The meeting began with the normal Call to Order, Agenda Review, and Flag Salute. The first Community Comments portion of the meeting included no comments.
The Consent Agenda included the approval of a warrant, contracts, and approvals of various regular and committee minutes.
The Reports to the Board portion of the meeting included:
– Superintendent Report: NOTE: Director of Student Services, Tim Dunn, was present for Amy Rex and read from her report provided in the packet. Here is a summary.
o The Milton Elementary School Unified Arts Program for the 2025-26 school year will change to have the school counselors in a designated classroom to meet with students to implement the guidance curriculum whereas previously the counselors worked with teachers and integrated the curriculum into the regular classroom schedule. Additionally, difficulties in obtaining unified arts teachers in both art and music, with yearly turnover for the last 5 years, have caused teacher continuity issues. After recent attempts at hiring, a veteran elementary school teacher expressed interest and worked with the principal around a vision for the program that will be to integrate and introduce all the arts to students K-4.
o Regarding Board Strategic Planning and Monitoring, the Superintendent laid out a plan for providing data to the board including a review of VTCAP data in November that will include a 3-year cohort analysis of student proficiency Math and English Language Arts (ELA), along with grade level proficiency data for same. In March, a mid-year update on student progress through the STAR Proficiency Data will be provided which will detail predicted student proficiency changes from fall to winter for Math and ELA in K-10. Also in March, a specific report on each school’s progress in the Growth Percentile of students on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be shared. A comparison of growth of those on and off IEPs will be completed. Finally, in June, a final end-of-year review of STAR Proficiency Data will be provided showing predicted student proficiency changes from winter to spring for Math and ELA (K-10) to evaluate overall student growth and progress towards the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP).
– Operations Report:
o Summer meals available at high school this year with free breakfast served for those under 18 from 8-9 on weekdays and lunch from 11-12. Milton residency is not required. Also, partnered with Essex-Westford, who will be handing out groceries (until gone) every Thursday (started 6/26) from 10-2 at Bombardier Park. This is new to Milton this year.
o Work on the Herrick School roof started on Tuesday (6/24-changed from packet). All summer school-based programming has been moved to the high school and the grounds are now closed. There is a moisture and mold monitoring program in the building including having each room inspected and signed off twice each week on and there are moisture meters throughout the building.
o Final measurements were taken last week for the windows, and the order was placed with delivery expected in 12-16 weeks with installation expected to occur as able during school breaks in spring/summer 2026.
o “Frontline Education” program is an HR application for vacation, building badge access, and time. Just spent $24,000 on but doesn’t integrate with new finance “Tyler” program and now looking at “Red Rover” program that would integrate. Planning to transition to “Red Rover” January 1, 2026, which will cost initially more to swap over, but will be cheaper and more modern going forward while integrating with the new finance system.
o Bond type options: Bank provided two payment options. One being “Level Debt Service” option would cost 1.8 million more over loan period but would make payments more consistent. Level Principle is the other option which would be less consistent payments.
– Committee Reports: Facilities met earlier today. Discussed roofing and windows. Worked on Capital Improvement Plan. All on hold until it is figured out whether the Federal government is going to pay the grants that were originally received by MTSD. Strategic and Policy Committees did not meet.
There was not a Presentations portion of the meeting.
The Discussion portion of the meeting included:
– WISE Benefit Platform that was discussed at prior meeting was discussed again. Concern whether there would be costs to MTSD if low enrolment. Currently, MTSD has Aflac as an option for employees, but no one from Aflac comes to MTSD to sell it and provide information. Currently only a few use.
– Stakeholder Engagement for the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) Goals. Discussed suggestions including stakeholder “Map” exercise, 1-2 core needs, telling the story of what’s going on in the school, community Zoom meeting, etc.
– Policy First Reads for:
o D8 Selection of Library Materials (Required): Suggestion in committee to change “Democracy” to “Constitutional Republic. Also discussed just ending the sentence “The freedom to read is essential.” Instead of changing words. Additionally, considerable discussion by two board members that this is a “required” policy based on Vermont law that disallows local control of school boards/parents/community from deciding what’s appropriate in their school’s library based on whatever material the school library staff chooses to include.
o C12 Title IX (Required): No changes. Just up for renewal.
o F5 Behavior Threat Assessment: Discussed.
– Policy Second Read for A43 Board Conduct. Sent and reviewed by the school’s lawyer who made changes. Comment made that there’s already another policy that covers this, it’s subjective, and infringes on freedom of speech. Another comment was made that they were glad to see some things now removed. Comments made about the procedure of the informal hearing. Policy returned to committee for further review.
– Board final discussion of Action Items.
The second Community Comments portion of the meeting included no comments.
The Action Items portion of the meeting included Consolidated Federal Grant Expenditures (greater than $10,000), “Red Rover” transition approved which will cost $27,675 (this will reduce to ~$15,000 what we will spend for “Frontline Education”), and Herrick Bond will be “level principle” saving the $1.8 million extra it would cost over time for the other option with Matt Grasso being able to adjust as needed.
The Board Comments portion of the meeting included a comment regarding the Policy Committee meeting and the Gender Non-Conforming Policy being run by legal to see if there were any red flags who was said to have indicated that if the policy removed any mention of Title IX it would be fine. It appears concerns remain regarding this policy complying with Title IX. Another comment was made and later seconded about the faculty appreciation event.
An Executive Session scheduled to conclude the night was removed.