[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-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",[32,75,87,99,110],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6280532,"mediaKeyId","2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb","parentId",2615076,"title","DESE integrated monitoring review: Mansfield largely compliant, district to study special education program alignment","audioSeconds",278,"startMs",7117000,"endMs",7395000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb&start=7117&end=7395","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb/thumbnail_7117000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6280532/Mansfield-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/DESE-integrated-monitoring-review-Mansfield-largely-compliant-district-to-study-special-education-program-alignment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280532-7f1a692edbcda0757dd5bfec9cd0b227/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206628&Signature=bXvUjWIrafvbSst5p3Dv8NKSkwBX4FZ4QxLMcbdC8g0R5oXPjfekosD25n2W~LmXv8ql8sSoFlke-8dgTjyLHHQPAhxrFCu2gTls1BG26ZHil21jWz4RLzuOKYBuaxKwzTswJS6RTqD6cXC8He3iYNCbMuXQDqlfwAlfL1dk5GLr47cahCUe0tjp-kmQEhyk4yQZkVadCitX~SlOz7jdQJF~nsrzVcSIhwWJETVNgrEs~EKnypWDFd9wZ9FWfd84h1PsmjNXfVb35hk0T2BU4BcQ1Ud-SwEoIppXU50g7ju2HvkM5wsVFHQ~kECvEYtKXzFr7T4Dnq8c5mfu0-Pv8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mansfield Public Schools, MA","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","Assistant Superintendent Jessica Davis updated the school committee on Mansfield’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) integrated monitoring review, saying the district underwent a Group B monitoring visit that examined 11 special-education areas.

Davis said DESE found Mansfield fully implemented most areas including child-find outreach, the parent advisory council, assistive-technology supports, IEP implementation and financial responsibilities, licensure and related-service credentialing, professional development and facilities/classroom arrangements. She noted one area was rated “partially implemented”: a programmatic review of special-education services that the district will examine further.

The district has contracted with Nadine Eckstrom of Academic Discoveries to perform a vertical-alignment review across three priority areas (identification rates, staffing and use of services). Davis said the review is required biennially and the consultant will present a timeline for work and on-site visits in the coming weeks.

Committee members asked about the monitoring cycle and whether reports and materials would be shared publicly; Davis said group B districts are reviewed on a three-year cycle and that the full report and materials are posted on the district website and will be shared with CPAC (the parent advisory council) and other stakeholders.

Davis described facility-related scrutiny (time-out rooms and classroom placement), reaffirmed that targeted rooms must meet size and supervision protocols, and explained that “comm”-style de-escalation-trained staff are used when time-out or break spaces are needed. The district will proceed with the contracted program review and return findings to the committee and community.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mansfield School Committee 3/4/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Assistant Superintendent Jessica Davis told the school committee that the state DESE integrated monitoring review rated Mansfield fully implemented in most special-education areas and partially implemented in a programmatic review area; the district has contracted an external consultant for a deeper program review.","taxTitle","Mansfield Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",56663,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6280537,"School committee approves SRO memorandum of understanding; police outline body-camera policy and broader safety work",1499,4799000,6298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb&start=4799&end=6298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb/thumbnail_4799000.jpg","/articles/6280537/Mansfield-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/School-committee-approves-SRO-memorandum-of-understanding-police-outline-body-camera-policy-and-broader-safety-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280537-3e17565a8ab14f7dfb10650aff946c0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206628&Signature=LjAvG4Cl9CILpRSoke3ZfGnVJF-P2LxUVRdsj4p2thfU5BX~0BpoUD02DyP-C1PVqS4w8KtchrN~gvBRgdNLqOjWIE6a43Uo765t~O7DrkeDLDIC2bMiSgCmcMNmdHfkgVDs~KjrSX4reAQTrYnwtcN0sQQxIc5sK9rCMvcc8DY0xeNb3GhHlG6lWEiQwAK-MmyW65ho55StWE~vwV8J8mHCa65JKuc9OAbI1cArtkMITBDKD5Vj9xysMB-RDyKGeJE2QMKrClH2oc3DoODr~tIn8jz0WKHJ23Olx980RRgS2PjI42h~8A4EH1cGRoaHh~DQuhb8Z-hb~GD5iYVAAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mansfield School Committee voted 5–0 on March 4 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Mansfield Police Department that formalizes the role, responsibilities and oversight of school resource officers (SROs) assigned to district schools.

Chief Ron (surname not specified) and department leaders described the MOU as the result of a year-long process that also produced written policy for body-worn cameras. The MOU itself deletes a previous body-camera clause and refers camera use to the department’s formal policy; committee members were given that policy and asked to review it.

