[{"_1":2,"_108":-5,"_109":-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",[32,75,87,98],{"_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",6273543,"mediaKeyId","2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190","parentId",2999640,"title","School committee approves donations, field trips, minutes and votes 'no' on school‑choice participation","audioSeconds",33,"startMs",4400000,"endMs",4433000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190&start=4400&end=4433","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190/thumbnail_4400000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6273543/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/School-committee-approves-donations-field-trips-minutes-and-votes-no-on-schoolchoice-participation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273543-40484370cba0123d05fcf52933f68c0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773742068&Signature=Usv52mgqdmcRJs8IWQfTe2k8oKfmibKW3~h4e8FaFQ7gQny9M6uHY3woHBpTuLB83acDBOR23bpkPyCwD75Zz5-B3pnakiHphC3YgRu8jjy0q8M9D1Czc6QQIWL0iB~86sNtyBSRu3PLt5M77P8~6~PRxOY3--lRscuEzJiH7J4e1cw6jk8gDf2xCsQQtfX2JeEe~M5zE5N9obWN8dJOouWKLPEC7SV0tgqsyQndrnyiyOShiXpGh8-CDIKSVvmGnh~-Ew-q78aRGBydFpuipeDBVBaBmfe2LH1~TDGIZhsus4cYqopXuXPESXU0lwefPV9giqmtbKQ5d9jU1bhTgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town-County of Nantucket, MA","date","2025-04-16T01:29:59.377Z","article","The Nantucket School Committee took several formal voice votes on routine business items during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- School choice participation: committee made a motion to \"vote no\" on school choice participation; motion was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote (committee members responded \"Aye\").

- Donations approved:
- Nantucket Education Trust: $6,000 to fund a Grade 5 nature‑classroom field trip (motion moved, seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").
- Musac (to Nantucket High School music department): $5,000 (motion moved, seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").
- Friends of Nantucket Public Schools: $1,998 for an NHS Europe field trip (motion moved, seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").
- American Legion Orleans Post 308: $2,000 to support the NHS Europe field trip (motion moved, seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").
- Cape Cod 5: $1,000 to the Nantucket High School student gift account (motion moved, seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").

- Student trips and activities:
- Nantucket High School Diversity Club overnight field trip (April 2025 to Boston): approved by voice vote; chair noted the approval was \"sort of after the fact.\"

- Minutes and routine approvals:
- Approved meeting minutes for March 18, 2025 and March 25, 2025 (motions moved and seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").
- Approved transfers and invoices (motion moved and seconded; all in favor: \"Aye\").

Each motion was introduced, seconded and carried by voice vote. The meeting record shows committee chair asked \"All in favor? Aye.\" for the listed items; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript. No committee member recorded a dissenting vote during these items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Nantucket School Committee - April 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee recorded a series of routine voice votes: it voted not to participate in school choice, approved donations totaling several thousand dollars to student programs, approved minutes, and accepted transfers and invoices; it also approved an overnight Diversity Club trip to Boston.","taxTitle","Nantucket County, Massachusetts","taxId",61456,"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},6273548,"CFO reports widened operating expenses, community‑school revenue dip and Munis audit finding",1059,3090000,4149000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190&start=3090&end=4149","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190/thumbnail_3090000.jpg","/articles/6273548/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/CFO-reports-widened-operating-expenses-communityschool-revenue-dip-and-Munis-audit-finding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273548-ef28c9659dffa7f7ca27b1910fa9de9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773742068&Signature=CFBaN5nwEEuicztpJVQBwKaAhaxmMs~Kxd4sboNqoJ5GpsHM7r602WfE3qqz7K8CZt5wEY596e8Ojo32uzL3kiREVqfULCL9PpLwH~tH02Fm905FIbMxocBgDDTg-gCOhJw9yk4nrMm2RefGl52jreDhbRe~XOs3gVwGVh7FqneVW2ytQcADSBPU3~4giYBngFlkybHKXim0JH-k-YhOFRHZiYuJOWwyXe1G0EShExNZby1j2vUUw858gV1wIp75GoOw2dF4sVH51p9OqAYjW83HM3pgNk6qoR3CeFFICo7~vnLPNrB51wUY3Qvvr549gMGS3t~a0xfHhSpNdIcLZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Financial Officer Martin Angelou told the committee the district’s third‑quarter financial reports show operating pressures across payroll and maintenance, an increase in expenses compared with the prior year and a set of audit findings that require follow‑up.

Angelou said the district has logged about $11,990,000 more in expenses at the same point this fiscal year than at the same point in FY24. He said payroll increases were expected because of contractual obligations but that operating budgets have been strained; payroll now represents a slightly larger share of the budget than last year. Angelou credited a $450,000 transfer the committee approved at a prior meeting to reduce an otherwise larger deficit and noted a Special Education reserve the district established in February 2018 has helped offset pressures.

