As Heather Burke, acting chairperson for the Old Rochester Regional School Committee, summarized four significant changes proposed by the school district to the agreement with the tri-towns, Marion’s Finance Committee only had eyes for the fourth of those changes.

            Meeting in an August 25 joint session with the town’s Select Board and tri-town invitees to review and discuss the proposed agreement, ORR’s proposal of a capital stabilization fund dominated the discussion as stakeholders prepare for fall town meetings.

            “Currently, we don’t have a clean way to fund capital improvements and maintenance that are smaller in scale. This is designed to set up a fund so that we can plan financially for those upcoming maintenance issues,” explained Burke. “If there are more substantial needs, the School Committee will probably choose to use the debt-exclusion process because we can’t come forth with a budget that has such a huge increase that a capital item might cause.”

            The focus on the stabilization fund proposal took flight when Marion FinCom member John Menzel asked how ORR distinguishes between a small capital item and a maintenance project. Qualifying her answer as a business person as opposed to a facilities person, Burke said, “All of these come down to budget.”

            Burke said that every year Sippican School replaces a certain percentage of floor tiles. “You could call that a small, capital project or a maintenance project, but we haven’t been able to do it at the regional schools because we don’t have a budget for that purpose,” said Burke. “We have the same needs, but we don’t have the ability to fund it separately so we need this mechanism to be able to plan and budget for it within our budget.”

            ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson added that ORR’s budget subcommittee has to make decisions based on “what funds are out there.”

            Marion FinCom member Shea Assad suggested ORR consider non-recurring events as capital expenditures. “It’s probably good to establish, ‘This is what we mean by maintenance and this is what we mean by capital,” he said.

            ORR Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber threw another wrinkle into the discussion, introducing the life of an asset as well as its cost. Parking lots, for instance, have a lifespan and therefore are considered capital expenditures rather than maintenance.

            Menzel asked for the amount of the proposed Stabilization Fund and if it will be included as a line item in the ORR budget. It was explained that ORR would have to include the Stabilization Fund in the budget, and if the district wished to increase the fund it would have to amend the budget.

            Burke said there is a 5 percent cap relative to the annual operating budget.

            Marion Finance Director Judy Mooney made it clear she is in favor of the idea, but cautioned ORR as to the cold, hard reality of annual budget slashing. “Every year we have an issue with budget so every year it’s going to be a matter of, ‘Do we appropriate for the budget or … (the capital stabilization fund)?'”

            Marion Town Administrator Jay McGrail suggested that some years budgeting is driven by heavy needs for capital and other years by heavy needs for education. Nelson agreed.

            “I’m glad it’s in there, I don’t want to pin the budget to the capital,” said Mooney. “We have a tough time (with the budget) every year anyways so I just want to put that out there. That’s my only concern. I’m glad we have it.”

            After Barber verified an approximate total operating budget of $19,000,000 for the region, Marion FinCom Chairman Peter Winters pressed for more detailed explanation of the 5 percent cap relative to the annual operating budget. “How does it work? Is it something that is created every year or is it a fund that we have to keep topping off?” he asked.

            Burke was swift to note upon Barber’s hypothetical example of 5 percent of a $19,000,000 budget that approval is subject to town meeting vote and that the district’s intention is not to go anywhere near the maximum allowed.

            “If two towns vote for it, the other town is stuck with it, whereas if it’s a pure capital expenditure, it has to pass all three towns,” said Winters. “It’s changing the funding mechanism for capital improvements, at least for emergency capital funding.”

            Burke confirmed that Winters’ contention is correct where it affects the passing of the ORR school budget.

            Ultimately, Assad and Marion’s attending selectmen, John Waterman and Norm Hills, determined that the control still belongs to the towns because an ORR District capital stabilization fund would be part of the operating budget and remain subject to budget negotiations.

            “If it’s too big a number, then the overall growth of the budget’s going to be too high and we’re not going to be able to bond it. So it’s constrained by the overall growth of the budget and being a line item in the budget,” said Waterman, suggesting that the tri-towns make the effort to contribute to ORR’s stabilization fund, even in small amounts. “It’s much more likely to get crowded out by other line items. … It’s not like this is a windfall.”

            “That constraint mechanism is built in,” said Assad, concluding that ORR needs the stabilization fund for flexibility to address minor capital improvements and maintenance not covered in its maintenance budget.

            Only in theory due Marion selectmen think an ORR stabilization fund could creep up toward $1,000,000. “They’re going to have problems funding it,” said Hills, while McGrail added that, some years, ORR will need to spend the fund as soon as it comes in.

            David Arancio, representing the Rochester Finance Committee and Capital Planning Committee (chairman), sat in along with Rochester Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar. Arancio asked if this agreement can be compared to last year’s. Burke said the town finance directors would break that down, but Mooney said, “I don’t think you can point to the finance directors for that, we don’t make up the assessments.”