Police leaders said the department’s body-camera policy permits officers to activate cameras at their discretion when circumstances warrant—particularly during enforcement actions or when officer safety is a concern—and discussed limits in areas where a heightened expectation of privacy exists (restrooms, locker rooms and similar spaces). Detectives and the chief told the committee cameras are generally off by default and activated when responding to incidents; the department retains recordings for evidentiary needs and for routine footage typically retains recordings on a rolling basis (officers said routine retention is roughly 30 days unless an incident is bookmarked for extended preservation).

Committee members asked about notification and oversight; police said officers will inform people when practical and that the policy addresses recording, retention and legal discovery. Police representatives noted storage, discovery and public-records workloads are significant operational considerations when body cameras are used.

The committee also received an informational overview of broader school-safety activity. Police leaders described a prevention-focused approach that combines environmental improvements (controlling access, campus design changes and key-card management), training and relationship-building programs. Examples cited included 4 Ls student training (basic safety actions), SRO-run engagement programs such as a video-game club for students, coordination with the regional Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council for specialized response resources, and co-responder links with embedded mental-health clinicians and the local POP (problem-oriented policing) team.

Police emphasized that many incidents are low-frequency but high-risk and that prevention and early identification (through increased communication and partnership with school staff and families) are central to avoiding critical incidents. The chief said the department has prepared “impact plans” and tabletop exercises and urged ongoing feedback from the committee and staff on where additional prevention or training is needed.

The MOU vote was taken after brief discussion; the policy on body cameras remains available for committee review and the department asked that committee members review the impact plans and offer feedback.","The Mansfield School Committee approved a memorandum of understanding for school resource officers and heard a district safety overview from police leaders covering body-camera policy, prevention and community-based programs including SRO engagement and co-responder partnerships.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6280542,"Mansfield to move state preschool to Robinson; staff day care Little Hornets to close",1813,2244000,4057000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb&start=2244&end=4057","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb/thumbnail_2244000.jpg","/articles/6280542/Mansfield-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/Mansfield-to-move-state-preschool-to-Robinson-staff-day-care-Little-Hornets-to-close","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280542-5682e91452c37e11fef882412ac9f8df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206628&Signature=PYvXxIjRkWk2zhRPdKbGv9tazWNF93hz~SQbmexP0zu1A3p3FcQjFg96eQbjx0P3lXB9FVMO4quHHxOWpPhuNbVvJiokOK0qqYVN7jioQ10l8Bvmm5T6fyleObShyNrICU6B0RdK-niCqhGkXjD35UElVBBYJN35-wqzNbgXq~YUMtCeWPXfnC7eBeoDKvF-P-oQqncNwfWqhU2JVDdQVA-fy3M-g33k4yglDmII98sq0SqrIDD-gDAOjjAIlCe09MDK2e9kfnRRTU9N-SJRWy45ykfYJ62Xyow2R8GTrZ0jND5kJtIVlyWyJS5pl57wulAS8ro86EL4eg54IGAHdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Murphy on Tuesday announced that Mansfield Public Schools will move the district’s state-mandated preschool program from the aging Rolling Green School to the Robinson School, and that the shift will result in the closure of Little Hornets, the district-run staff daycare program.

The move is intended to consolidate early childhood special-education services and to place the preschool program in a building that offers food service, a library and easier transitions into kindergarten, Murphy said. He described Rolling Green as “over 100 years old” and said an educational space study completed in 2023 documented substantial facility deficits and estimated a minimum replacement cost of about $20 million, which the state does not reimburse.

The change matters because the district’s preschool is a state-mandated educational program for children with disabilities beginning at age 3, Murphy said; the program includes full-day inclusion classrooms and substantially separate classrooms that must meet state staffing and class-size rules. The superintendent said the district currently operates seven classrooms at Rolling Green and may need capacity to expand to eight during the school year as students enter after evaluations.

At the same time, Little Hornets — a longtime staff daycare and early-learning site that serves infants through preschool-age children and provides internship and practicum opportunities for high school students — will close as a result of relocating the district preschool program. Murphy described Little Hornets as “an extra,” not a state-mandated service, and told the committee the day care tuition revolving account does not cover all costs; he said next year the town’s cost for Little Hornets staff (health insurance, pension assessment and related benefits) would be roughly $300,000 and that municipalities are ineligible for the employer-provided child care tax credit.

The announcement prompted an extended public comment period. More than a dozen current and former staff, parents and students told the school committee they were devastated by the decision, questioned the short notice and asked the district to explore alternatives such as raising tuition, leasing district space to third parties, using other school buildings, or relocating Little Hornets to another nearby site. Speakers said Little Hornets factors into recruitment and retention — several staff said an internal poll showed approximately 49% of respondents reported Little Hornets influenced their decision to work in Mansfield — and that the program provides unique practicum opportunities for high school students interested in early education.

