Search Results

The January 21 SC meeting focused on the proposed FY21 School Budget, including a Public Hearing during which members of the community were invited to comment on the budget. Download packet > Watch meeting >

At the January 7, 2020 School Committee meeting, discussion items revolved largely around the Committee’s FY21 budget consultation with Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick and the enrollment projections for FY2021 through 2035. Superintendent Dan Gutekanst also shared his thoughts on the proposed budget. Download packet > Watch meeting > School Committee Comments The Committee met with Finance Committee liasons to answer their questions about the proposed school budget for FY21. It will meet with the Finance Committee as a whole on Wednesday, January 22nd to review the entire FY21 budget. On January 28th, the Finance Committee will vote on whether to recommend passage of the proposed budget at the May Town Meeting. Superintendent’s Comments Superintendent Gutekanst noted that there will be a School Committee Budget Hearing at Broadmeadow Elementary on Tuesday, January 21st. Town Meeting members have been invited to attend. Dr. Gutekanst recently attended a meeting of the Kindergarten Task Force, which was devised to guide grade-level faculty in planning and administering the newly adopted kindergarten curriculum. In April, the Task Force will report to the School Committee on the success of the first year of full-day kindergarten in Needham. FY21 Budget Consultation with Town Manager Historically, Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick prepares a recommendation to Town Meeting on whether to approve the proposed school budget. Ms. Fitzpatrick appeared before the Committee to find out what its FY21 budget priorities were. In response to her inquiry, Dr. Gutekanst said that most of the requests for new funding in the proposed FY21 budget are to meet existing staff needs and contractual obligations. These account for a greater percentage of the requested funding than in school budgets of the recent past. The proposed budget also requests additional funding to build capacity and ensure equity within the Special Education program. Teresa Duggan, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Program Development and Implementation, commented that, as the School Department has added programming, the faculty has implemented it, but the teachers and curriculum coordinators have not received support in their efforts. Committee Chair Michael Greis remarked that although Needham does compare well to surrounding communities on many levels, it is falling behind with regard to student-teacher ratios. Assistant Town Manager and Director of Finance David Davison discussed the two major revenue streams that affect school funding (current tax revenues from Trip Advisor and future tax revenues from NBC/Universal), noting that these sources are supporting our full-day kindergarten program as well as increases to personnel in the Police and Fire Departments. FY2021 - 2035 Enrollment Projection Demographer Jeremy McKibbon has developed projections for K-12 enrollment over the next fifteen years and will present his findings to the Future School Needs Committee on January 28, 2020 at 5pm. Anne Gulati, Assistant Superintendent and Director of Financial Operations, noted that although the long term trend is fairly level over the course of the next fifteen years, McKibbon’s short term projection evidences a rapid increase in school population (due to the larger rising High Rock and Pollard class sizes) followed by a marked decrease. Superintendent’s FY21 Budget Discussion Due to the size of the rising High Rock and Pollard classes, the FY21 budget request is enrollment-driven at the secondary level (and to a lesser extent at the elementary level). Unfortunately, if reductions need to be made, they will likely come from necessary services and staffing — not from “extra” or “supplemental” programming. Proposed FTE increases highlighted: Classroom teachers: - Pollard: 2.4 - High School: 1.5 Assistant Principals: - Eliot: .3 - Mitchell: .1 - Williams: .2 - High Rock: .2 Action Items The School Committee unanimously approved both the establishment of the NHS Dave DiCicco Golden Heart Scholarship and the NHS Zack Kalish Memorial Scholarship.

