated outcomes are, perhaps how those things are going to be measured. If it's continuing, I'm thinking this was measured already. What are we seeing in the first iteration of it or the
previous iteration of it that's allowing us to build or go into a new direction? um you know similar um the the foundation like grants you know if we're talking about identifying effective scalable practices then we need to be
able to to ground that in some data >> in order to say whether or not like this is something that should be continuing or understanding like where the modifications are >> in how it's being used or the practices that are being used. So I guess it's more around like being able to see the
evaluation like within it. Yeah. >> No, it's a really important thing and one of the things we were struggling with because the 21st century grant that's on this package is another good example of that. Just to your point, it's a similar kind of continuing grant. Um the thing we're trying this year is
we're doing a sort of afteraction grant outcomes report which we'll be sharing with the committee in the fall for all of our grants that ended this year. The problem with that approach in hindsight from your question is of course the next year's grant comes
before the committee before we've had a chance to wrap up the prior year's grant. And so you don't we don't the way we've structured it right now doesn't quite work to get you what you know something before you approve the next one. And so I think I'll take that back
to the team and we'll think about how we can maybe get you like an interim because we'll get you the final outcomes report in the fall for this past year, but maybe there's some a way we could get like a sort of interim or in progress report that we get to you in
advance of or sort of paired with um a a continuation grant proposal coming to the committee. >> Yeah, that's completely fine by me. I mean I I have a lot of familiarity with you know National Science Foundation annual reports and oftentimes like you're submitting those reports well
before your grand year ends and so there's always going to be >> a segment of your data that's not accounted for >> right and so I think we all would understand that >> but yeah I think for 21st century for example right if we're doing an extended school year or a school day program we
could certainly have information ready even if it's not final about the number of students who attended those programs or other things like that, even if it was only for through the first three quarters of the year or something. Um so we'll bring that back and think about how we can incorporate that into these
continuation grant um package sort of proposals. Yeah. >> Yeah. I also just think we I just I still think we could do a better job, David, of um as we're doing our presentations like pulling in the information of like who's
funding stuff. So like for when we talk about hub schools, >> you know, Luben has been such an incredible partner to us being able to talk about that like it's the relevance piece. I also hear Dr. Alkins talk about and I think like it helps connect for the committee
>> the funding with the what's happening right >> so that's something that's not really on you David that's like on >> support. Yeah. >> Yeah. That's like I think on our preparation like for >> and I think yeah the transformation grant that's a I think there's a transformation grant as a part of this
package too. >> There is. Yeah. >> Um and that's actually an example of a place where I think the team does a really nice job of thinking when they give updates on transformation schools. They're talking about the work that the grant is funding in a lot of cases. And so we can we can very easily then work
with them to say, "Oh, great. Let's just add a note on this slide that says this portion of the work that you're already reporting to school committee is what the grant is paying for. So you can just sort of see that connection. Um so yeah, because I think to the superintendent's
point, some of these grants are sort of coming before the committee in ways that we're not sort of calling out or acknowledging. So we can definitely work on that for sure. >> Thank you. Any other questions, comments? >> Right. If there are no further
questions, I entertain a motion to approve the grants as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Any discussion or objection to the motion? >> Hearing none, Miss Pravic, will you
please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins. >> Yes. Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palanko Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes.
>> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The grants are approved. >> Thank you. If there are no further questions, I'll now entertain a motion to approve the inind donations as presented. Is there a motion?
>> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion or objection to the motion? Hearing none, Miss Pavix, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes.
>> Miss Pelanka Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The ink kind donations have been approved. >> Great. Our next action item this evening
is the authorization for revolving fund for revenue generating vocational programs that was presented earlier tonight. If there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve. So
to approve Yeah, I've got the wrong words here. Um to approve the vocational programs revenue generating fund. Is there a mo is there? Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any objection or discussion to
the motion? >> Hearing none, Miss Pravic, will you please call the role? >> Thank you. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Pano Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes.
>> Mr. Tran, >> yes. Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The authorization for revolving funds for revenue generating vocational programs has been approved.
>> All right. Thank you. Okay. Our next group of action items is the collective bargaining agreements that were presented earlier tonight. Our first collective bargaining agreement for approval is for the agreement with the
planning and engineering SEIU Local 888 for the period of September 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 2027. There are no further questions. I will entertain a motion to approve the agreement as
presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you. Second. I hear it. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pravic, will you please call the role? >> Thank you. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Miss Peralta, Mr. Peralta,
>> yes. >> Miss Pal Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> Agreement has been approved. >> Okay. We will continue with the fiscal
27 supplemental appropriation request in the amount of $85,879 to support the memorandum of agreement between planning and engineering SEIU local8.88 and the Boston school committee
effective September 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 2027 as presented. If there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the supplemental appropriation requested as presented. Is there a motion?
>> So move. >> Thank you. Second. >> Second. >> Thank you. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? >> No. No discussion, but I just um I should have said this when we had questions before, but I just thought for the um for the public's knowledge, I
think it's helpful. Maybe um Chief Bloom, if you could just reiterate um the way that reserves um work for the city um when there are pending contracts. Yes. Um this is a customary process when contracts are um in
negotiations and that these are y >> funds that are being held already. I just think that might be helpful for people to understand. >> For sure. So, um, every year the school committee's appropriation that's passed in the spring includes funding for any
existing collective bargaining agreements that are currently in force. Any agreements that have expired or are not yet signed for the upcoming year are held by the city of Boston in a reserve uh, pending the finalization of those agreements. Once the agreements are
signed, the uh school committee requests of the city council an increase in appropriation from that collective bargaining reserve in the amount that's needed to pay for the collective bargaining agreement. If there is a circumstance where an entire year has
passed with the collective bargaining agreement not yet signed and that agreement needs to then be paid retroactively, that payment is made directly from the city of Boston's reserve. uh to the employees without then additionally coming as an
appropriation through the school committee. Um which is the case of two of our agreements tonight. >> Okay. So I'll roll it back and again if there are no further questions I will entertain a motion to approve the
supplemental appropriation request as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Okay. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion hearing? None. Miss Privates, will you please call the role?
>> Thank you. Dr. Atkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Panco Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> And Miss Robinson, >> yes.
>> The supplement appropriation is approved. >> Thank you. Our next vote is on the collective bargaining agreement with the Boston School Police Patrolman's Association for the period of September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2027.
This has a similar issue that we just discussed. If there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the agreement as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. Is there any discussion or
objection to the motion? Miss Privates, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Panco Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran,
>> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. We will continue with the fisc year 27 supplemental appropriation request in the amount 268,887
to support the memorandum of agreement between the Boston School Police Patrol Association and the Boston School Committee effective September 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 2027 as presented. If there are no further questions, we
will entertain a motion to approve the supplemental appropriation request as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? >> Miss Pavitz, will you please call the role?
>> Thank you. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palano Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> And Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved.
>> Thank you. Our next collective bargaining agreement for approval is the agreement with the Boston School Police Superior Office Service Federation for the period of July 1, 2024 through June 30th, 2027.
If there's no further questions, I'll entertain a motion to approve the agreement as presented. Is there a motion? So move. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pavox, will you please call the role?
>> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palanka Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes.
>> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. We will continue with the fiscal year 27 supplemental appropriation request in the amount of $111,82 to support the memorandum of agreement between the Boston School Police
Superior Officers Federation and the Boston School Committee effective September 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 2027 as presented. If there are no further questions, I'll entertain a motion to approve the supplemental
appropriation request as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pavvice, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes.
>> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palano Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran. Mr. Tran, >> you're muted. >> Yes. >> Miss Garrett,
>> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. And our next collective bargaining agreement for approval is the agreement with AFSCME
AFL CIO Council 93 local 2814 storekeepers for the period of September 1, 2026 through August 31st, 2027. There are no further questions. I will entertain a motion to approve the agreement as presented. Is there a
motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. There any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Privates, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Hawkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes.
>> Miss Palanko Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved.
>> Okay. We will continue with the fiscical year 27 supplemental appropriation request in the amount of $10,320 to support the memorandum of agreement between AFSC AFL CIO Council 93 local
2814 storekeepers and the Boston school committee effective September 1st 2026 through August 31st 2027 as presented. If there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the supplemental appropriation request as
presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pavitz, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Hawkins, >> yes.
>> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palanka Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> And Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved.
>> Thank you. Okay. Our final collective bargaining agreement vote this evening is on the agreement with the Boston School Department Plant Administrators Association for the period of September 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 2027. If
there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the supplemental appropriation request as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Privates, will you
call? Please call the role. >> Thank you. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palco Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. Miss Garrett, >> yes.
>> And Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. Our final fiscal year 27 supplemental appropriation request is in the amount of $40,365 to support the memorandum of agreement
between the plant administrators association and the Boston School Committee effective September 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 2027 as presented. If there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the
agreement as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> There any discussion or objection to the motion? >> Miss Privates, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes.
>> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palanko Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes.
>> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. >> All right. Our next action item this evening is the superintendent school year 2025 2026 summit of evaluation that was presented at the June 10th meeting. As a reminder, per the superintendent's
contract approved by this body in July of 2025, provided the superintendent receive an overall provided the superintendent receives an overall rating of proficient or exemplary on her performance evaluation, shall she shall
receive a salary increase as stated in the contract. Now, I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent for final comments. >> Great. So, thank you chair and and thank you members of the school committee uh for every opportunity, but this one in particular to reflect on my role as
superintendent for the past four years. Um I really want to give special thanks to member Alkins for your work in directing the whole evaluation process and vice chair scar for your work and the support. Um, you know, each year I
welcome the chance to really look at the district's progress, to share it out with the committee and to with the public. When I first began as superintendent, my priority was to really create a strong foundation and to build back toward transformative work so
that we could really honor every student being able to learn in the BPS and meet their potential. Um, I also, you know, I'm a strong believer in strengthening what works and building offing and learning from it and discontinuing what doesn't. Um, and that's been, I think, a
theme, um, of our work as a district for the past four years. Um, we all myself at the the forefront of this, right, can acknowledge that we have a lot more work to do in BPS, but I really want to thank the BPS village that has done so much
hard work uh during my tenure. Certainly my incredible team, many of whom are on tonight, our schools and school leaders, our families, uh our educators, our community partners. um we've truly built a groundwork over the last four years that um is really allow us to
implementing systems that's going to move the district forward. And we're already starting to see that, right? Like we've seen just from these four years historic gains in academic achievement for for our students starting to swing in the direction we
needed to. Um outpacing national uh rebound um particularly for our English language learners. We've seen, you know, the the continued implementation of the inclusive education plan across the district as we continue to move through
the grade implementation. We've seen historic increases in graduation rates and dropout lowest dropout rates on record. Um, we've also seen with the CILA by literacy, you know, so many more students earning the CILA by literacy and uh in advanced placement the same.
We in fact we've we've had you know about 4,300 students enrolled in AP courses last year and we continue to see increases in the percentage of the students earning three or higher which is the performance side of that. Um 64%
we like just were actually notified of this but 64% of the scores from this year's AP exams um from May of 2026 earned a three or higher. Uh and that's just incredible you know incredible data. Um and we have more that we can
do. Um you know there uh we have more than a thousand students who participated in early college and 200 students who participated in CTE uh earning certifications and participating and building their their skills for for work of the future. Um we had 552 seal
of biiteracies that were presented across 523 recipients. Um and that number of seals of biiteracies has increased and doubled since 2024 when we gave 245 awards to 426 in 2025
and then reaching pinnacle this year with 552. So you know all of these things are c to celebrate to build on reflect such hard work from so many different people in the district that I feel you know truly humbled to work aside every single day. Um and you know
and even during a difficult budget which certainly this last year's was um you know we've been facing financial pressures as a district as a city as a nation um and we had to make difficult decisions to ensure that students were not impacted and that the services they
needed and deserved were protected as much as we possibly could. Um we're going to continue to work throughout the summer as we begin the school year 2627 stronger than ever. Um, as I mentioned earlier in the in the meeting, the summer programming is off to a great
start. Um, and again has an incredible team behind it lifting it up. Um, and I really just look forward to continuing our planning next month, building off of momentum. Um, as we come back in August for the August Leadership Institute,
which we call ALI, and really working with our school leaders, mapping out an even stronger year for 2627. Um, I say it quite sincerely that in my 37-year career as an educator, being the superintendent of BPS is the greatest
honor I've ever had and probably ever will. And, you know, I just look forward to the future here and continuing to build it with you and with my team um, and our community on behalf of every single student because we know more than anything, every single student deserves
it. So, thank you for everything we've been able to accomplish together so far and again very optimistic and looking forward to uh an incredible 2627 school year. >> Thank you. Now, open it up to questions and comments from the committee.
Mr. Peralta Thank you, Chair Robinson. I just want to comment and say thank you once again to Superintendent Skipper and and the team, right? Many of them present here today. Um we need your the stability
that you're bringing to the district and the leadership. Um and also like what you saw on on our collective individual and and summary evaluation of the your role and and your
team. Um is that we we need to keep opening opportunities for you to interact with the community and and this year and the year after that's going to be more important than ever. We just saw the incredible news of last week on the
Supreme Court deciding to deocumented the biggest number of human beings in the history of this country just like that. Um like our Haitian communities are really suffering right now and some
of the very few spaces where they can feel safe and access reliable and uh and true information is our schools. They they trust the teachers. They trust the the administrators on on this school.
So, thank you. And and again, take every opportunity you have to to get together with the community. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, oh, go ahead, Miss Garrett. >> Um, thank you, superintendent, for your
continued commitment. It's great to hear um the positive data and that recent um news around APS, which I'm sure we'll hear more about. Um I think we're really also looking forward to and we we talked about this in in the written um evaluations just the opportunity to
visit um data on a very uh clear and transparent calendar next year that's really anchored to the highest leverage student outcomes that really um can serve as a as a collective measure for for progress in the district so that we
um make sure we're moving in the right direction for all students. So really looking forward to um next year's conversation really looking back on those data points that um we have the opportunity to dig into over the course of the the year along with the public.
>> Absolutely. And thank thank you for your thinking uh as well with us as we have been you know working on the measures really looking forward to setting that framework up. >> Mr. try. >> Thank you uh
every member of the school committee for having participated in in the uh evaluation process. Uh, and I'm very glad that uh, Superintendent Skipper
uh, received a um, a high mark on her evaluation and um, she deserves all you know everything that she uh, is getting. Uh I would like just to echo
member Peralta regarding um community uh uh involvement. That is one of the area that we have been fighting and we have been striving endeavoring our best for the longest time that I that I'm that I'm on on
board and and of course I do recognize that we are moving forward. we are, you know, we are getting better and better, but I'm hoping that that area uh is going to get much better uh in the
next school year. Um another area is the uh multilingual learner and uh students with disability. I acknowledged that uh
that there was progress, there was success stories. However, I do maintain that you know we need to put even more resources and I know that you are doing that uh
Superintendent Skipper. I know that I know that you are paying very close attention to those two areas. And I'm hoping that you know um with your continue uh commitment to uh ML students
and students with disability and uh at the end of next school year the data that we are going to receive from their progress is going to increase. So I'm looking forward to that. Thank you.
>> Thank you member Tran. Thank you, Miss Torres. >> I want to echo everyone. Thank you. And uh I do want to say that I know that uh change takes time and I know that you're working very hard on making and meeting
the all the expectations for the district. and that we're here to support and to continue to give you feedback so you can be the best superintendent ever. So, I thank you for all the work that
you have done and um for for our teachers, for our students, and for many of our families. Thank you. >> Thank you, Member Torres. >> Dr. Alkins. >> Um yes, of course. Um, piggybacking off
of what everyone has said, um, I think, um, also what the the evaluation has also put into perspective for me as always is, um, being able at trying to
understand like my capacity as a as a school committee member and, you know, when we particularly when we talk about family and community engagement, sort of I think the more flexibility that we have as school committee members. to be
in community with folks to um to bring together like the diverse perspectives um on a topic say like multilingual learner um progress or um how are we educating our students you know with disabilities. So, you know, I think this
is like a charge to us too as we're seeing um our you know, as we're reflecting on family and community engagement, how as a school committee we can we can be more proactive in that from our seats. So, uh just, you know, thank you for your continued commitment
to BPS students and um you know, we want to build on the progress. >> Thank you, Dr. Hopkins. Yeah. I too want to give my thanks to both you and to your team um all of your team
because I know this work is not done by any one person alone and I think you've built a great team over the past several years and um I think everybody is ready to roll up their sleeves and to dig in to the evaluation and to work through the things that we all agree need to be
improved particularly parenting community engagement and looking that are, you know, both inclusion and multilingual learner issues. These are the work of our district and I think we're all ready to um to continue working as hard as we can to improve
these things. But thank you again for your leadership as we move forward. >> Great. Thanks for your support. >> Yeah. >> Uh no, I I have just additional uh shout out as a matter of fact. Sorry to to
have missed that, but uh I I uh I I think it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the valuable contribution of uh Dr. Alkins and vice chair uh Rachel Scarit in putting together that
summative uh evaluation. If it is in my hand, I don't know what the heck I'm I'm going to be doing. But the the the the the document, the summary that were collected and put together succly uh to
the point uh deserve a a really loud shout out to both of you. Thank you. >> Yes, >> we all agree. Thank you both for all of that work. Thank you. Okay. So, if there
are no further questions, I'll entertain a motion to approve the 2025 2026 summitive evaluation as presented. Is there a motion? >> I think uh Dr. Alkins, are you
>> Yeah, I just had one just like on that line again. and I will I will never stop uh will never miss an opportunity to to to give flowers um to Rebecca Granger for sort of wrangling uh Vice Chair Scarret and myself um for for for a lot
of this process. So um shout out to to her and the great work that she's doing. So >> okay. >> All right. If there are no more further questions or comments, I will entertain a motion to approve the
2025 2026 summit of evaluation as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? >> Miss Privates, will you please call the
role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Atkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta. >> Yes. >> Miss Palano Garcia. >> Yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes.
