School Committee: April 16, 2026

Transcript captured from YouTube auto-captioning. No speaker labels; proper names and dollar figures occasionally misheard. Click any timecode to jump to that moment in the source video.

0:05 Looks like it’s good. » Yeah, it seems like it’s going. » Yeah. » Um if it does promise that. Let me Can I I can just mute this. Okay. Um if it makes a loud noise, I’ll just turn it up. Um Okay. So, I’ll call us to order at 9:30. Um we have no attendees. So, we can skip public comment. Um, so the first item is the newsletter and I’ve been working on something. I’m going to It’s hosted on my sort of personal website because I just wanted to test it. » Um, got I have like

0:53 three windows and 11. So, » um, okay. I’m going to I I’ll I’ll I’m going to share my screen, but I’ll also share this with you in the chat so that you » Okay, sounds good. » Where is the chat? Is there a chat? » Um I don’t see a chat actually. » Where? » Why is there no chat? » Um okay. Do you want to just type it in? » Yeah. » All right. So, it’s guazda-test.com/ April with a capital A.HTML. » Perfect. » Got it. » Great. Okay. Um

1:41 and I’ll hopefully I can share my screen. Uh oh, share. Yes, I can. Okay.

2:06 All right. This may be a little

2:20 » All right. I can’t share my screen. » Oh, no. Oh, really? » I’d have to quit and reopen. » Oh, god. » But that’s okay cuz » I mean, I’m looking at it. » Yeah. So, we’ll just follow along. All right. So, I’ve got the header here. Um, I sort of started in with a summary, and I think this probably needs some attention. I was also thinking maybe some jump links that would lead to lower sections if people just want to jump right to override information or something. » Yeah. » Um, might be good to put key dates in there. So, um, » oh, you know what? We should probably start with the timing on this because I want to send this April

3:05 28th, » which is two weeks. » Yeah, it’s the Tuesday after we get back from » Okay. Yep. » It just kind of doesn’t make sense to send it right before. » Yeah, it probably won’t get as many views if we sent it. Yep. » This week or next? » So, with that in mind, we do have some time to sort of think about » edit and update. Yeah. Okay. » Um, also, select board is meeting today and hopefully they will, » you know, vote on something so that we’re, you know, I can add those details in. » Yeah, that’s a good point. Yep. » You know, we I don’t want to put details coming, you know, so » Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, we’ll add a little bit to this front section.

3:57 Um, and then we sort of go into school budget. » Yeah. » Um, I want to send this to Mike and just make sure the numbers are right. There’s definitely something up with the numbers right now. I just need to dig into it cuz looking at, you know, in the second section how the budget was developed, level services cost was approximately 53.2 2 million and then we’re talking about 3.1 in reductions from level services which I think it’s 3.1 oh wait no because one point anyway I have to get into that and make sure that that adds up because it doesn’t. » Yeah, I think it’s the right move to share it with him and make sure it all kind of ticks and ties from his perspective. » Yeah. And and it’ll go to John too just because I don’t send stuff without it

4:42 going there. So um I want to confirm that as well as the FTE positions. Yep. » Um 18. » I guess the question on that too is we like I personally find the FTE positions easier to follow, but they talked about FTEES and then they talked about like number of positions, but because the number of positions involved a lot of part-time folks, » right? » The number of positions was greater than the number of FTEEs. So just I like » that could be where my » that’s definitely like something I think that confuses people because there was a recent meeting where it was like 22 positions but it equated to 18.25 FTEES because a bunch of those were part-time. » Um » so however we wind up articulating that

5:30 we probably should just clarify so that if people see a different number somewhere like the number of positions versus FTEES are two different measurements basically. Yeah, that’s a I’ll clarify that, but I’d like to stick with to stick with the FTEES number. » I agree. I agree » because like so we’ll clarify it and then we’ll just keep talking about FTEES just because I know in some cases it’s like 0.1 FTE reduction. » That’s right. Yeah. Yeah. » Um so it’s basically just walk through the past couple months which we you know I think it’s important to go through that. » Yeah. Um, and then a section about sort of why, well, the heading is why the approved budget is more fragile than it looks. I think it’s important to point out that » we did some things to to try to save

