Middletown School Committee approves appointments, job descriptions and operating items

The Middletown School Committee approved a series of administrative items on Aug. 21, 2025, clearing personnel descriptions, a community appointment to the building committee, routine policy reviews and a summer-program memorandum of agreement.

Key approvals and outcomes (motions approved unless noted):

- Appointment: Dan Thiebault approved as a community member of the building committee. The superintendent recommended Thiebault as a longtime Middletown resident with construction experience. (motion passed)

- Annual handbooks: Committee approved the 2025–26 annual review of school policy handbooks for Aquinnick Elementary, Forest Avenue Elementary, Godde Learning Academy, Godde Middle School and Middletown High School; the packet incorporated prior cell-phone policy language. (motion passed)

- Memorandum of Agreement: Committee approved a MOA with MCOS for the 2025 summer enrichment camp, a continuity step in the district’s partnership with MCOS and its Beyond the Bell programs. (motion passed)

- Food pantry staff job description: Committee approved a grant-funded job description for a part-time school-based food pantry staff member to support Island Oasis; the presenter said the position is funded by grant dollars and donated food primarily comes from the Martin Luther King Center and school garden contributions. Hiring will follow approval. (motion passed)

- Content coordinators: Committee approved job descriptions for district high-school content coordinator, middle-school content coordinators and elementary content leads. The superintendent reported hiring 14 teachers for the new content-coordinator roles to support curriculum alignment and teacher leadership. (motion passed)

- Esports job description: Committee approved the second and final reading of an esports team job description; the committee confirmed disciplinary and conduct policies will follow the same rules applied to other extracurricular athletics. (motion passed)

- 2026 Committee dates: The committee approved the 2026 meeting calendar with the caveat that dates can be amended if conflicts arise. (motion passed)

- Middletown High School program of studies: Previously included on the consent agenda and recorded as approved. (consent)

- Executive session minutes: Committee voted to seal the minutes of the executive session held earlier in the meeting. (motion passed)

- New business: Committee approved adding the superintendent’s contract approval to the agenda for the next school committee meeting; the chair said it will likely be scheduled in conjunction with the school building committee meeting next week. (motion passed)

Votes were recorded by voice or hand; where members voiced “aye,” motions were adopted. Several items drew short discussion but no amendments. The superintendent and staff will carry out follow-up tasks tied to hiring and grant-funded roles.

Provenance: These items were introduced in the meeting’s action-items sequence and finalized by committee votes.