Board Chair Dr. Atul Gupta announced the creation of an ad hoc committee charged with producing solutions to reduce the district’s achievement gap within 60 days.

Gupta said he was invoking Policy BCEG to appoint the group without a full board vote. He named Miss Lowry as chair of the ad hoc committee and said he would include Dr. Farmer and several community members and staff: Mister McCain (community advocate on achievement), Kimberly Dyke (community advocate), Carlos (a school representative), Doctor Day (community member who will not take a leadership role) and the superintendent or superintendent designee. Gupta said the committee will total seven members and each member will have voting rights.

Explaining the timetable, Gupta said the 60‑day deadline is intended to allow the committee’s recommendations to be incorporated into the district’s strategic plan: “We got strategic plan. We'll move in action in couple of months when doctor [Midgette] is so we'd like to incorporate these suggestions into our strategic plan. … This is not just a checkbox or a band aid. This is a real solutions we are looking as a board.”

Miss Lowry, accepting the role, said she looked forward to working with the group and emphasized the importance of elementary‑level interventions: “Most of these problems exist at the elementary level. There's nobody better than Miss Lowry who understands elementary education on this board.” Dr. Farmer, who Gupta said would serve on the committee, responded, “That's fine,” when asked if he would serve.

Why it matters: The committee is a board‑level effort to produce near‑term, board‑directed recommendations intended for inclusion in the district strategic plan. Because Gupta appointed the group under an existing board policy, the committee did not require a separate board vote to form.

Discussion versus action: The appointment is an administrative action by the chair under Policy BCEG; the committee’s work will be advisory until the full board acts on any recommendations. The chair and members discussed the committee’s scope publicly and established the 60‑day charge.

What’s next: The chair said he expects a preliminary report in time for the board retreat, and the committee will deliver final recommendations intended for incorporation into the district’s strategic plan.