Board approves grant-funded pilot job description for Beach Street CSI director

The Board of School Committee approved a grant-funded job description and the posting of a pilot CSI director position for Beach Street School during the Oct. 27 meeting. Vice Chair O'Connell asked whether the board was approving only the job description or also the posting; administration said the vote would approve the job description so the district could post the position and begin a pilot.

Administration said the position will be funded through CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) grant funds and will focus on instructional coaching, social-emotional learning and helping the school move out of CSI designation. Beach Street was described in the meeting as a CSI school (a school identified for comprehensive support because it falls within the lowest 5 percent on state measures), and the pilot is intended to concentrate resources there for the 2025-26 cycle.

Several board members expressed reservations about using the funding for a new position and said they would want to see strong evidence of impact before consideration of converting the pilot to an ongoing general-fund position; one member voiced opposition to the job description during discussion but the motion to approve moved forward and was recorded as approved by a voice vote.

Context: Administration said the pilot will be monitored and data collected to assess whether the position improves instruction and student outcomes, and that the posting will proceed as a grant-funded pilot rather than a general-fund hire.