>> And Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Our next action item is the OAG task force nomination of member Lydia Torres that was presented earlier tonight.
If there are no further questions, I'll entertain a motion to approve the nomination of member Torres as presented. Uh >> okay, I'm going coming to you, Mr. Tran. >> Yes. Before we vote, before we vote on
this, my question is uh given the fact that there are two members uh uh um who were you who participated in the process, are they voting as well or no?
>> Yes, I believe um they are able to vote >> yes on this. Okay, thank you. >> Yes. Okay. >> Okay. All right. So, is there a motion? >> So, move. >> Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pravic, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> enthusiastic. Yes. >> Garcia.
>> Enthusiastic. Jack. >> Miss Torres. >> Yes. Mr. Tran, >> uh, I I'll take this moment to, uh, to voice my, uh, opinion on this process.
First of all, this process is not inuniated anywhere in our in in in the portion of the city charter establishing us. It may have
been it may have mentioned in the bylaws and I have problem with that. If the bylaw is there there are things in the bylaw that need to be revisited and that need to be uh given the the collective
experience that we have the bylaw need to be revisited. uh there there are things that that are ministral things like uh voting on uh private school uh applications things of that nature that's a that's that's
ministrial in this particular situation where I'm asked to vote for one member over another into a subcommittee that we established
where I view both members are valuable are very competent and um I don't know why we have to vote on that. I think it would it should be left with the with the members of that
um committee or you know with the member of that work group not us. >> So because of that I'm going to abstain. Thank you. Okay, >> Miss Garrett.
>> Yes, >> Miss Robinson. >> Yes. >> The um the motion passes with six six yays. One member abstained. >> All righty. Thank you. And thank you,
Miss Torres. Our next action item is the approval of the Horus man charter governing updates that were presented at the June 10th meeting. As I mentioned earlier, we have tabled the Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School Memorandum of Understanding A for
consideration at a future meeting. Now, I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent for final comments. >> Great. Uh, thank you, chair. So tonight we're asking the committee to vote in favor of several updates to the charters for four different Horus man charter schools. Uh the Edward M. Kennedy
Academy for Health Careers or what we call EMK, Boston Day and Evening Academy which we call BDA, Boston Green Academy, BGA and UP Academy Doorchester. These changes were presented together at the June 10th meeting in an effort to move
all of those necessary governance documents forward before the end of the school year. We're asking the committee to approve these items with one vote for each of the four schools. Uh Dr. Clark is here and representatives of the various charter schools are here to support any remaining questions you may
have. Um there is an ex a list within uh your documents that show what you will actually be voting. Um and at this point I will turn it over to Dr. Clark um so that uh when we do the vote she'll we
will actually read um each of the individual bolt language. So Dr. Clark, >> good evening. Um thank you superintendent. Thank you committee. I'm here if anyone has any
questions, concerns, or would like me to review any of the information. >> So, just as a reminder in your documents, so it's EMK's accountability plan, it's EMK's enrollment policy and application, EMK's expulsion policy,
>> EMK OUA, that's all EMK. Then there's Boston day and evening's mission statement. MOUA accountability plan and expulsion policy. BGA it is just their expulsion policy in upd.
>> Okay. >> Okay. So >> chair I think member scar has >> I was going to say I'm going to open it up to questions and comments from the committee. Miss Garrett, >> thank you. Um just even as
Superintendent Skipper went over um what we're preparing to vote on this evening, just wondering if someone can give voice to and some context to all of these revisions to expulsion policies. Um I think that they have some common themes and motivations in terms of the
adjustments that might be helpful to understand. >> Um thank you vice chair. I I'd be happy to to do so. In in general, the revisions are to be consistent with
current DESIE policy and as you um referenced, there are um a number of revisions that Desi has made to align with um recent um Supreme Court case
decision. Um, so each school worked with legal counsel following Desi's guidance to make sure that they are up to date with the current policy statewide. >> Okay, Dr. Balkans.
>> Uh thank you um for this package and I'm pretty sure a lot of this has you know was discussed and um scripted uh like before uh I'm thinking of particularly the the OAG policy was uh was sort of put into
place. This is actually a really good example um and good note of how schools can sort of you know in one capacity think about um like how this policy is aims to support a lot of the work that
they're doing. So, um, as schools are thinking about drafting new types of policies, the spirit of like the OAG, um, document, like hopefully that they're able to take a look at it and and and see how it's actually guiding
um, uh, a lot of the the language that's going in there and so like how we're enacting some of these policies. >> Thank you. duly noted. >> Are there any more questions or comments? >> Okay, we will take votes for each school
separately. And if there are no further questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the following updates for the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers as presented. their accountability plan,
enrollment policy and application, expulsion policy, and memorandum of understanding. A Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Is there any discussion or objection to
the motion? Miss Privates, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. Miss Pano Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes.
>> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> And Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. I will entertain a motion to approve the following updates for the Boston Day and Evening Academy as
presented. Mission statement, memorandum of understanding, A, memorandum of understanding, B, accountability plan, expulsion policy. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Is there a second?
>> Second. >> There any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pavix, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. Miss Palango Garcia, >> yes.
>> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Miss Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. >> I'll entertain a motion to approve the
Boston Green Academy expulsion policy as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pravic,
will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palanco Garcia, >> yes. >> Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett,
>> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved. >> Thank you. I will entertain a motion to approve the UPC Academy Dorchester expulsion policy as presented. Is there a motion? >> So move.
>> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Miss Pavitz, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> yes. >> Miss Palano Garcia,
>> yes. Miss Torres, >> yes. >> Mr. Tran, >> yes. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The the motion is approved. >> Thank you. >> Our last action item tonight is the approval of the private school
application of South End Village Academy Private School. Now, I'd like to turn it over to the superintendent for final comments. >> Great chair. Um, so as we presented, as you remember at the last school committee meeting on June 10th, uh, the South End Village Academy has submitted
an application to operate at the site of the former Croft School on Washington Street in the South End. Uh, just as a reminder, the district's role in the application process is approving uh, a private school's application to operate on the, you know, within Boston. It's
entirely administrative. Um, Southoun Village Academy has met the requirements from our perspective and we recommend that the committee approve the application because of that. Uh, Dr. Clark is here uh, as well as Christina Lopez uh, who is the South End Village
Academy head of school were there to be any questions. But again, we believe they've met the litmus test of the application and uh, we would recommend their approval. >> Great. Thank you. We will now open it up to questions and comments from the committee.
Dr. Watkins. >> Um I I understand like our role is is certainly um administrative and in that sense you know they they have completely um fulfilled that that that part of it.
Um, and at the same time, I think I can express that I I don't like this or sort of being placed in this particular position as a as a district. Um, because while we do talk about administrative oversight, I think what we've well like
what we've heard consistently from our entire from everybody here is that, you know, we all take our all take this work home with us. So it's never administrative like we do feel connected to the students that we serve. Um and so um the
way and this doesn't just go in this case, but it goes for for other cases that we've seen recently where we worry about putting our students potentially at risk for um for not being able to um
um for not being able to gain access to the educational environments that are the most supportive for them. Um and so um This is tough. Um, uh, with the Southoun Village Academy,
um, what I particularly worry about is their their their their approach to funding and sustainability. Um, and and obviously BPS is always the district that's left picking up the
pieces because that's who we are. Um, and I also encourage families um to really do their homework as much as they can um on any educational option. And that's not that's not a endorsement or a
non-endorsement of of anything. But um I think as a as a district, it doesn't feel good to be put into this position. Um especially when we know sort of the history of certain things that have not been able to
um when when we know that we've there have been missteps with regard to um you know this population's education and so um I'm looking forward um I'm only hopeful that they are able to be
sustainable and successful um and like and I I just really. Yeah, I can't stress it enough. It's it's not comfortable to be in this position. Um so, um but I do wish the
that community the best and um the school uh the best. So, thank you, >> Miss Garrett. >> Thank you. Just uh Dr. Alkins comments resonate a great deal. Um I just wanted to echo those. Um I know that we began
this meeting with the superintendent's comments around uh declining enrollment and some of the uh personnel effects of that. Uh it feels very inongruous that we are responsible for um approving opening additional schools um where
students enroll um who have a legal right to attend for free in Boston public schools which is what we've all committed to be on this committee to um support it. certainly doesn't begrudge anyone's choice in terms of the type of school that they attend um by any means,
but it it certainly um seems an odd responsibility for a school committee tasked with um policy and oversight of the Boston public schools. Uh and and so I think just naming that um absent the
uh regardless of the particular school that's that's um up for a vote today. Um I did have one question um thinking about the last time um that we heard from CA uh we know that the board at that time if I remember correctly was
completely composed of um parent board members. Um was wondering if there has been any addition of board members who may be coming with additional school perspectives um or who are members that
are not um part of the parent community. I don't know if the representative from CA wants to respond to that. I I um member scar I have not received any additional information about new members to the board.