6:19 positions that we can’t do again. » That’s right. Yep. » Um, and there’s kind of then a section about what, you know, what next year looks like um with the budget that we’ve approved. I mean, I think it’s important to talk about what we’ve committed to work with. » Yep. » Um, and then I did sort of do a call out on my view on the bottom line. » Yep. » Which I mean I I think this is the administration’s view. It’s it’s it’s fact. So that’s another » it’s fact. Yeah. » It’s another thing to point out that we’re not taking a position on this. We’re just sort of trying to get the facts out there. » Yeah. uh because they are confusing and I do see some

7:05 confusion about that. » Yeah. Yeah. I agree. I agree. » Um so » yeah, I think like the administration would agree that that like the bottom line is all factual. » Yeah. » Based. But I maybe Yeah. Just run it by them and make sure that the language is not anything that would » Yeah. I think I mean I don’t » interpret it otherwise. you know, I I don’t even take John’s position where, you know, he said that the, you know, we’re really starting to affect student outcomes. I I just, you know, » the the section says we would have trouble balancing the budget. I I don’t think anybody could argue with that. » Yeah. » Um I uh just did a quick overview of what’s driving » Yep. » the you know, I think it’s it’s it’s

7:51 stuff that we went over in words, but I thought a chart would help. Yep. » Um, so I built a visual for this. » Yeah. Yeah. » Um, and then I wanted to add sort of a a summary, a quick paragraph right in this section about how despite these challenges, we’re we’re really succeeding and that we we are succeeding as a lean district. » Yeah. » Um, » yeah, I think that’s good. » A lot of these facts in here get repeated. um MCCAST by 16 percentage points, top 20%, you know, 99% graduation rate, the AP. » Yep. » So, I don’t mind repeating those facts a couple times. I think it’s important to drive home those are the metrics that we have. » Yeah. Yep. » Um

8:38 I did link to the full district budget. I had a section » that’s a good idea » that was that outlined the specific reductions but I think you know it’s a little bit in the weeds but but I provided a link and described where they can find the reductions. » Yeah, I think for a newsletter it’d be hard to have the full list in there. So linking to the budget where you can just see that makes sense. » Yeah. And I think you know that I also put a link to recordings if people want to watch the budget subcommittee meetings, the school committee meetings » um » or go back and look at our you know our budget presentations that we do every month. So » y » um the next section in here is sort of diving more into district trends. » Yeah. So enrollment, staffing, district

9:25 efficiency, we start with enrollment because I know that that is that’s sort of a grounding discussion I think reductions. » Yeah. » Is you know what what’s going on in the district with um enrollment. » Yeah. » Uh why the costs don’t fall proportionally. And a lot of this came from your article. So » yeah. Yeah. Um, I did, one thing I did try to do is every time I Oh, I may need to » Oh, where you put like an acronym in. » I tried to spell it out. So, the first time we use it » Yeah, that’s a good idea. » I I just need to I’ve made some I’ve moved some things around. So, I just want to make sure that these are being spelled out the first time. But, » Yep.

10:10 » Um, so IEP, » that makes sense. » Cola. Um, and then talked a little bit about what’s already been done. » Yep. Um, I think it’s worth pointing, this was a while ago, but the consolidation of this of the elementary schools, Brown and » I feel like that’s just an important one because it it emphasizes that we haven’t just been sitting idle in the face of the declining enrollment like between that and the staff reductions that are not in line with the enrollment decline at this point, but will definitely be after this year. Um, like we’ve been doing things. » Yeah. Yeah. So, I I I think if there’s I I don’t know if we can add anything else here. I I don’t think we need to, you know, I think we can maybe add a

10:58 sentence about the staffing reductions. Yeah. » But I don’t know if we need to hammer that. We sort of » mention I think it I think it’s fine. Yeah. » Okay. » Yeah. » Um and then how I I’ve got a pretty big section here about how per Marblehead performance versus » Oh, the admin spend per pupils. interesting too. » Yeah. I So I So the first section was sort of high level student teacher ratio per pupil spending and MCAST proficiency. I think this is like very easy to digest data. » Yeah. » That doesn’t have a whole lot of data points. I think it speaks really clearly when you’re just talking about those three metrics. » We pay our teachers the least. Our total per pupil spend is the lowest. Our spend per pupil is lowest. And our MCCAST is

