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Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=xlL-_iIW_BI

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Good evening. The finance and law subcommittee shall come to order. I'll start with roll call. Mrs. Shaw's. >> Present. >> Chairman DeMello, present. Uh first item on the agenda is disposal of surplus items. Uh we have two Hamilton Street textbooks and then middle school

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textbooks teacher ed editions. Mr. Almeida, good evening. >> Good Good evening. Uh so the first >> to move this through. Thank you. >> So the uh the first item for the two Hamilton Street textbooks, there are actually 16 pages in the backup

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documentation. Um and so these items relate to books so the fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and paperbacks. They are all in poor condition. Uh they There are They range from 24 to

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70 in a box. And in value they are 90 to 180 dollars. So I'm requesting your approval on this item. >> A motion to >> is the wish of the committee? >> Motion to dispose of the surplus items as um normally required. Both the

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textbooks uh um and the middle school textbooks to the teacher editions. >> I was doing both. >> Okay. Both items on that. Okay. Then just the the textbooks from two Hamilton Street. >> Wonderful. I'll second that. All in favor?

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>> Aye, but we have to do a roll call vote. >> Uh I'm sorry. On a roll call, Mrs. Shaw's. >> Um yes. >> Chairman DeMello, yes. Motion passes. >> So the second item is is the middle school textbooks, the

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teacher editions. And it is for uh Wonders Teacher's Editions. And they are from the Freedman, Martin, and Parker Middle Schools. Um they the the volume there are one is 65, one is 32, one is 21.

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Each Each teacher edition is valued at $10 each, and I'm requesting your approval tonight. >> I make a motion to dispose of the surplus items that are middle school textbooks following the normal protocol.

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>> I'll second the motion. All in favor on a roll call. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Shaws? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Chairman DeMello votes yes. Motion passes 2-0. Thank you. And the last item on the agenda is the FY27 bills payable

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in the amount of $251,991.34. Mrs. Shaws, do you have anything? >> Um I have uh just one question um that was on page four for the Habib Associates for $2,050. >> Yes.

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Yes, so the Those are the final two payments for the kitchen renovation. >> For the >> Street. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. That's all I have for questions tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mrs. Shaws. Mr. Almeida, I just have one. Page three on the

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Cybertrust of $38,000. >> Yes. Yes, sir. Um it is So, that is to pay for the security monitoring. So, it's for the technology security monitoring for FY27. >> Is that the entire FY27 bill?

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>> Yes, sir. >> Great. Thank you. All right. I have nothing else. What's the committee, Mrs. Shaws? >> I make a motion to pay this warrant in the amount of $251,991.31 34 cents. >> I'll second the motion on a roll call. Mrs. Shaws?

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>> Yes. >> Chairman DeMello votes yes. Motion passes 2-0. And that concludes our our subcommittee. Motion to adjourn will be in order. >> Motion to adjourn. >> Uh all in favor? >> On a roll call. >> I

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On a roll call, Mrs. Scharv. >> Yes. >> Chairman DeMello votes yes. We are adjourned. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Greg? >> Yes. >> Yes, hi. >> Debbie is here. Debbie Botello?

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>> Hi Council, how are you? Hey Greg, remember that matter we were talking about? I just was coming to see you, so I thought you would be here. >> Oh. >> Okay? >> No, I'm I'm I'm I'm on a cruise in the middle of the Caribbean, but uh you you you know public input is open at 6:00 or

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>> Well, you have a good time on your cruise. When you get back, I'll talk to you. But, I'm going to sit I've never seen a school committee meeting before, so I'm going to sit and stay. >> Well, it shouldn't be a long one, so please uh make yourself at home. >> Okay, thank you. I'll talk to you when you get back, Greg, okay? >> Greg, do I have permission to give the number?

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What? My cell phone number? 508 560 7140 >> Yeah, what do you think we are, fast here? >> 508-560,

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you have my number, Lou. Oh, please, it's on the public school department website. That's my number. Yeah, same number, Lou. >> Mhm. >> Would I have to be a motion? To refer it to the next meeting? Or just say I'll make a presentation at

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the next meeting. Oh, you did it today? Say it in what? Just today's >> Oh, yeah, yeah, that one. Yeah, that one. >> There was a long time ago, I think. >> There was. >> It was a long >> The motion would be to accept it, but there's no accepting because it was not

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presented. Refer it, yeah. Motion to refer it to the next meeting. >> Good evening everyone and welcome. I call the meeting to order. If you could please join us in the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

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republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Oh, say can you see by the dawn's

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early [singing] night, what so proudly we held at the twilight's [singing] last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars

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through the perilous [singing] fight, o'er the ramparts we watched [singing] were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets'

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red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night [singing] that our flag was still there.