>> Understood. Thank you. Yeah, I would I would just personally like to reinforce what Dr. Hawkins and Rachel and Chair Scarret said. We intend to pursue this and talk with Desi about why it is this way and how we might go
about recommending change, especially because it really does feel like this is very Boston specific. >> Yes. Um, when I asked the question about new entities opening up elsewhere, this really seems to be mostly Boston. So, um, we've had a couple situations like
that and been successful at getting language changed. Um, but I think this will be one that we will tackle because it also is just a resource. So, we're taking Boston public school resource to do this uh, in the form of Dr. Clark's
time and members from the my immediate team to vet the different parts of the application. And so there seems to just be a mismatch in general. It this it would be different I think if it was one a year or something, but this is starting to happen more often. Um so I
think uh we will definitely take uh your comments Dr. Dawkins and and uh Vice Chair Scarit uh to a next level and report back once we've been able to set up a meeting with appropriate folks. >> Great. >> I I see that Christina Lopez has joined
us. Would you like to comment response? >> I thank you so much um Boston School Committee and Superintendent Skipper. Um uh as far as the question on opening up the process to um take on different and
more board members, we have started talking about the process for governance um to start for the new school year. So this process will take place in August. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> Any other comments, questions? You know, superintendent, I know we all agree that it is time for a desi conversation with regard to this process. Um, yeah. Okay. Well, if there are no further
questions, I will entertain a motion to approve the South End Village Academy Private School. Is there a motion? >> So, move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion?
Miss Prax, will you please call the role? >> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins, >> yes. >> Mr. Peralta, >> I am boring. Yes. This school has met the administrative requirement to operate in the city of Boston. >> Miss Pano Garcia.
>> Yes. >> Miss Torres. >> Yes. >> Mr. Tran. until uh the uh finalization of the conversation with uh Desi in in conjunction with all board members
concerns and mine. I'll abstain right now. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The motion is approved with six yays and one member is abstaining. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. Okay, our only report tonight is the long-term facilities plan update. Before I turn it over to Chief Stannis Laws, I want to invite the superintendent to give introductory remarks. I'd also like to remind everyone to please speak at a
slower pace to assist our interpreters. Thank you. >> Uh great. Thank you, chair. Um, so, uh, tonight we're here to provide the committee with an update on the merges and closures that are part of the long-term facilities plan cycles 0
through three and share how we're supporting students and families and school communities through these important and impactful changes. To just provide a little background, it's been nearly 3 years since the publication of the long-term facilities plan in 2023.
the district's roadmap for school closures, mergers, and reconfigurations. And as you've heard before, this framework was created through extensive community engagement with families and educators and stakeholders who helped define the criteria and metrics that
guide our recommendations. Tonight, we're here to provide you with an update on students assignments as the result of recent closures and mergers and walk you through how the district has supported and continues to support
schools, students, families throughout the merger and closure process. Uh, shortly BPS Chief of Capital Planning Dell Stannislas will give tonight's presentation. She will also be joined by Deputy Superintendent of Academics Dr. Simone Wright.
Certainly closing and merging schools is difficult and always emotional work. Splitting up school communities is a painful process um even when the decisions are based on data and what's best for students and long-term
sustainability of the district. These closure and merger decisions also reflect the district's the district's current reality. Our enrollment continues to decline, right? enrollment in October 2025 and the projection into the next school
year was down 3,000 students over those two years combined. This was discussed at length during this year's budget process. There are just fewer students aging through the system because of lower birth rates nationally
and there's fewer newcomers due to our current federal im immigration policies. These decreases mean that we have far more seats available than we do students to fill them. This affects the quality of the education we're able to provide our students, how our resources are
allocated, and the long-term sustainability of the district. It also means that we have too many students enrolled in schools that do not currently have that ability to offer the highquality experience students and families want and deserve. So, as we
make ch these changes and work toward the goal of reducing the number of BPS schools to 95 by 2030, my team is focused on supporting our students and families throughout these transitions. We're working one-on-one with families
to move students to higher quality learning environments and provide them with quality school choices. The entire district is prioritizing these students and their families every step of the way by ensuring a smooth, respectful
transition from their former school into a welcoming school community. I'm pleased to report, as Dell will share, that nearly 90% of the students who transferred in district were assigned to their first or second choice school. Um
Dell will definitely uh you know dive deeper into the data in tonight's presentation but that shows that we are moving in that right direction. The capital planning team will also continue to work with closing school communities to find appropriate ways to honor each
school's legacy. Um the de digitizing day which I attended was amazing. The Mary Lion Legacy Galler and the Excel Multicultural Event are just a few examples of events that provided an opportunity for school communities to
come together to share memories and to celebrate all of their accomplishments together with closure. Going forward, we'll return to the school committee in the late fall to provide a full report on the impact of the mergers and the closures on students
and then at that time present the cycle 4 recommendations. But at this time, I'll turn it over to Chief Stannis Loss and to Dr. Wright for the presentation. And I just want to thank Dell and her whole team for just all of the hard work
that they do really trying to keep students and families and staff impacted at the center and the core of the work. >> Uh thank you superintendent. Um good evening chair and members of the school committee. Um as the superintendent
shared I am joined here tonight by my colleague Dr. Wright. Together, we will provide a brief update on the progress of the long-term facilities plan. Next slide. Tonight we will review
preliminary findings on student transition following school closures and mergers for cycles zero through two. Highlight preliminary student assignment patterns resulting from recent school closures and mergers
and describe district supports provided to school staff, students, and families throughout the closure and merger transition process. You will hear me say preliminary a lot tonight. This is because our 18-month
cycle results in data becoming available as at different points in the process. We are collaborating with our office of data and accountability to deliver a report that will have more comprehensive data later this year that shows the
impact this work has on our students and staff. Next slide. This work began in 2023 with one of the district's largest community engagement efforts through a process we call the school design study. More than 10,000
community members helped shape a shared vision for the future of Boston public schools through surveys, focus groups, and small groupoup conversations. The message was clear. Every student should have access to a school that supports rigorous culturally affirming
learning, wellness and enrichments, and strong relationships with caring adults. And families want those high quality options close to home. A third-party independent organization then assessed
every school building to understand whether it can deliver that vision. They reviewed classrooms, arts and science spaces, athletic spaces, educator collaboration spaces, outdoor learning opportunities, and overall
facilities condition, and more. Those building assessments are captured in each building experience score, which informs our decisions about investments and when necessary, school closures.
But they are only one part of the picture. Every decision considers multiple factors including enrollment trends, concentration of student need, family demand, and a building a building's
ability to provide a high quality student experience. While these decisions are always difficult, we know that they are essential. They are essential in a district like ours where many of our
buildings are outdated and our student enrollment is lower than it was a decade ago. We are taking a multi-prong approach to address th this problem by making investment in
buildings, expanding or reconfigure or reconfiguring schools to increase access to highquality learning experience and closing or consolidating schools that are not able to provide that experience.
When this work began, we had 114 schools. Since then, there have been three mergers and 10 closures impacting approximately 4,000 students at the time of the school committee approval.
With the closures approved by this body last year, the total number of schools will fall to 100 by the end of school year 2026 2027. Based on the enrollment projections, we set based on enrollment projections, we
set a target of 95 schools by 2030. As part of the long-term facilities plan, we committed to an 18-month cycle to support mergers and closures. We are using an 18-month timeline for mergers and closures based on feedback we received through student surveys and
community engagement meetings. Families, students, and staff consistently shared that learning about school closures in the in the late school in the late school year and then closing at the end of that same year was disruptive and
difficult, especially with choice season being in the fall. An 18-month timeline provides community communities with more time to prepare for the transition. It allows families to participate in the first round of
school choice process, gives students and staff additional time to plan for their next school, and creates an opportunity for school communities to honor and celebrate their school's history, legacy, and contributions
before the transition occurs. at the secondary level. It also gives 11th graders and 12th graders the opportunity to finish their high school experience at their assigned school. Each pair of blue boxes on the screen
references the 18-month cycle. For example, in cycle 2, the Denver XL Lion Upper Community Academy and Clap and Winreup were voted by the school committee in school year 2024 2025.
This past year was the transition year and the schools closed or merged on June 30th. Throughout the evening, I'll refer to the vote year and the transition year. Next slide. As a result of the 18-month cycle, it
takes time for outcome data to become available. Let's walk through an example. Staying with cycle 2 to explain what I mean. Those schools were recommended to and voted on by the school committee in the winter of 2025, that is the vote year. The following
school year 2025 2026, the one that just ended was the transition year. The schools closed on June 30th, 2026, a little over a week ago. Data on the impacts of these closures and mergers
will be available in phases. Tonight's presentation includes preliminary enrollment data for students who transitioned to a new school during the transition year. For example, a student who attended Excel in grade 9 during
school year 2425 and enrolled in a different BPS high school in 2526 is included in this analysis. During the 2026 2027 school year, we will have complete data on student
enrollment, travel distance, and staffing impacts following the transition for Excel and the other schools in cycle 2. During school year 2728, we will be able to report on longerterm student
outcomes, including attendance, academic performance, and student experience measures. This phased approach allows us to track both the immediate and long-term impacts on the closures and mergers on students,
families, and staff. Next slide. As I shared before, we're sharing preliminary findings for cycle 0 through two. Additional data and more complete analysis will be shared with this body later on this year.
