Votes at a glance: Wareham School Committee approves study participation, contracts, calendar and policies

At its meeting the Wareham Public Schools School Committee recorded unanimous approvals on several items, including formal agreement language, calendar and policy updates. The committee’s roll calls as reflected in the transcript were recorded 5–0–0 (yes–no–abstain) unless noted otherwise.

Votes recorded in the meeting:

1) Comfort Dogs research participation: Approved 5–0–0. Motion approved participation in the Bridgewater State/Plymouth County Comfort Dogs experimental study contingent on a revised parental consent form that requires parents to acknowledge they read the form.

2) Obsolete equipment: Approved 5–0–0. The committee declared 19 box TVs, four poor‑condition flat screens, a culinary mixer without a safety cage, a leaking refrigerator and two vehicles (a dump truck and a pickup truck) obsolete and authorized disposal/recycling. Committee members asked staff to report any salvage value recovered from scrapping vehicles.

3) District calendar for 2025–26: Approved 5–0–0. The draft calendar, which had been reviewed by administration and the union, was approved with committee discussion that the calendar may be amended later if needed before the DESE February 1 submission deadline.

4) Transportation MOA (bus drivers): Approved 5–0–0. Committee approved a successor contract covering August 2025–July 2028 that includes salary increases of 2.25% in year one and 2.5% in each of the following two years, additional personal and sick time, increased longevity and one added holiday. The committee met in executive session earlier that evening to review details.

5) Payroll and bill warrants: Approved 5–0–0.

6) Gift acceptance from The Paper Store: Approved 5–0–0. The Paper Store donated $817.38 with no restrictions; funds will be established in a designated account for school use.

7) Policy votes: Approved 5–0–0 on a package of policies reviewed by the policy subcommittee, including alcohol/tobacco/drug prohibition, meal policy and pricing, minimum wage policy (adoption aligns with Massachusetts minimum wage), purchasing policy (updated statutory citations), and an edited public participation (formerly “public comment”) policy amended to align subcommittee language with MASC guidance.

Motions were moved and seconded as recorded in the meeting; roll‑call tallies in the transcript repeatedly read as “Aye. Opposed? Abstain? 5 0 0.” Committee members asked staff to provide follow‑up details on salvage receipts for obsolete vehicles and to circulate a revised consent form for the approved research study.