The major topic of discussion at the 12/17 School Committee meeting was the Student Support Services Budget Request. Download packet > Watch meeting > Student Support Services Budget Mary Lammi and Julie Muse-Fisher presented the student support services budget request, which features a total increase of 10.19 FTEs. Some of these are new positions, but most are existing positions which are being funded by alternative sources and need to be shifted to the FY20-21 operating budget. Budget Drivers Growing student enrollment Increasing number of students requiring special education, counseling, and English language instruction Strengthening in-district capacity to meet students’ needs through a continuum of academic and social-emotional programs and services Addressing caseload/workload barriers to equitable inclusive education Trends in Special Education Enrollment: Needham's SPED enrollment has increased slightly but steadily since 2014, from 14.5% to 17.2% Needham's Out-of-District rate has remained relatively steady, around 8.5%. Over half of OOD students are identified with either Autism (25%) or an Emotional disability (26%) The presentation included an overview of the district's specialized programs — Connections Therapeutic Program, Autism Specialized Program, and Transitions (helping students returning from medical or psychiatric hospitalizations) — all of which have staffing needs required for improvement and expansion. Of note: medical hospitalizations remained level between 2017-18 and 2018-19 (35 vs. 34), while psychiatric hospitalizations almost doubled (17 vs 29) Case studies for current and target caseloads were presented for a number of positions, including Special Education Liaison, Speech Therapist, School Counselor, an English Language Education Teacher. While caseload data is not tracked by the state, Needham has reached out to neighboring communities to share data. In comparison to these communities, Needham caseloads are consistently higher, and often the highest. FTE requests are intended to make caseloads more consistent across Needham Schools and closer to target ranges seen in other towns. Special Education Teachers 2.9 Elementary Special Education Teachers (.8 Eliot, 1.0 Williams, .1 Mitchell, 1.0 Newman) .5 Reading Teacher (Pollard) .3 Special Education Coordinator (Eliot) Specialized Programs 1.0 Autism Program SpEd Teacher (Pollard) .59 Autism Program Teaching Assistant (Elementary) 1.0 Transitions Special Education Teacher (HS) .5 Connections Program Psychologist (Broadmeadow) Social Emotional Behavior Support 1.0 Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Broadmeadow, Eliot, Mitchell) 1.1 School Counselors: (.2 Mitchell, .4 Pollard, .5 HS) English Language Learning (ELL) .1 ELL Teacher (Mitchell) Special Education Related Services & Support Staff .2 Speech Therapy Assistant (Newman) 1.59 Teaching Assistants (.59 Elementary, 1.0 Pollard) (school breakdowns in parentheses based on 12/10 school budget request, may be subject to change) A Public Hearing on the budget will be held Tuesday, January 21. Members of the community are invited to comment at the meeting and/or can by email: schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us Information Items The meeting packet contained: 2019 MCAS Scores - Comparable Community Comparisons FY21-35 Final Enrollment Projection

The Needham School Committee meeting was held on December 10th, where Dr. Gutekanst presented the FY21 budget request. NHS Student Advisory to School Committee also provided an update. download packet > watch meeting > Needham High School Student Advisory to School Committee (SASC) Report 9th grade class sold class-branded sweatshirts for the year’s first-class fundraiser. They were pre-ordered, in manufacturing and aiming to have them delivered before winter-break. Local Needham Restaurants are being solicited as venues for next fundraiser—portion of that night’s proceeds will go to Art class 10th grade class had a successful fund-raiser and sold around 100 blankets in and around Needham community. Continuing with the theme of raising Needham spirit, the recently held pep rally included pie-a-teacher fun event and distribution of winter goodie bags with candies in them in the same spirit of keeping up school morale. 11th grade Halloween event was a success — over 200 kids from community trick-or-treated around one floor of the HS. Merchandise: sweatpants and phone wallets. 