            Citing significant benefit in Rochester, Arancio suggested including a member of each town’s capital planning committee in school budget meetings. Burke said all school committee meetings are public. “Paul [Naiman] has been wonderful, reaching out to the other towns,” said Burke, citing the Marion CIPC’s chairman’s work on improving tri-town communication.

            Until the current process began in 2018, an overhaul of the ORR agreement had not been undertaken since 1986.

            Nelson said that the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the agreement its preliminary approval on April 8, and on April 14 Nelson relayed notification that DESE had preliminarily approved the agreement to tri-town officials with documentation including copies of the proposed clean copy, changes and a copy marking in blue the changes requested by DESE.

            The ORR School Committee unanimously approved the proposed agreement in the spring. Next steps, Nelson explained, would include getting the Capital Stabilization article on town meeting warrants. If approved at town meetings, then the agreement would go back to DESE for final review.

            The other three significant changes listed by Burke:

            1. School committee members’ three-year terms would run from July 1 to June 30 so they can be bookended by the academic year. Burke said legality questions have been settled.

            2. By the state’s mandate, ORR would comply with the “one-man, one-vote” law.

            3. A three-year rolling average to establish assessments to each of the tri-towns; this request came from financial officials from the three towns, according to Burke. “Because there can be a wild swing in the assessment based not only on the number of students that one town sends to the district but also an increase or reduction in the number of students that the other two towns send. There’s wild fluctuations in what that assessment can be, and it makes it very difficult to budget,” said Burke. “The towns felt it would be better to have a smoothing mechanism.”

            In answer to Assad, Burke explained that the apportionment process for capital expenditures is an average of five years, and operating expenses on a three-year program.

            The next joint meeting of the Marion Select Board and Finance Committee was not set at adjournment.

Marion Select Board/Finance Committee

By Mick Colageo

            As member Tiffini Reedy noted in welcoming back Mattapoisett Schools Principal Rose Bowman, the Mattapoisett School Committee’s Monday night meeting was one of celebration on the eve of an opening day of the 2021-22 academic year.

            The mood was enhanced by anticipation of starting the school year with Mattapoisett students in the classroom.

            The Old Rochester Regional School District had no such opportunity last year, as the coronavirus pandemic leveraged a hybrid attendance program for the vast majority of students that would peak at two in-school days per week, while others learned in a fully remote format. This lasted through the winter until Grades K-2 came back full time, followed shortly thereafter by Grades 3-6 and ultimately Grades 6-12 with approximately a month remaining in the 2020-21 school year.

            Bowman, beset with illness during the 2020-21 year, was thrilled to be back but even more thrilled to be back for the district’s shift in emphasis away from strategizing around COVID-19 back toward teaching and learning.

            “We’re very grateful to be coming into the year with a plan focused on education,” said Bowman. “We learned from the pandemic.” Moreover, Bowman focused on the beginning of the collaboration between the home and school.

            In her report, Bowman reported 250 students in Project Grow as of last week. After gaining 13 students and losing six, Old Hammondtown School has 183 of the 433 elementary school students in the ORR District. Center School, which also lost six students, has 16 new students including six Kindergarteners. The net result is a slight decrease, according to Bowman.

            “Our focus this year is back on teaching and learning, and we’re very fortunate to have tools to peek into the world. We’re going to use data in a way we haven’t used it before,” said Associate Principal Kevin Tavares. “The school looks great inside and out, water fountain installed, the technology is up to snuff. Both schools look great.”

            In his Opening Day update, ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson thanked many hands and said, “I can’t wait to welcome back students on Tuesday.”

            ORR held its first Acceleration Academy, a one-week intensive camp, in late August. “It was just awe-inspiring,” said Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. Jannell Pearson-Campbell, who summarized summer programming and anticipates the faculty’s first professional development day on September 22.

            “We’re really proud that we committed to the Acceleration Academy,” said Nelson, noting other summer programming of longer duration. “We had children in our classes for seven weeks… I’m really excited about shifting our focus to teaching and learning.”

            In preparing staff for the new academic year, Pearson-Campbell reported on featured speaker Keith Davis of the Say Yes Institute, whose message that all students have the ability to be winners found application in what Pearson-Campbell called “filling the gaps for the students” and “always giving the students another chance to succeed.”

            Member Carly Lavin suggested to Pearson-Campbell that parents-guardians be weaved into the development dialogue. “I think there’s great aptitude in this community for parent involvement,” she said.

            Reedy asked about helping families with children in Grades K-2 catch up. Pearson-Campbell referenced Aimsweb and I-Excel assessments that identify students’ strengths and weaknesses from Grade 3 through Grade 10. She called I-Excel a parent-friendly report and a holistic piece.