On program revenues, Angelou reported the Nantucket Community School is about $14,000 behind year‑to‑date, driven by a roughly $32,000 drop in pool revenues and about a $68,000 drop in extended‑day revenues compared with the prior year. He explained that some programs were reclassified this year (for example, some revenues moved from extended day to the summer/sports camp revolver), a technical shift that affects year‑to‑date comparisons. The CFO said summer‑camp receipts that post on July 1 are held separately and will appear in the next fiscal year’s accounting.

Angelou said the school‑lunch program currently operates at a deficit of roughly $92,000, larger than the $65,000 deficit at the same time last year. He said the district is working with Chartwells (the food service manager) and that the program faces uncertainty in federal reimbursement flows: “We operate on month by month. We submit for federal and state reimbursements immediately when possible. And, we're hopeful to close the year.” Angelou said the district hopes to use the lunch‑program fund balance rather than general fund money to close any shortfall.

Angelou also reviewed the district audit and two categories of findings. Under the new DESE audit format, the district again received a compliance finding because the town and district accounting structures (Munis) are not aligned with DESE’s preferred chart of accounts; Angelou said this has been an ongoing finding for several years. He described the technical challenge of migrating or reconciling historic account structures so a replacement system retains the district’s financial history. Angelou also said two bond authorization amounts were omitted from the fiscal‑year report because the treasurer’s numbers were not provided in time; he said he has worked with town treasury and expects the omission will be corrected in next year’s submission.

Committee members asked about pool revenues, summer‑camp collections and the community‑school subsidy from the town; Angelou said discussions are underway with town finance and with the community‑school management team, and he indicated the town appropriation conversation will continue for FY27. The committee did not vote on any immediate budget adjustments at this meeting.","Chief Financial Officer Martin Angelou presented the third‑quarter budget update showing an $11.99 million year‑over‑year increase in expenses, a small revenue shortfall in the Nantucket Community School, a school‑lunch deficit, and repeated audit findings tied to the Munis accounting system and two omitted bond authorization numbers.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6273553,"Nantucket schools describe applied‑learning pilot, school visits and teacher supports",0,4557000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190&start=4557&end=4557","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190/thumbnail_4557000.jpg","/articles/6273553/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Nantucket-schools-describe-appliedlearning-pilot-school-visits-and-teacher-supports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273553-f7eb537cdc488eb86f86ff6d925ed4ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1773742068&Signature=STbcqeWfYmSYcI~HAiSBQ1gED7qpOspzENYq9SVcarmqWwBC0qBQ4TAwWA5qlY1KKiZMrknRoMbnU0fId7a9tRHe5OKDO4DJ8XsUwbCHyuzrFmTTIntPtJx57y0PmeGdEOKBT8yU3HWdnu9lrziSqNLYgb22P3zVuMRw5OrVY6EzvehX7s8NQfWCXaFDtKVzOX-lEKtLaZDKBd8Ym3G0M3MBFfa1FDFMIbRGEr89JApg7NMJqSsypdpoeh6roQxtl1dHlgevU6wENrqxyT3kUM20q45rZK0Q1Q-Pi7ZZ~uObtJJjHCa6NNttS7cfG-bGs7JNag3pPrkEqv19-rv0Vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cyrus Pierce Middle School Principal Michael Horton and high‑school administrators told the committee the district’s applied‑learning work is moving from visits and discovery into classroom pilots and teacher coaching funded by grants.

Horton described visits to a series of public schools in Boston, Washington and Philadelphia and said those visits influenced a district focus on “real‑world problems” and soft skills such as collaboration and persistence. He said applied learning helps students answer “why am I learning this?” and reported the middle school’s pilot focuses on essential learning outcomes that build across grades 6–8.

The high school is in a discovery phase and has visited Boston and Denver area schools to study models for project‑based learning and career pathways. Administrators said several external resources and curricula have been provided through grant funding, including Project Lead The Way and social‑studies materials connected to the Democratic Knowledge Project. Administrators emphasized ongoing coaching and in‑district professional development funded by the grant to support teachers in adapting existing lessons rather than replacing the district’s program of study.

Horton urged committee members to view student work and the classroom posters after the meeting. He cited examples collected on visits: interactive activities that let students demonstrate knowledge physically (a life‑sized heart mapping exercise), team progress charts that hold group members accountable, and frequent oral presentations and public‑speaking practice in visited schools. High‑school leaders said applied learning is intended to complement, not replace, standards‑based instruction and standardized assessments.

Administrators said the district’s applied‑learning activities began with visits in early 2024 and that the program has been supported by an external foundation grant; they said teacher training and follow‑up coaching are part of the grant support. The committee discussed concerns about balancing applied learning with the need to prepare students for standardized tests; Horton and colleagues said applied learning is meant to improve engagement and recall not to eliminate paper‑and‑pencil assessments.

Committee members praised the emphasis on engagement and student accountability; the meeting also noted that some visited schools served high proportions of students of color and English learners and that those schools had low chronic absenteeism and high graduation rates, suggesting applied models could serve similar Nantucket student groups.

