6/11/25 - Regular Business Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the 

Monson School Committee

Regular Meeting

June 11, 2025

Present: Chair Alison Morgan; Vice-Chair Jamie Murphy; Secretary Karen Nothe-Valley; Committee Member Colleen Flynn; Committee Member Peter Wiggins; Director of Business and Operations Leah Zippin; Interim Superintendent Roland Joyal and Recording Secretary Haley Ketterman 

Note: This meeting was video recorded. M-PACT-TV

Mr. Joyal called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

Mrs. Morgan read off the MPS mission statement.

Mr. Joyal opened up the floor for nominations of the chair.

Ms. Flynn makes a motion to nominate Mrs. Morgan for chair.

Mrs. Murphy seconds for Mrs. Morgan.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

Mrs. Morgan opened up the floor for nominations of vice chair. 

Mrs. Murphy makes a motion to nominate Ms. Nothe-Valley for vice chair. 

Ms. Flynn seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

Mrs. Morgan opened up the floor for nominations for secretary.

Mrs. Murphy makes a motion to nominate Mr. Wiggins for secretary.

Ms. Flynn seconds.

Mrs. Morgan and the Committee clarified the role and responsibilities.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

The Committee decided to hold off on the subcommittee nominations until the next Regular business meeting. 

Superintendent announcements and updates : 

-Mr. Joyal congratulated the VIP students on their successful VIP bake sale last week downtown out in the community. 

-Mr. Joyal gave a shout out to the PTSA and Denise Newland on how active they are within the community and the help with the schools.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to move the minutes approval, after new business - as there is a lot on the agenda.

Public session opened @ 7:09 PM

-Bob Lamb: Mr. Lamb recapped his personal thoughts on the latest Tri-Board meeting and what the next school year will look like to him. 

Closed public session @ 7:16PM

New Business:

Senora Garces and Mr. Tremblay recapped the Galapagos Island trip, and talked briefly about an upcoming approval for a trip to Spain in 2027 with the Travel Club. 

Steve Slozak: Summerfest Committee: Steve discussed how the fireworks are planned to be set up and entertainment during the evening of the fireworks.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the request from the Monson Summerfest Committee to use Quarry Hill Community School on Saturday, June 21, 2025, with a rain date of Sunday, June 22, 2025, for the fireworks.

Ms. Nothe-Valley seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

Steve stated he will give a copy of their insurance once received from the insurance company, and also asked about extended dates if needed.

Mrs. Morgan clarified to Steve that the Committee approved the two dates for the event, but would make a motion for Superintendent and Mr. DeMaio to approve extended dates.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion for the Superintendent and Mr. DeMaio to approve any extended rain date(s) upon availability and as needed.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

Early acceptance for Kindergarten students:

Mrs. Brin presented that 5 families are requesting early acceptance. 

-J.F: Mrs. Brin recommends this student for early acceptance.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the student.

Ms. Flynn seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

-G.S: Mrs. Brin stated that she recommends this student for early acceptance.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the student.

Ms. Nothe-Valley seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

-L.K: Mrs. Brin stated that she recommends this student for early acceptance.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the student.

Ms. Nothe-Valley seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

-M.T: Mrs. Brin stated that she recommends this student for early acceptance.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the student.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

-L.U: Mrs. Brin stated that she recommends this student for early acceptance, with the expectation that peer social interaction will continue over the summer.

Discussion was held regarding concerns about the student’s October birthday and the importance of social-emotional skills for success in Kindergarten, noting that as academic demands significantly increase, this could impact learning, and that some students greatly benefit from an additional year to support readiness.

Ms. Flynn makes a motion to approve the student.

Ms. Nothe-Valley seconds.

No discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - No; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - No.

Motion carries, 3-2.

Pre-K Organization:

Mr. Joyal stated the initial budget, Pre-K was reduced to 4 classes, but it has been restored to 5 classes.

Mrs. Bidus presented to the School Committee for Pre-K to be 2 full-day classes, 2 half-day classes, and 1 specialized program class that would be similar to the Soar Program at GV with the growing projection of meeting the student’s needs.

