[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6378442,"mediaKeyId","2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b","parentId",2137618,"title","School Committee approves warrant article support, competency policy change and routine items","audioSeconds",1827,"startMs",3219000,"endMs",5046000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b&start=3219&end=5046","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b/thumbnail_3219000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6378442/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/School-Committee-approves-warrant-article-support-competency-policy-change-and-routine-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378442-a80bd05aa8d4a3a4c91b04a9d00213a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948730&Signature=CWo8FyfYT3dKuMSB0~M3liENpZuy8m8j1DCYkt-F22hM9QcZE5P2U49tRi9NIfGfADzK~gkak22EkZQ9QhgRsAvP8xozZfvq3NhaBaKrA0sIpaCn~IicUuC9WgGAdbx4JoEADITTavDRnbNitBfAFgbFWN3mRdYit~F1ZzrrVQ-UGSLb7CgiEmxsYeO5fCAkyPtYO9v5eGQoYN63Ui04ubsKWXqXBHhs9v0ZOox4P6vZ08tgyznjU3IiVUlu7lz4DZqCmwLohNs3B6iSkGYF2mxS4A5RixJLV7pPRrY5lOiAgDzFn-WxDtnq7QjVgDQcOFMlrWMUX5vWmDBZYN78ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town-County of Nantucket, MA","date","2025-01-02T19:09:58Z","article","The Nantucket School Committee took a series of votes on Jan. 21, approving an advisory motion to support a town-meeting warrant article for a long-term lease of a portion of 48 Sparks Avenue; adopting revisions to policy IKF (graduation competency determination); and approving several routine items including overnight field trips, donations and minutes.

Key votes and outcomes:

- Warrant article: Committee voted to support placing a warrant article on the annual town meeting warrant to authorize a long-term lease of a portion of 48 Sparks Avenue to the Nantucket Education Trust for staff housing. The vote was taken by voice and carried.

- Policy IKF (competency determination): The committee approved changes to policy IKF to move the district from using MCAS as the sole competency determination toward a coursework-and-mastery-exam approach. The revised policy requires demonstration of mastery in specified English, math and science courses; for the classes of 2025 and 2026 a qualifying MCAS score or the coursework pathway may apply depending on timing of tests; for the class of 2027 and beyond competency will be demonstrated by coursework or mastery exams only. The committee moved and seconded the policy change and approved it by voice vote.

- Field trips: Committee approved CPS overnight field trip to Boston (Jan. 24'25) and a high-school overnight field trip to the Senior District Music Festival in New Bedford (Jan. 10; vote recorded retroactively). Both motions were approved.

- Donations and minutes: The committee accepted a $500 donation to Nantucket Community School's Learn to Swim program and a $4,000 donation for senior sports and wellness, approved meeting minutes for Dec. 3 and Dec. 17, and approved transfers and invoices as presented.

All motions described above were made, seconded and approved on a voice vote during the Jan. 21 meeting; the meeting transcript records voice approvals (\"Aye\") rather than roll-call tallies.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Nantucket School Committee - January 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Jan. 21 meeting, the School Committee voted to back a town-meeting warrant for teacher-housing lease authorization, adopted changes to graduation competency determination policy IKF, and approved several field trips, donations and minutes.","taxTitle","Nantucket County, Massachusetts","taxId",61456,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6378447,"Students and a coach press Nantucket School Committee on football program conduct and pay practices",287,248000,535000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b&start=248&end=535","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b/thumbnail_248000.jpg","/articles/6378447/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Students-and-a-coach-press-Nantucket-School-Committee-on-football-program-conduct-and-pay-practices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378447-e248ba521a7c77c5149ba26e71da6a8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948730&Signature=XUTXdJmteRCYB74lAz3~Xm0kHD6jXrPshbwHQ7W6bZTEQHLMPbpsnPeTuTf7lmHCF7sqAKxsmpLflyJlHOsNqRIq1tfq6LwkgDMoLkVF0kxZpbRnM73W7vTfvNm2665AvlPfLASN1JG9HGv0CtO6ZA6SeWYAZGUTrCrbZx1rVD5fEB5OTwGWJud3lVZbY9hkiR4gsIG7-NITicXCJS4om6Au8A~7XMrpFg3yQmXi6thKQHaG26FcitRPP~w9p0i-7OlwZbvsnBi9dxXYxS0EpYloqtouXdEY5skKmQ6Dw4yrmrcmd3xmnal9wrkDdj5xMU-V--jyq~WyKkjTpjEGuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Nantucket high-school junior and a former JV coach used the public-comment period on Jan. 21 to tell the School Committee they had concerns about the football program's culture, player safety and how coaching positions were paid this season.

