[{"_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",[32,76,88,99],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6341204,"mediaKeyId","2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40","parentId",2257930,"title","Votes at a glance: Medford School Committee, Feb. 10, 2025","audioSeconds",3534,"startMs",220000,"endMs",3754000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40&start=220&end=3754","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40/thumbnail_220000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6341204/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Medford-School-Committee-Feb-10-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341204-11b6dd0f57ece605a34ec7418e996416/orig.mp4?Expires=1770709857&Signature=OQJbr07bhofobULORYDCK9h3pf623OnY4ygKpNb6kb4vCkzM2MnZV~XDQFuMJRompTDiyfyMcAJn81uDfvweQbQGchRGRka3r2Z4r-08hT8B0cKqJXEFZ3ZBDdk5FYG4dadQKFx9YptK6Lbd78uE~YCM90juBjRMbB~fzlTTsB8HhYFMRPxJpV4i~8QOAc~94lvzHSQKr~X3LNlkB5xZtAUAw9nGmeugfffGNSxDwpSNXh6jtTnWbU3x4Ats9q9EiVq6fK3zpG7xSUEFuYwOidIcTkCClJio7e2~DjucqNS3swSnSbCcDYyH64v7PmLjns6a6NxNbbLBgEoyHychDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Medford Public Schools, MA","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","The Medford School Committee took the following recorded actions on Feb. 10, 2025.

- Consent agenda approved (bills/payroll, capital purchases, grants, donations, meeting minutes): Passed by roll call; recorded as 7 affirmative, 0 negative.

- Field trips: A motion to sever the Winter Guard field-trip approval from the consent agenda passed; later, the committee approved the out-of-state Winter Guard field trip by voice vote.

- First reading: Motion to update Medford High School graduation and competency-determination policy (to align with Ballot Question 2 statewide changes) passed; administration to reformat policy into official policy-service format and return for required second reading.

- Summer Fund rates and sliding-scale approach: Committee approved new rates and eligibility process: standard tuition $250/week, reduced resident rate $200/week for families identified through direct certification (April 1 snapshot), non-resident tuition $300/week; motion passed by voice vote.

- Motion to withdraw (new business item offered by Member Russo): Passed by voice vote.

- Resolution (20205-4): Rules and policy subcommittee to develop a district policy for financial support of field trips, with recommendations to the full committee by June 1, 2025: Passed by voice vote.

- Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee membership changes and renewal through Sept. 2026: Passed by voice vote.

- Feasibility study agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for the Medford High School project: Approved by roll call, 7 affirmative, 0 negative; the district certified an enrollment of 1,395 for planning and will proceed to feasibility-phase procurement.

- Motion to adjourn: Passed.

For details on motions, movers, seconders and implementation steps, see the related meeting reports and full minutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Medford School Committee Regular Meeting - 2.10.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal actions and their outcomes during the Feb. 10 Medford School Committee meeting, including consent agenda, field-trip actions, policy and program votes, and MSBA feasibility authorization.","taxTitle","Medford Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71102,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6341208,"Medford moves forward with high school feasibility study, updates building committee membership",296,4052000,4348000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40&start=4052&end=4348","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40/thumbnail_4052000.jpg","/articles/6341208/Massachusetts/Medford-moves-forward-with-high-school-feasibility-study-updates-building-committee-membership","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341208-8910d55bb34409f0e2a405f1e3cffd61/orig.mp4?Expires=1770709857&Signature=SJKoOjNkcxx6aiwbWHPBonK~tCe711AuVAgNN~vK0iI-LRg437~8-OXDk79S7zMsK9C8~gLsaxhVyjj9Mx76EfR~8mnDbnotpTV0EI~apbWPW0MmPKF4Y30D2E9PQ~kkzvYx235YzQUWqUmtWOSoS6Xk2g7W~fL8l3qrjpIKCm2H6GAwagJMYj6MngWNKtwUVlMVJpqapri4l~eXp4LlXzTw0Me147cV57-msZS~tAaTfWjIYH6IJUxrUb78uLIUmcOZQnmzewhaYpCnhdGy1qHMvsuP-zu6OSXwyfHr8OlDCGfuqfgecfU3qlaSFQWLEa7V5L2YY6~yhKhkExfzPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Medford School Committee voted Feb. 10 to enter a feasibility study agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for the Medford High School project and to update the building committee's membership.

Member Graham told the committee the district worked with the mayor's office and city planning staff to certify an enrollment figure of 1,395 students for the project, a roughly 200-student increase from current enrollment and a basis for the MSBA eligibility certification.