11:46 like » competitive » middle of the Yeah. Middle of the pack of this list. » I mean then better than » competitive relative to the state average. Yeah. Yeah. » Yeah. And better than district. So I created like a cohort of of similar communities. You know I think people are always asking who should we » I know what is that comparable set. Yeah. » And it’s tough because you have to so I I sort of filtered for Northshore communities similar size. um similar district size, similar spend, similar demographics. » Yeah. » So, I I think this is a good cohort. We never really, you know, I know Desi has one, » but I thought that sort of focusing on Northshore towns worked. » Yeah. » So, I thought that this

12:33 » this data turned out » really like it’s really on underscores the points, I think, quite well. » Yeah. you know, because I I do want to try to address some people’s concerns about, you know, we spend too much on admin. » Admin. Yeah. » You know, um the teacher salaries are are too high. » Yeah. » Um and I think, you know, again, we’re not making those arguments here. We’re just showing you the data that people have been asking for. So, I’m I I like this chart. » I like this chart a lot. Yeah. » Yeah. And then I did sort of explain a little bit about what those columns are. You know, what admin spend and you know what instructional focus means. Um, and I don’t think I’m too opinionated here. I think mostly I’m just proud of the

13:22 district, right? Like » Yeah, I know. I know. Same. Um and then a little more explanation on administrative f spend and just to say that our performance to spending ratio » yeah is definitely » I don’t know if that’s a real term but it it sounds good. » It does. » Um so then I went into the override options because I think people are eager to get there but I did want to give them a little more context first. So » yes, » this will change I think. Oh, it may not change, but we will have numbers from the select board hopefully. » Yep. » Um our vote, you know, a three- tier override. Um

14:09 talking about how we have no additional school. » I like this view how it has the totals and then the schools portion of it so you can kind of clearly see. Um » Yeah. » Yeah. And I think I think it may help to I want to see what the select board is proposing. I don’t I don’t need to spell out what they’re doing the way I have here like the the specific points of the tiers. » Theirs would be hard to do because there’s so much more. Yeah, ours is pretty straightforward to say, you know, we’re » we’ve got I mean, really, we’ve got like couple bullets per, but I think having have maybe adding in the total for the town just to kind of have that » Yeah. anchor and I think underscore the point that the schools aren’t doing it

14:55 alone. It’s combined. » Yeah. Um and hopefully we’ll have that today. » Yep. Um, and then » yeah, I like the view of the draw by year two underscoring like nothing next year but » 2028 there’s the structural deficit that we were referencing before » and I showed that two ways in a bar chart and the data itself I think there’s no harm in doing it twice. » Yeah. um what’s not included and then I have a section here for public information sessions which we will get to later in this meeting I think » um so I I won’t go too far into it here but I think I would like to provide I

15:40 want I would like to provide more specific information here rather than just say » keeping it open » website so this is this is really almost just filler content okay so » uh next steps key dates for Marblehead residents I I I tried to keep this simple, not adding too many sort of bullets in here, but it’s basically now town meeting and town election. Those are the » those are really the peaks. » Um » do you think if we’re going to send this out on April 28th, we should just scratch the point on the last day to register is April 24th » since it point. Yeah, it’s in the past. » Yeah. Yeah. » All right. So, I will remove the April 24th thing and let other people spread that information. Although I think

16:26 » wonder. Well, anyway, yeah, this it’ll be kind of » Boy, things are moving fast. » I know. I know. » Um, yeah. Uh, free childcare at town meeting. » Yep. That’s a great one. » I think this is important. I I’m I’m really happy that Parks and Wreck put this together. » Yeah, me too. I do want people to understand that pre-registration is required that they can’t just show up on the day and and it would ruin their plans. So, I may even bold that just to » but I think there’s going to be a lot of discussion around that, » you know, outside of, you know, people just be chatting about » Yeah, I agree. I agree. » Um, and then we’re going into town election. » Yep. » Um, now this is the part where I’ve heard a lot of people

17:13 being confused about how the tears work. » So, I I went into a lot of detail here. Um hopefully it it’s not too much. I mean, it to me it seems pretty simple. » Yeah. » Um » I think the thing that’s confusing people is they don’t realize you can vote yes. Like vote for as many tiers as you’re comfortable with basically like up until the highest amount that you’re comfortable with. Um, I think people were a lot of like, » well, and what if I vote for this one, but the other one doesn’t pass? And like, it’s like, no, vote yes on every tier that you’re comfortable with voting for. » Yeah. Vote. I’m trying to figure out how to say that without » how to like articulate that. Yeah. » Without without saying, you know, please » vote yes on everything,

