[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6623473,"mediaKeyId","2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd","parentId",2769783,"title","Votes at a glance: Portsmouth School Committee approves schedule changes, backs state transportation fix; rejects statewide cell‑phone ban","audioSeconds",1611,"startMs",5450000,"endMs",7061000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd&start=5450&end=7061","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd/thumbnail_5450000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6623473/Portsmouth/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Votes-at-a-glance-Portsmouth-School-Committee-approves-schedule-changes-backs-state-transportation-fix-rejects-statewide-cellphone-ban","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623473-fe4f3b518dd84156621b8813557ca9b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212186&Signature=o79PrYowSuozMxC8hqN~hm4qZsHfrv~6gSYl2ad0MNKo341si~Uu4uNWcokuihCoJfIztQHMyHnZhkJfBBUEv8p2MV26uewd3RURAGStpWhMN8sweVVKVKc-Lum6PJJT6fuVULPV8Ns0ML8LXCUIgIoD~w4Jrc9N2W5Mm6IEJqdnPv20~CRQXTY9H53kgZk8cKswO7T2GxgXf-rzFJ-M4qgp~ZhG1AkDUzZOCHsnQL721SnGQbFtbz8nqUoFi7IZr9RtXG0H2axDtBExaffc4feXeopLcjpFFIfwVs4fRkDLyLbzAmI3G3MYX0U-zO03dIhzgm4ZGzvTNZ-mkd-IgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Portsmouth RI Live Stream","date","2025-03-26T01:23:59.13Z","article","The Portsmouth School Committee took a series of formal actions at its March 25 meeting. Key outcomes:

- Approval of minutes (March 2025 executive and regular sessions) — approved unanimously, 7‑0.

- Consent agenda — approved unanimously, 7‑0.

- School committee meeting schedule for 2025‑26 — committee amended the draft calendar to remove an August 12 meeting and add a workshop; the amended schedule was approved 7‑0.

- Statewide pupil transportation technical resolution — committee approved a resolution supporting the Study Commission's recommendations that include raising passenger limits on small pupil‑transport vehicles (from 8 to 10) and easing temporary driver certification hurdles; approved unanimously, 7‑0.

- Portsmouth displaced student transportation resolution — committee tabled the locally drafted resolution (motion to table passed 7‑0) so it can be aligned with an expected Statewide Transportation Study Commission proposal concerning funds for homeless and foster student transportation.

- Cell‑phone legislation (H5598) — the committee voted on a motion to send an endorsement for H5598 (a bill that would require each public school to adopt a policy that includes a prohibition on physical access to personal electronic devices during the school day). The motion failed: 2 in favor (Robert Ferber, Charity Guillen), 5 opposed (Michael Fox, Kelly, Dr. Copeland, McDade, Delahanty); committee will not send its support to the legislature.

- Freedom to Read Act (RIS0238 / H5726) — committee approved a resolution supporting state bills that set procedures for library collection development and challenges; passed 6‑1 (Member Delahanty opposed).

- Policies — final reads and approvals: JFKA (student residency) approved unanimously, 7‑0; IHBF (homebound instruction) approved unanimously, 7‑0.

- Other procedural votes — motions to adjourn and the remainder of routine business passed unanimously.