            “We never want to look at just one data point,” said Nelson, noting that teachers are collecting data daily and weekly. “Students might be meeting benchmarks and need a different intervention.” He praised the committee members for their questions, saying “We want to make sure our schools keep getting better and better.”

            Acting as chairperson in Jim Muse’s absence, Lavin introduced three new staff members, including Brent Alger (music) and Patricia Cooney (math). Meantime, Diane Leroy and Lisa Hill retired, and three other staffers moved on.

            “We’re very excited to have schools open five days a week,” said Lavin. “Remember what it’s like through the eyes of a child. They’re a little anxious, a little nervous, but they’re very excited.”

            The Mattapoisett School Committee reorganized. Karyn Barrows will remain on the Joint School Committee on the Superintendency Union #55 side with Carole Clifford serving as her alternate.

            Clifford, who returned from a short retirement to fill a vacancy, volunteered to serve on the Anti-Racism Subcommittee and on Capital Planning. Lavin volunteered to fill the Budget Subcommittee vacancy, and the School Committee voted Muse as its MASC delegate.

            Tavares told the committee that for the first time in 10 years the Student Handbook had been reworked and this time in concert with Rochester Memorial School Principal Derek Medeiros and Sippican Elementary School Principal Marla Sirois to achieve consistency in policy, content, and format.             Mattapoisett’s handbook has shrunk from 59 pages to 39 and now focuses on issues such as riding the bus, school nurse, anti-racism, COVID-19, and the use of facemasks.

            Lavin asked for a review and an effort to make gender designations consistent on the elementary level. Nelson said that, given the natural course of COVID-related updates, there will be opportunities for further review and revision.

            Reedy asked, in light of potential vaccine approval being anticipated for emergencies under age 12, how would updating the Student Handbook affect the mask mandate. Nelson said the district is allowed to remain flexible.

            The committee voted to accept the new Student Handbook based on Lavin’s motion conditioning approval with the understanding that the school will review for inclusion and COVID-related updates.

            In his Financial Report, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber announced that, per the USDA, all students will be eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch daily. Extra meals will be charged, same as snacks. The Titan K-12 web system is open, and parents can deposit funds into the childrens’ accounts. Menus will be posted on the school website.

            According to Barber, March 13, 2020 is the last time any student paid for a meal in the ORR School District.

            In addition to offseason building maintenance and cleaning of HVAC systems, sanitation, fire, sprinkler, grills and inspection thereof at both Center School and Old Hammondtown, HVAC evaluations will be conducted while in full operation with students in the buildings.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for Monday, September 27, in hybrid format, and the next meeting of the ORR Joint School Committee/Superintendency Union #55 will be held on Thursday, September 23, via Zoom. Both meetings begin at 6:30 pm.

Mattapoisett School Committee

By Mick Colageo

            The 2020-21 school year was just ending when the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in concert with the state Department of Public Health, essentially told public school districts to scrap prior guidelines that had been advising superintendents to plan for a more normal 2021-22.

            While the Delta variant of COVID-19 hasn’t exactly shut down the region, the effects were felt on August 25 when the state-mandated the wearing of facemasks for ages 5 and over in public schools at least to October 1.

            “I know that we were hoping that many of the COVID-19 safety protocols and measures would not be needed during the 2021-22 school year,” said Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of School Mike Nelson during the August 26 meeting of the ORR Joint School Committee / Superintendency Union #55. “I was hoping for the same, and although we may not all agree on the best way to reopen schools, I’m hoping that we can all agree to support the greater good and the school community as a whole.

            “The tri-town schools are strong … they’re full of stakeholders that are excellent advocates for what they believe is best for our students. I respect that greatly about our communities, and I’m hoping we can all do our best to respect one another as we welcome our students back to the classrooms and we renew our partnerships with our families and other stakeholders.”

            Unlike last year, ORR District schools are starting the academic year by opening five days per week to all students. Nelson said ORR is looking to bring back clubs and activities and sports in greater numbers than in 2020-21. Indoor sports will be required to wear masks. Mask breaks may occur during the school day when the windows are open.

            Union-side Chair Sharon Hartley explained that, in light of the DESE’s and DPH’s mask mandate, the Joint School Committee would not be voting on the matter as originally planned.

            After October 1, if school staff and student body demonstrate 80 percent vaccination or greater, that school will no longer be required to wear masks inside buildings. In a departure from last year, testing is encouraged outside of symptom-driven tests, but ORR will start with those displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

            Parents and guardians must provide consent for their children to participate in testing.

            If a student, for instance, has a headache that is consistent with that student’s typical symptoms, that student will be allowed to remain in school. Nonetheless, Nelson recommended that anyone displaying symptoms and feeling ill stay home and strongly consider COVID-19 testing.