18:01 » right? Vote for » yes up to the number that you’re like comfortable with. » Yeah. It’s kind of like vote for as many tiers or no or no tiers. » Yeah. Yeah. » I’ll I’ll I’ll work on that. » Yeah. » Um and then I’ve got an example » that shows that I I what I really wanted to show here was that it’s not the tier that receives the most votes. It’s » Yeah. Gotcha. So it’s not the 64%. It’s just anything above the highest tier above 50%. » Right. So, I I did this two ways in in text and in a little » card. And then we’re going into sort of » the footer. » Yep. This is great. » The other thing that I added is um at

18:49 the very footer is is a a notice about how, you know, it’s consistent with mass general laws to to send this. Um, we did not advocate for or against any ballot question. » Yep. » I I think that » I think that’s a good idea. » I I I just want to be clear that we were considering that. » Yeah. Yeah. » And that I I believe that we followed that. I think » I may have maybe as part of John’s review » he can just » I would definitely ask him that. Yeah. like do you see any language in here that is not like that we should change » because we don’t want to trim anything on that up. » I was very careful. I think that I think that honestly the the data in this

19:38 newsletter could be used for any number of arguments. » Yeah. Yeah. » Um but I I in my opinion it it it advocates for a stronger school district I think. » Yeah. So, I will keep an eye on um the select board meeting and I guess we’ll update that. » This is really Thank you for pulling all this together. It’s a lot of information, but I think it clearly explains kind of what’s happened, where we are, a lot of baseline information versus kind of other comparable districts and kind of um what’s next. » Yeah. » So, I appreciate all your work on this. » Um I’ve had a lot of fun working on I

20:25 mean, I’ve been like, it’s been the kind of thing where like I have woken up in the middle of the night and like thought of something, » went downstairs and wrote, you know, » so um I I rewarding to see all these different like work streams and all the different conversations like just clearly articulated in one place and like telling that telling that story because I feel like that’s the piece that really gets people to understand like you can throw numbers in front of people but like clearly telling the story and explaining is what’s going to land with people which » I think it does so » and I think it’s long it’s certainly longer than any email I would advocate a company send but like » um I think » but there’s a lot to say and a lot to explain. » And I think in the intro section as we

21:12 as I beef that up a little bit, I think I just it would be like if people just read two or three paragraphs. » Yeah. » Then hopefully » Yeah. And I think if you can like in the intro section if you like the override options and you hyperlink it down to the bottom, I think that’s a great » Yeah, we can absolutely do that. » Yeah. » Um all right. So if you have any more I don’t know if you have any more comments on that or Yeah. Okay. Um, we will. So, we’ll we’ll do that. That’s April 28th. And then » Tuesday, April 28th. Yep. » Yeah. Um, and then I think next week or like hopefully this will be done by the end of the week and we can distribute it. » Yeah. » To the papers and just say, you know, we’re publishing this. » Yeah, that’s a good idea. I didn’t think about that, but we should

21:59 » publish it. I you know I just want to hit all those deadlines and » you know the more they can include the better. So if if they can make space for it I would love it and I can provide them with all the » with all the figures that they can use as well. So um good. So we’ll get that out to the papers hopefully. » I guess when are you going to share it with John and Mike just for checking because they’ll be out next week. Yeah, I I’ll probably » I think I’ll probably share it today now that you » Yeah, today that’s Yeah. Yeah. » Um and and just with the caveat that we’re still, you know, the » I just need them to look at the school numbers, the we’re still the town stuff, but I don’t think any of that is I mean, none of that is going to change. It’s all voted. » Yep. Yep. Okay. » Um so, moving on to the information page. I think

22:49 that is something we can grow. Like we don’t it’s not a one-time send, but I was basically thinking we would just find a place to host this » on our website. » We do. I think there is a like a newsletter section that we could link it in there. Yeah. » Yeah. I mean, » I I would probably ask them just to drop in this » exact content because I think » um » it it would be pretty simple and just to have it in a place fewer clicks is better. So, we can put that there and then, » you know, if we think of other things or if the school committee votes to include anything else, um, you know, if there’s something specific someone else on the committee wants to say, we can add it