12th grade class brainstorming merchandise to sell to all grades and generate a customizable logo, and a pre-prom idea. This time they will be taking buses, and looking into picture opportunities At large and in Student council updates: Pre-thanksgiving bonfire event was very successful in bringing teams and Needham families and students together through speeches by the Athletic Director Dan Lee and meet and greet with captains and team-members of all three Varsity teams. Pizza and baked goods were on sale and there were activities for kids. Homecoming dance was held on Nov 22 at the gym, tickets sold for $5 each. This year almost 300 students came to event and the majority of students were freshmen suggesting future successes of the events by involving incoming student participation. Pep Rally was held on the day of the bonfire during school. Seniors and Juniors sat on the bleachers at the gym, juniors sat on the floor and the freshmen watched the event broadcasted live, from the cafeteria. The event was hosted by three seniors and included performances by the Marching band, Cheer Team, the Dance Team and the Bomb Squad. There was recognition of sports teams, in particular, the boys’ soccer (state finalist) and the girls’ volleyball (state champions) teams, and some students received recognition for artistic achievements. Questions and comments: Message sent out to incoming students was received successfully and good communication and planning made the fund-raisers effective this year. Hopefully the trend continues. The High School acts as the focal point for the community. Future Prom-logistical change — in terms of busing and transportation. Confirmation email sent out to High School students was effective in reducing resistance to change in tradition. Clarification by student body and the Superintendent — Before and after prom, there is no mandatory visit needed to the A gym, and it is important to exercise caution and follow the laws when partying before or after prom. FY21 BUDGET REQUEST FY21 Budget (full document) Summary Budget Presentation (12/10/19) FY21 Budget Priorities: Implement Portrait of a Needham Graduate Strategic Priorities Hire and retain highly qualified staff, teaching within established student/teacher ratio guidelines. Continue the ongoing refinement of curriculum, instruction and assessment practices. Develop and maintain educational resources and technology infrastructure that meet and support student needs and meets District Goals. FY21 Proposed Budget Total: $80,943,823 This amount reflects a 6.5% increase over last year (FY20) or a total of $4,938,058. Requests from the schools totaled about $7 million, many requests had to be deferred. Breakdown of Total: Contractual salary Increases: $2,933,544 Level Service: $1,903,881 Program Improvements: $100,633 Main Budget Drivers: 1. Salaries/Contracts Hired 54 new staff for this year (Sunita Williams & Full-Day K) Mass Equal Pay Act is in effect. Fewer retirements this year. Typically, about $250K for retirement saving, and but this year fewer retirements, so less savings (about $140K). Lane Change are as expected: Lower Step to Higher Step change Need to hire special education personnel 2. High Enrollment Needham school enrollment continues to be a driver unlike some other comparable communities and despite year to year small changes within elementary projections, the trend is upward bound and needs attention. In the last 15 years, Needham has grown by 807 students (based on projections for next year) We have higher — or highest — class size of comparable communities We have one of the highest student : teacher ratios (In communities with decreasing enrollment, ratio is lower because staff is retained despite reduced need) Proposed Staff Increases: 12.17 FTE Grade 1-12 Class room and SPED Teachers 4.8 FTE Paraprofessionals, Administration, Support 16.97 FTE TOTAL (2.4 FTE Grade 7-8 Classroom Teachers / 1.4 FTE Grade 9-12 Classroom Teachers ) 3. Inclusive Learning: Focus is on inclusive practices and learning. Budget outlines a need to pivot toward SPED, ELL learning, so as to accommodate teachers with smaller case-loads such that they can meet expectations and attend to developing more skills and interact with their peer. Guidance counselors and Nurses similarly need attention and support. Proposed Student Support Increases: Increased Tuition Cost $1,339,787 Staff (Teachers/TA’s) 10.19 FTE The Student Support Service budget request will be presented at the next SC meeting on 12/17. Address inequities and imbalances in caseloads: - SPED Liasons - School Counselors - Speech Therapy - ELL staff SPED Out of district percentage stable (OOD) Stabilized # of students and cost in collaboration with SC committee and finance committee and have built capacity to accommodate all students who cannot be part of the regular classroom offerings. Deferred Needs Da Vinci Lab Program Specialist — A part-time position to keep lab open throughout the day. Administrative Support for Math