The Swampscott School Committee on Jan. 9 received the annual report from the North Shore Education Consortium, a regional cooperative that provides out-of-district special education and vocational programs for member districts.

The presenter said Swampscott currently has 11 students accessing consortium programs: five at the Kevin O'Grady School and six at the North Shore Upper and Lower Academies, with three of those six shared-cost placements with neighboring districts. The report lists consortium programs including Kevin O'Grady School, North Shore Upper Academy, North Shore Lower Academy, Topseal Vocational Academy, Recovery High School and transition programs such as Embark and Soar.

Report materials included daily rate tables and a graph showing students served by district; the presenter noted that Swampscott ranks toward the lower end of member-district utilization. The Kevin O'Grady School is undergoing a major HVAC upgrade; the presenter described that work as on track and “on time, on budget,” while noting other consortium facilities also need long-term capital planning.

The presenter described the consortium as cost-effective relative to private placements and said the consortium recently began developing a multi-year capital plan for facility needs. No committee action was required; the presentation was for the committee’s information.

The committee discussed a possible Georgetown district joining the consortium and asked clarifying questions about specific programs and facility impacts. The presenter encouraged committee members to review the full report for program-level detail.

No formal vote or action was taken on the report.