Teachers and parents criticized the timing and communication. Multiple speakers said the district disclosed the change by email and in a last-minute staff meeting; some staff members and families said finding affordable child care on short notice is difficult because many providers enroll a year in advance. Several speakers asked whether the district considered tuition increases, leasing space, or the options identified in the 2023 space study, which they said mentioned Robinson as a potential relocation site.

Murphy said the district prioritized the preschool’s educational needs, including compliance with special education requirements, the ability to screen English-language learners at preschool level, and giving students access to services not available at Rolling Green. He acknowledged the emotional impact of closing Little Hornets and said he prioritized telling Little Hornets staff in person because 11 employees would lose their jobs. Murphy said he scheduled broader staff emails and a listening session to gather community feedback and that the district will seek to relinquish control of Rolling Green and return it to the town for eventual disposition.

The superintendent answered questions about alternative spaces: JJ (Jordan/Jackson), QMS (Quinn Middle School) and MHS (Mansfield High School) were evaluated but lack available or age-appropriate space; modular classrooms previously used at QMS were described as at the end of their useful life; and as a member of the regional collaborative the district must honor rental commitments to the collaborative organization. Murphy said relocating Little Hornets would require retrofits for infant/toddler age-appropriate bathrooms and other features and would incur additional capital costs.

Several attendees and staff asked whether the district had considered raising Little Hornets tuition to help close the gap; Murphy said that even with proposed fee increases in January, tuition would not have covered the full cost once employee benefits were counted and that a large tuition hike likely would exceed comparable local markets.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the preschool move at the March 4 meeting; Murphy said the move was announced the prior Thursday and that formal actions such as transferring control of Rolling Green to the town will be scheduled for committee consideration.

Murphy invited the community to consult the 2023 educational space study, posted on the district website, for additional background about Rolling Green’s condition and the architects’ options and cost estimates. He said the district will prepare follow-up materials on enrollment projections and preschool capacity and welcomed questions from the committee and community as the district develops next steps.","Superintendent Murphy announced moving the district’s state-mandated preschool from Rolling Green to Robinson, citing building condition and program needs; the change will close the Little Hornets employee daycare, prompting numerous public comments urging alternatives and questioning timing and communication.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6280522,"Votes at a glance: March 4 Mansfield School Committee actions on trips, MOU, minutes and other routine business",0,6391000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb&start=6391&end=6391","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb/thumbnail_6391000.jpg","/articles/6280522/Mansfield-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-March-4-Mansfield-School-Committee-actions-on-trips-MOU-minutes-and-other-routine-business","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280522-bb350164099deec3a9cff0f70ed3e4e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206628&Signature=S86MveXXS7nZnvIQ3AE996ZystL-r0RJ0a0MPBhlBw6TVBUptXLf6rrxEkUbgk6HQlKm-KdojaU8rn2vg9xmsPwh0xZUsjipFgJ5iTAnhUCdhGO28CgDKEohwN~WNLKP40w~34LkB590BLeHdWt~9js0MedGkFf5NXvt5KwFidqosaTh5pdIKJJSx7jKvnYwK5tlEIVQVMelmFH50mpbGBLU3Dr~V0Db2t9RccuMQJIgSmNpuL4Iy7qq1lGaST0qmN9Rt0WyjXI5eMFE5VuPISg0FprwxRzawotV14~4Xv8JIXoNLbfFFiw7J3R0dxxgg8Um9P0axJV3p3DHWyTUng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mansfield School Committee recorded multiple formal actions during its March 4 meeting. Key votes and outcomes are summarized below.

• SRO MOU: Approved memorandum of understanding with the Mansfield Police Department governing school resource officers. Vote: 5–0. The MOU removes an in-line body-camera clause and defers body-camera specifics to the police department’s formal policy; the committee asked to receive the policy and associated impact plans for review.

• Gymnastics team (New England meet, Madison, Conn.): The committee approved an out-of-state trip for 16 student athletes and two coaches to attend the New England gymnastics meet in Madison, Connecticut (Daniel Hand High School). Transportation will use a 28-passenger minibus secured at a lower cost than a full bus; meet entry fee paid by the district when applicable. Vote: 4–0 (emergency/late notice approval recorded). (Motion recorded and seconded; vote announced as 4–0 in the meeting.)

• Football team (Michigan trip): The committee approved an out-of-state football trip to Michigan that includes flights for players, visits to Michigan State and the University of Michigan, and attendance at a University of Michigan game. The district and the gridiron club will share costs; parents may fundraise to reduce individual costs. Vote: 5–0.