intervention, Fine and Performing Arts, and World Languages — programs are growing, and need more support. Clerical Support at Needham High School — existing administrators are doing clerical work. Curriculum Materials and textbooks — Some dollar amount for Algebra and French, but not enough Student Activity Stipends — critical to student leadership development. Budget Development Tool — needed to make sure that all salary-payroll-budget is all in sync. Next Steps December/January - Finance Committee, School Committee & School Administration Review Budget December 11 - Finance Committee/School Committee budget workshop January 7 - Town Manager consults with School Committee January 21 - Public Hearing on School Budget January 22 - Finance Committee Reviews School Budget January 28 - School Committee Votes School Budget Comments and Questions Glad to see emphasis on increased counseling To balance enrollment at schools, incoming K students might be placed at schools with lower enrollment. Needham Boosters struggling to fund athletic fee scholarships, AD had asked for district to cover, but request was deferred. May need to assists Boosters with their fundraising. Increased development has benefitted Town. Revenue has helped finance full-day and other school programs. Will receive additional state funding now that we have full-day K. (Chapter 70) What is impact on Math Intervention Specialist? Additional .5 FTE at Newman, but not at High Rock. #budget

The November 19 SC meeting included the announcement of NEF Fall Grant Awards and the 2019 MCAS results, plus a visit by the state-champion Varsity Girls Volleyball team. Download packet > Watch meeting > Superintendent Updates Dr. Gutekanst joined approximately 400 8th grade students in their trip to Washington DC. The students participated in a ceremony on the eve of Veteran’s Day where they presented a blue and gold wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cementery, VA. The students have a great opportunity to learn firsthand about history, leadership, and citizenship. Members of the Girls Varsity Volleyball team were in attendance. The Volleyball team have had a stellar season. They won the first state championship in the history of Needham and held a record of 21 wins and 0 losses while only dropping 9 sets in total throughout the year. Dr. Gutekanst congratulated them on their victory and recognized their positive energy, dedication, and sportsmanship. Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Certificate of Academic Excellence Superintendent Gutekanst presented the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Certificate of Academic Excellence to Eric Xu and Anne Kiely, NHS Seniors for their academic achievement and community service. 2019 Needham Education Foundation (NEF) Fall Grant Awards NEF Board Members and Grants Committee Co-Chairs Robert Murphy and Christopher Lee presented the 2019 NEF Fall Grant Awards. Twelve grants were awarded to schools across the district for a total of $50,102. Pollard 8th graders will learn the story of Deborah Sampson, the first woman to enlist, fight, and be honorably discharged from the American Military, through four performances of "A Revolution of Her Own!" Jen Deaderick, graphic novel author of "She the People," will host a series of workshops at the Needham High School’s One Day program. Cooking For Kids, a weekly cooking activity, will teach life skills to students in substantially separate early learning classrooms at Sunita Williams. Sensory Pathways at Eliot and Mitchell will allow students to take movement breaks using academic visuals to release energy and sensory build up. Vox Books — hardcover books with an integrated audio recording — will be added in Broadmeadow, Eliot and Newman libraries to help emergent and reluctant readers. Pedometers will be used in each second grade classroom at Broadmeadow to reinforce math concepts such as graphing and place value, and to better understand real-life distances in geography units. Students and teachers at High Rock will develop the tools to practice mindfulness independently in 60 classroom workshops with a mindfulness educator. An artist-in-residency program "Your Voice Matters. What's Your Story?" at the High School will foster community and facilitate conversations around empathy and equity. In addition to conducting a workshop on NHS’s One Day, the artists will provide professional development for art teachers, a master class to produce a permanent student mural, and a guided tour at the Museum of Fine Arts. They will also collaborate with art students to create an exhibition in a new gallery space in the high school. All K-5 math coaches and grade 6-12 math teachers will deepen their understanding