Where recorded votes listed individual member positions, the committee minutes and transcript were explicit; for several consent votes the meeting recorded only unanimous tallies.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Committee Meeting: 3.25.25","oneSentenceSummary","At its March 25 meeting the committee approved minutes, consent agenda and several policies, amended next year's meeting calendar, supported a state transportation technical fix, tabled a separate displaced‑student transportation resolution, declined to back a proposed statewide cell‑phone ban, and approved a Freedom to Read Act resolution.","taxTitle","Portsmouth, School Districts, Rhode Island","taxId",72703,"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},6623479,"Parents and educators press Portsmouth school leaders on curriculum quality and teacher supports amid budget concerns",433,1122000,1555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd&start=1122&end=1555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd/thumbnail_1122000.jpg","/articles/6623479/Portsmouth/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Parents-and-educators-press-Portsmouth-school-leaders-on-curriculum-quality-and-teacher-supports-amid-budget-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623479-90c534d766139d03ee1688a81ceb99be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212186&Signature=CzHxZuqbE5xTFyNZzBXmlsduYJK6lfk8flk~ObKQBSQYjOThSufE-0njCaESKSj0tLnmayoxxYt8Ns4-kGfdtm8iuC7dpadr1RJAzxjAUENwYGHgMy4sqw0lgldSIEeQZbZAVUDXw7cbFtjjj7vOydK87obBwRg~TxgwmtQsshqQNCL0EVeVJggfCHEZuJohz0lOKw4MlehEBIt7Apwi-GgcahItsz58Y8ZXMR9NssBROEqC6xe-i0GTArsh1jfrKxuIxL9uEy-YJ~EsRDLO1CT6MBoYCzSYfCzJABCiD2JA~NVkgRR4iqdLb~-teaRqZsghpCvPUhNLavvujeh8dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Portsmouth School Committee meeting on March 25, two parents used the public‑comment period to press district leaders on curriculum choices and the effects of proposed budget cuts on classroom teachers.

Amy Correa, a University of Rhode Island College of Education faculty member who said she works with districts on curriculum and policy, told the committee she had three children in the district and ongoing engagement with building leadership. Correa criticized some commercial instructional materials used in early grades as low quality and urged district leaders to remove them or give teachers time and resources to revise lessons. \"The proposed budget cuts impact teachers, our instructional coaches, and professional development,\" Correa said. \"A clear plan of action is needed to improve student outcomes and teacher satisfaction.\"

Sophia Sinclair, a Portsmouth parent and PTO member, said she had observed a decline in academic quality at Portsmouth Middle School that she attributed to \"insufficient leadership and coaching support for the teaching staff\" and to overreliance on EdTech platforms such as IXL, Wonders and StudySync. Sinclair urged the committee to reconsider cuts that would reduce teachers or instructional coaches and to increase staff accountability for supporting classroom instruction.

Superintendent Kenworthy and staff described the district's efforts on staff wellness and professional learning. Assistant/lead staff member Mrs. Aguirre outlined a staff wellness day scheduled for May 23 at Portsmouth High School that will include a keynote from Pam Garamone, sessions on social, emotional, physical and financial wellness, and community partners such as NEA Rhode Island, URI Master Gardener program, Coastline Employee Assistance and MetLife representatives.

Kenworthy noted the district had set a target of five school days for families to receive special‑education paperwork ahead of meetings and asked that SurveyWorks results and teacher feedback be folded into follow‑up planning. \"I do hope, by that date, we could have follow‑up from the SurveyWorks teacher response from a year ago,\" Kenworthy said.