As you can see, in cycles 0 through two, six schools were impacted by mergers and six schools were impacted by closures. For schools in cycle two, example the devour and excel. The analysis in this section includes students who
transferred to a new school before the closure or merger year. Nearly 90% of students who transferred within the district were assigned to their first or second choice. Our
families have our families have choice and we work hard to honor those choices. I would now like to pass it over to Dr. Wright. >> Thank you. Um good afternoon chair, vice chair, and members of the school
committee. I think as many of us already know, this work is about ensuring more students have access to schools that are providing the opportunities and experiences we want for all students. While it's not the only measure of
school quality, the school quality framework tiers is one indicator. How are schools scored in this framework? Schools receive a score from 0 to 100 based on measurements in four areas:
student performance, teaching and learning, family, community, and culture, leadership, and collaboration. Based on that overall score, schools are assigned a school quality framework tier from one to four with one signaling a
higher quality school. It is important to note that based on the framework, all schools have the opportunity to be tier 1 as their score is relative to the school's performance ren rather than a comparison to other schools.
This is a relatively small group of students and we will be able to provide a more comprehensive update later this year. Based on current data, nearly 77% of students affected by school mergers
and closures enrolled in a school with the same or better school quality framework tier. And I will now pass it back to Chief Stennis Los. Thank you, Dr. Wright. So far, we are
finding that students are traveling similar or shorter distances to their new schools with some variation by neighborhood. Students with disabilities travel slightly shorter distances to their new school locations. Our aim is that this
data holds or improves as we continue to assess the impact on students and as we continue to add options for students to learn in inclusive settings close to home. We can share a few highlights for students who chose to stay in their
school through the transition year. A more comprehensive update will be available later this year once students have enrolled in their new school. At the Denver, all but one family completed choice forms this year. This was a critical step to ensure families could
take advantage of the enrollment preference available through the transition year. It also reflects the exceptional outreach and support provided by the DER family support team and the senior project manager. 82% of
DER students have been assigned to one of their top three school choices. Throughout the summer, we will continue working with families and welcome services to monitor weight list and pursue additional opportunities to raise
that number even higher. As of June, students from the Clap and Winrop are overwhelmingly planning to attend the Frederick in the fall on our assignment date. Based on our assignment data, they will be joined by students
transitioning from the DER with 37 DER students currently assigned to the Frederick. At the secondary level, we didn't enroll new 9th grade classes at closing schools, ensuring that students were not assigned to a school in its final year
of operation. At Excel, 10th grade students opted to transfer prior to the transition year, so there was no 10th grade class this year. 11th grade students are transitioning to new school for the 2026
2027 school year. and all of their 12th graders graduated at the Lion. 10th and 11th grade students elected to transfer prior to the transition year. All the 12th graders graduated this year.
At Community Academy, students in grade 10 and 11 are transferring to a new school for the school year 2627. Most members of the class of 2026 earned their diplomas. A small number of
students are completing individualized graduation requirement through summer coursework. Dr. Wright, I'm here. Um, as you can imagine, there continues to be a great deal of thoughtfulness and care from all constituents to support our students
with transition. I also want to acknowledge the intentionally curated celebrations and opportunities to celebrate the legacies of each school community. I had the opportunity to be able to engage in a few notable experiences.
At the Mary Lion Legacy Ball, alumni, both current and past staff members and friends of the Mary Lion came together to celebrate the contributions of the Mary Lion to BPS and the larger community. Dr. Freeman Wisdom, member
Torres, and myself were able to celebrate the class of 2026 from Excel High School. I know this has already been shared, but we have to continue to celebrate Principal Gordon's leadership and her team for working diligently to
ensure every single student graduated. The experience brought together alumni speakers from decades ago, illuminating the importance of remaining connected as a community. These are just a few highlights. I will now hand it back to Chief Stennis Laws
to transition us to discussing STU from discussing students to staff. Thanks, Dr. Wright. Um, this data represents only part of the story. We won't know where students um attend school until the fall. So, we're excited
about following up with this body. Hardworking, dedicated staff are another key part of this story. Just like students information, we will provide a more comprehensive update on staff outcomes which will include data disagregated by race and ethnicity and
roll in the larger report later this year. Right now we are seeing that teachers, counselor and counselors impacted by cycle zero and one mergers and closures left BPS at rates similar
to or below the district's average. Cycle three represents the schools that were voted on this past fall. The Henderson Upper ACC cash and Lee Academy. Next slide. The majority of students choosing to
transfer prior to closure date are assigned to their top choices as of round two. Round three notifications will go out later this month. The percentage of students assigned to their top choices is higher than what is shown on this
slide. This is largely because welcome services is receiving and subsequently updating assignment information from our special admission schools. Moreover, there is movement on weight lists throughout the summer and into
this follow the upcoming school year. This further reinforces that a report later this year will include more up-to-date and comprehensive findings on student impact. Our goal Oh, our goal is to support more
students to access schools that offer a full range of programming. We aim to provide more opportunities for kiddos to explore both college and career readiness experiences, not either or. This chart represents a slice of what we
mean. Secondary students from closing schools are transferring into schools with more options for advanced coursework, including early college pathways and career connected learning experiences that support them with
earning industry credentials. I I will now like to walk everyone through some of the supports we provide to closing and merging schools. When we started this process a few years ago, our team was brand new and the district hadn't worked the muscles to support
school closures and mergers for a few years. Next slide. Every impacted school community receives dedicated staffing, funding, and hands-on support to navigate change. A dedicated capital planning senior project manager is
assigned to each school, ensuring that all supports are coordinated and executed on and to serve as a direct support to the school. Students, families, school leaders, and staff each receive
resources designed for their specific transitions needs. That could mean sessions and follow-up calls from welcome services to support families to to help families understand the transfer process or providing a teaching
day so educators can display their skills for our school leaders and prospective new homes. stipended school-based coordinators and mentorships to principles from our schools division. Ensure ensuring
schools have the bandwidth and expertise needed to focus on students throughout the transition. Continuity for students is a top priority. Individualized planning ensures students, especially those with IEPs, experience smooth transitions with
uninterrupted services and personalized placement support. The Clap and Winrop are investing in building one school community before the first day of school. The Clap and Winup design team made up of
educators, staff, and families from both schools have dedicated more than 200 hours of joint planning time to ensure students walk into a cohesive, welcoming school community on day one this fall. Families and students have been core to
the transition year. Leader Emma Fielca Feldman has sent monthly communications to families enrolled in the Frederick Elementary, including families from the Denver and joint community building events like the potluck and
international day of play. This summer, Frederick families are invited to free readalouds in the community to listen to stories that celebrate themes that are important to their school. Thanks to the thoughtful work of the
school communities, the Frederick will be a unified school community on day one. Second, we're honoring each school's legacy. At the Denver, a partnership with UMass Boston preserved the school's history through a digital
archive of stories, photos, videos, and artifacts that de family's students, staff, current and former, developed together at a community celebration, ensuring the school's impact and memory
can be accessible for generations. As Dr. Wright noted, Lion alumni, families, and staff came together for a beautiful celebration of the school's lasting contributions and lives it shaped. These legacy efforts recognize
each school's unique and important history and identify and provide a sense of closure to communities. Dr. I want to acknowledge the thoughtful leadership of the school staffs inclusive of our educators and our
school leaders. While this work can be challenging, in many ways it has brought us together as a larger BPS community. We appreciate everyone of our school communities for showing up and ensuring our students and families have great
school experiences. Thank you. This work is challenging, but it's necessary to strengthen our district. We will be coming back to you in the fall with updated enrollment, long-term enrollment projections and additional
recommendation for a fourth cycle of the long-term facilities plan implementation. As this committee knows, we are anticipating further enrollment decline based largely on two factors. Lower birth rates resulting in smaller
cohorts of students aging through the district and fewer newcomers arriving to our district due to the impact of federal immigration policies. These realities impact the future enrollment of BPS, impacting how
utilized schools are. And if a school is underutilized, it means it is underresourced and we are not able to offer the programming we know our students deserve. We are currently analyzing these enrollment dynamics and projections and
will follow up in the fall as part of our cycle 4 recommendations. We will continue to support our students, family, and staff through this process and hope to improve every single year.