of mathematical play and learn how to implement it in their classrooms through a professional development workshop with Sunil Singh, co-author of “Math Recess,” a book which emphasizes learning mathematics through play and as a means to provide equity to all students. To assist in the development of new STEAM curriculum, five elementary STEAM teachers will attend the National Science Teachers of America conference in Boston to share ideas with peers from around the country and learn from best practices. Four elementary visual arts teachers will attend the National Arts Education Association conference to bring back ideas for building the kindergarten arts curriculum and strategies for inclusivity and representation in the art room. 2019 MCAS Results Terry Dugan, Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning reported on 2019 MCAS Results: 1. Next Generation MCAS Assessments Third administration of new assessments in grades 3 through 8 (ELA & Math) First administration of new assessments in grade 10 (ELA & Math) Administered online grade 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10; first time for grades 3, 6, and 10 New science MCAS assessments were administered to students for grade 5 to 8 Scores nomenclature has been standardized to use the achievement levels of Advanced, Proficient, Needs Improvement, and Warning/Failing Legacy MCAS assessments (paper based) were administered to students in high school. 2. Achievement Levels Exceeding Expectations: 530-560 Meetings Expectations: 500-529 Partially Meeting Expectations: 470-499 Not Meeting Expectations: 440-469 In the three years the test has been administered there has been an upward trend across all student groups. For instance, in reviewing the scores for English, Language and Arts (ELA) for grades 3 to 8 results show 76% of all students are meeting or exceeding expectations, while 21% of all students are partially meeting expectations. When reviewing math scores for grades 3 to 8, results indicate 73% of all students are meeting or exceeding expectations, while 24% of all students are partially meeting expectations. 3. Accountability System Assistant Superintendent Dugan discussed the criteria by which each school in the District is held accountable for achieving several performance indicators, from student growth to advanced coursework completion. Pollard was named a “School of Recognition” by the state. Pollard’s overall performance is better than 97% of other similar schools across the state. Hillside was also named a “School of Recognition” as their overall performance was better than 94% of other similar schools across the state. 4. Comparable Communities Needham students for grades 3 through 8 are tied for 7th place in ELA and tied for 9th place in math among 20 comparable communities, with 76% and 73% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA and Math respectively. At grade 10, Needham students are tied for 8th place for ELA and tied for 4th place in Math among 20 comparable communities in the Commonwealth. Overall accountability ratings at the State level: Needham tied for 5th place in meeting or exceeding its accountability target. Action Items: SC unanimously approved the FY20 revised revolving funds which includes fees for World Language exams for students who would like to pursue the seal of biliteracy. #NEF #MCAS

At the 11/5/19 School Committee meeting discussion items included a presentation about student substance use from the groups SPAN and SALSA, and an update on Math Programming. Download packet > Watch meeting > School Committee Update Heidi Black presented an update on Minuteman Regional VocTech High School: There is a high demand concerning enrollment for incoming 9th graders. A number of grants have been secured that will allow for 100% new equipment in the new building, which was not the original expectation. According to representatives from Minuteman, it is considered a model district based on conversations during organized outreach with leaders from other districts. Susan Neckes reported on efforts between the School Committee and Permanent Public Building Committee to assess infrastructure needs. A lot of work has been done in the last few years including the Sunita Williams School and expansion at Needham High School. Discussed areas of concern and explored a plan for moving forward. Working with Dore & Wittier to assess the needs of each individual school and begin to formulate a plan of action. This effort is being done in tandem with overall assessment of the town’s infrastructure needs. Superintendent Updates Dr. Gutekanst ttended and praised the recent Great Hall Concert Series, and in particular the opening act by students at Needham High