[{"_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":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6249865,"mediaKeyId","3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8","parentId",3204562,"title","North Middlesex committee debates hybrid meetings, technology and schedule; agrees to study solutions","audioSeconds",579,"startMs",2581000,"endMs",3160000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8&start=2581&end=3160","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8/thumbnail_2581000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6249865/Massachusetts/North-Middlesex-committee-debates-hybrid-meetings-technology-and-schedule-agrees-to-study-solutions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249865-d25bd47d67f03db960a61d81eeca48df/orig.mp4?Expires=1770805667&Signature=SflhsNgRPK8TXr3v7nD~dEUX7WQbjF4wka9BeMIRQ5g~ageMVQxCu72d-gSbHHBxptCV7qmfnIvpbf83D7JTbg5yXsAUb2falQQOIMZ3kv1MtzVcQ3J-m8OFB80n1NTSVG-t5S1QjZcbGpwc9d5-piS448AZ6w6BryzoBjKug8GH4VVw2Z41XCgwZcC7~~bxXQksmaYM~R9~gqxO0DSHCLNem5PZVDLibQcIpVZsRpez-2gXv2z6pGbXRqaDeSwMmBFh9UN5kITKz1pH6dhR47oeQehwVOAO8Idc4rHyDL9hq-V8kzShHmluPJRcMpe3EGG9KvthFd4h5JXIPV08vA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-07T00:33:01.673Z","article","Members of the North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee debated whether future meetings should be in person, fully remote, or hybrid during their May 5 organizational meeting, and agreed to pursue practical solutions and training before setting a final calendar.

The committee discussed moving meetings to Mondays at 7 p.m. for the coming year and using occasional second meetings for workshops or trainings. Several members favored keeping remote participation because it increases public access and attendance; others said in-person meetings better support interpersonal discussion. A recurring concern was whether the district currently has reliable hybrid infrastructure.

Nut graf: The discussion centered on balancing public access with legal and technical reliability. Members asked staff to investigate technology options and to coordinate scheduling, while outside training with MASC was proposed to build committee capacity.

Committee members described technical constraints and legal exposure: staff noted the high school lacks built-in hybrid infrastructure because that component was left out of the facility build and that ad hoc solutions — such as running a cable to the auditorium or using a mobile device like the OWL camera — may not be reliable for large rooms. A member warned that offering hybrid participation without a “foolproof” technical solution could create open meeting-law vulnerabilities if remote participants are unable to observe or participate.

A student member, Keenan Francois, said he preferred in-person meetings but offered to help operate sound or AV equipment at the high school. Several members said the district could test other town facilities or smaller rooms for hybrid meetings, and the committee agreed to take a straw poll and to use a Doodle scheduling poll to set recurring Monday 7 p.m. meetings while staff investigate hybrid options.

The committee also discussed training: district members said MASC could provide retreats and evening workshops on roles, responsibilities, budget processes and legislative advocacy; two Saturday retreat dates were proposed (May 31 and June 28) and additional evening sessions were considered.

Ending: Rather than adopt an immediate permanent schedule or hybrid policy, the committee asked staff to gather proposals on hybrid technology, confirm room availability, run a scheduling poll, and bring options back to the committee for a formal vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NMRSD School Committee 5/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members split over in-person versus hybrid meetings, raised open-meeting and technology concerns, and agreed to run a doodle poll and consult outside vendors and MASC for training and hybrid options.","taxTitle","North Middlesex Regional School District, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",60734,"location","Massachusetts","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":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6249870,"North Middlesex school committee creates legislative advocacy subcommittee, keeps building-committee rosters",930,1332000,2262000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8&start=1332&end=2262","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8/thumbnail_1332000.jpg","/articles/6249870/Massachusetts/North-Middlesex-school-committee-creates-legislative-advocacy-subcommittee-keeps-building-committee-rosters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249870-5e71135e0bd132ecaa0a62d9898e4fe1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770805667&Signature=AZmVu7CvSfioFbcFW2I55kbSeG80~sbCyjAHab2~HtTljw5TlX7ijD8i-2zDScZhefA9U73LhhFTxhcH85a2H3YQw7VtqMkl0~WYlC3pEdM409JbC8OYVtUoViKmsMCmzkPQqr76rMmUUC8PuUp7YEYFDKG3S3KwC8H5gAe92JafQwfXBzxDi5lBm0EN~~fl6FebWrf48MnZF6FMVV~dngJm0C5BDAhD1E2ntnteEvu5-iZQgIeNRo8iIAbeKJzW12s5KFzhZ5nuysbxD19zngc670JSjSgyld-73Lpzvxr8Sn1B17cTVR806vgXTvKT1jbqyivNQ8nfvUzFZgBaEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee voted May 5 to create a Legislative Advocacy subcommittee and approved membership rosters for its standing subcommittees, including the accelerated repairs and building committee.

The new legislative advocacy subcommittee will be chaired by Keenan Francois, a senior at North Middlesex High School who said he would lead the group with support from several committee members. Committee members named Kim Craven, Alex Bancutti and others to the new panel; Keenan agreed to chair and a member said the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) will be consulted on how the subcommittee should operate.