What the vote authorizes
Approving the MSBA feasibility agreement allows the district to hire an owner's project manager and a design team to complete the feasibility phase. Member Graham said the feasibility phase will answer key design, capacity and site questions and that the MSBA board meeting to consider Medford's advancement is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Building committee changes
The committee also approved changes to the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee: replacing former appointees with current district leaders (for example, replacing the superintendent roster line with Interim Superintendent Suzanne Gallucci in a voting role, replacing the assistant-superintendent slot with Joan Bowen as a voting member, replacing Tom Dalton with Will Pippicelli as a nonvoting member), removing Lawrence Brown at his request and adding an MTA member who is a Medford resident at the recommendation of Monica Cabral. The committee renewed the building committee through Sept. 2026 or the end of the feasibility phase, whichever comes first.

Vote and next steps
The feasibility agreement motion passed on a roll call vote recorded as seven affirmative, zero negative. The building committee membership changes passed on voice vote. The building committee is scheduled to begin work immediately on owner's project manager and designer selection and feasibility deliverables.

Ending
Committee members said they expect the feasibility phase to include the detailed work that will frame subsequent funding requests to MSBA and local stakeholders; administration and the newly constituted building committee will return with procurement documents to begin the next phase.","The committee authorized the district to enter a feasibility agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), certified an enrollment figure of 1,395 for planning and approved membership changes and an extension of the Medford Comprehensive High School Building Committee through September 2026 or the end of feasibility.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":46,"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6341213,"School committee approves new Summer Fund tuition rates, sets eligibility date for sliding-scale aid",1728,2026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40&start=2026&end=3754","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40/thumbnail_2026000.jpg","/articles/6341213/Massachusetts/School-committee-approves-new-Summer-Fund-tuition-rates-sets-eligibility-date-for-sliding-scale-aid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341213-34c1c1ba48995933db8109540ef31c5e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770709857&Signature=ie4hgO6JTBgflVLaz-cAMiuCfGsztXIKYzIiFIcQgzzYpBlFZD2a4jLhfbfDqGnsRRtlznu5ZZgGIS6HD9dofYWm7P~cHdOhzynW8Zk17lbSfRnJqfrDgnoEILr1UJM6vDR1eQb2a5F-ghzss2lvMnbnOS2aWieq04lTlliH33V2moz3nm4uW6wljCJIfquF7Jw-L-X77RN1jddGn4mH2psSTShEN1WnwuWv0DiOXhZ6qgZ9tlYC9~jVeyCyVuVrtVLZ7pfCNP2ctR0WKBN2~tpARn4riwSc0XsRt--Vhp6PKaSAottVrsC0k4x7vDptPqYeO5K8PpqVhR2msZbCCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Medford School Committee voted Feb. 10 to increase Summer Fund tuition and adopt a framework to preserve affordability for families who qualify for subsidized rates.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Cushing and Director of Finance Noel Velez presented enrollment, payroll and revenue figures and outlined an option analysis that considered a broader sliding-scale model. Anthony Petrellas, director of the Summer Fund program, joined virtually and described operational impacts of expanded enrollment and afternoon extended-school programming.

What the committee approved
The committee approved a motion to set standard Summer Fund tuition at $250 per week for the 2025 program year, set a resident reduced rate at $200 per week for families identified via direct certification (the district will use the April 1 direct-certification report to determine eligibility), and set the non-resident weekly rate at $300. The committee instructed administration to advertise and open registration as soon as practical. Member Graham, who offered the motion, said the approach balances affordability with program sustainability.

Why the change
Administrators said Summer Fund historically began each summer with a zero fund balance; the FY25 program had 249 students participating across weeks last year, staffing up to 25 counselors plus director and assistant directors, and FY25 revenue of about $131,960 with payroll near $96,280. The recommended $50 increase aims to expand programming, formalize scholarship processes and adjust hourly rates for counselors and stipends for directors while keeping the program self-sustaining.

Key clarifications and safeguards
- The district will use the April 1 direct-certification snapshot to identify families eligible for the reduced $200 rate.
- Administration said it will formalize scholarship procedures rather than relying on ad hoc, case-by-case decisions.
- Title III funds and EL-program staffing have at times supplemented afternoon supervision and tutoring; administrators said one teacher and two aides from the EL program provided afternoon support in prior summers.
- The committee asked that any changes to staff stipends or salaries tied to the program come back for committee approval.

Committee reaction
Member Graham, who moved the motion, said holding a clear posted rate plus a formal eligibility process reduces ambiguity and potential favoritism. \"My motion would be to hold tuition at $200 for those who can demonstrate financial need, to increase tuition for everybody else to $250 and to increase tuition for non-residents to $300 a week,\" Graham said. Mr. Petrellas emphasized the operational challenge of adding dozens of afternoon participants and the staffing that requires.