Administrators named Shonda Bartlett as the current lead for school‑to‑career work. No policy votes followed this presentation; administrators said they will bring staff and teacher input as they refine pilot choices and professional‑development plans.","Principals presented a district applied‑learning initiative: school visits, a discovery program, grant‑funded curricular resources and teacher coaching to bring project‑based, real‑world learning into classrooms across grade levels.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":90,"_43":101,"_45":101,"_47":102,"_49":103,"_51":104,"_53":105,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":106,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":107,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6273558,"Nantucket schools outline Student Opportunity Act update and MCAS credit-audit plan",1926000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190&start=1926&end=1926","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2999640-34867e8392cadeaf451a9bd90e43f190/thumbnail_1926000.jpg","/articles/6273558/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Nantucket-schools-outline-Student-Opportunity-Act-update-and-MCAS-credit-audit-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6273558-e2034b6339f8ab402c191d39bf141d12/orig.mp4?Expires=1773742069&Signature=OctgjH~ktlbBK022H2zuCtNZWn0Yq2uf1Oi2lXb5mXUvtXoMVCJrEEkS5J3ROnvj3Qb18dWkFABxkvyd6z3qD~kaHVR1VwOJfCQ8bu~bdMt6Gao8a~cPW9T-HDUK6OR0efShMfB1mz4ffMqMP8GjrGIe~nbZSIuYTnMNA2QPWqE8aENFRBEDUO~bIus8QJmMvDV6c-R5ldxXHEEoFfAJy-~uUK05cgQ2ahi4tznXdckisYPVydUsSnf-DZ8h5G~vZ~s3KE7untDAKdLDZKpVM9mjFQNYaUorYWIkyIlf2i3yYV~vRXjFw0~MNOlMxch4vP8UppejCG1K0FcmJlOhwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Dr. Howlett told the Nantucket School Committee the district submitted its annual Student Opportunity Act update to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and described local steps to address gaps for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities and English learners.

The Student Opportunity Act requires a three‑year plan; Howlett said Nantucket receives only “minimal funding support” under the law compared with larger Chapter 70 allotments in other districts. The update reported district work on two locally chosen focus areas: strengthening positive school environments and improving the multi‑tiered system of support.

The update matters because the Student Opportunity Act frames state expectations and because recent changes to MCAS-related diploma rules affect whether some students receive a high school diploma. Howlett outlined that the district has completed ELA MCAS across the district and that math and science testing for grades 3–8 and high school timelines run through May and June. She warned the committee the state has not yet provided full guidance on how to implement the law for past cohorts.

At Cyrus Pierce Middle School, Principal Michael Horton reported strong student participation during ELA testing: “Of all 363 students at CPS, all 363 just finished ELA. Like, we didn't miss a single kid, so we're a % participation,” and he said many sixth graders required extra time to finish writing prompts. Howlett and school principals said overall attendance and engagement during testing appeared high.

A major operational issue discussed was the district’s plan for credit audits to determine whether former students who lacked diplomas because they failed the MCAS might now be eligible for diplomas. Howlett said Cape and Islands superintendents are collaborating on common language and protocols for credit audits; the district will examine students’ actual course work, particularly where portfolio reviews or IEP‑driven modifications may have meant course content did not fully match standard tenth‑grade expectations. Howlett repeatedly emphasized the district is constrained by the state law and by what DESE requires: districts must confirm students passed the courses whose content maps to the tested tenth‑grade standards before certifying a diploma.

Howlett and other administrators told the committee they have already been able to retroactively award diplomas in a small number of recent cases. “From last year specifically we had 4 students who did not receive their diploma who we were able to call and say, you don't have to have the MCAS test now. You may now come and pick up your diploma,” one administrator said, noting the district contacted a student from two years prior as well.

But district staff cautioned that retroactive diplomas are limited by the availability of records and by whether past coursework meets the content expectations. Howlett said the district will likely limit immediate policy changes to the classes of 2025 and 2026 while awaiting clearer DESE guidance: “we were only going to talk about class of 2025 and 2026 because we firmly believe DESE is going to probably change something.”

Committee members raised concerns about students who remain unable to move forward without diplomas. Howlett invited individual cases to be referred directly to the district for follow‑up. Committee members pressed for more precise counts of affected students; district staff said exact retroactive totals are not specified but estimated only a handful per year in recent years (the superintendent cited roughly three to four in prior years). Howlett said the district will process credit‑audit requests and that guidance and policy could change as DESE issues clarifications.

The district also noted the John and Abigail Adams scholarship program remains tied to proficiency on MCAS for first‑time exam takers, a practical incentive for some students to focus on MCAS performance.

The committee did not take a separate vote on policy changes during this meeting; staff described the work as ongoing and contingent on forthcoming state guidance.","Superintendent gave a district update on the Student Opportunity Act and MCAS administration, described plans for credit audits for students who lacked diplomas due to MCAS requirements, and said the district awaits detailed state guidance before applying rules beyond the class of 2025–2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School committee approves donations, field trips, minutes and votes 'no' on school‑choice participation

CFO reports widened operating expenses, community‑school revenue dip and Munis audit finding

Nantucket schools describe applied‑learning pilot, school visits and teacher supports

Nantucket schools outline Student Opportunity Act update and MCAS credit-audit plan