School Committee

AGENDA #19 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 1 ​ ​ ​ CLERK OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS 20 IRVING STREET WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS 01609 The School Committee will hold an in-person meeting with a virtual option*: on:​ Thursday, October 9, 2025 at:​ 5:00 p.m. Executive Session, 5:30 p.m. Open Session; ​ ​ ​ ​ Esther Howland Chamber, Worcester City Hall Virtual: ​ https://worcesterschools.zoom.us/j/82746440670?pwd=dmp4TnIxYThBd nhkZWQ1bm1hMjFFZz09 Also accessible by telephone, to dial in call: +1 301-715-8592 or +1 305-224-1968; Webinar ID: 827 4644 0670 *This meeting/hearing of the Worcester School Committee will be held in-person at the location provided on this notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while an option for remote attendance and /or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hearing will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast, unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly. ORDER OF BUSINESS A.​ General Business Items taken in Executive Session To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so declares – Successor Contract Negotiations – Educational Association of Worcester, Units A/B; Educational Association of Worcester, Paraeducators Unit; Educational Association of Worcester, Aides to the Physically Handicapped, Monitors and Drivers Unit; Educational Association of Worcester, Therapy Assistants Unit; Educational Association of Worcester, Parent Liaisons Unit; and Educational Association of Worcester, ESL Tutors Unit. B.​ Call to Order C.​ Pledge of Allegiance/National Anthem: The National Anthem will be performed by Jovanni Dutremble, grade 10, Doherty Memorial High School D.​ Roll Call​ M. ​ Student Advisory Committee Items ​ Introduction of the 2025-2026 School Committee Student Advisory Council ​ E.​ Consent Agenda i. ​ Approval of Minutes of the September 18, 2025 School Committee Meeting Approval of Minutes of the September 24, 2025 WTHS Naming Committee AGENDA #19 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 2 Meeting Approval of Minutes of the October 6, 2025 Finance, Operations, and Governance Standing Committee meeting. ii. ​ Approval of Donations To accept a donation in the amount of $15,000 from Bay State Bank to address food insecurity among WPS Students. To consider approval of a donation from the Thurston E. Solomon and Everett J Morter Memorial fund of Greater Worcester Community Foundation Inc to WTHS for the Skills USA program in the amount of $490. To consider approval of a donation from Saul A. Seder fund of GWCF, Inc to WTHS for participation in Skills USA in the amount of $580. To consider approval of a donation from Sarah Daniels Pettit and William O. Pettit Jr fund of GWCF, Inc to WTHS in the amount of $6,436.65. To consider approval of a donation of 60 small pumpkins from Worcester County Sheriff's Office to the Early Childhood vocational program at WTHS. To consider approval of a donation from Marlborough Public Schools of 10 boxes of surgical masks for WTHS Allied Health program. To consider approval of a donation from the Mary Oakley Memorial Fund of Greater Worcester Community Foundation to provide art supplies to WPS students in the amount of $540. To consider approval of a donation from the Marcia R Katter memorial Fund of Greater Worcester Community Foundation to support the preschool programs in the amount of $3,330. To consider approval of a donation of 450 backpacks and school supplies from Isaac Yiadom and New Orleans Saints. To consider approval of a donation from Papa Gino's to Lincoln Street School from fundraising event in the amount of $87.19. iii. ​ Notification of Personnel Records a.​ New Hire Non-Instructional Staff b.​ New Hire Instructional Staff c.​ Resignations/Retirements ​ iv. ​ Initial filing of Recognition ​ v. ​ Notices of Interest to the District or to the Public  AGENDA #19 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 3 F.​ Item for Reconsideration ​ G.​ Held Items H.​ Recognitions ​ (Alvarez) (September 18, 2025) To recognize Carmen Rosado, Family and Community Engagement Liaison, from the Latino Education Institute afterschool program for 25 years of service. I. Public Comment-Any member of the public may address the Committee regarding any item before them for two (2) minutes. Those speaking will state their name, their residence, and the item on which they wish to speak for the record. Those speaking may do so in person or via remote participation. Those wishing to address the Committee in a language other than English are asked to notify the Clerk of the Committee in advance, so the Committee may be provided with an interpreter. Members of the Committee may not respond to the comments of the public at the meeting. Click to view Policy BEDH-Public Comment J. ​ Public Petition K.