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Franklin School Committee meeting: officers elected; district goals, collaboratives and operational plans outlined
Summary
The committee elected Paul Griffith chair and Dave Callahan vice chair, heard the superintendent’s report on athletics and district improvement goals, reviewed inclement‑weather procedures and collaborative special‑education arrangements, and approved the consent agenda.
The Franklin School Committee convened, swore in new members and elected officers before a series of administrative briefings and updates.
Paul Griffith was nominated and elected chair, and Dave Callahan was nominated and elected vice chair; both officer elections were approved by voice vote. Town Clerk Nancy Donnello conducted the swearing‑in earlier in the meeting.
Student representative Jack Aldridge shared school news including picture retake dates, a blood drive, theater performance dates and recent athletic results. The superintendent then reviewed fall athletics, a veterans panel hosted during the FHS WIN flexible block, and several upcoming events.
The committee spent substantial time on non‑voting district business. The superintendent reviewed inclement‑weather procedures — citing road temperature, DPW input and a paid precision‑weather service as inputs — and said the district aims to notify families before 5:30 a.m. when possible. He reiterated that two‑hour delays count as a day of school, emergency buses may pick up students when sidewalks are unsafe, and early dismissals are used only rarely.
Members also reviewed the district improvement plan and superintendent goals organized around four priorities: belonging, coherent systems and structures, instructional practices and communication. Dr. Rogers (Office of Teaching and Learning) outlined instructional priorities including guaranteed and viable curriculum, multi‑tiered systems of support, universal design for learning and plans to make curriculum resources more visible online.
The committee received a quarterly update on special‑education collaboratives. The district is a member of both the bi‑county (BICOM) collaborative and the ACCEPT collaborative; according to responses in the meeting the district counted roughly 69 students placed out of district as of the Oct. 1 count. The collaboratives provide programming options for students whose needs the district cannot meet in‑district and offer discounted tuition to member districts.
During new business the superintendent previewed a student‑services overview for the next meeting, a teaching‑and‑learning presentation in January, and upcoming capital requests for the town budget process. He proposed school tours for committee members to visit newly consolidated schools between Thanksgiving and winter break and discussed options for community exposure to day‑to‑day operations.
The consent agenda (minutes, an $800 gift for Lincoln Street K–5 field trips and other routine items) was approved by voice vote. The meeting closed after citizens’ comments and a motion to adjourn was approved.