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Oh, say does that star-spangled [singing] banner yet wave o'er the [singing] land of the free and the home of

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the the brave. >> All right, Mrs. Fagan, please. >> Lord, as we begin this session, let us acknowledge your goodness and mercy and ask your blessings on all our deliberations. We thank you for this opportunity to be of service to our community and to the young people

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entrusted to our care. And if you could just remain standing, I have an obituary. Helen Sousa, age 85 of Taunton, passed away on July 20th, 2026 at Morton Hospital with her loving family by her side. The wife of the late Antonio Sousa, who

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passed in 2020. She was born in Santa Maria Azores, the daughter of the late Joao and Fatado and Maria Pereira Sousa. Before retiring, she was employed with Serpa as a housekeeper. But more than anything, she loved beyond spending She

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loved spending time with her family and her family gatherings. She enjoyed cooking, baking, sewing, and crocheting. She is survived by her loving children, Maria De Sousa and her husband Paul of Santa Maria, Zinelia Chaves and her husband Argib Taunton, Nelia Barros and

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her husband Antonio of Taunton, and Joseph Sousa also of Taunton. And she was also lucky enough to be blessed with 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. And her granddaughter, Courtney Chaves Austin, works in our central office. So,

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we'd like to um pass on our our sincerest um you know, sadness for for what happened with their family and to keep their family in our thoughts and our prayers. Moment of silence, please. Thank you, everyone.

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>> Thank you, Mrs. Fagan. Roll call uh Do you need to have read? >> I can do this, yeah. >> Yeah. >> Pursuant to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, this meeting is being recorded and live streamed via YouTube. The recording will be made available to the public on YouTube via a link on the district

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website as soon as practicable. I'm I'm also asking if anyone else present is recording this meeting to please notify the chair now. No one is No one is here. So, thank you. >> Okay, thank you, Mrs. Shaw. And I will also note that committee member Greg DeMelo is joining

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us via Zoom, and all votes will be on a roll call vote. >> Roll call. >> Um unless I do it Sorry. Oh, yeah. We're going to do the roll call in just a second. I'm sorry, Mrs. Fagan. Um the other option that I have that I I may use is that I can say without objection

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this will happen, and then we would not need a roll call vote. >> So noted. >> If there's no objection. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um okay, so roll call, please, Mrs. Fagan. >> Okay, so Mrs. Fagan is present. Mr. Laura. >> Present. >> Dr. DeMelo. >> Present. >> And Chairman Shaw.

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>> Present. Thank you. >> Okay, approval of the minutes of July 22, 2026. >> Motion to accept approval of the minutes. The roll call, I guess we would do it. >> No. >> Oh, if you want to >> Motion Is there a second? >> Second.

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>> Motion and second without objection, um the minutes of July 22, 2026 are approved. >> Mhm. >> Okay. And then there is no student advisory committee report this evening, um as students are on a well-deserved break. And there is no public input this

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evening. Okay. Um and I will note that uh items E and F, um due to the low attendance, um as it is summer and sometimes does happen, items E and F will be placed on the next agenda for

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school committee. >> Mhm. >> And we will go to G, administrative business. Uh staffing report. >> I just wanted to provide the committee with an update on where we are with staffing. So, on the Are we doing uh Madam Mayor,

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are we doing items one and two combined or one at a time? >> Uh we we can do one and two combined. >> Okay. So, uh item one is just a general staffing report on all our professional hires uh in all the different positions that they were appointed to.

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And the second report, which you'll begin seeing on a monthly basis as we head into August or at the end of July, uh we were 88% staffed in all of our classrooms. So, district level positions, which are mostly special education service delivery type

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positions and itinerants that work throughout the district, we have uh five remaining vacancies. Chamberlain Chamberlain Elementary School has three remaining vacancies. Freeman is down to one vacancy. Martin, one vacancy. Parker Middle School, one vacancy. Taunton High

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School, six vacancies. And the Taunton Alternative Learning is down to two vacancies. So, total, we have 19 vacancies or 19 classrooms that we have to identify staff for with a month left or a month in the summer left. >> Okay, thank you, Superintendent Cabral. [laughter] And I believe both items are informational only.