\"We, as a team, were constantly singled out and belittled,\" Brock Beamish, who identified himself as a junior and an athlete on football, hockey and baseball teams, told the committee. He said he sustained a season-ending injury at football practice and will miss other sports while he recovers. Beamish asked the committee to consider a workshop or public forum to address the physical and mental health of student-athletes.

Jeff Beamish, who said he served as the JV head football coach for three years, said the JV staff \"is no longer, to my knowledge, representing Nantucket Football because of said head coach and his hard coaching.\" Jeff Beamish said the JV coaching staff had been excluded from coaching communications and a coaching-run system the program used for coordinating the offense. He also alleged problems \"with how the coaches got paid,\" saying the head coach managed payments and that he was told the head coach misrepresented positions; Beamish said he emailed administrators about the issue and did not receive a reply.

Committee members acknowledged the complaints during the public-comment period and did not announce any immediate administrative action in the meeting record. One committee member asked that the concerns be brought to the administration so they can be investigated; the public commenters expressed a desire to raise awareness and prompt a formal review.

The comments were delivered during the meeting's public-comment portion and therefore do not represent committee findings. The committee did not take a formal vote on the public-comment remarks during the meeting.","A high-school student and a JV coach told the School Committee they experienced or witnessed hard coaching, repeated player injuries, and alleged irregularities in how coaching positions and pay were handled.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6378450,"Education trust seeks long-term lease of school land for teacher housing; committee backs warrant article",752,4277000,5029000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b&start=4277&end=5029","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b/thumbnail_4277000.jpg","/articles/6378450/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Education-trust-seeks-long-term-lease-of-school-land-for-teacher-housing-committee-backs-warrant-article","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378450-00a9bef80523df56738a2f0ebfe9a48f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948730&Signature=dIIMeixFHEzvZe4Mchgh6jnYXnMCvCHe1lnvKhlpQ60MzcjDwn9JAuutcaC7yHLoATlRme4dMb8aZLdEkgmkh8JOLRIhxZHVNddGOq-e56-mLEJ6LAh1Vl26IrptJwldj7kwwNCeibrmkta-YTgKfWOSpM0l7xoHo5NJJUbQyrfCNreVKBClpwad9t7RiMY7vjInt~eoaCk1mgGx4VESEZG~IzRcKRU~9--68gRsbE~6mWcYQzdvUjtwi6iGXstJOyxpIhdEdUheoeW~5H2hiDxIpOo506VBMJBr5pn7PMfHHuO7HfHGoooExMKIFMfW1V9l9fR9d8eKgsC6fDv4YA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Nantucket Education Trust on Jan. 21 asked the School Committee to support a town-meeting warrant article that would authorize a long-term lease of a portion of school campus property at 48 Sparks Avenue to develop staff housing.

\"What this article is is a real estate disposition, asking for long term lease authorization of a portion of 48 Sparks Avenue with access and utility rights,\" Hadley Dutra, president of the Nantucket Education Trust, said in a presentation. She said the trust manages 12 existing teacher housing units on Calpine Lane under a long-term lease arrangement with the town and would replicate that model on the Sparks Avenue parcel.

Dutra said the parcel under consideration is adjacent to existing campus facilities near the bus parking area and estimated the site could accommodate roughly 40,000 square feet of development, which the trust said might translate to an initial estimate of six to 10 units depending on final design and zoning allowances. The trust described the requested lease as a long-term, below-market lease model similar to the Calpine Lane arrangement.

Committee members asked about zoning, density and potential archaeological review. Dutra said trust members have flagged zoning provisions that might permit denser development for educator housing and that an archaeological survey would be part of the process if the warrant article clears town meeting and the project advances.

The committee voted to authorize the school committee's support for the town-meeting warrant article. The warrant item will proceed to the annual town meeting for final action by town meeting members.

Dutra acknowledged the project is early-stage: the trust said it is asking only for town-meeting authorization to lease the parcel and that further design, permitting and surveys would follow if town meeting approves the disposition.