Ending
The motion passed by voice vote. Administration will post rates, open registration, and return any salary or stipend changes related to Summer Fund to the committee for approval.","After a presentation on costs and enrollment, the committee approved raising the standard weekly tuition to $250, set a resident discounted rate of $200 for families who meet direct-certification eligibility, set non-resident tuition at $300, and established April 1 as the eligibility snapshot date for sliding-scale support.",{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6341217,"Medford School Committee moves to update graduation competency policy after state changes to MCAS",1737,288000,2025000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40&start=288&end=2025","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2257930-5abf439c123bb115e11c7748d7073f40/thumbnail_288000.jpg","/articles/6341217/Massachusetts/Medford-School-Committee-moves-to-update-graduation-competency-policy-after-state-changes-to-MCAS","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341217-41e331abe87920677d6acd6a8f670cda/orig.mp4?Expires=1770709857&Signature=nPdkh-7vCSaOZDdgqvvzV6SdkK3Vws3Is4MBGYCVbTyJWYzyZEnRDfARs1QG9QuMEsOz6d~anUv2AmEYKjguAXIBFvLf-mFSzsC-nAIPKOqlwGdC~Dz26ipENqissR35HTRp6h1mqNosgClmXJ5LeSXLKo3lunE0x~DKOQklcTJRoFc1E6-S-fl1-ApPIRh3qltuShDxpaYv~NwBHHwQkM6i7zZ-m6P3XUW2ydydhGAU987cnEmNZkMEW0BbgLaDFHVHzKWABHBT6ChvF-TJkGkeGKmDy1BYCQCT4OjvZ8I4-BZPgIrIVvYtni25~9JCkch9pulkWDupJK56oelElQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Medford School Committee voted Feb. 10 to approve an administrative update to the district's Medford High School graduation and competency-determination policy to reflect changes in state law that removed MCAS as the sole competency determinant for graduation.

Interim Superintendent Suzanne Gallucci presented the proposal and said the state's change (Ballot Question 2) replaces the MCAS-based competency determination with coursework aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. \"Participation is required,\" Gallucci said of MCAS testing, adding the district would continue to require students to take the tests because they remain an accountability measure for districts and a qualifier for some scholarships and seals of biliteracy.

The proposed local language keeps Medford's four-year English and mathematics requirements and shifts math labeling to the integrated-pathway courses (Integrated Math 1'3). It also specifies successful completion of grade 9'10 ELA coursework, participation in assigned MCAS ELA, math and biology tests (with at least one retest required for students who do not meet expectations), and the successful completion of high school biology aligned with state frameworks as the pathway for competency determination moving forward.

Why it matters: The change follows a statewide vote that 59% of Massachusetts voters supported; districts must translate the new statute into local policy while preserving any remaining local graduation credit and other Medford-specific requirements. Committee members pressed administrators for clarity about transfer students, English learners and students who previously took alternate assessments.

Discussion and clarifications
Administrators said students who already earned competency via prior MCAS scores or appeal processes will keep that determination. For transfer students, the district will rely on existing handbook processes and a collaborative review by high school leadership and department heads to approve equivalent coursework. Gallucci noted work is underway to identify a very small group of current seniors who may need outreach to confirm competency determinations, and staff said they are contacting caregivers.

Member Russo highlighted a policy consequence for students who previously took the alternate (Alt) MCAS: \"I'm thrilled that the end of the MCAS requirement means that those students who have earned a diploma can get a diploma,\" she said, noting students who used the Alt had previously received certificates rather than diplomas. Member Rousseau recommended the draft include standard policy-service formatting and the required policy metadata at the end of the document.

Board action and next steps
Member Russo moved to approve the policy update; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The committee asked administration to reformat the document in the district's official policy format and return it for the required second reading at a future meeting. Administrators told the committee they expect additional guidance from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education over the coming months and anticipated further local updates as new state guidance and implementation details emerge.

Ending
The committee did not change Medford's local credit totals; the update is intended to align local language with the new statute and clarify how the district will award competency determinations through coursework and required MCAS participation for accountability purposes.","The committee approved an administration-drafted update to Medford High School's graduation and competency-determination language to reflect the November ballot change removing MCAS as the sole graduation determinant; the update keeps MCAS participation for accountability and scholarship eligibility and preserves local credit requirements.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Medford School Committee, Feb. 10, 2025

Medford moves forward with high school feasibility study, updates building committee membership

School committee approves new Summer Fund tuition rates, sets eligibility date for sliding-scale aid

Medford School Committee moves to update graduation competency policy after state changes to MCAS