[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6396937,"mediaKeyId","2095128-6be32b2d9574991d104f1f4840b28fa6","parentId",2095128,"title","District updates: three-year school improvement plans, tech upgrades, budget and special-education reports; committee approves field trips, warrants, donation,.","audioSeconds",3135,"startMs",325000,"endMs",3460000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2095128-6be32b2d9574991d104f1f4840b28fa6&start=325&end=3460","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2095128-6be32b2d9574991d104f1f4840b28fa6/thumbnail_325000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6396937/Massachusetts/District-updates-three-year-school-improvement-plans-tech-upgrades-budget-and-special-education-reports-committee-approves-field-trips-warrants-donation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6396937-9b8ec3355395678b91683e7b7fa07e51/orig.mp4?Expires=1771039807&Signature=oJatBAKq82sqZDnUxHGtZh11765RCMOGVyH8GQU1D8kUF-~5P044WmwJ0PAq7q5TgUEBNusw40TQee5Qa0tMDdX7odl56hJNWHw-zOYkOW-MnbkU0xsFVlJkcu5iBActAAXWjxlBb-qZeQ7Hv3LdY5SWUZLayCGM1GEcF8vNGXaGBYXwMLAFEyWKN9RVM-FO-~ba7fKI7zgBMh4UQNixL~H9cauVFnuhm54COVNKQit3Ibmn2kipAXpTXy6o62jMpSdzjJFF1NkNtxFBFDS3lOEIV8RjwayYu7HHNPQCIF1PTU3lhM9syS8pOi~5h91MCtqaTU-5DrbNjGk4CiYjkg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District, MA","date","2025-01-09T00:00:00Z","article","School leaders and district staff reported updates on multi-year school improvement plans, instructional programs, technology infrastructure and budget planning at the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District committee meeting.

Principals and curriculum staff said the district has shifted to three-year improvement plans to allow sustained focus on goals. Bethany, principal at Assawasi Elementary School, described goals around inclusive leadership and comprehension standards and said her school will hold a first “coffee with the principal” parent event. Michael Ward, principal of Freetown Elementary School, said the school’s goals include ensuring “100% of our students will make progress towards being a strategic reader.” Dr. Sullivan reported connected goals at the intermediate school including social-emotional learning and improved attendance targets.

Technology director Ryan Blanchard reported summer infrastructure work and device deployments: the district inspected returned Chromebooks and deployed 417 Dell Chromebooks in 910 Max cases, completed a dark-fiber link between ARHS and AES to route campus traffic directly, and replaced aging cabling at FES with CAT 6 and new intermediate distribution frames. Blanchard said the district has applied for a 2025 cybersecurity awareness grant and listed longer-term needs including a new phone system, network switches (end of life since 2013) and classroom desktops that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11.

Director of Finance and Operations Jack Higgins said the FY24 audit is nearing completion and preliminary reports show recurring issues from prior audits but that initial responses indicate effective steps are being taken in FY25. He outlined budget risks and drivers for FY26, including an expected double-digit health-insurance increase (to be confirmed in February), an approximate 3.67% inflation estimate for out-of-district special-education tuition increases, and an approximate 5% increase for collaborative tuition. Higgins noted liability insurance premiums have doubled since 2023 following large claims; ongoing subrogation litigation could affect future premiums.

The committee also received a middle-school special-education update: the middle school had 698 enrolled students at the most recent count, with 124 students receiving special education services (about 17.8%) and 77 students covered by 504 plans. Inclusion rates were reported at about 67.6% full inclusion, 18.4% partial inclusion and 5.1% life-skills placement. Staffing and evaluation metrics were summarized, and committee members were told the district has avoided contracting out evaluations this year after hiring an additional school psychologist.

Votes at a glance
- Approved out-of-state and in-state field trips: motions to approve various grade-level trips (including visits to an IMAX theater, RISD Museum, Coles State Park and a Newport trip for the Junior Honor Society) passed during the meeting; the committee said \"all field trips approved.\" Specific tallies were not specified in the record.
- Approved payroll vendor warrants for Nov. 13 and Nov. 27, 2024; motions carried.
- Accepted a $20,000 donation from the boosters for the school wellness center and the final pieces of a scoreboard project; the scoreboard installation date was discussed but not finalized in the record.
- Appointed John Burke as the Lakeville member to the Regional Finance Committee; motion carried by voice vote.