​ Report of the Superintendent ​ ros 5-13 (Administration) ​ ​​ (October 9, 2025) ​ Vision to Action…Strategic Plan Status Update Recommendation: Approve and File L.​ Reports of the Standing Committees ​ FOG - October 6, 2025 ​ gb 2-92.15 – Clancey/McCullough/Johnson/Kamara/Mailman (March 8, 2022) Request that the Administration provide quarterly reports regarding building maintenance to include timeframes on when work will begin and be concluded. Results: This report was approved and the item was held for the next quarterly meeting. gb 4-73 Administration) ​ ​ ​ (August 15, 2024) ​ To review the status of the FY25 Budget and make appropriate transfers as ​ ​ required. ​ ​ Results: Transfers were approved by FOG and this item was filed. ​ ​ gb 5-73 (McCullough) ​ ​​ ​ (July 10, 2025) ​ To explore the utilization of the OneMeeting platform for the Worcester School Committee to be in line with the shift of the Worcester City Council to this platform.  AGENDA #19 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 4 ​ Results: This item was filed with motions from Vice Chair Biancheria to be informed when School Committee will begin utilization and the inform the community of how the platform works. ​ ​ N. Approval of Grants and Finance items - Gene Haas ​ (August 14, 2025) To accept a donation in the amount of $500,000 from the Gene Haas Foundation to Worcester Technical High School (through the Worcester Educational Development Fund) to be used for renovations and remodeling of the Advanced Manufacturing space, to be named the Gene Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing, for a period of twelve years. Recommendation from Naming Committee Click here to view the prior action sheet for this item Results: This item was approved by FOG and will be sent to the full School Committee for approval. N.​ Approval of Grants and other Finance Items ​ To consider approval of the Early Literacy Consortium Grant from DESE in the amount of $10,000. ​ To consider approval of the Food Security Infrastructure Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources in the amount of $626,558. ​ To consider approval of six (6) prior year payments in the amount of $5,175 to employees for extra hours worked in FY2025. O.​ General Business gb 4-114 B (Guardiola) ​ ​ (November 21, 2024) ​ Response from Administration ​ Request the number of employees that maxed sick leave in both the 2022 and 2023 years. ​ Recommendation: Approve and File gb 5-87A & B (Guardiola) ​​ (August 14, 2025) Response from Administration A) Request the administration to explore the opportunity to implement an Army JROTC program in one of Worcester public high schools. B) Member Biancheria made an amendment to explore opening JROTC to schools who used to have one. Recommendation: Approve and File ​ gb 5-89A (Biancheria) 5-89B (Motion from Member Mailman) ​ ​​ (September 4, 2025) ​ Response from Administration ​ Request administration provide an update in details pertaining to the Gerald Creamer evening program, which is being relocated, to Worcester Technical High School,  AGENDA #19 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Page 5 please include transportation, number of staffing, course offerings, how many students will be offered this program, timeframe of courses, start date and how is this program going to be promoted in our schools and a motion to include Night Life information in this item. ​ Recommendation: Approve and File ​ gb 5-106 (Clerk) ​ ​ (October 9, 2025) ​ To vote to select a delegate and alternate delegate to represent the Worcester School Committee at the MASC/MASS Joint Conference November 12-14, 2025. ​ Recommendation: Vote and File ​ gb 5-107 (Binienda) ​ ​ (October 9, 2025) ​ To discuss funding for the GearUp Program at North High School. ​ Recommendation: Refer to FOG ​ gb 5-108 (Administration) ​ ​ (October 9, 2025) ​ To Approve the Proposed Changes to the Career Technical Education Admissions Policy for 2025-2026. ​ Recommendation: Refer to FOG ​ gb 5-109 (Administration) ​ ​ (October 9, 2025) ​ To approve the Middle School Pathway Exploration Policy. ​ Recommendation: Refer to FOG ​ gb 5-110 (Guardiola) ​ ​ (October 9, 2025) ​ Request that the Administration provide the School Committee with a detailed report on the district’s plan to address student achievement in light of the newly released MCAS results. ​ Recommendation: Refer to Administration ​ P. Announcements Meeting Dates: -​ October 16, 2024, 5:00 p.m., Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Success, 20 Irving Street, Room 410. -​ October 23, 2025, 5:00 p.m., Esther Howland Chamber, Worcester City Hall, 455 Main Street. -​ November 10, 2025 Standing Committee on Finance, Operations, and Governance, 20 Irving Street, Room 410 Q.​ Adjournment Kristi Turgeon, Clerk of the School Committee