• Dissolution of Superintendent Search Advisory Committee: The committee voted to dissolve the advisory committee following completion of its work and the superintendent contract signing. Vote: 5–0.

• Warrants and minutes: The committee approved the warrant dated Feb. 12, 2025, and approved open meeting minutes for Feb. 10 and Feb. 25, 2025. Votes on warrants and minutes were unanimous (5–0) where recorded.

• Executive session motions: Earlier in the meeting the committee voted 4–0 to enter executive session under exemptions for collective bargaining and certain civil-rights matters and to return to open session; at the end of the meeting the committee moved to adjourn to executive session (not to return to open session) under specific exemptions and recorded a 5–0 vote to do so.

The meeting packet provided additional details for field trips and emergency approvals; the committee did not take formal votes on the preschool relocation or Little Hornets closure during the March 4 meeting (those were announced by the superintendent but require subsequent administrative steps and possible future committee action).","The committee made several unanimous approvals including field trips (gymnastics and football), an SRO memorandum of understanding, warrants and minutes, and dissolved its superintendent search advisory committee; earlier and final executive-session motions were also recorded.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6280527,"MPS seeks parent consent for Google’s non-core services after vendor notice",525,7648000,8173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb&start=7648&end=8173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615076-462da1704b838739d24dce2888c929fb/thumbnail_7648000.jpg","/articles/6280527/Mansfield-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/MPS-seeks-parent-consent-for-Googles-non-core-services-after-vendor-notice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280527-ce06d24556d2383effd457128edb43e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206628&Signature=MiX3NZi2K3vGU1MQOj~8HUPjpSCD4TwyXsqZpPzw4mOVrIa07lEgUvC~7nhjdo4iRtLdWy5F6SD0x9~zn2rwCZ5xPuczVtkaMF-b70gDkBApEhWs~z7q-t-jiR7OzbBMRiUsN7ufl8JDBF9UKZfmrVWbw3X1wMtpMClhQhqOOsHKsOgQRN7--mVQM~hsTI1xPF45DIaiWC7QhSZmJiwtnqI6c0vv1IsNrS7T~aXtoBWxDqd~EFu2662FlEEi2oWNpmEGX-xNvH5qgxB8dh2BAgDRmw5-47FEVyvM6-nRCl0tTzSL9xZaVO5ui1y6v1glNxQCN~IuZ90FX0h3o8jUEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District technology and curriculum leaders told the committee that Google informed school customers that its standard data-privacy agreement covers a set of core services (Gmail, Drive, Classroom, Docs, Meet and similar tools) but does not automatically cover a number of additional Google offerings. Mansfield staff identified five additional services in current classroom use — Google Bookmarks, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google News and YouTube — and the district has begun seeking parental consent to continue using those services with students.

The district has enabled YouTube’s restricted mode to limit mature content and disabled comments for district use. Technology staff said that if parents withhold consent for YouTube, teachers can embed specific videos in Google Slides or other district-controlled materials as an alternative so students without consent can access equivalent instruction. The district will collect written permission forms that went home to families beginning the week of March 3 with a return date of March 14; forms will be logged in Aspen (the student information system). Because the notice from Google arrived with only weeks before the end of the school year, the district told parents it will treat missing forms as “yes” for the remainder of the school year and will adopt an opt-in recordkeeping approach next fall.

District staff said attorneys advised against using Google’s own signature tools for consent forms and that the district will use signed hard copies for the short-term implementation. Staff also proposed follow-up communications and staff training to ensure teachers know how to provide alternatives where students do not have consent. Committee members asked about filtering and web controls; technology staff said district filtering tools (for example GoGuardian) and administrative controls limit access to inappropriate content and that district staff can embed or present video content to maintain equal instructional access for students who do not have consent.

The committee did not vote on policy at the meeting; technology and communications staff asked the committee to note the expedited timeline and to expect follow-up information about fall procedures for long-term consent tracking.","The district notified parents that Google’s recent change requires explicit parental consent to use certain non-core Google services (YouTube, Maps, Earth, News, Bookmarks). The district enabled YouTube restricted mode and will require signed opt-in forms by March 14 for spring implementation or default to opt-in next fall.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DESE integrated monitoring review: Mansfield largely compliant, district to study special education program alignment

School committee approves SRO memorandum of understanding; police outline body-camera policy and broader safety work

Mansfield to move state preschool to Robinson; staff day care Little Hornets to close

Votes at a glance: March 4 Mansfield School Committee actions on trips, MOU, minutes and other routine business

MPS seeks parent consent for Google’s non-core services after vendor notice