            It is still believed that three feet of social distancing is the best way for students to maintain health, according to Nelson, who said social distancing will allow students to avoid becoming close contacts to any COVID cases.

            In-person clubs and extracurricular activities will follow the same masking guidelines as the school day. Riding on the bus requires masks, including the driver.

            ORR will double the number of air-quality tests conducted in public schools and share the information with the public.

            Hoping that the initial focus of the JSC meeting would not have been on masking and social distancing, Nelson said ORR is committed to DESE’s Accelerated Roadmap and truly focusing on “what we all want to be doing, which is teaching and learning.”

            He relayed DESE’s three main pillars of learning acceleration: a sense of belonging, monitoring students’ understanding, and ensuring strong, grade-appropriate instruction.

            To that end, ORR drew nearly 175 students in Grades K-2, 3-4, 8, and 10 for holding its first Acceleration Academy, a one-week intensive camp, in late August.

            Nelson stressed that the theory behind learning acceleration is not limited “to the gifted and talented,” nor is it remedial in nature. “We believe the research tells us that students do best when they’re with their grade-level peers and receiving the instruction and scaffolding supports they need in real-time.”

            ORR has long touted “social-emotional learning,” and amidst an uncertain circumstance, as it relates to COVID-19, Nelson is explicitly tying that long-held theme to DESE’s Accelerated Roadmap, calling it the district’s blueprint for the next few years.

            Safety measures will remain fluid, but education will be the main priority for 2021-22.

            Initial questions from the committee and the public were vaccine-related.

            Citing one dissenting vote on the state’s masking mandate through October 1, committee member Anne Fernandes said, “We know that we are going to have families within the district who are not – and this is putting it lightly – happy to have their children masked again.” Nelson said ORR has already sought and is receiving legal advice on complex scenarios.

            “There is some strong guidance that allows school administrations to make decisions in the moment to make sure we can protect the safety of all, but we also want to make sure we protect any rights so,” said Nelson. “We are navigated that, but we are aware that scenario may present itself, and we will work through that on a case-by-case scenario.”

            DESE has declared remote learning illegal for public schools in 2021-22, but in answer to member Margaret McSweeny’s question, Nelson explained that families can apply to the district to homeschool their children and still receive the district’s support system as it relates to special needs.

            Member Frances Kearns asked about the absentee policy, which has changed for 2021-22. The “remote present” category is no longer recognized, per state policy.

            Nelson said the district will partner with local health authorities in both potential clinics and the sharing of vaccination rates on the district’s COVID-19 dashboard. Parental consent to the testing program is a year-long consent that cannot be altered by ORR.

            Member Carly Lavin asked about exceptions to mask-wearing requirements. DESE refers to medical and behavioral exceptions requiring physicians’ notes and subsequent decisions.

            Locally, school buses will be supplied with extra masks so that no student without a mask is turned away from boarding.

            Kearns also asked about additional CARES Act funding. Nelson said air scrubbers and air purifiers are using the second segment of CARES Act funding, and there will be a third wave of funds.

            In her Chairperson’s Report, Hartley expressed appreciation to administrators and staff for their preparation for the video back-to-school plan. “I was able to view that today on the Rochester website and I was really impressed,” she said, citing its clear and consistent information. “I’m excited as we head into a terrific school year.”

            In her Region-side chairperson’s report, Heather Burke discussed the lessons learned through the 2020-21 academic year and applying those to 2021-22. She reflected a year to when community groups were putting together three types of school plans, their emphasis on robust learning that was meaningful with students’ needs prioritized.

            “As the [2020-21] year went on, we did just about everything we could to stay true to those goals at a time of great uncertainty, and as we go into this year we’ve got so much learning about how to handle schooling at such an uncertain time. But the uncertainty persists,” Burke stated. “One thing that we have learned over the past year is that the learning and students needs are typically met best when we’re able to come together as a community in one place.

            “It’s very gratifying to me to see things progress… It may not be all that we hope, but we’ve come a long way in the past year. You have to sometimes look back to see how fortunate you are going forward.”

            In the open comment segment of the meeting, Richard Reilly of Mattapoisett, who owns a local preschool, told the committee that the preschool had taken strict precautions since July but has had no cases. His research has resulted in a policy that only uses masking as a volunteer exercise for those feeling ill. In a large manufacturing business that he partly owns, he told the committee that the protocol has worked beautifully.

            Another resident asked if parents opt out of testing at ORR, do their children go into quarantine.

            Open comments and questions are not meant to be addressed on the spot.

            The next meeting of the ORR Joint School Committee/Superintendency Union #55 will be held on Thursday, September 23, at 6:30 pm via Zoom.

ORR Joint School Committee / Superintendency Union #55

By Mick Colageo