Fitchburg Public Schools

Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. The Special Meeting of the Fitchburg School Committee was held at the Fitchburg City Hall Campus, Legislative Building, 700 Main Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420; the Zoom meeting platform; and concurrently live-streamed on FATV STUDIO-FATV.ORG, GOVERNMENT LIVE STREAM; and on cable access Comcast Channel 9, and Verizon Channel 36 (NO PUBLIC ACCESS) on August 25, 2025. Mayor Samantha Squailia, Chairperson, presided at the meeting. Present Mayor Samantha Squailia - Chairperson FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Mr. Peter Stephens -Vice Chairperson Nov 17 2025 3:43 pm Mr. James Walsh Ms. Rosemary Reynolds Dr. Maritza Knight Mrs. Debra Jeffries Mrs. Lindsey Englund Present (Administration/Staff) Mr. Jonathan Thompson, Superintendent Mrs. Glenda Colón, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Mr. Jeremy Roche, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Mrs. Mary-Alexandra Molina, Recording Secretary 1. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Not at this time. 2. CALL TO ORDER AND SALUTE TO THE FLAG Mayor Squailia, Chairperson, called the regular meeting to order at 6:02 P.M. Mayor Squailia announced that FATV was conducting an audio and video recording of the meeting for public broadcast. She requested anyone present in the audience recording the meeting to identify themselves for the record by standing and stating their name and city of residence. Mayor Squailia requested that all electronic devices be placed into silent mode. School Committee Member James Walsh led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING OF JUNE 2, 2025 AND JUNE 16, 2025. Mr. Stephens made a motion, seconded by Mr. Walsh, for approval of the June 2 and June 16 minutes. 1 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Dr. Knight inquired about the language utilized in the minutes and requested that the language be changed to reflect that the School Committee was told, during the Budget Hearing, that no teachers would be let go but that in fact, teachers were let go. To clarify, the mayor asked Dr. Knight if she felt that the minutes did not reflect her language in the meeting. Mayor Squailia read portions of the minutes for clarification. Dr. Knight requested that the last part read “was not reflected in the budget” be removed. Asst. Supt. Colón added that what was stated, not intended, is what should be reflected in the minutes. Mayor Squailia, seeking clarification, asked Dr. Knight if she would like to make a motion to amend the minutes to reflect the removal of “was not reflected in the budget”. Dr. Knight agreed. Ms. Reynolds seconded the motion. Mr. Walsh raised a concern regarding the ability to amend minutes, if the minutes reflect what was stated in a meeting. Dr. Knight stated that English is her second language and what was stated may not have been what she meant to state, and is therefore asking for the correction. Ms. Reynolds added that her understanding is that Dr. Knight may have misspoken but would like to clarify her statement from the previous meeting. Dr. Knight agreed with Ms. Reynolds. Mr. Stephens suggested that the minutes remain as they are and that this discussion would be the clarification to the previous statements made. Ms. Reynolds asked for clarification of Mr. Stephens’ comment and a brief discussion ensued. The mayor gave Dr. Knight the opportunity to make a clarifying statement. Dr. Knight asked the mayor if she thought it was fair for School Committee to be given a budget and told by administrators that no teachers would be let go and that 4 out of 5 Black teachers at the high school were let go. Dr. Knight stated that she voted on the budget under the assumption that no teachers would be let go. Mayor Squailia stated that these are separate issues. 2 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Superintendent Thompson clarified that the comment he made “no teacher would be let go because of the budget” is an accurate statement. He stated that no teacher was let go due to the budget. He proceeded to add that every year there are teacher who are not renewed due to performance, lack of certification, attendance, and other reasons. He stated that he is unsure as to why those specific teachers at the high school have been terminated but that it was not due to the budget. Asst. Supt. Colón added that when voting on the budget, the School Committee members vote on positions and not individuals. Dr. Knight stated that she was misled. Mayor Squailia reminded the members that there is an amendment to the minutes before them for the June 2 meeting, asked if there were further questions or comments. Mr. Walsh asked if a “yes” vote would delete the sentence in question and a “no” vote would allow the minutes to remain as is. One member, Dr. Knight, was in favor of the amendment and 5 opposed. One member, Ms. Reynolds, abstained from voting. The motion failed to pass. Approval of the June 2 and June 16 minutes as they are shown, passed with 5 members voting to approve. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT – • No registrations for making virtual public comments were made. No members in the public for public comment. BUDGET ITEMS: Superintendent Thompson presented the budget items. • *Donations – (-) • *Grants – to submit (-) • *Grants – to accept (1) 5. DISCUSSION ON FIRST READING OF THE REVISED POLICY MANUAL 3 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Supt. Thompson began with the first reading of the revised FPS policies, bringing up each individual section for feedback and/or questions from the committee. Mr. Walsh made a general statement that the revised and new policies in the manual reflect laws that have come into effect. Supt. Thompson added that many of our current policies included procedures that have been removed, as procedures do not typically belong in a policy. Section A – Foundations and Basic Commitments Ms. Reynolds stated that she was not satisfied that the subcommittee did a thorough dig of the policies, as things moved quickly. Mrs. Jeffries, chair of the Policy Subcommittee, stated that the subcommittee worked very hard on these policies, looked at them carefully to ensure they reflected the law. She went on to state that she is proud of what the subcommittee accomplished. • AC, Nondiscrimination Policy Including Harassment and Retaliation – Dr. Knight questioned whether the district is abiding by the policies. She went on to read a portion of policy AC. She made an inquiry to ensure that the district is not engaging in ageism, the discrimination of age. Mrs. Jeffries added that as the oldest individual in the building, prior to her retirement, was never discriminated against due to her age. Mr. Walsh added that no grievance has ever come to the School Committee in executive session regarding ageism. Asst. Supt. Colón added that the purpose of the meeting, in following the agenda, is to look at the policy language and not to discriminate whether policies are being followed or not within the district. Section B – Board Governance and Operations The mayor asks for a general overview of the changes in section B. Mrs. Englund stated that there were significant changes across all sections. 4 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Mrs. Jeffries added that in this section there were updates on the roles and responsibilities of the School Committee members. Asst. Supt. Colón added that the changes and updates were based on Massachusetts General Law. Dr. Knight inquired about Policy Revision and Review (BGC). • BGC, Policy Revision and Review – Dr. Knight inquired about how staff, students, and the community have had input in these policies. Mrs. Jeffries responded that she mentions when all meetings take place during School Committee meetings. She added that all meetings are public meetings. Asst. Supt. Colón also added that staff and students have attended some policy meetings. Supt. Thompson stated that the policy manual has been posted on the district website for 8 weeks to ensure adequate time for the public to review the policies. Dr. Knight inquired whether the School Committee members who do not sit on the policy subcommittee had an opportunity to participate in these meetings, as she did not. Mr. Walsh added that he is currently participating but he knew that he could’ve attended any of the meetings. He added that this is the time for the public to come with any questions or concerns regarding the recommended policies. • BGE, Policy Dissemination – Dr. Knight asked for a hard copy of the policies. Mr. Stephens mentioned that each School Committee member used to get a hard copy of the policy manual. Supt. Thompson mentioned that each School Committee member has been supplied with a computer and an email address. He added that printing out the rough draft of these policies may take various hours or days and would be costly to the district. He mentioned that once the policies have been finalized, the district would be happy to provide the members, who request, a hard copy of the manual. Ms. Reynolds asked for more time to review all of the various policies. Mayor Squailia mentioned that there will be another reading in September and therefore, there is still time to review these policies. Ms. Reynolds stated that there is insufficient time. 5 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Dr. Knight mentioned that School Committee members in other districts receive stipends and requested flexibility with the printing of the rough draft of policies presented. Asst. Supt. Colón added that in terms of accessibility, the district provided each member with a laptop, email, and an electronic version, which aligns with the policy. Mrs. Jeffries stated that there are advantages to having a digital copy, as it is more accessible online. She also mentioned 8 weeks were given to review the material. Mr. Stephens mentioned that he would prefer to have a hard copy. Mayor Squailia suggested to speak with Supt. Thompson offline to discuss this matter. Mr. Walsh reiterated that we are here to review to policies in front of us and not raise questions as to how policies