Mrs. Morgan asked who is currently facilitating the pull-out services and requested clarification from Ms. Bidus regarding the amount of services received, the structure of the proposed format, the number of slots available, and the financial impact.

Mrs. Bidus explained the services have been minimal, with a paraprofessional providing support. However she believes it needs to be done with more fidelity, noting that while the current approach is manageable, it will not meet future needs. She further explained that the proposed structure would better meet students’ needs, increase services with the expectation that some students will require more support than others, and offer the added benefit of a dedicated space separate from classrooms.

Ms. Zippin explained that all options would be a financial challenge with the current funding for this program, and that moving 1 classroom from paying to non-paying would cost an additional $23,000.

Mrs. Morgan expressed concerns about the financial impact and emphasized the overall district’s need to be conservative.

Mrs. Bidus shared that a support staff would no longer be needed because of a student transitioning out, which could potentially offset the budget by about $20,000 without this position filled.

Discussion continued on scheduling and options for the classroom formats.

Mrs. Bidus acknowledged if we have 4 classrooms running, whether full time or part time, we can anticipate 28 slots for Special Education students and stated we would not need to add positions.

Mrs. Morgan spoke of the value of having a substantially separate special education classroom at this young age will help better outcomes for students as they move onto Granite Valley.

Discussion continued on tuition and financial impacts with full day vs half day formats while also considering mandated obligations.

Ms. Zippin expressed the 3 full days would help financially.

Mrs. Morgan asked Mrs. Brin and Mrs. Bidus if they could make the model of 3 full-day classes, 1 part-day class, and 1 specialized program work.

Mrs. Brin and Mrs. Bidus affirmed they could and reiterated their confidence in the budgetary offset expected from the student transitioning out.

Discussion was held by the Committee on the logistics of the substantially separate special education classroom not being able to be added unless there was a way to financially support it.

Ms. Flynn makes a motion to adopt the PreK organization structure for 2025–2026 with 3 full-time integrated classrooms, 1 part-day integrated classroom, and 1 substantially separate special education classroom.

Mrs. Morgan seconds.

Discussion was held as Ms. Nothe-Valley expressed her appreciation to the administration for bringing this forward as a proactive measure, noting her belief that it will benefit students as they progress. She also expressed gratitude for the administration’s sensitivity to the budget.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

Electric Vehicle Charging Station: 

The Town of Monson voted to put in 4 charging stations in the town, and the EV company is proposing 3 more to be installed, one at each school.

A representative spoke regarding all of the logistics for EV charging stations and the opportunity for them to be revenue generating overtime.

The Committee asked for more clarification on the locations, logistics, maintenance, and warranty options.

The EV representative explained details of the proposal, the no-cost funding, functions to automate rates, potential maintenance of parts over time, and explained options for warranties but did not provide estimates for costs.

Mrs. Morgan expressed agreement with Mr. DeMaio and Mr. Joyal’s concerns about 2 of the 3 locations and asked if there was a way to find out if they are feasible before approving this project.

The EV representative  explained there is time to determine other locations.

Mrs. Morgan expressed preference to have the MHS charger be located in the front of the building instead of the back of the building due to safety concerns.

The EV representative  explained that costs depend on the level of work required at each location for installation.

Mrs. Morgan asked if there is a deadline for approval and the representative explained there is not a deadline but they money is first come first serve.

The EV representative  will coordinate with Mr. Joyal on the next on-site visit to review potential placements. The representative will return to a future regular business meeting to report on whether the charging stations can be relocated at GV (currently planned for the loading dock) and MHS (currently planned for the back of the building), which were noted as the two locations of concern.

School Choice Numbers SY 25/26

Mr. Joyal presented the School Committee with the School Choice numbers that were put together by administration. 

Mrs. Morgan asked for clarification on if the average class size numbers include the number of recommended school choice slots or if the number would increase. Mr. Joyal confirmed the number would increase.

Kindergarten:

Ms. Flynn makes a motion to approve 6 Kindergarten slots for 25/26 school year as presented.

Ms. Nothe-Valley seconds.

Ms. Flynn expressed she would be comfortable voting on 6 school choice slots for Kindergarten.

Mrs. Morgan stated that she would be okay with the approval of 3 slots to help maintain reasonable class sizes and a manageable number of students per teacher.

