Meeting roundup: approvals on survey, job descriptions, summer camp MOA, and construction update

The Middletown School Committee on Aug. 21 approved a slate of routine motions and received updates on district finances, staffing and school construction.

Votes at a glance - Appointed Dan Thiebault as a community member of the building committee — approved by voice vote. - Approved the 2025–26 Middletown Student Health and Wellness Survey, adding grade 6 and several questions aligned to a pending PFS grant; the survey will use a passive consent (opt-out) protocol and students may skip questions — approved by voice vote. - Approved annual reviews of school policy handbooks for Aquinnick Elementary, Forest Avenue Elementary, Goddard Learning Academy, Goddard Middle School and Middletown High School — approved by voice vote. - Approved a memorandum of agreement with MCOS for the Learn365 2025 summer enrichment camp — approved by voice vote. - Approved a grant-funded job description for a school-based food pantry staff member for Island Oasis; food sources include donations and the Martin Luther King Center — approved by voice vote. - Approved job descriptions for district content coordinators (high school, middle school, elementary leads) — approved by voice vote. - Approved the second and final reading of an esports team job description; committee members said discipline and conduct rules will mirror other extracurriculars — approved by voice vote. - Approved the 2026 school committee meeting dates — approved by voice vote. - Approved the Middletown High School program of studies (on the consent agenda) — approved. - Motion added to the next meeting agenda to consider approval of the superintendent’s contract extension — approved to be placed on the agenda.

Student health survey: changes and discussion Lori, who presented the survey, said the district has administered the Student Health and Wellness Survey since 2012 and described changes for 2025–26. “There have been some minor changes from the last time we did the survey,” Lori said, noting the evaluator removed a nonbinary gender option and that grade 6 was added because the pending PFS grant targets grades 6–12. The survey includes questions on race/ethnicity, military family status, LGB identification, parental storage of alcohol/THC and participation in organized activities.

Committee members asked about including sixth graders, the maturity of respondents and data validity. Lori said participation is voluntary, parents can opt out in advance or on the day of administration, and students can skip questions. The committee was told external evaluators screen out invalid responses; the presenter said roughly two dozen surveys were discarded in 2023–24 for quality concerns.

Finance and staffing brief Business and finance staff reported the district ended FY25 “in the green” though final reconciliations are still being completed. A presenter said the June general ledger shows roughly $42 million in revenue and roughly $41.7 million in expenditures; figures were described as near-final pending encumbrance reconciliation. The school lunch program spent down about $300,000 of surplus as part of an intended plan, and the district submitted about $115,000 in federal reimbursements.

Personnel and programs The superintendent’s report noted several retirements and departures, and multiple hires and transfers. The district has added 14 teacher positions aligned with new content-coordinator roles to support curriculum development and alignment. The meeting packet listed several new staff by name and role.

Building committee and facilities Members reported active progress on the new school construction site: foundations and concrete pours are underway and the project is moving “vertical.” The building committee plans to preserve memorials and other historical items from older schools for inclusion in the new facilities. Drone and site photos are being compiled for periodic public updates.

What to watch next The committee will place a superintendent contract approval on the agenda for the next meeting, likely scheduled to coincide with a school building committee meeting held in late August. The chair also said the ribbon-cutting for Rogers High School in Newport is scheduled for the next day and that Middletown’s two new schools are expected to be completed in 2027.

Votes and routine approvals dominated the meeting; the committee recessed into executive session earlier in the evening and reported no votes were taken in executive session.