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>> and place on file. >> Well, I believe both items are informational only, so they're you know, they're already on file because they're on the agenda. So, there's actually no need for a motion. Um is there any discussion or questions? Okay, seeing none, we can move on to

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subcommittee reports. >> I have rules. >> Rules. >> Thank you, Madam Mayor. The Rules Subcommittee meeting was called to order on July 7th, 2026 at 10:03 a.m. In attendance was myself, Ms. Santos,

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um Superintendent Cabral, Mrs. Hoy, and Mr. Barada. The meeting covered three policies: J, students; K, community relations; and L, education agency relations. There was discussions about missing policies,

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Mass General Law mentions, and general questions regarding each policy. Some notable conversations were in regards to policies on student harassment and bullying, student dress code and how to enforce, student discipline, which needs

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to be updated, the school committee role in reviewing student publications, auditing students activity accounts, concession policies and procedures, policies on immunization and exemptions, public's right to information and

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restrictions, advertisements, policies on school choice and cost. At this point, the entire policy manual, yes, the entire manual has been reviewed by the subcommittee. It was a heavy lift, but I want to thank the entire subcommittee, Superintendent Cabral,

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Mrs. Hoy, and Mr. Barada for all their hard work. Superintendent Cabral informed us that Glenn Koocher from MASC is retiring, so we will wait for the transition in power to take place and look forward to setting dates with MASC to review to review the review of our

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policies. Um an added update, the superintendent has been in touch with Shawn Castello, and we are currently planning meeting times that'll begin at the end of September. The meeting was adjourned at 11:09 a.m. Thank you. >> Motion to accept the report as

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presented. >> Seconded. >> Motion and second. Um if there be no objection, the rules report from 7 7 2026 is accepted. And now we have the finance and law. >> Thank you, Mayor. The finance and law

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subcommittee met earlier this evening. The members consist of uh Shaw and myself as chair. The first item on the agenda was disposal of surplus items. Uh the uh two Hamilton Street textbooks, uh Mr. Almeida uh gave us a report of

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the textbooks and their values. Uh the motion was made by Mrs. Shaw, seconded by myself unanimously to dispose of those items per town school committee policies, uh city of Taunton policies, and of course mass general law. The second item was middle school textbooks

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teacher editions. Again, Mr. Almeida presented the uh textbooks and their values. A motion was made by Mrs. Shaw, seconded by myself voting unanimously to dispose of those items per town school committee, city of Taunton, and mass general law policies. Uh the last item

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on the agenda was bills payable for FY '27 in the amount of $251,991.34. [clears throat] Uh two questions were raised, one by Mrs. Shaw, one by myself, answered by Mr. Almeida. Uh the vote by Mrs. The motion was made by Mrs. Shaw to accept

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and pay the warrant in the amount of 251,991.34 was seconded by myself voting unanimously to pay the warrant in the bills payable. Uh that concluded the uh report. That concludes my report. >> Okay, thank you, Dr. DeMello. Sarah, a motion? >> Motion to accept the report with the

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recommendations set forth to the appropriate designation. >> Seconded. So, there's a motion and a second, and I think we'll do that one on a roll call vote. >> Speaking votes, yes, Mr. Laura. >> Yes. >> Dr. DeMello. >> Yes. >> And to Mrs. Shaw. >> Yes.

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>> Thank you. And then, do we need a fifth one for it to pass? >> be safe, I would. >> All right. Yes. Okay. Okay, now we go to new business. >> Yes. >> Chair Shaw. >> Thank you, Ma'am Connell. I am I'm to

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share a correspondence that I received by email. As is practice, this email was shared with the whole school committee members by Superintendent Cabral. The email is from Matthew Thornton, the lead pastor at Christ Community Church.

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Dear Mrs. Chaves, I hope this email finds you well. On behalf of the Christ Community Church, I'm reaching out to formally share our community care center proposal regarding the potential use of the property at 66 Summer Street. Attached is a letter of request and a

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proposal detailing our operational model, our cost savings data, and flexible lease options for the school committee's review. We would welcome the opportunity to briefly present this plan in an upcoming school committee meeting. Thank you for your time, leadership, and consideration.

