The Reading School Committee (SC) of Reading Public Schools (RPS) is meeting at 7pm on Thursday July 11, 2024 at Reading Memorial High School.
Links to the agenda, packet, and to watch the meeting are at the end of this article. The packet is 27 pages long, and the agenda has only a few listed topics and votes.
ANNUAL COLLABORATIVE VOTES
The opening vote will be the annual vote to appoint the superintendent to the boards of two special education collaboratives of which RPS is a member: the SEEM collaborative and the Northshore Education Consortium. These collaboratives each consist of a statewide network of public educational service agencies that work together with school districts and schools to provide special education programs, both in-district and outplacement, particularly for students with multiple, complex learning and therapeutic needs. These programs can supplement and strengthen programs and services offered by local school districts and can help provide a more cost-effective way to provide needed services to students.
REVIEW & ADJUSTMENT OF KILLAM
LIAISON AND SUBCOMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS, INCLUDING VOTE ON SC RECOMMENDATION FOR SC MEMBERSHIP ON KILLAM SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE (KSBC) (packet p. 13-14).
The packet includes a memo on p. 13-14 detailing the need for some changes in the current set of assignments as listed in the table on p. 13 of the packet. It appears that the memo is recommending that member Shawn Brandt replace member Sarah McLaughlin on the KSBC, as Ms. McLaughlin indicates that she has increasing work demands.. In addition, SC member Erin Gaffen indicates that two of her liaison assignments have meetings that conflict with each other, and perhaps another SC member can take one of the assignments. It is possible that other liaison assignments can be discussed and/or the subject of a vote.
SC CALENDAR FOR 2024-2025
(p. 15 of packet)
The SC also will review and discuss their tentative meeting schedule for the coming fiscal year, with options for SC members to suggest specific topics and a note that the SC chair will work with the KSBC chair to create a centralized calendar to plan for the coming year.
Athletics Facilities Naming Advisory
School Committee Athletics Facilities Naming Advisory Committee Update (p. 18 of packet)
The SC will review the proposed membership of the school athletics facilities naming advisory committee, including the membership listed in the table on p. 18. As the memo notes, as of this writing, there are not yet any “official applicants for the Local Business Leader and Local Community Member” slots on this committee, but the memo indicates that the committee can meet once four of the five members are appointed and one of the two associate members is appointed.
CONTINUATION OF REORGANIZATION
At the 6/20/2024 SC meeting, the SC had only a partial reorganization, and voted to keep Thomas Wise as chair. Because the current SC vice chair (Erin Gaffen) was on vacation, the SC agreed to wait until its next meeting when all members were present, to have the reorganization vote for the SC Vice chair position. It is assumed that the vote will take place at the 7/11/2024 meeting.
How to Watch
The SC meeting will be broadcast on the RCTV YouTube channel at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo6jjP5Qf88
The meeting also will be on Verizon Ch 32, Xfinity Ch 6.
In addition, you can join the meeting (or watch) via the Zoom link here:
Join Zoom Meeting https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/82939358119 Meeting ID: 829 3935 8119