are enforced. Section C - General School Administrations • No questions Section D – Fiscal Management • DI, Fiscal Accounting and Reporting – Dr. Knight read a portion of the policy, inquiring about receipt of financial statements mentioned in this policy. Asst. Supt. Colón inquired about whether there was a question about the language in the policy. Dr. Knight inquired about the last time she was presented with documentation regarding the financial condition of the school department. Mayor Squailia stated that this is the policy that we are putting into place, not a policy that we have been abiding by. It was reiterated that this is a new policy. Asst. Supt. Roche stated that there will be more detailed reports to School Committee members that will be available quarterly. Section E – Support Services 6 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. • No questions Section F – Facilities Development • No questions Section G - Personnel • GBA, Equal Employment Opportunity – Dr. Knight inquired about the induction program and stated that it is 100% effective for educators of all ethnic backgrounds, except African-Americans. She requested that language be added to help retain African- American teachers because the program does not work for them. Asst. Supt. Colón, who oversees the program, stated that she is happy to discuss the induction program with Dr. Knight. She clarified what the language in the policy stated, that the School Committee members agree to follow the Equal Opportunity Law. Dr. Knight inquired about where that language can be added. Asst. Supt. Colón mentioned that they can both have a follow up conversation to discuss the matter. Dr. Knight replied that she would prefer to have the conversation in public. Mayor Squailia reiterated that this issue is not applicable to the policy in question. Section H - Negotiations • No questions Section I – Instruction • No questions Section J – Students • Mr. Walsh inquired about the policy that is color coded differently, JIC. Superintendent Thompson stated that the policy still needs to be updated. 7 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Mayor Squailia inquired about the Student Code of Conduct and whether there were new state guidelines. Supt. Thompson explained that to have best practices, we needed to update our code of conduct. Dr. Knight inquired about PBIS and restorative practices. Section K- Community Relations • KBE, Relations with parent Organizations The mayor inquired about the 501c3 status for all PTOs. More clarification will be provided at the next meeting. • GBEC, Drug Free Workplace - Dr. Knight inquired about the district abiding by the policy. She goes on to ask that administrators pay close attention to this in the workplace and abide by the policy. Asst. Supt. Colón inquired whether there were any objections to the policy. None were brought forward. Section L – Education Agency Relations • LBC, Mayor Squailia inquired about “nonpublic schools” clarify the kind of school (dance school vs. K12) Supt. Thompson briefly explained the process taken when new private schools come into the city, specifically referring to K-12 schools. Mayor Squailia inquired about dance schools, HVAC schools, or other “nonpublic” schools, as it is not explicitly stated in the policy. Charter schools would not fall under this, as they are considered public schools. 6. ACTION ITEMS Asst. Supt. Roche provided further details on the grant presented on the agenda. The funds will be used for HVAC updates, a new electrified HVAC system at Crocker with AC, new electrified HVAC system at South Street with AC, and new HVAC system at Memorial (not electrified). 8 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes  Minutes approved by the School Committee on September 15, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE FITCHBURG SCHOOL COMMITTEE Monday, August 25, 2025 – 6:00 P.M. Mr. Walsh made a motion to approve action item #25-522, seconded by Dr. Knight. With all in favor, the motion was adopted unanimously. Mr. Walsh made a motion to approve action item #25-523, seconded by Mr. Stephens. Dr. Knight inquired whether there were any strings attached to this grant. The administrators stated that there were none but that additional funds may need to be supplemented. No other questions or comments were made. • #25-522- #25-26 Approve the Policy Subcommittee’s recommendation to accept the first reading of the revised Fitchburg Public School policy manual. • #25-523- #25-26 Approve the Superintendent’s recommendation to accept the following grants titled: o Green School Works Program; $2,850,000 9. OTHER BUSINESS: Not at this time 10. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Not at this time 11. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Mr. Stephens, and seconded by Dr. Knight, to adjourn the meeting. With all in favor, the motion was adopted by unanimous consent. Mayor Squailia declared the meeting adjourned at 7:20 PM. Respectfully submitted by, Mr. Jonathan Thompson Superintendent Fitchburg Public Schools JT/mam 9 Fitchburg School Committee Minutes