Now, we are happy to take questions. >> Thank you. I'll now open it up to um questions and comments from the um community committee. >> Miss Torres. >> Yes. >> I have a qu I want to thank Dela Burn and Dr. right for the presentation and I
have a question on I know that you talked about um many of the students getting their assigned like se 90% got their first place second um second choice 76 got their whatever they want. What happens to the kids that don't get
that choice of school? Who who uh who is supporting them and the families to be able to find the right school for them? Um through the assignment process, the welcome services team, capital planning and the schools team work together with
all families throughout the process. Um the work looks like we survey families that would like to transition. We call families. We work um we set up um welcome days at schools where families attend. We also work with students
one-on-one um for even if a family do not respond to a call or um a survey. We work with students um through the registration process and we email we we just we do a lot of different sort of
like one-on-one outreach with families um to work with them through the process. um the for students who there's different factors um that we look at what like as to why a student may not
get accepted to their first or second choice um through the process as I shared this the data is um a lot of preliminary data I can give like some examples like some students um when they ranked their choice they ranked ex like
they would rank they ranked exam schools Mhm. >> And they rank exam schools as their top choices. Um, and they uh were uh then um assigned to a lower ranked um choice
school that was not an exam school um on the the the the enrollment sheet. or some students only ranked an exam school and shared that like if I do not get into that exam school um or the school that I rank I
would like to return to my um the school that I'm currently assigned to until it's closed. So that's why like the data is a little bit rough and we still we need to continue to like work through that data. Um I think in the fall when we have the full data it this could look
this would look a lot different. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Dr. Alkins. >> Yes. So, sort of following up on that, um I imagine we're also keeping track of those students who might um decide to leave the district um for um any reason.
So, um that's just one point. And then I think my um my second question is sort of around particularly like our students with disabilities. I'm thinking about those who might need um additional supports for transportation, things like
that. Um how are like how are we continuing to just accommodate those them? >> Um thank you for that question. So, our students with disabilities, our special education team and um the welcome
services team along with the senior the capital planning senior project manager um has work one-on-one um with our special education families to support them through transition to make sure that um students are transitioning to a
school that can um provide all of the services that student needs. And um after the after the the special education team and assignment team work through that assignment process oneonone like I know after announcements like the
ads for each of the schools called families um families came in to some of the the the um assignment days that we had at at at schools and or um came in to one-on-one session with the assistant
director and the special education team to support them through transition. Um after students are after families have accepted um a seat at a school, that data goes over to like our transportation team, our transportation
team like route students for the upcoming school year. Um so the special education families get some of the same one-on-one supports that are um just like our general education families um get. The the team that supports them
though is the special education team and the assign the welcome services team to make sure that they're assigned >> vice chart. >> Thank you. Um I think maybe just starting uh appreciate uh Chief Stannis Loss and Dr.
Wright the presentation. Um the slide where we were kind of looking at the years to date over the course of the plan through this school year that had kind of like the colorcoded chart there. Um from from what we're
understanding from this presentation is that in the fall we would receive kind of the next iteration of proposed changes uh that would affect the 2728
school year. Is that correct? >> Uh that's correct. >> Okay. And um with the 2030 projection of the number of schools um understanding the number of times it's even come up
this evening uh with declining enrollment uh are we still imagining that as the number of schools in 2030? >> Um thank you for that question. We're working really closely um with our
planning and analysis team right now on long-term projections. Um we're doing some more scenario planning. So right now our number is still 95. that can change as we're looking at longer term
projection um based on as I shared earlier the um as we're looking at the federal immigration policies and we're looking at the number of students that are rolling up through the BPS system like based on like birth rates etc. So
that number can change. Um we will have better um like not better but longer we a revised long-term projections later in the fall that we would share. So by the next report with proposed changes for the 2728 school year. We would also
receive if the number has changed a projected number of schools for 2030 for the district. >> Yes. >> Got it. Thank you. Um thinking about upcoming um updates around academic outcomes for students who've been
affected by mergers and closures. How are you imagining sharing that data in terms of how we evaluate um those students academic performance? Are we comparing it to their performance at their previous schools? Are we looking
at it relative to their peers? Are we looking at their growth rates? just curious how to contextualize uh student outcomes for this um for this group of students. >> Yeah, I I found Oh, go ahead, Superintendent. >> Okay. Yeah, I'll just jump in for a
second. I think I think we're actually um working to think through this because it is complex and at the high school level it's not like the elementarymentaries where you have a yeartoyear that you can actually look grade by grade. at the high schools. You
know, there's MCCAST, which is at a definitive grade. There is MAP, um, which we could potentially look to. There's also like more long range outcome like participation in APs and access to APs that the kids may not have
had or early college or CTE. And so I think what we're what we're sort of looking at is is it an it's going to probably require tracing the individual students um because we
most of at least so far most of these schools have been fairly small and so in terms of the cohort number of kids that go you couldn't really establish a pattern to say but I do think it is something we're talking about on the academic side with uh certainly looking
at the individ idual kids pattern. Um you know we're really focused on in the high quality um in the high quality seedage of access. So you know what what do students have access to now that they didn't before? Um either because of
scale of economy within the school. Um so that could range anything from athletics in arts and music uh in extracurriculars to academic offerings uh with rigor. Um not not yet at the actual quantitative
like testing component. Mhm. >> But it is it is it is the it is one of the main things that we're trying to figure out what is that right set of data to track um you know as the students students roll up.
>> Yeah. And I think I'm sorry Dr. Wright did you want to add on or >> No. Um I think uh the superintendent covered it. >> Okay. Thank you. Um I think too superintendent as we're thinking about um and I know one of the slides spoke to
this too. the additional programming that might be available to a student entering a different school, leaving a school that's been merged or or more likely closed. Um, I think it just goes back to something I've definitely been feeling in terms of even the name of
this plan being the long-term facilities plan. Um, I think that it does involve so much more than building quality. Uh, and I think that framing it as that can sometimes um, fixate people on the building quality over the larger school
quality framework that you alluded to today and spoke about today, which is of course what we, you know, we want as many of our students or all of our students to be in, you know, robust, um, programs. Uh, and so it's just something
that's, um, kind of sticking with me. By a similar note, uh it's also helpful to hear what students are choosing who are in this most recent cohort of announced schools. And it does look like many students are opting for transfer before
it's actually required. Um which is understandable. Uh you know, thinking about what makes a robust school experience, I'm just wondering what that means for students who choose to stay. uh we're talking about already very
small schools and then we're looking at 50% of the students in a grade leaving uh what that means for programming staffing. Um it may be early to say but I'm just wondering if you have any early thoughts on that. >> Yeah, I I I could also jump in here. I
think Excel is a a really good example of sort of having a small cohort of students remain at the home school. Um, you know, based on the conversations that I have with the school leader there, they were positioned to actually
provide really targeted supports to each student um that really ensure that they were super successful this year. Um, so I think that's one thing I would just like quickly respond to. Superintendent Dell, I'm not sure if you want to add anything else.
>> Yeah, I mean, I think so so much, you know, at the high school level, as you know, like depends on where where kids are socially, where if they all going together someplace, if they're, you know, if they really wanted a particular like extracurricular and
didn't get it or sport and didn't get it cuz that school didn't have it, they may not want to be left behind. if they see like a bunch of their friends are transferring. I think there's just so many things that complex like so much complexity that goes into why kids are
choosing what they're choosing, right? >> I do think we are seeing some pattern though, right, of like students picking particular uh groups of schools like we are seeing some trend with that and so that would suggest that kids are talking to each
other and saying where are you going? Let's maybe go together because we know Sure. >> Right. Because we know how much the high school kid has say in this, right? Um but >> No, I'm not. Yeah, I'm not I I think all of those reasons make a lot of sense. I
think my my question was just more focused on students who do not opt to leave and are left as a very small member of a sophomore class, for example. Does that what is that experience like? I appreciate Dr. Wright's point around opportunities for
targeted interventions. I don't know. I know I believe there's a a BPS commitment to staffing there um regardless of the class size, but I just was just trying to imagine um what that experience is at, for example, an ACC
that's already quite a small school and we're looking at data that many of their underclassmen are are opting to leave. Um what is what what does that create for the school experience there? I think I think the I think the schools are trying to cohort the kids. So they
create multi-grade cohort >> which you know as you know at the high school level exists like beyond the nth grade where you try to kind of keep it pure. >> 10th 11th can blend and so I think there's a lot of that that's happening. >> Um it's just hard when you get down to
it's like one or two kids. >> Yeah. >> Right. like that's that's where it really does you know it become and I I think you know we're learning in this too to maybe say to parents like if it goes below this level we're going to then ask the grade to I think that's
like another thing it's varying like honoring choice in the process and respecting that and also thinking about how can you actually create a robust experience for the kids right so there's that trade-off >> sorry I I thought you were asking something else before No, no, no
worries. Um, I just had one more question. I guess it's a little bit more of a of a comment because I know that this is just, you know, such a challenging process for the most directly affected uh students and and caregivers. And I know that when, you
know, folks hear about a plan that has a a goal towards 2030 and we're getting the information kind of year-over-year, uh, it can feel frustrating to not have the full picture. Um, I just do want to express that I I do support the 18-month
window of notification. I think it is very on par with national trends um of what you know urban districts are facing in terms of school announcements. Many are doing much shorter notice. Um you know I think you know obviously people
want to be able to plan ahead. It's completely understandable and the reality is that we wouldn't be able to report such high numbers of stu impacted students getting their first and second choices if we were making announcements four years ahead of time. It would flood
the school choice system. It's just not practical. As much as it is very sensible that people want the full picture. Um so I did just want to express that. Uh and also acknowledge that the last time um the last round of school announcements, we heard um from
very passionate staff members how difficult it was to hear the announcement at the same time that families received the communication. Um, and I think it's another example of something that is uh quite challenging
and that there are um very clear reasons why information has to be shared um fairly simultaneously. Um, unless you know you want the information to be heard from families by other means, etc. like there's just not
really a a practical way to let one group of individuals know about a school closing and then wait an several days or you know there I just want to encourage the district to um express some of the
thinking behind those um decisions. It doesn't mean that um everyone will agree with them or that they're not difficult, but I think just the more um in this round that we can acknowledge what we heard um from people in past rounds and even if they're not going to be changed
uh to really just try to um help people understand the complexities of these processes and that their their concerns are being heard um would be important. Sorry, I'm over time. >> Thank you.
