School Committee Meeting Summary
June 10, 2021
Public/Citizen Participation of School Committee Meeting
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic and State of Emergency, on March 12, 2020, Governor Baker issued an Executive Order Temporarily Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A sec. 20. Pursuant to the Order, public bodies are temporarily relieved from the Open Meeting Law’s requirement that meetings be held in public places, open and physically accessible to the public, so long as measures are taken to ensure public access to the bodies' deliberations "through adequate, alternative means."
Citizens with a question or comment can join the meeting through Zoom. The “chat” feature will be enabled at the “Citizens Comments” portion of the Agenda. Participants are asked to comment in the chat that they would like to speak, indicate their name and address in the chat and you will then be let into the Meeting. Please unmute your microphones at that time. If you have any questions regarding this process or would like to send a comment in advance, please email mmortali@walpole.k12.ma.us.
All votes taken by the School Committee in a remote participation meeting are done via roll call.
The recorded School Committee Meeting can be viewed on the Walpole Media Youtube page here.
RECOGNITIONS
2. Walpole Police Department/Walpole Fire Department - The School Committee and Administration thanked the Walpole Police and Fire Departments for graciously helping with the high school graduation parade last weekend. Their willingness and cooperation are greatly appreciated and contributed to a safe and successful parade. Interim Police Chief Kelleher remarked that he appreciates the School Committee recognizing him and his staff. He said it was their pleasure to assist and that it worked out great for the graduates.
New/Old Business
School Committee Reorganization - The School Committee voted to appoint William J. Buckley, Jr. as Chairperson, and Kristen Syrek as Vice-Chairperson, for the 2021-2022 school year.
Vote on Non-Union Compensation - The School Committee unanimously voted to approve a 2.25% cost of living increase for non-union staff.
ESSER Funding Grant Information - Mr. Friscia provided a summary of grants awarded under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).
Vote on Capital Requests - The School Committee voted for an FY '22 Town Capital request in the amount of $670,000 at the Fall Town Meeting.
Superintendent Report
Dr. Gough reported that:
- The last day of school (June 17) is fast approaching. Dr. Gough expressed gratitude to the staff who continuously adjusted to the needs of students during this unusual year. She reminded parents to check their emails in the coming days for updates from principals regarding the last days of school.
- On Sunday, June 6, the Walpole community celebrated our 147th commencement ceremony to honor Walpole High School’s graduating senior class of 2021. She thanked all the staff and volunteers who made this such a special occasion. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work to ensure this was a memorable day. She also said a special thank you to the Walpole Police Department and Walpole Fire Department for their support with this community event. The graduation parade would not have been possible without them.
- Most importantly, thank you to the Class of 2021. This year has presented us with many challenges, but they continued to rise to the occasion and represented our community with pride and integrity. It was an honor to congratulate our seniors and give them the recognition they deserve. We wish them well as they embark on a journey filled with new opportunities and new challenges.
- It goes without saying that this year was unique. Dr. Gough could never have imagined her first two years as Superintendent would include a global pandemic, remote learning, hybrid learning, and constant mandate changes. However, she remains grateful and humbled by working with so many great students, staff and families.
- Dr. Gough also congratulated our amazing 2021 retirees. She recognized these dedicated individuals for their many years of service to Walpole Public Schools. Thank you for enriching the lives of our students. She wished them a very happy retirement.
Middle School Building Project
Mr. Breen indicated the next School Building Committee Meeting will be held Tuesday, June 22, 2021. At this meeting a more granular look at the costs of the building will be done. He reminded the community that it is imperative to become involved and learn more about this project. Citizens can visit the middle school project website here. Anyone with questions or comments can email the middle school project at middleschoolproject @walpole.k12.ma.us.
Dr. Gough shared the following with regard to the Community Forum held on Thursday, June 3, 2021:
The end of our Community Forum was interrupted by a disturbing situation, in which an unknown person “zoom bombed” our webinar by shouting and typing racial slurs. Although the person was quickly removed from the webinar and the chat was disabled, it was realized that the chat was not able to be removed from our view, and the meeting ended.
This was a very upsetting incident, both for the violation of boundaries and because of its racist and offensive content. We denounce the language that was used and refuse to let our platform be used for hate speech. We want our community meetings, both in-person and virtual, to be safe and free from discrimination and hateful speech in all its forms. The Town Walpole and School District will be investigating the incident and reporting it to our local authorities. The Middle School Building Project Team will evaluate any future forums and public access during virtual meetings.
Walpole Public Schools
Website: www.walpole.k12.ma.us
Location: 135 School Street, Walpole, MA 02081
Phone: 508-660-7200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walpolepublicschools/
Twitter: @PublicWalpole