Nut graf: The creation of a legislative advocacy subcommittee formalizes members’ recent informal advocacy at the state level and establishes a small team to coordinate outreach and training.

The body also reviewed standing subcommittees and appointments: finance (Kim Craven named finance chair), policy (Randy Rush as chair with Lisa Bloom assisting on a five-year policy review), warrant (payroll and warrants), and negotiations panels for teachers and nonteaching units. Committee membership for the accelerated repairs and building committee will continue with Lisa Martin as chair, Randy Rush, Business Administrator Nancy Hanes, Jeremy Hammond (director of operations), and Brad Morgan listed as members.

Members reported that accelerated repair projects at Varnum Brook, Hawthorne Brook and Squana Cook have largely been completed and that staff are tying up loose ends; the committee heard a target closeout date of October for final completion and paperwork.

During the subcommittee discussion, members emphasized the workload of policy review and the potential to form an advocacy or legislative subgroup to coordinate testimony and communications at the state level. One member described the district’s new group as a response to “members who actually want to advocate for the schools at the state level and elsewhere.”

Ending: The committee approved the subcommittee slate in a single motion; members instructed staff to coordinate schedules and to consult MASC on advocacy training and structure.","The committee voted to create a legislative advocacy subcommittee, assigned chairs and members for standing subcommittees, and heard an update that accelerated repair projects are nearing final closeout around October.",{"_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":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6249875,"North Middlesex school committee elects Lisa Martin chair; Randy Rush named vice chair",502,226000,728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8&start=226&end=728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204562-2e5ec68eafa0959fdd57292a8008bce8/thumbnail_226000.jpg","/articles/6249875/Massachusetts/North-Middlesex-school-committee-elects-Lisa-Martin-chair-Randy-Rush-named-vice-chair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6249875-c9e7cc705b58118878ce958bd9603b00/orig.mp4?Expires=1770805667&Signature=TRIvQBMy3Gk9Nym-S7i1JhdY29Ob8kBVaVA53k8RoTW-7x0TUVbg85QhxjCJCFSQ-~5rQCQKGdr3hE05NXlK2xcWxi-RGqK6w4xdND-eK2uq0A3caNwDAiJK6xWrTM0L5MVS6--wOwKug1Ch9B5v1QxnVfacfeJfMUsfG1xFdCPUl~Nj2HteznMXQUFJ7IHg1bdR~Ps5-YlP7tjpYNmsK~OPN4ncAH35ZAyrOippNWU7LaYyIoJgLfm8tIkJIejbvbNlS4f~IR1b2~rT5M5Y60Ecfwkeex4Z-yhH0S~JMc~qQik7TPSwwvaML9~XQYXYUoq55mUcDuvrqDvQyUjftw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee elected Lisa Martin chair and named Randy Rush vice chair during its organizational meeting May 5.

Martin won the chair election by a 5-4 ballot tally after nominations and a brief speech period. Randy Rush was elected vice chair by the same margin. The committee also reappointed Michael Hartnett as district treasurer and approved the superintendent’s recommendation to reappoint Robin Ivy as school committee secretary.

The committee approved two law firms to serve as district counsel: Sullivan, Nuttall, McEvoy & Lyons PC for special-education matters and Valerio Delaniello & Hillman LLC for labor and general public-education matters. Committee members asked for additional clarity about how those contracts are billed; a member said the total cost is “shockingly small” but the exact retainer and fee schedule were not specified during the meeting.

Nut graf: The organizational votes set leadership and legal support for the coming school year and included discussion about roles and policy responsibilities that the incoming chair signaled she would emphasize.

Martin, who received the most votes, told the committee she intends to focus on “policy vigilance” and restoring more consistent in-person engagement: “I think we may need more calmness going forward and more bringing our communities back together,” she said. Rush, a long-serving committee member, outlined his institutional experience and work with committee policy.

Committee members read policy DBD, which defines the chair’s duties, during nominations and noted policy JIB (student involvement and decision making) as an item that needs to be updated to reflect recent changes in law. The committee confirmed that the chair has the same voting powers as any member but also has duties such as signing instruments, consulting with the superintendent on agendas, appointing subcommittees (subject to committee approval), and acting as the committee’s public spokesperson per policy DBD.

On the treasurer motion, a member moved to appoint Michael Hartnett as district treasurer for the 2025–26 school year; another member seconded the motion and the committee approved it by voice vote. The superintendent’s recommendation to reappoint Robin Ivy as secretary passed after a second and voice vote.

The committee accepted a motion to approve the listed district counsel firms for the 2025–26 year after members raised questions about retainer structures. A member said counsel firms notify the district of annual increases and that the firms set a base rate plus additional fees for extra services.

Ending: The leadership and appointments concluded the formal organizational business; the committee then moved to set subcommittees, discuss the meeting calendar and hybrid participation, and review training opportunities.","At its organizational meeting May 5, the North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee elected Lisa Martin chair (5-4), named Randy Rush vice chair (5-4), reappointed district treasurer and secretary, and approved outside counsel contracts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

North Middlesex committee debates hybrid meetings, technology and schedule; agrees to study solutions

North Middlesex school committee creates legislative advocacy subcommittee, keeps building-committee rosters

North Middlesex school committee elects Lisa Martin chair; Randy Rush named vice chair