Mr. Wiggins agreed 3 slots would be better to limit classroom size.

Mrs. Morgan suggested adding a stipulation to reduce School Choice slots if needed to accommodate potential move-ins and keep class sizes limited.

Ms. Flynn amended her motion to approve 6 School Choice slots, with the stipulation that they not be utilized until after August 15th, when a determination will be made regarding classroom sizes. If classroom sizes exceed 21 students, the number of School Choice slots will be reduced.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

No further discussion followed.

Roll call placed: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0.

1st Grade:

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the 6 recommended school choice slots for 1st grade.

Ms. Flynn seconds.

No discussion followed.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

2nd Grade:

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the 2 recommended school choice slots for 2nd grade.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

Mrs. Morgan asked if the current 1st Grade Teachers have concerns with there being 21 students per classroom. Mr. Trivisonno confirmed there are no concerns.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - No.

Motion carries, 4-1.

3rd Grade: 

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the 6 recommended school choice slots for 3rd grade.

Ms. Nothe-Valley seconds.

No discussion followed.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

4th Grade:

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve 3 school choice slots for 4th grade.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

No discussion followed.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

5th Grade:

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve 5 recommended school choice slots for 5th grade. 

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

No discussion followed.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

The recommendation for grade 6 is 0 school choice slots.

No discussion followed, and the Committee confirmed that no action is required on scenarios when zero slots are recommended.

7th Grade:

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the 3 recommended school choice slots for 7th grade. 

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

Mrs. Morgan expressed concern with block scheduling and asked if there were any anticipated concerns. Mr. Trivisonno confirmed there are no concerns especially since they are anticipating some students leaving which were currently being calculated in the total number of students.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

8th Grade:

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the 6 recommended school choice slots for 8th grade. 

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

Mrs. Morgan expressed that she felt 6 spots was way more than needed, while Ms. Flynn thought this number was beneficial to potentially increase the class size.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

9th Grade:

Mrs. Morgan acknowledged it could be difficult to determine class size and asked if there were concerns with this number. Ms. Flynn recommended adding the same caveat as Kindergarten being capped. Mr. Fontaine disclosed there are already caps per Union contract(s).

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve 10 recommended school choice slots for 9th grade.

Ms. Flynn seconds.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

Recommendation for grades 10, 11 & 12 was 0.

No discussion followed, and the Committee confirmed that no action is required on scenarios when zero slots are recommended.

Reschedule of July Regular Business meeting: 

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to change the July School Committee Regular Business meeting to July 9th @ 6PM because Superintendent Foster is going to be away at a conference.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

No discussion followed.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

School Calendar FY 26:

Discussion was held regarding an error in the calendar being 181 days vs 180.

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to approve the amended 2025/2026 district calendar.

Mrs. Murphy seconds.

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

Fraud Risk Assessment: 

Mr. Joyal stated his concerns for the fraud risk assessment being too general and includes broad statements which are less helpful than giving specific feedback or examples. Mr. Joyal said the potential scenarios may be interpreted as findings and recommended the School Committee to review and create a response for clarity. The School Committee decided to further review and add to the next Regular Business meeting’s agenda.

New Business:

No discussion.

Review of action items:  

Scheduled Meetings:

-July 9th Regular Business Meeting @ 6PM

-The Committee decided to move the Minutes approval to the next regular business meetings agenda for the following meetings:

• November 21, 2024 - Finance Subcommittee Meeting

• January 16, 2025 - Finance Subcommittee Meeting

• March 19, 2025 - Finance Subcommittee Meeting

• March 24, 2025 - FY 26 Budget Working Meeting

• May 7, 2025 - Regular Business Meeting Minutes

Mrs. Morgan makes a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:01 PM

Mrs. Murphy seconds

All in favor: Mr. Wiggins - Yes; Ms. Nothe-Valley - Yes; Ms. Flynn - Yes; Mrs. Murphy - Yes; Mrs. Morgan - Yes.

Motion carries, 5-0

Documentation for this meeting:

Agenda June 11, 2025 

Monson School Committee Regular Meetings Draft

Approved by Committee:

________________________________________

Mr. Wiggins, Secretary