The Reading School Committee (SC) is meeting on Thursday March 2, 2023. The meeting is being held at 7pm at the Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) library and will be broadcast by RCTV and also be accessible via zoom. Links to watch are listed below, along with the packet and agenda.
The packet includes the following information on agenda items, but no presentation slides on them (if presentations are to be part of the meeting):
— Memo from School Resource Officer for SRO update at 8pm (p. 21 of packet). Copy of the memo is included with this post
— Information relating enrollment in kindergarten as of 3/1/23 (p. 22-23 of packet). Copies of the memo and a table of registrations by school is included with this post. As the memo indicates, there are 262 students currently registered for kindergarten, and only five (5) of these are for half day kindergarten. I asked about this in my capacity as a FINCOM member at our meeting on March 1, 2023, wondering if that is enough students to run a half day classroom, would they have integrated rooms (mix of full and half day K), do they expect any others, etc. Finance Director Susan Bottan indicated that the total number and/or the number of half day students is likely to go up, and that in the past, they typically get another 10% of the K total between May and August. She and the superintendent indicated that RPS is actively reaching out to all families who might have a K student, to see if they will register. Per the table in the packet, they “project” 11 half day K students for the next year, by the time all registrations are in. As FYI, in the current K class of 269 kids, there are 11 HKD students, as well.
— The SC meeting also will include the usual reports from central office, and will include an executive session relating to conducting, “strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body (all collective bargaining units)”. My understanding is that the contracts all school collective bargaining units (which can be found here https://www.readingma.gov/251/Contracts—Union-Individual ) expire on June 30, 2024.
— Memo relating to formation of an SC committee to explore forming a subcommittee that may consider “reevaluating our relationship with counsel” which may include choosing “to consider new counsel for either or both positions” (p. 24-25 of packet). As FYI, the SC typically uses one or more outside law firms for advice in negotiating with collective bargaining units, for negotiation with individual employees not part of collective bargaining units, for compliance advice, for review of school policies, for advice regarding special education matters, etc.
It does not appear that the SC will take any votes tonight other than the vote relating to forming the subcommittee.
HOW TO WATCH THIS MEETING
The RCTV YouTube live stream link to watch the meeting is here.
You can also watch via Xfinity channel 99 or Verizon channel 32.
You can join the meeting (or watch) via the Zoom link here:
https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/83657021146
Meeting ID: 836 5702 1146
One tap mobile +16469313860,,83657021146# US
