Committee hears administrator goals: technology upgrades, special‑education support and fiscal controls

At a regular meeting, three administrators presented department goals that will shape the district’s near‑term priorities.

Instructional technology director Danny Andrade outlined a four‑part plan: produce a three‑year technology plan, expand the 1:1 device program (he said a plan to order 365 devices and to seek grants to cover roughly 150 devices), install security cameras that cover athletic fields and pursue E‑rate and cybersecurity funding for infrastructure and software. Andrade noted grant awards are not guaranteed and that some projects hinge on securing external funds, including COPS grant opportunities.

The Office of Student Services (Speaker 10) described two district goals focused on special education: establishing a district‑wide multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) by June 2025 and improving recruitment and retention of special‑education teachers by increasing collaboration, using targeted professional development and incorporating technology (including demonstrations of AI tools to reduce paperwork). The presenter cited improvements last year in graduation and attendance among students with IEPs and said some state performance indicators were exceeded.

A new administrator in finance and administration (Speaker 11) outlined objectives to complete FY24 audit compliance with no findings, implement new budget reporting formats by the next school‑committee meeting, conduct quarterly budget reviews, and produce deficit‑reduction options by mid‑2025 for FY26 planning. Committee members urged faster timeline alignment with town budget submission dates and noted the FY24 audit completion is a gating factor for next year’s budget book.

Committee discussion emphasized the need to pursue grant funding and to align project timing with procurement and the town’s budget calendar.