We have Dr. Alkins. >> Uh I think uh Franklin was first. So >> it really doesn't matter. It's the way it shows up on my screens. >> Yeah, I go ahead. Go ahead, Franklin. >> Yeah, go ahead. Either one. >> What if we decide not to talk? No, just
kidding. Um >> thank you. Thank you for the presentation. Um and thank you for fulfilling the promise that we made to these school communities to not abandon them. Um
I before I joined the committee there was so many frustration in the communities uh about feeling abandoned in in in this process and seeing the data that you are presenting is is telling me that we are doing what we
said we were going to do which was to work with these communities to find them new homes. Um my I have two question. One is what are you doing to to avoid that some
students experience multiple mergers and closure during their time with with VPS? >> Uh thank you for that question member Peralta. Um so as a team we are monitoring where students are are enrolling and working to ensure that
students are not impacted by multiple closure. Um it's so just being transparent with the trying to solve for multiple things um here
when when we're not doing the rip off the band-aid um process. I think um uh member scarret, one of the things that member scarret just shared, we wanted to ensure that students are getting access to higher quality in a
system like BPS as we're investing um in school in like school facilities, building new schools, renovating schools, um working on special education programming um and also doing school closures at the same time. um
a as we're running all of these processes in parallel as students as we're making um closure announcements, students, we're working one the one-on-one process with students um is as part of that
process is trying to support students through their enrollment process and through enrollment rounds. um that families are making choices that does not impact that will not impact students in future closures. Unfortunately, this system is also a choice system. So,
families have choice and pick schools for different reasons, right? Um so, it's not a it's not a 100% um it's not 100% like fully proof system where a family may not be impacted by a closure
twice. Um we have worked with some of those families, called spoken to some of those families and like had to work with some families through um that process again. But as much as we can that one-on-one supports walking families through the process and through the um
choice process, trying to support them through that process helps or bars um students from being affected by multiple closure. but it's closures but it's not a fully proof um systems that where we
can avoid that from happening um again >> thank you my my other question is if I understand well you will be back in the fall to present to us a recommendation to close x number of schools
um We all know there's not an easy way to close a school and to dismantle a school community. And what members Kerry was saying about how we communicate the news to the
families to the staff. I I remember family saying, "I learned that my school is going to be closed on the media." H what are you planning to do this time around to communicate
the the suggestions that you are going to bring to us in the fall to the school communities that are going to be affected. >> Um we've heard we've heard um families, staff, um school leaders feedback. Um,
and we just like as a district, we're going to continue to work on improving our engagement um with our families and staff. Um, these are some of the things that we are currently working internally on right
now. Um, engaging trying to engage families and staff like uh a little bit earlier through the process. Um the one of the the thing that like member Scarat just shared on the how
like how we announce things like staff learning about like announcements like at the same time that families are learning um about announcements. I think that that one is is a little bit um difficult because um families and
students are a part of uh the school communities. But I think um as a team we can revisit um we can revisit some of that feedback. We can work with um one of the things that we're doing is is working is planning to work with like
administrative teams at schools um to figure out how to best engage um their communities through some of these processes. We've met with like for example we've met with like um just like elementary school like all of the the elementary like school leaders just to
get feedback right on the process what they've seen happening for them to share um from their like lens like what what they've like what they've seen how they're understanding the process what we as a team can do differently and
taking their feedback into account as we build as we refine I should say our engagement process. I think it's I uh we're taking a lot of that into account and I think that um and I know that we are going to implement some changes um
this summer and going into the fall. >> Thank you, >> Dr. Wilkins. Um yes and I mean I think to thank you to both uh Franklin and um uh Vice Chair Scarit. Um and so my
earlier question was more so like in relation to the the academic like outcomes or how we're how how we are going to consistently monitor that because I I think it does it does feed
into this this larger conversation. So if if we're telling families that we are moving them right to better quality schools, that also implies that we're talking about not just, you know, like the
building, but the academic programming that's that that's in there. And so, um, the I mean, I I think the quiet part, you know, said out loud is needing to have these which are very sensitive but
very transparent conversations around are all school communities serving the students the way that they need to be. Um, and that's hard to say it without making it seem like you're damaging a
school's reputation or that you're calling out their staff or that you're not also acknowledging funding disparities or you're you're not acknowledging all of the nuance to it, but that's part of the conversation. And it still needs to be had, I feel. And
you know, um, cuz that speaks to the transparency of why families felt like they're only involved in the implementation and not necessarily the planning around it or even the or even the brainstorming around what are the
alternatives that we could explore beyond closure, right? And a lot of the conversations that I attended, the the folks who did speak to me felt like they just didn't have that. they didn't have that explanation from the district to even say like we suggested
this like why isn't this a good idea like going through the rationale of like why those things maybe are not on the table is also helpful um for for for them to do um and so I feel like I can say all that and at the same time think
you know also commend you know you and your staff for for for being in the fire like like with this for sure Um but um that was more of a that that was a comment actually my question was actually in relation to one of the slides as we looked at um the teachers
and counselors impacted by the uh cycle uh zero and one mergers. So, of those who left BPS, do we have that data disagregated by um like race, ethnicity, um just so that we're understanding like
who were also are the one who tend to be the the the teachers that are leaving our district. >> Um we will have >> um thank you uh for that question, member Alkins. We will have that data um
and actually more comprehensive data around staffing disagregated um this fall to share with the committee. >> I have so many things on my mind about the questions because they're really good qu they're really good questions and some some of this is chicken and
egg. It's, you know, I think about there has been a strong parallel with the schools that have been closed in particular and when you look at sort of their academic performance across like the standard indicators.
Um, but one of the things that is also very strong is in general how underenrolled they are. And what you what I think you tend to see in at least at the high school level is that that underenrollment perpetuates
students ending up at that school who aren't choosing it and they're placed there and they tend to be students that need a very high level of support. And it becomes sort of a a cyclic thing
where that school then on testing data goes low on chronic absenteeism goes low. And by the time we're identifying it really like in the data of the long-term facilities, the academic piece is underlying it all,
but what's really underpinning it is some of the other things, right? Like why kids aren't picking it. maybe because of you know it not having the breath of things that they want or the sports teams that they want at the high school level or some of the academic
stuff or you know whatever it is. So it really becomes it's it's it is just been that a lot of the high school stuff has been in the performance issue um that is there. I think the elementarymentaries it's it's a little different. It also has to do with how many elementaryaries
are in an area. Is it saturated? Like there's just other charters in that area. So, you're asking all really good questions. It's just explaining it and like getting at it. There's some other things I think that we need to sort of
look at and unearth. Um, and I also think that when we show the academic data in the meetings to parents, they're often very surprised at that data, which also tells me that
we have a better job to do as a district in helping aware helping our parents become familiar and aware of what they need to know in terms of demanding quality school. So, it's a lot. I think I I mean my wheels are turning, Dell. I'm sure yours
and Simone's are because these are the conversations that we have been having. Um, and it's also true that, you know, like I don't think we will wait till 2030 to
create an additional map of how many schools based on enrollment we think we are going to need to merge and or close. Like there's nothing magical about 2030 other than that's when the plan went to.
I think Dell and her team are very much committed to looking at the data and making recommendations now out to 2032, 2033 as we start to kind of evolve to say what does the system size need to be.