School in the Traditional Music Ensemble. During the performance, he was presented with a $5,000 donation from the Great Hall Foundation to benefit the Needham Public Schools’ music program The student trip to Washington DC began earlier in the morning, and he will be joining the group for the remainder. Presentation by SPAN and SALSA Substance Prevention Alliance in Needham (SPAN) presented findings from a recent student survey on substance use. Karen Shannon provided an overview of the SPAN program, and reviewed primary statistics and findings from the MetroWest Adolescent Survey. Needham High School students Reese Murphy, Luca Mancino, and Caitlin Sullivan presented an overview of the Students Advocating for Life without Substance Abuse (SALSA) program and survey results regarding vaping awareness. Math Programming Update Over the last four years, the mathematics department at the middle school level has incorporated a number of recommendations that resulted from the review of their program. John Shea, Needham High School Math Department Chair, and Tammy Ghizzoni, Middle School Math Curriculum Leader, provided an update on the results of these changes, an overview of the equity work they are now collaboratively leading at the secondary level, and some potential possibilities for the future direction of the program. There is very detailed information and data provided in the packet (pages 49-71). Action Items: Approve 2019-2020 Superintendent’s Goals: The Superintendent requested an extension to report on goals at a later School Committee meeting. The request was approved (7-0-0). Adopt Fuel Efficient Vehicle Policy: Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, that the Needham School Committee approved the item as submitted (7-0-0). Adopt Energy Reduction Plan: Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, that the Needham School Committee approved the item as submitted (7-0-0). 00:01:23 - School Committee Updates 00:05:45 - Superintendent Comments 00:08:40 - SPAN & SALSA Presentation 01:07:53 - Math Programming Update

At the 10/15/19 School Committee meeting, discussion items included a report from the NHS Student Advisory; a presentation of the 2019-2020 Human Resources Report by Assistant Superintendent of Schools Alexandra McNeill; and a review of Superintendent Gutekanst’s Goals for the 2019-2020 academic year. Download packet > Watch meeting > Report from the NHS Student Advisory NHS Student Council representatives for each of the four classes reported on fall fundraisers and upcoming fall events including the NHS Trick or Treat event hosted by the Class of 2021, a homecoming dance, and a bonfire to raise school spirit prior to the Thanksgiving Day football game against the Wellesley Raiders. Students also discussed the anti-semitic graffiti incidents that occurred in September, the school’s response, and the possibility that Students Advocating for Equity (“SAFE”) work with other social justice and activism clubs to facilitate internal discussions on important issues like religious freedom. 2019-2020 Human Resources Report Dr. Alexandra McNeill, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, presented the 2019-2020 Human Resources Report, which outlines the district’s efforts to attract more diverse candidates and ultimately achieve a more diverse workforce. The report evidenced the district’s improved recruitment of diverse candidates through its participation in the Massachusetts Partnership for Diversity in Education and job fairs targeting candidates of color. In the last two years, 28 of the 38 new professional hires (including teachers and teaching assistants) are people of color. Dr. McNeill also discussed the alignment of district Human Resource policies and practices with the Portrait of a Needham Graduate (POG) framework. Superintendent’s Goals 2019-2020 Superintendent Dan Gutekanst submitted his proposed goals for the 2019-2020 academic year to the School Committee and requested feedback from Committee Members at the next meeting on Tuesday, October 29th. His eight goals aligned with the State’s requirements and with NPS’ strategic plan around POG, and its continued work with regard to equity and inclusion. Action Items: The School Committee approved the FY 2021-2025 Capital Improvement Plan Requests as recommended by Superintendent Gutekanst. The School Committee also established an NHS Bird’s Hill Pharmacy Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 per the recommendation of the superintendent. Comments The George Bennett Distinguished Career Awards will be held at NHS on Friday, October 25th. The Select Board will host a public hearing at Powers Hall on the Green Communities Act on Wednesday, October 16th.

