School Committee

LOWELL SCHOOL COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Date: January 6, 2021 Time: 6:30PM Location: City Council Chamber, 375 Merrimack Street, 2nd Floor, Lowell, MA 01852 1. SALUTE TO FLAG 2. ROLL CALL On a roll call at 6:46 p.m., members present were, namely: Mr. Hoey, Mayor Leahy, Ms. Clark, Mr. Descoteaux, Mr. Dillon and Ms. Doherty. Ms. Martin was absent. 3. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS 3.1. Communication Remote Participation: This Meeting Is Being Held Remotely In Accordance With The Governor Of Massachusetts’ March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions Of The Open Meeting Law G.L. C. 30A, Section 20. Meetings Will Be Held Using Remote Participation As Follows: Members Of The Public Wishing To Speak Regarding A Specific Agenda Item Shall Register To Speak In Advance By Sending Email To the Superintendent Office Indicating The Agenda Item And A Phone Number To Call So That You May Be Conferenced In To The Meeting. Email Address Is mpalazzo@lowell.k12.ma.us If No Access to Email You May Contact Superintendent Office at 978-674-4324. 4. MINUTES 4.1. Approval of the Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Lowell School Committee of Monday, December 16, 2020 Ms. Clark made a motion to accept and place on file the minutes from the Special Meeting and the Regularly Scheduled Meeting of December 16, 2020 and the minutes of the Special Meeting of December 21, 2020; seconded by Mr. Dillon. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 4.2. Approval of the Minutes of the Regularly Scheduled School Committee Meeting of Wednesday, December 16, 2020 Ms. Clark made a motion to accept and place on file the minutes from the Special Meeting and the Regularly Scheduled Meeting of December 16, 2020 and the minutes of the Special Meeting of December 21, 2020; seconded by Mr. Dillon. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 2 of 5) 4.3. Approval of the Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Lowell School Committee of Monday, December 21, 2020 Ms. Clark made a motion to accept and place on file the minutes from the Special Meeting and the Regularly Scheduled Meeting of December 16, 2020 and the minutes of the Special Meeting of December 21, 2020; seconded by Mr. Dillon. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 5. PERMISSION TO ENTER 5.1. Permission to Enter: January 6, 2020 Mr. Hoey made a motion to approve the Permission to Enter; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 6. MEMORIALS 6.1. Joanne Kunkel Georges, Wife Of Paul Georges, United Teachers of Lowell (UTL) President. 6.2. Glenda Ouellette, Retired Shaughnessy School Teacher and Mother of Kathleen McLaughlin, Morey School Principal. 6.3. Evangeline Relias, Retired Lowell School Teacher 7. MOTIONS 7.1. [By Connie Martin]: Requesting that all bad bills must be first submitted to the School Committee for review and approval before being forwarded to the City for payment. Superintendent Boyd will provide more information to the Committee at the next School Committee meeting. Ms. Martin made a motion to approve; seconded by Ms. Doherty. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 8. REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT 8.1. COVID-19 Update Dr. Hall, Chief Operating Officer gave the Committee a COVID-19 Data monitoring update that included the Average Daily Incidence Rate per 100,000 and Percent Positivity Rate. It also reported the number of total staff and students as reported to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) of positive COVID cases, total number of quarantined due to in-person instruction, total number of quarantined due to outside school factors, and the approximate number of quarantined from September 1, 2020 through January 4, 2021 as well as COVID-19 positive cases per school from September 1, 2020 through January 4, 2021. Dr. Hall stated that the School Committee will continue to Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 3 of 5) collaborate with the Board of Health as well as continue to monitor PPE availability and options, continue to meet with City personnel on facility readiness and potential improvements, monitor onsite COVID-19 testing grants and options, meet with the City to collaborate on testing capabilities, work with the city to enhance contact tracing, and provide information in regard to vaccine availability for school personnel. Ms. Doherty made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 8.1 through 8.3 as reports of progress; seconded by Mr. Hoey. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 8.2. Update on School Assignment Policy Analysis Ms. Phillips, Chief Equity & Engagement Officer provided a report to the Committee that included:  Overview of the 2020-2021 School Assignment Policy that was adopted in January 2020.  Review of the 2020-2021 Temporary School Assignment Policy adopted in August 2020.  Discussion on process and policy development for 2021-2022. She stated that moving forward the recommended timeline is to hold three (3) Equity & Access Subcommittees to discuss the review of the report of learnings of the current year, the review of projection report and the review of the community engagement input sessions (a conduct family survey will be conducted by January 22, 2021). Mr. Dillon made a motion to send the Update on School Assignment Policy Analysis to the Equity and Access Subcommittee for further discussion; seconded by Mr. Hoey. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED Mr. Descoteaux made a motion to have the Superintendent work with the City Manager and the CFO to explore the feasibility of acquiring the St. Louis campus; seconded by Ms. Doherty. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED Ms. Doherty made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 8.1 through 8.3 as reports of progress; seconded by Mr. Hoey. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 8.3. Update on Diversifying Teacher Leaders Initiative Lori Casey and Alejandra Cabrera registered and spoke on the Update on Diversifying Teacher Leaders Initiative. Ms. Phillips, Chief Equity & Engagement Officer provided a report to the Committee that included:  Developing Racial Parity Between Teachers and Students  Current Lowell Public School Staff Racial Demographics (as of December 2020)  Recipient of Competitive Grants  Core Program Components of Diversifying Teacher Leaders Program  Year One Goals  Next Steps Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 4 of 5) Mr. Hoey requested that gender and residency be included in the next report. Mr. Descoteaux & Ms. Doherty also requested that funding be looked for regarding the Teacher Academy so the district can continue to grow and build it. Committee members expressed the importance of this work. Ms. Doherty made a motion to accept the following Reports of the Superintendent 8.1 through 8.3 as reports of progress; seconded by Mr. Hoey. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 9. NEW BUSINESS 9.1. Permission to Post: Financial Officer (Payroll) Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve the posting as written and to add under qualifications strong Munis and payroll experience in a similar size district or municipality preferred; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux; 5 yeas, 1 nay (Mr. Hoey), 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 9.2. Permission to Post: Family Liaison for McKinney-Vento Program Ms. Doherty made a motion to approve the Permission to Post: Family Liaison for McKinney-Vento Program; seconded by Ms. Clark; 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED 9.3. Budget Transfer Mr. Hoey made a motion to approve a budget transfer of $161,993.36; seconded by Ms. Clark. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us  (Page 5 of 5) 10. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Dillon made a motion to adjourn at 8:41 p.m.; seconded by Mr. Descoteaux. 6 yeas, 1 absent (Ms. Martin) APPROVED Respectfully submitted, Joel D. Boyd, Ed.D., Superintendent and Secretary to the Lowell School Committee JDB/mes Lowell Public Schools • 155 Merrimack Street • Lowell, MA 01852 • http://www.lowell.k12.ma.us