Brockton, Massachusetts
Joint Meeting Brockton School Committee & Policy Subcommittee
June 20, 2023
A joint meeting of the Brockton School Committee & Policy Subcommittee was held this evening in the George M. Romm Little Theatre of Brockton High School at seven o'clock. These minutes contain a summary of the meeting and lists items that were under discussion. Present Ms. Kathleen Ehlers, Mr. Jared Homer, Mrs. Cynthia Rivas Mendes, Mr. Tony Rodrigues,
Mrs. Judy Sullivan, Mr. Timothy Sullivan, Mayor Robert Sullivan, Chair,
Superintendent Michael Thomas, Secretary Absent Ms. Joyce Asack Also Present Mr. Aldo Petronio, Chief Financial Officer Mayor Robert F. Sullivan, School Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00P
Mayor Sullivan read the following statement: In addition to attending, the public can view this meeting via television on Comcast Channel 98 and 107 HD Version and online via this link:
www.youtube.com/thebrocktonchannels .
The Chair then took roll call to establish a quorum, followed by a salute to the flag.
Mrs. Sullivan (Here) Mr. Homer (Here) Vice-chair Ehlers (Here) Mrs. Rivas Mendes (
Here) Mr. Rodrigues (Here) Ms. Asack (Absent) Mr. T. Sullivan (Here) Mr. R. Sullivan (Here) Hearing
of
Visitors No Visitors Consent
Agenda Following the Mayor’s reading of the Agenda Items (see below), Mr. T. Sullivan made a motion to approve Consent Agenda items A, B, C, D, E, and F as written, collectively.
The motion was properly seconded by Mr. Homer.
The motion passed, unanimously.
A. Approval of Minutes: Regular School Committee Meeting, June 6, 2023
B. Approval of Minutes: Public Hearing School Budget, June 6, 2023
C. Approval of Minutes: Superintendent’s Contract Subcommittee Meeting, May 30, 2023
D. Approval of Minutes: Facilities Usage & Planning Meeting, March 28, 2023
E. Requests for Authorization to Submit Proposal and Expenditure of Funds:
* FY24 Funding for CTE Partnership Grant from MA DESE - $900,000
* FY24 Funding for the Civics Learning and Teaching Grant - $58,005
* FY24 Innovation Pathways Implementation and Support Grant - $50,000
* FY24 Innovation Pathways Planning Grant - $14,000
F. Acceptance Personnel Actions: Leaves of Absence, Resignations, Retirements Communications Mayor Sullivan informed the School Committee that the Elections Commission was requesting, by letter to the Superintendent, to use various school buildings on Tuesdays, September 19 and November 7 as polling locations in the 2023 election cycle.
The Superintended added that all Brockton Public Schools would be closed on those two election days.
Mr. T. Sullivan made a motion to approve the Elections Commissions
request to use the schools as polling locations.
The motion was properly seconded by Mrs. Sullivan.
The motion passed, unanimously.
Superintendent’s Report Teaching & Learning
Superintendent Thomas introduced Career and Technical Education Director Dr. Elvio Ferreira to report on the current and proposed expansion of the CTE programing. Dr. Ferreira spoke concerning the findings of a December 2022 to March 2023 Comprehensive Assessment Review on our four CTE programs and a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education April 2023 review of the Innovation Pathway program for Healthcare.
Areas of attention identified in both reviews included:
* What is it that students, going from grade 8 to 9 who do not stay in the district, are looking to study,
* Annually, 700 students apply out-of-district for CTE seats. 250 are accepted leaving 400+ students looking for CTE seats in a program that only offers 80 seats,
* IP currently seats 60 students,
* Areas of interest students have identified include Health/Dental/Medical Assisting, Plumbing, Electricity, Carpentry, Automotive Technology, Criminal Justice, Engineering, Information Support/Networking Services and Radio/Television Broadcasting,
Based on the data collected, program improvement should include:
* Expand our seats in the CTE program in the areas indicated by student interest,
* Request Chapter 74 designation in the Health Assisting Program to allow for more seats and implement Radio/Television Broadcasting,
* Request IP designation for Business/Finance, Engineering & Manufacturing, Computer Science and Information/Network Services,
* Invest in space for increased seating in Culinary Arts and Automotive Technology,
* Provide avenues for funding connected to Chapter 70, Perkins V and other state/federal grants to grow faculty and equipment shortfalls,
* Cultivate community partners to provide work and pre-college credit options,
* Complete program improvement plan to become the first Poly-Tech High School in Massachusetts, which provides vertical alignment from middle school to college,
* Provide more outreach to middle school students, informing them of what programing is available at the high school.