The October 2nd School Committee meeting included the performance of the Needham High School Chorale, an update from the Transportation Department and a review of the Capital Plan for the period of 2021 – 2025. download packet > watch video > Student Performance Superintendent Gutekanst introduced the Needham High School Chorale who has traditionally performed during the first meeting of the year. The Chorale could not come to the September 2019 meeting. The Chorale sang The Star Spangled Banner and the arrangement titled, “You Are the New Day.“ School Committee Comments All members of the School Committee wore something blue in support of a group of students and staff at the High School who wore blue on Wednesday, Sept 25 to stand against hate and bigotry. Aiden Michelow, the Needham High School Junior who is non-voting member of the SC, shared blue bracelets with SC members. Superintendent’s Comments Dr. Gutekanst invited Needham residents to sign up for Smart911, a new online service that allows subscribers to receive alerts that affect the Town. For example, the Town sent an alert about EEE and their spraying schedule through this service. Discussion Items SC approved the Unit A Contract Memorandum of Understanding unanimously. Town Manager Kate Patrick also voted to approve the MOU. Highlights of the contract include: Created a new-parent leave of 10 days for all families. Number of sick days is now ten. Agreed to create an exploratory committee for Special Education led by the NEA (Needham Education Association) and Mary Lammi. The committee would focus on answering the following questions: What are the changing needs of our students and what are the changing needs in our practice? How do we better use our resources to serve our students? FY20 Transportation Update Shane Marchand, Director of Transportation, provided data regarding the ridership. More families registered by the deadline to receive bus service. There has been a 14% increase in registration from 1,488 last school year to 1,691 students registered this school year. There were 35 students in the wait list. This year there are only 4 students in the wait list for the morning. There are none for the afternoon service. Overall, there are 2,179 students receiving bus service which fall under the following categories:. - Regular education status: 1,908. - Transported from Boston: 118. - Special Education: 146, 70 of which are Out of District. There have been a couple of buses struggling to get to Newman on time. Starting October 2, a change in the routes was implemented. The METCO program is running smoothly. Afternoon transportation is running smoothly. There have been minor delays at the Sunita Williams and the High School that have been addressed. Buses are at capacity and very evenly distributed. Average of 61 rider in the middle school and high school. Special Ed vans had a successful program in the summer. The late bus started on September 17th. This year we started with 40 to 50 students. Delays occurred in the first week, which have been addressed. The annual school meeting for van and bus drivers was held on August 22. Participants received a handbook with policies and procedures, school calendars, and route information. Also, meetings are held every other month for Needham drivers and third-party vendors such as Locomotion. The next meeting will include a presentation by the Director of Health Services, Barbara Singer, and someone from Special Ed to provide sensitivity training. Dr. Gutekanst commended Shane for his work. He shared Shane’s twitter handle, @NeedhamPSTrans, and invited viewers to follow Shane to receive up to date information about any bus delays. FY2021-2025 Draft Capital Improvement Plan Requests Anne Gulati, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, provided a brief assessment of the five-year capital plan. The proposed Capital Improvement Plan is considered a “status quo request” as it is similar to prior year submissions. The breakdown is as follows: School Committee Comments Matt Spangler attended the back to school night sessions at Mitchell and the High School. He thanked the staff for staying late and hosting two great events. #Transportation

SC met on September 17th at Broadmeadow Elementary School. Topics included a discussion with the School Resource Officers, an update about the start of school, information about another incident of anti-Semitic graffiti at the high school, the new Needham High School student sitting on School Committee, and an overview of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey and its relevance to the Needham Public Schools. download packet > watch video > The school committee welcomes Needham High School Junior Aidan Michelow to the committee! Aidan will represent the student voice in a non-voting capacity. Superintendent Updates Needham High School was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School for the school’s athletic programming which includes students of all backgrounds 25 Needham High students have received a National Merit Commendation and another 7 students are National Merit Semi-Finalists. The Needham Community is welcome to an Open House at the new Sunita L. Williams School on October 19th from 9-10:30 am. The new school year has begun smoothly with new modulars in place and working well at Mitchell, Full Day Kindergarten also operating smoothly, and the New Sunita Williams school open with fewer traffic problems than anticipated. Dr. Gutekanst thanked the School Committee, Needham Police Department, and SWES school administration and staff for their foresight in anticipating many potential traffic problems. School Resources Officers The chief of police introduced two School Resource Officers, RJ Poirier and Adrienne