Other items discussed included school-based examples of student work (a middle-school writing program using the Amplify platform was highlighted), classroom engineering presentations by elementary students who built and tested model bridges, and formation of an AI policy committee to draft district guidance on the classroom use of artificial intelligence.

The meeting packet, minutes referenced in the discussion, and vote records will be posted to the district website when finalized.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee, 1-8-25","oneSentenceSummary","Principals reported progress on three-year improvement plans; technology upgrades and a campus fiber link were completed; finance staff reported audit progress and FY26 budget planning; the committee approved several out-of-state field trips, payroll warrants, a $20,000 boosters donation and appointed a Lakeville finance committee member.","taxTitle","Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71628,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6396941,"Freetown-Lakeville superintendent resigns, cites alleged public mistreatment; committee announces settlement",742,4632000,5374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2095128-6be32b2d9574991d104f1f4840b28fa6&start=4632&end=5374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2095128-6be32b2d9574991d104f1f4840b28fa6/thumbnail_4632000.jpg","/articles/6396941/Massachusetts/Freetown-Lakeville-superintendent-resigns-cites-alleged-public-mistreatment-committee-announces-settlement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6396941-266ffa11447488c7230aac6d2f283d0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771039807&Signature=JBNRkznRzDlsQ35feCJ-~CvbVTvXBFWOQ18f0PDPb-PECXXlUUDzGlqpYIWM2srZ1NFiUwrSBrwn~3fW3WoprARsZ-MloAnzjMEPSiJvyjWORmW54V1quaSEk8kxvdPIp8g-gj6g8toRxkfJD8GuEQ8WTTSB-A1~2~TgR9YK5549SKan2gykXQNhbttapycU9AXxKUl9Tg7VQ14mcPOrzwJD-5Uj6TL5e1pncY2HE-bwosvMoeasgUJzQ0kUp7oUdpMMdZEJx84M8tmjEAoStyVyH6PRNwXiWbc5OzMe9WNc7X0BbOP59rjByZShkmXYG7Uw774ed4VSkNsfAkqTjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Allen Strauss, superintendent of the Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District, announced his resignation and said he has entered a separation and settlement agreement with the district, telling the committee his health and treatment were undermined by public questioning from some elected officials.

Strauss said he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in July 2023 and described growing public scrutiny from a “small group of elected and appointed officials,” naming school committee members Carolina Hernandez and Crystal Ng as among those who he said had made “defamatory statements” about his illness. He said officials asked for proof of his diagnosis, questioned his use of sick days and FMLA leave, and urged the committee to seek a second opinion — allegations Strauss presented as reasons he could no longer continue.

\"When you get too tired to fight, then lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you,\" Strauss told the committee, a line he repeated in his remarks. He said he will not release claims against the towns or town officials individually, but that he had discussed legal options with counsel before agreeing to the settlement.

The school committee issued a written statement during the same meeting describing the outcome as a mutual decision made in the parties’ best interest and saying it was not a reflection of Strauss’s performance. The committee said it conducted executive sessions beginning in early November, approved the separation agreement that was drafted by attorneys, and that votes on the matter were unanimous among members who participated; two members chose not to participate in the discussion or votes, the committee added.

As an interim measure, the committee said three senior administrators will share superintendent responsibilities: Terry Fleming, director of curriculum and assessment; Jack Higgins, director of finance and operations; and Kelly Steele, director of student services. The committee added that it will post the executive-session minutes related to the agreement to the district website after those minutes are approved at a future meeting and that it will begin searching for a replacement.

Strauss used his remarks to list accomplishments he attributed to district leadership during his tenure, including a three-year school improvement plan, reductions in chronic absenteeism, equity-team work, improvements in special-education compliance and a completed capital and master plan. He said the stress caused by the alleged public scrutiny had affected the effectiveness of his medical treatments and that he had frequently worked while receiving treatment.

The committee’s statement said the district will provide updates when they are available and asked the community to respect the privacy of individuals involved.

The settlement amount, the effective date of Strauss’s departure and any additional terms of the agreement were not specified during the meeting.","Superintendent Allen Strauss announced his resignation and a separation settlement, alleging some elected officials questioned his health and hindered his treatment; the school committee said the separation was mutual and named interim leadership.","actionData","errors"]

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District updates: three-year school improvement plans, tech upgrades, budget and special-education reports; committee approves field trips, warrants, donation,.

Freetown-Lakeville superintendent resigns, cites alleged public mistreatment; committee announces settlement