The committee's motion to support the warrant article carried on a voice vote during the meeting.","Nantucket Education Trust asked the School Committee to support a town-meeting warrant article to lease a portion of school campus land at 48 Sparks Ave for new teacher housing; the committee voted to support the warrant request.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6378455,"Nantucket Public Schools outlines instructional vision, seeks to reallocate staff within current budget",1652,790000,2442000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b&start=790&end=2442","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2137618-996439d5b603f4a47bd8fe6e78121a4b/thumbnail_790000.jpg","/articles/6378455/Nantucket-County/Massachusetts/Nantucket-Public-Schools-outlines-instructional-vision-seeks-to-reallocate-staff-within-current-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6378455-e7dd05b09a91a1f73e8bfb1d78f0a174/orig.mp4?Expires=1770948730&Signature=fMUcplTemg6eu9HRhiCO312mWKyXWDbYJLMIVEvrs9VNpEt2eNjrmXVFL~UHpywXMgMLAIO9EBz1zELrCP3tnhYosMptUnvPwpHIUmSFuma-RmkDzBaTOyqEW1LzRcD3WZOFMoldhVpGiBsHtMdnGR-o2OBoq0p48pGc~0Ss25kwhcuNt4QNDziEuPRw2TDrhr2JtTlcZoN-kBeErTxw5x26baNWOBKzP2uATgOKmXIVnjQwXPyNtpSCj~oqDkc460FegAJmVYyZVgjO1OpbkY4FWvdnXq3y7J72Byo4kt1mqrWTQNfXxF6fsbl2sq2w9jljhGOkw8gdPckPYtx7mQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nantucket Public Schools leaders told the School Committee on Jan. 21 that the district will pursue an instructional overhaul aimed at closing persistent gaps in elementary and middle-school reading and math while keeping the district's overall staffing allocation for fiscal 2026 unchanged.

The presentation, led by the superintendent and curriculum staff, emphasized aligning the district's priorities with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's standards and using data ''to make data-driven decisions,'' the superintendent said. The district described several strategies that it says will be implemented primarily through reallocated positions and schedule changes rather than an increase in head count.

The plan matters because district leaders said state test results show continuing shortfalls for students in grades 3'8 in English language arts and math compared with statewide averages, and the district wants to target resources where the gaps are largest.

District leaders outlined four main levers: instructional strategies (universal design for learning, sheltered English immersion and inclusive instruction), expanded professional learning communities (PLCs) and in-district professional development, adoption and implementation of high-quality instructional materials, and refined structures such as aligned master schedules and increased intervention supports. Mandy Bardsley, director of curriculum and assessment for STEM, told the committee, \"At the center is our instructional vision,\" and described how that vision will \"inform our instructional strategies\" and the budget decisions that follow.

Specific staffing and program clarifications included requests to strengthen reading and math intervention positions across schools: the presenters said the elementary school called NES currently has two reading interventionists and one math interventionist and that it would benefit from adding a second math interventionist; NIS already has two reading and two math interventionists; CPS would benefit from a stable reading interventionist in addition to an existing math interventionist; and the high school would like to develop targeted intervention opportunities there as well. The district also said it plans to add non-evaluative instructional coaches in humanities and STEM to support classroom practice.

District officials said prekindergarten access is a priority: about 30 percent of incoming kindergarten students arrive without any pre-K experience, the presentation said, and the district plans to survey the community and form a steering committee with the goal of implementing expansion steps by September 2026.

Transportation also drew substantial attention. The superintendent said the district will hold a public forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 to gather stakeholder feedback on proposed staggered start times intended to ease chronic driver shortages. The presentation said preliminary information indicates an order of district vehicles is expected in spring and that the Cape Cod Collaborative is helping to provide drivers while the district recruits and trains new 70-license drivers; presenters described those supply and hiring details as preliminary and subject to change.

Presenters told the committee the instructional vision will be used to reallocate existing positions, align master schedules across schools, and slightly adjust operational allocations. \"We are really looking to take a really deep dive into what resources we already have,\" one presenter said, adding that the district is not requesting additional staffing in the 2026 allocation but will seek to reassign roles to reflect instructional priorities.

Committee members pressed for specifics and timelines: one committee member asked when a master schedule would be implemented, and district staff said they hope to have collaborative drafts and pilot implementations by the coming school year, with principals involved in rollout planning. Staff also noted that any staggered-start changes would include bargaining-unit discussions where applicable.

The presentation included a brief review of DESE documents and alignment language; staff said Massachusetts' updated district standards and indicators informed the district's approach and that the district's instructional vision maps to state guidance. Staff asked the committee to view the proposal as an initial plan that will be refined in school improvement and budget conversations.

The superintendent and administrators said they would bring more detailed budget presentations at the next meeting but reiterated the central point that the district hopes to advance these priorities through internal reallocation rather than an increase in total staffing.","District leaders presented an instructional vision tied to state standards, proposed internal staff reallocations (no net new hires) to boost reading and math, and scheduled a public forum on staggered start times as a response to chronic school bus shortages.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School Committee approves warrant article support, competency policy change and routine items

Students and a coach press Nantucket School Committee on football program conduct and pay practices

Education trust seeks long-term lease of school land for teacher housing; committee backs warrant article

Nantucket Public Schools outlines instructional vision, seeks to reallocate staff within current budget