Anderson. These officers visit all schools in Needham, K-12, building relationships with students and troubleshooting when needed. Adrienne has degrees from BU and UMass Lowell along with a professional chef certification RJ Poirier grew up in Needham and has degrees in English, Criminal Justice and an MBA. See the Memorandum of Understanding between Needham Public Schools and the Needham Police Department Racist Graffiti at Needham High School Dr. Gutekanst addressed the second graffiti incident at Needham High this school year. Students found swastika’s etched into a bathroom stall and reported this to the administration. Students and families were notified. Dr. Gutekanst stated that this is a challenging issue to handle and that speaking out about it and discussing it publicly is preferable to keeping silent. MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey Assistant Superintendent Mary Lammi presented the results of the most recent MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. This survey occurs every other year and targets students in the Metro West area in grades 6-12. Approximately 95% of students respond. The 2018-19 Survey noted the following emerging trends: An increase in vaping High levels of stress and anxiety High levels of social media use outside school. Needham schools plan to address these problems in three ways: Expand awareness of issues among students, staff and families Expand existing programs such as: - Anti-Bullying - Socioemotional Learning - Student led groups such as SALSA and SAFE Continue the districts work towards “supporting positive inclusive school cultures” More detailed information can be found in the packet and presentation. #MetroWest

On August 22nd, School Committee held their second summer meeting at the new Sunita L. Williams School. SC member Aaron Pressman took some great photos during a tour of the school:

SC met on August 22nd at the new Sunita L. Williams School. Guidelines for the FY2020-21 Budget were discussed, and Julie Muse-Fisher was appointed Interim Executive Director of Special Education. Following the meeting, SC members toured the new school. download packet > [no video available] Superintendent Updates Sunita Williams School — While the town’s efforts are appreciated, Dr. Gutekanst expressed concerns about building maintenance. He suggested a possible fix to the PA system among other issues around building and facilities maintenance. Dr. Gutekanst has also met with neighbors who have shared their concerns around noise and lights at night. Memorial Field — The work is not complete, so some adjustments will need to be made for upcoming field games. The High School is up for accreditation again in 2020. The accreditation team will meet with SC on Sunday, 5/3/20. Principal Aaron Sicotte will provide more information at later date. Enrollment for kindergarten in currently 10% below predicted, though this could increase through the end of August. Mitchell is likely to have about 16 students per class and overall average would be 21-22 Budget Guidelines The budget consists of two main components : Providing Level Service - Contractual Obligations - State/Regulatory Mandates - Enrollment Increases Making Program Improvements The budget will reflect School Committee Priorities, including: Portrait of a Needham Graduate work Attracting and retaining qualified staff: - Proposal for salary increase for new teacher hires - Anticipate adjustments to Specialized Resources caseloads - Professional Development offerings A committee member raised the question of Student-Teacher Ratio and there was discussion around why and how the DESE metric should not be used as a standalone for Needham schools. Appointment of Interim Executive Director of Special Education SC cited to appoint Julie Muse-Fisher to the interim position. She has a background in both law and special education, and has worked previously for Boston and Wellesley school districts. More information about Ms. Muse-Fisher is available in the meeting packet. Staffing Update: 120 new hires One part-time teaching position is now open Seven TA positions are open

At the July 12 SC meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Finance Anne Gulati was honored by MASBO, and the Portrait of a Needham Graduate FY20 Action Plan was approved. Full agenda > Download packet > [no video available] Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) President’s Award Presentation Anne Gulati, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, has been selected to receive the 2019 MASBO President’s Award given in recognition of an individual’s outstanding contribution to his or her school district. MASBO officers presented the award and Jak Kelley, RISO Senior Sales Representative, presented a donation of $1,000 to the Needham Public Schools from RISO, Inc. as part of the award. Approve Portrait of a Needham Graduate FY20 Action Plan School Committee approved the Portrait of a Needham Graduate FY20 Action Plan as submitted (see packet). Re-establish Signature Authority for Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services In July 2018, the responsibility for signing contracts related to the provision of special education services under M.G.L. Ch. 71B was shifted from the Assistant Superintendent for Student Services to newly established Executive Director of Special Education K-12 position. Due to an impending vacancy in the Executive Director position, the Assistant Superintendent for Student Services was reauthorized to enter into contracts, and this authority will continue indefinitely into the future, to provide for a secondary authorized signer in this area — the Executive Director of Special Education K-12 will continue to be the primary authorized signer.