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York School Committee approves Edinburgh student trip, staffing swaps and payroll totals
Summary
The York School Committee unanimously approved a 2027 York High School trip to Edinburgh, confirmed payroll and consent items, voted to reduce one English teaching FTE and add a literacy specialist, and approved a new IEP coordinator. All formal votes were 5-0.
The York School Committee voted unanimously July 15 to authorize a 2027 York High School trip to Edinburgh, approve routine payroll and consent items, reduce one English-teaching full-time equivalent position and add one literacy specialist, and confirm a new IEP coordinator.
The committee approved the student travel package presented by Laura Sunderland, an art teacher at York High School, who described the trip as a storytelling-focused study-abroad experience. Sunderland said the program includes visits to Edinburgh Castle, the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Arthur's Seat, printmaking and textile workshops, and the National Portrait Gallery. "The final price that they gave was $2,931," she said, adding that that covers meals, accommodations, in-country transport and activities but does not include flights. The trip requires a minimum of 20 students and will include two chaperones: Sunderland and librarian Nicole Masterson.
A committee member moved to approve the trip and it passed on a 5-0 roll call (Marie, Rick, Meg, Michael, Chair).
On finance, the business-administration report listed an accounts-payable total of $2,220,510.64 and a combined payroll figure discussed as $4,661,297.85; the committee approved the payroll amount on a 5-0 vote after clarifying that the report broke out fiscal-year 2026–27 items differently in various lines.
The superintendent explained staffing adjustments at York High School prompted by an English-teacher resignation and course-enrollment patterns: the district proposed reducing one English-teaching FTE and hiring a literacy specialist to work with tier 2 and tier 3 MTSS students and to support teachers. "We could do this, give him all of her courses, and hire a literacy specialist to work with those students," the superintendent said, describing the change as budget-neutral within the staffing plan. Both the reduction of one English-teaching FTE and the addition of one literacy-specialist FTE were approved 5-0.
The committee also approved the nomination of Chana Shroff as IEP coordinator at York Middle School; the superintendent described Shroff's background in district community-school work and the motion passed 5-0.
The meeting concluded with a 5-0 vote to adjourn at 6:27 p.m. The committee announced its next meetings for Aug. 5 and Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. at the library.
