School Committee — June 3, 2026

The chair read the names of the new Concord members (Andrew Herchek, Drew Maglozi, Sandy Perardi, Tracy Morano, Michael Williams) and Carlisle members (Brian Wat, Lynette Kellaher).

The seating of the committee was approved.

A speaker noted that while the school is responsive to questions, the sheer volume of emails can feel alarming to parents. They suggested using 'captive audiences,' such as student leaders speaking at school concerts, to communicate more creatively.

The board acknowledged the need to be more creative in how they communicate to prevent overwhelming families.

The board questioned how math and ELA instruction is scaffolded for struggling students. The administration explained that the middle school master schedule includes an 'enrichment' block, which allows core teachers to provide intervention and build stronger student-teacher relationships rather than rushing students immediately to special education.

The administration highlighted that the current master schedule and teacher team structure are the primary drivers for this support.

There were competing motions for the Chair; Michael Williams was nominated but the amendment failed, leading to the election of Brian Wat. For Vice Chair, an amendment to nominate Tracy Morano was discussed to ensure institutional knowledge for future years.

Brian Wat was elected Chair; Tracy Morano was elected Vice Chair.

Sandeep was nominated for Chair. An amendment to nominate Michael Williams was proposed and debated but failed. Andrew Herchek was then nominated for Vice Chair via amendment.

Sandeep was elected Chair; Andrew Herchek was elected Vice Chair.

The committee moved to appoint Allison Brick as the treasurer for the Concord Carlisle Regional School District.

The appointments were approved.

Members discussed existing assignments, including the CMS building committee and the Financial Audit Advisory Committee. There was a discussion regarding whether one person can represent both Concord and the Regional district on certain committees.

Liaison assignments will be formally made at the June 16th meeting.

Members must submit interest in specific assignments by Friday, June 12th.

The club members discussed their year-long effort to research and successfully pass a warrant article urging the town to investigate a townwide composting program.

The club was recognized for their professionalism and civic engagement.

Students discussed various end-of-year milestones including the junior and senior awards nights, the senior clap out, and the recent prom. They also shared results for the student government elections (naming Alex as President and Abby Adams as Vice President) and discussed upcoming summer plans.

The committee received the updates as a summary of the concluding school year for seniors.

The new student government representatives will join the committee next year.

The CEF reported a record 31 grant applications, awarding nearly $65,000 to various school programs. They discussed challenges with declining traditional fundraising and new initiatives like 'Operation Graduation'.

The committee voted to accept the $64,732 donation from CEF.

Dr. Hunter reported on the recent graduation and the upcoming Q5 week. Brian Wat raised concerns about the density of the January town meeting calendar (three meetings in one week).

The committee was informed of the upcoming schedule.

The Foundation is working to build a dryland training center attached to the Beede Center. To comply with special permit parking requirements, they proposed relocating six parking spots from the Beede Center lot to two new locations on the high school campus (one near the loading dock and one on the Walden Street access road). The plan was reviewed and supported by police and fire departments.

The School Committee approved the proposal to stripe the six replacement parking spaces.

The Foundation intends to submit permit applications to the planning and zoning boards within the next several weeks.

Students highlighted the success of the '9 to 5' musical, the art exhibition, and the moot court finals.

Students were recognized for their extracurricular achievements.

Administrators discussed expanding interdisciplinary courses like 'Twice Told Tales' and new AP offerings. They also highlighted the success of student affinity groups and the goal of increasing enrollment in upper-level courses by 10% through better support for marginalized students in honors and AP tracks.

The presentation served as a dialogue with the committee regarding academic achievement and inclusivity.

The administration emphasized the importance of strong Tier 1 instruction to improve overall student data. They discussed re-committing to PBIS values (compassion, motivation, self-awareness) and using the 'Playbook' initiative to better partner with families to improve the sense of belonging.

The committee engaged in a discussion regarding how to support students scoring low on state assessments and how to track student/family engagement.

A board member asked if the school tracks whether all students—including those without high levels of parental support—are taking advantage of retake opportunities. The administration explained that retakes are integrated into the school day (flex blocks) and that teachers proactively call students in to ensure equity of access.

The administration expressed a goal of eventually tracking the percentage of qualifying students who utilize retakes to ensure proactive teaching.

The new Willard principal, Stephanie Nephew, and other administrators presented highlights. Key points included the continued implementation of Expeditionary Learning (EL) and DIBELS, mental health initiatives via the Panorama survey and wellness committee, and updates on the playground project.

The administration detailed the transition into the second year of major curriculum implementations.

Bids for phase two of the playground project are due next Friday.

The administration noted that the handbook will be updated to include AI usage guidelines and to align with Department of Justice (DOJ) recommendations. It was clarified that policy voting happens before the handbook vote.

The board will review the policies at the next meeting.

A second reading and vote on specific policies are scheduled for the June 16th meeting.

A board member requested that updates on bias and climate become a standing item on the agenda to ensure accountability. Other members expressed concern that making it a regular agenda item might become 'performative' or intrusive into school operations, suggesting periodic updates or forums instead.

The discussion was tabled to allow for further thought on the best format for these updates.

The chairs will discuss over the summer how often these updates should occur.

The board debated the 'nuance' of their role as elected officials sitting in a 'third space' between the community and the schools. There was a discussion about whether the committee should address specific campus climate issues (e.g., antisemitism) directly on every agenda or empower administrators to handle them.

The committee decided to table the discussion to allow for individual reflection and potential future dialogue with the Chair.

Members will give the topic thought; the Chair (Sandep) may discuss further with members.

The update outlined two 'buckets': a district technology committee for staff (led by Shelley) and a collaborative forum involving parents, students, and administrators to bridge the gap between schools and the community. Significant emphasis was placed on the rapid pace of AI development, noting that current handbook policies may need frequent, rapid updates.

The administration committed to packaging these efforts into a 'master plan' and including AI policy revisions in that package.

Work will continue over the summer and into the fall; technology policies will be revisited at a rapid rate.

The project is moving to the bidding phase with bids due July 17th. The district is also seeking an Owner's Project Manager (OPM) via an RFS to replace the retired facilities director, Russ Hughes, for the construction phase of the project.

The committee was informed that they will likely need to convene (possibly via a brief virtual meeting) to approve the construction bid award and the OPM selection.

Bids are due July 17th; work is expected to proceed through the summer and winter, finishing in the spring.