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With warm regards, Matthew Thornton, pastor. Okay. >> Which is >> Madam Mayor. >> Dr. Mennello. >> I'd like to move a motion to refer that to the long-range planning school property subcommittee. >> Second on that for discussion. >> Okay. Motion and second on discussion,

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Mr. Laura. >> Uh Madam Mayor, excuse me. There is no discussion on this because this item is not part of the agenda. So, it's either accept the the referral or not. >> Yeah, actually actually you're correct about that, and I had

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thought about that earlier. Did you have anything that you need to make your vote? >> Well, the only consideration I would have would be not only the long-range planning but the space utilization subcommittee to discuss the needs that

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we have within the school department and to see what other uses the city may have. >> Okay. >> So, I would >> So, what did you say, space utilization? >> Space and utilization subcommittee. >> Space and >> Those are the two committees that I'd like to see this in. for discussion.

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>> Zanello, there's a there's a motion to send it to another committee to send it committee also. Um, would you like to make that motion or are you just going to keep the motion you have? >> No, no, Madam Mayor. My motion is to refer to long-range planning school

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property sub-committee. >> Okay, so there's a motion and there is a second. >> The reason for that, Mayor, spatialization is for a building that's already up and running to utilize to the best use of the school committee the space within that building. This building is now known as the Carol A.

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Doherty Professional Development Center. It's no longer known as 66 Summer Street. So, I hope we could correct the record on that. The school committee voted on that way back when. Uh, so I think that we need to better understand uh what is contained in this proposal. Uh, we received this email

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from the superintendent or text earlier today uh with no additional information. So, I think the proper way of analyzing leases and and sub-leases or anything like that is through the long-range planning and school property sub-committee like we always have in the past. The BCC is a perfect example at 2

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Hamilton Street or the former Cooney Cassidy building. >> Okay, so so the options here are and we're going to vote on Dr. Zanello's motion um and everyone's free to vote how they wish. Uh, members may also make an additional motion to uh send it to

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another committee as well. Uh, we're not having a lot of discussion. >> as a second to the motion, I do have the option to discuss the cuz there was a statement made there's no there's no utilization of the building at this time. >> Well, we're we're we're just going to do

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the motion and if you want to do, you know, make another motion to send it to another committee, you can do that. And if you want to, you know, you vote how you vote on this motion, you can make another motion because it wasn't listed on the um agenda and it's come up as an unexpected um

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uh item. We will take a vote. So, there is a motion and a second to send this item to long-range planning on a roll call vote, please. >> No. >> No.

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>> Yes. >> No. Okay. Um I I guess I'll vote no um because again, we only have five members here, so Um the motion does not pass.

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Okay. Now, you may make a motion without discussion. >> Right. Okay, fair enough. I would mo- motion that this communication go to both long-range planning and the space utilization subcommittee for further discussion.

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>> Second. >> So, there is a motion and a second on a roll call, please, Mrs. Fagan. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> No. >> No. Um I'll I'll vote yes. Okay, so that motion passes.

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Okay. >> Ma- Madam Mayor? >> Yes, sir. >> W- we're we're making votes on something of this magnitude, which I don't even know what the magnitude is, to be honest with you, but I understand it's a lease arrangement uh and we have not even a full committee there present to make a

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vote. I I I don't I don't even know why this is even being discussed tonight. It's again an email that came at the 11th hour today with no further information, yet seems like everybody knows we want to refer it to spaces committee because we don't have a building that's up and running.

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>> Superintendent, we're not going to have this I'm sorry, Dr. Mel, but as you said, we are not going to have this discussion. The motions have been made and the motions passed. >> I just have a question, Madam Mayor, of what are the intended use of the Carol A. Doherty? May I read what the intended use was voted on,

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and was publicized through the school committee website. May I read that to everybody in the audience? >> Again, we're not going to have that discussion, but that discussion can be had at either one of these committees >> Agreed. >> where this matter has been referred.

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>> Madam Mayor, I think I have the right as the chair of the school committee at the time and what was done at the time as far as the unanimous vote of the school committee to the purpose of that building, okay?

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And I will start with the school committee has officially named 66 Summer Street the Carol A. Doherty Professional Learning >> Dr. DeMello, this is out of order because this is not a discussion that is on the agenda. So, you're out of order and I would ask you to refrain from

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making any further comments. We are moving on to unfinished business, please. Under unfinished business, we have an action item update, Mr. Cabral, Superintendent Cabral. >> John Cabral, echo this. >> Okay, so we can move on from that. There

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is no press here this evening and I would entertain a motion to adjourn. >> Allow me the respect. >> Second. >> Motion is seconded to adjourn. Without objection, we are adjourned. Thank you, everyone. >> Allow me the respect. Very disrespectful, ma'am.

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I'm sorry. Very disrespectful.