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Mendon-Upton committee reorganizes leadership, honors three teachers and accepts superintendent evaluation
Summary
The Mendon-Upton Regional School District reorganized committee leadership, presented three Golden Apple awards, approved a $10,000 applied-learning gift and voted to accept Superintendent Dr. Cohen's annual evaluation, which reviewers praised for AI leadership and budget work.
The Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee opened with its annual reorganization, approving nominations for chair, vice chair, secretary, assistant treasurer and other posts, and setting subcommittee assignments for budget, policy, negotiations and superintendent evaluation.
Committee members moved and seconded nominations for Jim (chair), Carrie (vice chair), Eric Brown (secretary), Sean Nicholson (assistant treasurer), and Joe Lake (treasurer). Motions were approved by roll call votes during the reorganization.
The meeting paused for the 2025'1026 Golden Apple awards. Committee member Carrie read nomination highlights and presented awards to Terra Bella Fontane, Alyssa Couture and Whitney Joseph, each praised for student-centered instruction, care for whole-child needs and building classroom environments where students feel safe and challenged.
In operations and facilities updates, staff reported the MSBA project remains on track despite a two-week schedule push to accommodate a required newspaper advertisement; construction-related packing and relocations are scheduled to begin on June 18. Staff also briefed the committee on HVAC selections, site design adjustments, retaining walls and coordination needed for card-access wiring and fire-system integration.
The committee moved and approved acceptance of an unrestricted applied-learning gift of $10,000 to support high school applied-learning work.
The meeting concluded with a detailed presentation of the superintendent evaluation. The committee summarized multi-goal ratings and state-standard assessments and then voted to accept the evaluation report. Evaluators highlighted Dr. Cohen's leadership on artificial intelligence literacy and integration, community engagement that supported a successful override, and improvements in special education compliance and district operations. They recommended maintaining momentum by moving from planning to measurable student outcomes in year two.
Votes at a glance: - Reorganization (chair, vice chair, secretary, assistant treasurer, treasurer, trustees, subcommittees): motions made and approved by roll call (motions recorded in meeting minutes). - Acceptance of applied-learning gift: motion made and approved (accept gift of $10,000). - Acceptance of superintendent evaluation: motion made and approved by recorded vote.
The committee moved into executive session on contract and negotiation matters after the vote.