23:35 in. » Yep. » But having having a page that people can link to, I think would help. » Yeah. It’s easy to share. » So, that’s um pretty simple agenda. And I don’t know if you have anything else on that. » Nothing else. All right. So, I the third thing I have is office hours and forums. Um, » I know that there’s been some discussion about the town and the school doing joint forums, but I think what I’m interested in talking about today is what are we doing before town meeting? Because we don’t have we don’t have a school committee meeting until April 30th. So, we can’t really like, » you know, we can’t say, “Oh, here’s who’s going.” So, I think it’s kind of up to me and you as I mean, which is not bad. It’s communication subcommittee.

24:23 That’s what we do. » Um, » do you think we should try to coordinate with Mike and John at least and like have one or both of us and one or both of them like doing something that last week of April in terms of like office hours? um because I think they bring the obviously more of the perspective on what’s going on at the schools and we can share this information but like we don’t we don’t have that. We’re not the operators of the school. So anyway that like or like if me and John did one and you and Mike did another or like something like that. Um » maybe that’s kind of the best way to go about it. » I know. I I think that’s a great idea because again like I don’t want to say oh I’ll get back to you. I’m just trying to look at the calendar cuz

25:09 » right » I know » it’s basically only that one week. » Yeah. And » but I do think they’ll be particularly important depending on what happens at town meeting to like have that over the month of May as well. Um » you know what might work is like if we do them at you know the two we start them in the 230 to three range. » Yep. because when maybe when parents are getting out of school I think it’s gonna be t that yeah I’ve got I’ve got Mike on my calendar a lot that week so » yeah I mean we’re doing some walkthroughs we’ve got the roof committee » I I don’t want to take too much of his time I will but I think

25:56 » want me to reach out to John and see what his availability is for him and I or you and him to or two on the calendar that week. » We can do is we can say I think we can have sort of a limited but well publicized office hours with John and Mike. I I I think that they would be able to carve out an hour » an hour. Yeah. » Or or two sessions of one hour. » Yeah. » For that week. I think they would see the value in that. I don’t know if you and I want to um hold something a little different that I’m trying to think of what we would say that would be. » Yeah. » I was thinking that I would sit at

26:42 Dunkin’ Donuts for a couple hours and if anybody and you know I can do some work and if anybody wants to come talk to me » um you know I’m there. I I don’t know if anybody I don’t know if anybody would pick me up. » Do you think anyone would show up? » I mean, » no, I don’t. But I sort of feel like » that. I think you know what probably it’s just a couple hours and » um so I may try to set that up and then I mean I think this is in advance of town meeting. I think after town meeting we’ve got a whole new challenge that’s probably more significant. I mean, it’s absolutely more significant. » Yeah.

27:28 » So, I think having those sessions a little more formal and this is something we probably want to add to our April 30th agenda is » Yeah, that’s a good idea. you know, let’s get an agenda item on there to see who’s interested and to sort of authorize people to to meet. » You want I’ll reach out to Al and Kate to put that on the agenda for the 30th. » Okay. Yeah. » Yeah. » And uh I think there’s, you know, there’s some complexities where if if you and I were going to meet, we would just need to be sure that we posted it. » Yeah. Um, if there was a if there were three members of the school committee at one thing, we would have to post it. » Yeah. » But we absolutely want more than 48 hours notice anyway. So, it really would

28:18 not be it’s not going to get in our way at all. » Y » um Okay. So, » okay. I’ll follow up with John and Mike to see their availability that yeah, at least an office hour or two and then I’ll touch base with Al about putting the » this on the agenda for the April 30th meeting for kind of the go forward what we want to do about that. » Yeah. And anything that you find out, just let me know so that I can add it to the newsletter. » Okay. » We have any dates and I’ll just I’ll just make up my own time for » sitting around at » Okay. wherever it’s going to be. But » okay, that sounds good. » Um, all right. Well, that’s all I have. I don’t know if you have anything else you want to discuss, but » Nope, I’m good. » Okay, then I will make a motion to

29:05 adjurnn. » I’ll second. » Okay. Um, Melissa » in favor. » And I am also in favor. So, we are adjourned at 9:59 a.m. Right under the half hour mark. All right. Thank