Committee members acknowledged the concerns and said follow‑up would be appropriate during upcoming agenda items on teaching and learning. There were no formal votes tied directly to the public comments at the meeting.","Two parents urged changes to elementary and middle‑school ELA materials, criticized reliance on commercial programs, and warned that proposed budget cuts to coaches and professional development would worsen teacher morale. District leaders described staff‑wellness plans including a May 23 professional development day.",{"_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},6623483,"Portsmouth to launch \"Compass\" program and expand therapeutic supports as costly out‑of‑district placements rise",1407,3566000,4973000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd&start=3566&end=4973","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2769783-60f9f746df1373d804870776e0d556cd/thumbnail_3566000.jpg","/articles/6623483/Portsmouth/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Portsmouth-to-launch-Compass-program-and-expand-therapeutic-supports-as-costly-outofdistrict-placements-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623483-1154bc9ee1c80e44860927498a78d8fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771212186&Signature=mJ8~qJih2tfv4sYAr2Rji7hBus77CyhEODobi2IYImALLkaPLseqqKtWBU8mM~LY1SlyB-8AEX0YSrQAIyrwQbl-etorplQtVBYk0K~lXxuTo-ZtGrbh6l-Vimf5kxQ0WtOEfGbMd0BV0lW5g2zStPthas7ITnniirKguOXjoPHyo6Mtj~CCvmZDhq6Z6FcX25OygmKdmHhtCVU6uK3-lm4cbZtLvlF0AD1Smh0CeHUNI8T9h1d73QAr-IH-jvrCJwSTSa2gVBets5bKajJvnc3VHvkEizqh1YP9JNqFW764vsZJZ8b0FiD2LG9B0qdGxOjfwKLj~rzmn6S4~-Wo6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Portsmouth School Committee meeting on March 25, student services staff outlined a set of changes to special‑education programming intended to keep more students in‑district and reduce costly placements outside Portsmouth. Charity Shea, who led the presentation, said the district will launch a new Compass program for middle and high school students next school year and continue expansion of therapeutic academic supports.

Shea told the committee that 17 Portsmouth residents are currently placed in out‑of‑district placements. \"Right now we are per pupil rate this year as of just shy of $95,000,\" Shea said, describing the financial and logistical challenge when children are placed in residential educational programs or other out‑of‑district settings that the district does not control.

The Compass program will serve students who do not qualify for an alternate assessment but function in the lower percentile range academically and require \"a substantially adapted curriculum,\" Shea said. At the middle school the model will provide self‑contained, co‑taught literacy and math blocks; at the high school students would have similar self‑contained classes while still accessing electives and required social studies and science with supports.

Shea described other changes already in place: a second year of the Therapeutic Academic Program (TAP) at the high school and a corresponding \"chill zone\" at the middle school; \"Patriot\" intervention blocks at the high school that separate specialized instruction from core English and math classes; and an academic support center staffed every period to offer testing accommodations, reading or writing assistance, and other services for students with IEPs or 504 plans.

\"Our progress monitoring data indicates that our students are making growth,\" Shea said of the Patriot block restructuring. She added that the district is waiting for spring assessment results to confirm whether the changes generalize to state assessments.

Shea also described shifts tied to a recent Rhode Island Department of Education change in criteria for alternate assessment eligibility, which led some students to no longer meet that specific threshold. The district has created the Compass option partly to provide a meaningful program for students who exited the alternate‑assessment cohort but still require substantially adapted instruction.

Superintendent Kenworthy and several committee members pressed for follow‑up data. Committee member Robert Ferber asked whether Compass students would be in the program full time; Shea said students would have self‑contained English and math blocks and, where appropriate, access electives or work‑based experiences. Committee member Charity Guillen said the TAP model looked promising and encouraged considering versions of the model for broader populations.

Shea also announced a pilot partnership to provide families access to educational advocacy services funded through a DoDEA grant and a virtual informational session on April 1. She asked the committee to give the district time to collect implementation data next year; \"if it's not coming to fruition, then we need to come back to the table and we need to figure it out,\" she said.

The presentation included operational details Shea said the committee should note: continued life‑skills and intensive programming at every building; preschool integrated‑class options expanded to four days a week for some students but not a full‑day preschool because of space constraints; and the district's legal obligation to fund educational components when DCYF places Portsmouth residents in residential settings.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the program changes at the meeting; Shea said the items will move forward as implementation work and data collection occur next year.","Student services staff presented program changes including a new Compass cohort, continued therapeutic programs and an academic support center; district officials cited 17 out‑of‑district placements this year, with an estimated per‑pupil cost near $95,000.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Portsmouth School Committee approves schedule changes, backs state transportation fix; rejects statewide cell‑phone ban

Parents and educators press Portsmouth school leaders on curriculum quality and teacher supports amid budget concerns

Portsmouth to launch "Compass" program and expand therapeutic supports as costly out‑of‑district placements rise