In conclusion, the estimated expansion timeline with minimal cost to the system would be12-18 months, which would mean 320 seats in CTE and 250 in IP, using the current available space. Subsequent years could see more seat availability with state/federal grant funding.
The Superintendent advised that, with the upcoming MSBA Feasibility Study, CTE plan programs with be a factor.
Superintendent Thomas spoke about plans for meeting this summer with high school repeat and three-peat freshman students and their parents to discuss appropriate placement to improve academics, attendance, and engagement in the 2023-2024 school year. Some choices could be the Reengagement Center (Belmont Street location)/Brockton Virtual Learning Academy, and or the Edison Day in the Green Building/Third Floor of Brockton High. The current 45 or so Champion High School students will have the option of returning to Brockton High or enrolling in the Edison Evening Academy. Some support options for motivated SY24 students discussed was bringing back the Rising 9, peer mentors and possibly a Vacation School Program for remediation. Staff is seeking DESE grant funding in support of these vulnerable students.
In the Superintendent’s “Path Forward to Change”, while most of Brockton High School students are successful, he will hold himself, the student and the parents accountable for those that are failing. Items to Refer to Subcommittee The Superintendent requested that the Policy Subcommittee (Committee of the Whole) convene to discuss Cell Phone and District-wide Dress Code policies. Unfinished Business The Mayor introduced Attorney Peter Mello to speak on School Committee policies BEDC (Quorum), BDE (Subcommittees of the School Committee) and DHA (Contracts/Signing Authority).
It was Attorney Mello’s recommendation that the proposed language in the represented policies be approved with the exception that, the language regarding Open Meeting Law in policy DHA be stricken, as well as, move the composition of the Bid Review Subcommittee from a committee of four (4) members to a Committee of the Whole, seven members (7).
Mr. T. Sullivan made a motion to move the Bid Review Subcommittee of three to four members to a Committee of the Whole.
The motion was properly seconded by Mrs. Sullivan.
Discussion on the motion was opened regarding which entity would be approving bids related to the Brockton High School project. The School Committee Bid Review Subcommittee of the Whole or the Mayor’s appointed Building Committee.
CFO, Aldo Petronio explained that normally a bid is awarded to the lowest bidder for a product, such as floor wax, however, when one is involved in a construction project such as the High School project, Request for Bids specific to the needs of the school/students need to be reviewed and decided upon by School Committee.
Mayor Sullivan added that on three separate occasions he has, in the interest of transparency, asked that the Bid Review Subcommittee be restructured to a Committee of the Whole.
The Chair called for a vote on the motion currently on the floor.
The motion carried.
Attorney Mello next spoke on specific bids that need to be acted upon before the fiscal year ends on June 30th. School Committee options are either to vote on these bids at this meeting, operating as the newly sanctioned Bid Review Subcommittee of the Whole, or schedule a Bid Review Subcommittee meeting and bring their recommendation to a future School Committee meeting.
Mr. Petronio read out the bids (FY2024 School Bid #s 2480-0001 through 2480-0017), explaining that the Awardees were all the lower bidders and most contain language and pricing for emergency situations.
Mr. Homer made a motion to schedule, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, a Bid Review Subcommittee of the Whole to review and recommend on the bids in question.
The motion was properly seconded by Mr. Rodrigues.
The motion passed. New Business None School Committee Executive Session There being two items listed on the agenda for business in Executive Session:
• Executive Session pursuant to G. L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(6) to consider the lease of a certain portion of property located at 470 Forest Avenue (i.e., the Brockton High School campus) in connection with the potential location of a health center.
• Executive Session pursuant to G. L. c. 30A, § 21(a)(7) for the purpose of approving Executive Session minutes of the Facilities Usage & Planning Subcommittee meetings of May 9, May 30 and June 20, 2023.
Mrs. Sullivan made a motion to go into Executive Session.
The motion was properly seconded by Mrs. Rivas Mendes.
The Chair then took roll call vote on the motion adding: Discussion on these Executive Session items in open session would have a detrimental impact on the negotiating position of the Committee and also that the Committee would not reconvene following Executive Session.
Mrs. Sullivan (Yes) Mr. Homer (Yes) Mrs. Ehlers (Yes) Mrs. Rivas Mendes (Yes) Mr. Rodrigues (Yes) Ms. Asack (Absent) Mr. T. Sullivan (Yes) Mr. R. Sullivan (Yes) Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:31p.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael P. Thomas
Secretary
mdc
Handouts:
Brockton Public Schools Career and Technical Education Program Improvement Plan
FY2024 Bid Review Materials