Votes at a glance: Pittsfield School Committee actions March 26, 2025
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Summary
A compact rundown of formal motions and outcomes from the March 26 Pittsfield School Committee meeting, including first readings, endorsements, appointments and procedural votes.
The Pittsfield School Committee took a series of formal votes March 26. Key outcomes are listed below. All votes noted were completed by voice vote unless specified.
Votes at a glance
- Accept superintendent's report — Motion approved. - First reading: Section D (Fiscal Management) of the revised policy manual — Approved on first reading; second reading to follow when all first readings are complete. - Appointment: Marie Byrd as school nurse — Approved. - Extension: Retainer agreement with Bolke, Richardson, and Galenas (investigation) extended to 04/30/2025 — Approved (see separate coverage). - First reading: New course “Contemporary Painting” at Pittsfield High School — Approved on first reading. - First reading: Adoption of textbook “Professional Communications” for Pittsfield High School — Approved on first reading. - Endorsement: Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) expiring resolutions (6 items) — Endorsed as a block. - Endorsement: Senate Bill 1163 (act relative to assaults by adults in positions of authority or trust) — Endorsed. - Endorsement: Senate Bill 1174 (protections against computer-generated child sexual‑abuse imagery) — Endorsed. - Endorsement: Committee concerns regarding proposed Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) regulations on graduation requirements — Endorsed; committee asked administration to submit concerns to BESE. - Acceptance: Middle school restructuring timeline — Accepted as a working document; public hearings to be scheduled. - Approval: Overnight field trip to SkillsUSA in Marlborough, May 1–3, 2025 — Approved. - Acceptance: FY26 budget overview and line‑item budget — Accepted; principals to present school-level impacts at budget workshop. - Approval: Minutes of March 12, 2025 — Approved. - Acceptance: Personnel report — Accepted and placed on file. - Executive session: Committee voted to enter executive session for collective bargaining and certain legal matters (roll‑call recorded; all present members voted yes) — Committee adjourned to executive session and indicated one vote would occur there.
Ending: The meeting combined routine first‑reading policy motions, textbook/course approvals, endorsements of state legislation, and the significant actions of accepting the middle‑school timeline and the FY26 budget overview. Several items (grade spans, budget impacts, investigative documents) will require follow‑up meetings and public hearings.