Um, and so that's that I think is, you know, I know vice chair has been asking like that question and those and I think that's that's what we're hoping in the enrollment to look at and we're also hoping that in 2028
that there are some things that happen federally that could actually help improve our enrollment as had previously been the case. So, we just we have to kind of ride a bit of attention line with this um of which which line A, B or
C of enrollment we're going to choose to kind of go with. Um so, there's a lot more come fall that we'll have for you to be able to talk through. Um and I just want to commend like to the team like Dell and her team because it isn't
just standing in the fire, right? that has been super important, but it's also just been their like solid commitment to keeping kids at the center of this and making sure that we're making the best decisions for kids to get them from one
scenario into a better scenario. Um, and that just takes everything to do. And every time I talk to Dell and their team, that is that's where their mind is. So just shout out to you Dell for
that and to you know to your team for that and now they have Dr. Wright as a strong ally in this work which gives me even greater >> Thank you. Superintendent what have we learned from the schools that are either in this process or have closed about
what they wished could have happened in the beginning. What have we learned about how they would have wanted the announcements to make? What would have been the role of the educators or the school leader differently or parents? Have we heard anything directly from
them as recommendations moving forward? >> I think as Dr. Alkins shared um we've heard a lot from uh schools um and parents um staff and parents as wanting to be a
part of the the the process like engagement a different engagement process. Um I think we heard a lot of like we wish that we this came as a recommendation where we
can sit with um like the leadership team to discuss different options. >> Um >> we heard I think I heard a that's the majority of the things around the engagement process I heard um from
schools. Um I think from students, high school students, um we heard a lot around the 18month um timeline, a lot of the high school students were like, "We want a high school, like a real high school experience. Our 9th and
10th graders, we heard a lot of that from them. um and wanting to sort of like transfer. they've shared um things around friendships, around um prom um being able um to uh just like the
academic rigor and then and wanting to go off to like just like having like a like the opportunity to have um just continuity in the like their academic um journey so that they can get accepted to like strong colleges and stuff like
that. Um it's so that was a lot that came from high school students from elementary school families the need to just like stay the course like through the process. Um so that uh they so students can remain with their peers. So
they really love like like the the 18mon cycle and and as you the data would show like not much of our elementary school students or families have chosen like the transfer process. Um
yeah, I think that um engagement that's that's a lot of like the engagement with like our families and staff and and and feedback from our high school students that that I've heard. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Because I think the thing that most of us are concerned about as we get
into the fall and we know that there will be an announcement coming, how is it going to be different? How are we going to experience it differently? How are schools and the community going to experience it differently? What can
we tell people about what will be different about the process? I mean, we have to acknowledge that no matter when you say it or do it, it will be difficult. But are there other things that we have learned over the last couple of cycles that we can confidently
say to people this will be different in these ways? Yeah. Uh, Chief, uh, Stennis Los, can I jump in here? Um, >> you can jump. >> Yeah. You know, chair, I do want to acknowledge, um, you know, I haven't
been with the district through an actual announcement. Um, but I but I've had extensive conversations, um, with Chief Dennis Sloth and her team. Um and and I would just want to acknowledge like the feedback that's
been received like we've we've been thinking about it very extensively. Um how to mitigate surprises, help people understand the challenge. Um and I think honestly the other piece of this is making sure we can answer the
question around what the options are for students um at the forefront. Um so I just like we hear you. I want to just acknowledge like we've been thinking very deeply about um how to to truly ensure there is a level of transparency
in this process. >> Um so I just want to acknowledge that chair. >> Thank you. Um and on the engagement front, I think um one of the areas that we've gotten um positive feedback and
something that we can um mirror as we work through the next round of proposals is the clap and the winup um merger like the Frederick Elementary School merger um how we engage uh those communities
through the process and that's something that we are looking at and planning to um sort of like roll out through um as we're going into the next round of this process. You know, we engaged sort of like in we
engaged in conversations um with uh school communities in a certain like there was a list of criterias. We engaged like all of the school communities that met those criterias um and worked with their staff
um through a process staff and families um through the process as as you shared um chair. Yes, I think that this process you would get more um families and staff that were like, "Yep, this process like worked in
a positive way for us, but like all staff and all families was not happy throughout the process." So, I think no matter what process we use when we talk about closing schools is going to be a difficult process um for our families
and staff. But as a team, we are currently like even up to today we were sitting with the superintendent for a while um thinking about like how we engage with our school communities differently through this process. What does different look like for um those
school communities? Revisiting all of like the school communities like experiences through this process and trying to nail down the how, the when, the what, the why. How does all of that look for our staff and our families
going into the next round of proposals? >> Thank you. Um again, thank you all for your extremely hard and difficult work in this area and um we will look forward to your presenting again to us in the
fall. So, thank you very much. Um we will now return to public comment. Miss Parex, >> there's no public comment on report. >> Thank you. Is there any new business?
>> Yes, my shout outs. >> Okay. Well, would you do your shout outs and then I know um Dr. Alkins and also Mr. Peralta have raised their hands. So, we'll go do your shout outs first. >> Okay. So, uh a shout out today uh goes I
had the opportunity to be part of cohort 24. um for Boston teacher resident BTR and on their first day of orientation. Today mark the start of a new chapter for them, one where passion meets purpose in
the incoming group of educators begin their journey into teaching and learning. And I want to thank uh the uh facilitators Jesse, Tasha, Tama, Emily, and Monnique. The vision and care they put together for planning this
orientation set the tone for everything ahead and show it was showed in the room where we were. The cohort reflects the very diversity that makes BPS strong. Different
backgrounds, different pathway into education and coming together around one shared commitment. the students and teaching that was wonderful. So, I also have my old shout outs. So, I do want to
talk about I want to give a shout out to the uh the clap in the wind club cuz I did go to the um to their uh uh it's a girls group that they had. So um there were fourth and fifth grade girls from
the clap and the wento and chief rechar the senior project manager on the capital planning team who is supporting with the merger. He was part of the whole thing. A shout out to the two family liaison Miss D and Miss P and
from the clap and miss Adelene from the win supporting students with following expectation. The best part of the whole thing was the uh the fourth and the fifth grade girls. They worked with uh Ivana Solano from
Love Your Magic program. Ivana guided the students to uh think about what will make their school the best and what do they bring to the school as students and these are only fourth grade if fourth
and fifth grade. The girls began conversation by saying, "I want my school to feel like every everybody belongs. We will support everyone by respecting and acknowledging
every every culture, being kind, and most important being inclusive so everyone can find a sense of belonging." >> That is like amazing from fourth grader. And um another shout out to uh a new uh
family liaison from the uh Talistri Neighborhood Charter School. I went to the uh moving up uh fifth grade ceremony and uh we I never met her so I I introduced myself and uh she we talked about the families and the family survey
that we talked about and she kind of uh pumped up the families and their their the year family survey. 85% of the family did the sur the the final school year survey. So shout out to her. And
also um what else do I have? I have a shout out to the Guo Curtis Gao Elementary in East Boston. The uh team, the planning team meeting a focus on curriculum and how to best use
their resources and their professional development time to understand how to put in place strategies for all students to have the opportunity to learn and feel accomplished. So I had the opportunity to see a third grade Mr. Wheels class all second
language learners learning bio teams. I don't know if and if anybody comes across Bowel Teams the seven different ways to spell the long a sound. So they talked about the different the different ways to do it and talk about
English, you know, learning a new language and they were all second language learning. So they did a great job about doing that in kindergarten. They were like lining up and walking in a straight line like they were toll and they were so like straight and happy to
be doing that. So those are my shout outs for today. >> Thank you. >> Very nice, >> Dr. Alkins. >> Um yes, I'm not sure if we did this at the at the top of the meeting. Um I was
a a little late there. Um but um certainly just sending um uh uh prayers of comfort and recovery for council and Mahia um got notification earlier um just
around what happened at a council meeting and I know that you know she's been a partner in this work at the at the city level and you know always advocating for um our students that you know that they're they're they're they're receiving the best that they can
get and that that we're doing our best. So, um just um prayers and well wishes for her recovery. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Peralta. >> Thank you. Um sorry, Stephen. I I I
haven't read any news, but I'll try to inform myself. Um, I just want to bring back a a suggestion that I made a couple months ago when we were talking about the mass core and how
um it would be a good thing for families to receive a a formal communication from the school um from the high school about the informing us about
our high schoolers. s where do they stand at the end of the year regarding the credits with with the math score? Uh for example, my daughter, she just finished her freshman uh year. I would
love I I don't know if there's a place that I can go and look for this information, but I would love to receive a letter saying, you know, out of the 22 credits that she needs to um graduate with MAC score, she already got four
this year or six or three and there are if she got four, there are 18 months to go. Um again I don't think that's too hard for the district to do but it will be it will have huge impact on the engagement that we are looking from the
families in the education of of their kids and especially it won't take anybody by surprise if by the senior year their student is missing half the credits. >> Yeah. So this we we absolutely
appreciated the recommendation um member Paralta and uh in the fall parents will get notified once we process all the credits from summer school and we kind of go through that cycle um August graduation happens. So it'll be uh it'll
be in the fall but um we will go all the way back in the high school career, right? So we're not going to wait until the senior year for it. So that was a big piece of getting the system set up this year. So, it's a terrific suggestion. Um, and you you as a parent will receive something in the fall. >> Excellent. I'm very happy to hear that.
>> Great. >> Thank you. >> Okay. If that is everything, that include that concludes our business for this evening. Our next meeting will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, August 5th at 5:30 p.m. There's nothing further.
I'll entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Is there any discussion or objection to the motion? Hearing none, Miss Pavix, will you please call the role?
>> Thank you, Chair. Dr. Alkins. >> Yes. >> Mr. Peralta. >> No. Sure. No. Yes. >> Miss Panka Garcia. >> Yes. Good night. Miss Torres, >> yes.
>> Mr. Tran, >> yes. And good night. >> Miss Garrett, >> yes. >> And Miss Robinson, >> yes. >> The meeting is adjourned. >> Thank you all and have a good night. >> Thank you everyone. Have a good night. >> Thank you.