[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,76,88,99,111],{"_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",6651456,"mediaKeyId","2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b","parentId",2621186,"title","Votes at a glance: Easton School Committee actions, Feb. 13, 2025","audioSeconds",8539,"startMs",596000,"endMs",9135000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b&start=596&end=9135","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b/thumbnail_596000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6651456/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Easton-School-Committee-actions-Feb-13-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651456-90e44f079fa4bf6c41be58787fec2936/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165348&Signature=eoGwUgBXn16-rE-Q5692b4y0wIsl3-9kUk4Gc1aGqjzkDKmgzvJYRBtBWoZN7pZT9C9lEOdlqqOgm1YWzrIXBDSKeKPA2AJ8CETeLxiLRspxIcMqi~Xd6HO3BJRwSQrtx1jNy~drmpEdETPw9hZ9ZA0Vs393D0K6j85mERVl4CPrvIjuIQmynJg9g2EHLi7Avtz5PvK3elONk163vC-swfM6ucihY0EMVR6pb3-ECrPcnGYGcyP0mtS3Aglg-zeyuNL1nYwQaIq40IChKDS4Dk29AvqVq1DjzvnTUUSgqiZ2Ye3NIr3vNPJSgJeIKSMP35331I3hLrx2StWt0ua7gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Easton Public Schools. MA","date","2025-02-21T09:19:43.697Z","article","The Easton School Committee took a series of formal votes during its Feb. 13, 2025 meeting. Below are each item, motion language (as recorded), movers/second and the roll‑call outcomes as recorded in the public transcript.

Votes taken (summary):
- Approve two Gale Associates design amendments for security project (geotechnical investigation $16,300; security design amendment $29,450). Motion moved by Nancy DeLuca; second by Lauren Loomis. Roll call recorded unanimous yes votes.
- Approve out‑of‑state trip: Eastern Middle School show choir \"Image\" (and OA Panache on Saturday) to Little Roadie Rumble in Warwick, Rhode Island (March 14). Motion moved (mover name in record: first here); seconded by DeLuca. Roll call vote recorded all yes.
- Accept donation: $2,000 from the James Luke Easton Youth Sports Foundation to cover activity fees. Motion moved by an unnamed mover; seconded by Loomis. Roll call vote recorded all yes.
- Approve Oliver Ames Program of Studies 2025–26 (with noted edits). Motion moved by First Sir; seconded by Wiseman. Roll call vote recorded yes votes (DeLuca, Wiseman, Star, Loomis, Percio).
- Approve graduation policy IKF revisions related to class of 2025 competency determination. Motion moved by Percio; seconded (record does not list seconder). Roll call vote recorded yes votes.
- Approve FY25–26 district calendar (Draft 3 — start after Labor Day). Motion to accept Draft 3 was moved and passed by roll call (DeLuca, Wiseman, Star, Loomis, Percio yes/no mix recorded in transcript; final vote recorded in transcript in favor of Draft 3).
- Accept resignation/retirement of EMS/OA physical education teacher (Bridal Sellmeier) effective 06/30/2025. Motion moved and approved by roll call (all yes as recorded).
- Approve second reading of policy JFABF (foster children policy) and delete policy JICFA‑E (hazing), as recorded.
- Approve meeting minutes (Jan. 23) with minor edit; approve School Committee annual town report (due to town tomorrow).

Notes: The transcript contains multiple roll call listings with the names and recorded votes; however, some speaker name transcriptions contain typographical variants (for example \"Rosman\", \"Rosman\"; \"Lumeth\"/\"Lumis\"), so the committee's official minutes posted with the district should be consulted for final vote listings. If committee members or staff require a formal roll‑call spreadsheet for the public record, the district clerk will circulate the certified vote list.

Ending: These votes conclude the public business for the Feb. 13 meeting. The committee moved to executive session afterward to prepare bargaining strategy with the Easton Educators Association.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Easton School Committee Meeting 2/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal roll‑call votes taken at the Feb. 13 meeting, including approvals of two Gale Associates design amendments, an out‑of‑state trip, a donation, program of studies updates, graduation policy edits, calendar adoption and personnel retirement acceptance.","taxTitle","Easton Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71295,"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},6651461,"School Committee approves two Gale Associates design amendments for school security project",276,232000,508000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b&start=232&end=508","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b/thumbnail_232000.jpg","/articles/6651461/Massachusetts/School-Committee-approves-two-Gale-Associates-design-amendments-for-school-security-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651461-170aef2a5e69296ede8337da8485a0a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165348&Signature=StD2lgWE5hY3cu46WwilL1DdpktoszJKE-xJOI3GTL-Qoi3mC~4QDSFxXZvMDMbaE4agbaSwWOIuYAuRDoMzybAZdmZADmFAMRRfHqXpFepzhB2UU-nCWRvzOu70CdA9k0nRgNSv6tWpvsBG5EuXRnPVsa4CCnGpVXU1FXdHK9onQ92ujA~DzlkiPRfHDW7xgnoQzGR4r8XUfQxO56uV-8PlDE2Cjx5~iCdYUqADOminfLVVTY8F5MosZ1KtrH4D-oMWUWV5PQ6s-~VjN~nIKftdYEYIGvM14dCQcdZlSBngNtKyPaQa61Cg82PXk56mdoahaLH-FM1OzsBX5cdl0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Easton School Committee voted Feb. 13 to approve two design amendments from Gale Associates related to a multi‑school security upgrade project. The municipal building committee had reviewed and recommended the amendments in executive session; committee members who had attended that executive session reported being satisfied with the material.

What was approved: John Cutler of Gale Associates (the owner's project manager for the security project) described two amendments:
- Designer Amendment No. X — $16,300: Cost of a geotechnical investigation at one school (RO) tied to a schematic design option that expands an existing vestibule and requires a curtain wall with structural anchoring; testing confirmed soils were as expected and suitable to support the design.
- Designer Amendment No. Y — $29,450: Design work to adjust security systems at Blanche Ames School to align it with the security upgrades planned for the other three schools; Cutler said he could not provide substantive technical details in public and that the municipal building committee had reviewed the matter in executive session because of security sensitivities.

Funding and process: Cutler and administrators said the work is funded through a town borrowing the town has provided to the district and is not an operating budget item. The municipal building committee recommended the amendments after an executive session review and the School Committee approved them by roll call vote.

Vote record: The motion to approve the two proposed design amendments was moved by Nancy DeLuca and seconded by Lauren Loomis. A roll call vote recorded unanimous support (roll call names recorded in the meeting transcript). Copas (project lead) was asked to forward the signed materials for execution.

Ending: Committee members emphasized balancing transparency with the need to protect security‑sensitive details and thanked municipal building committee members and the project team for reviewing the items in executive session before bringing them to the school committee for public approval.","The committee voted to approve two design amendments from Gale Associates totaling $45,750 (a $16,300 geotechnical investigation and a $29,450 security‑design amendment) for the district's multi‑school security upgrades funded by a town borrowing.",{"_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},6651464,"School Committee adopts program changes, clarifies graduation competency for class of 2025",1992,7143000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b&start=7143&end=9135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b/thumbnail_7143000.jpg","/articles/6651464/Massachusetts/School-Committee-adopts-program-changes-clarifies-graduation-competency-for-class-of-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651464-c407631272ada7fda513783b8d455141/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165348&Signature=dbpWWC2oM2aJtbz2RfVpdQwSX8bL3aoCf5Xe~DIGi3TNGbckoHRBD7--053hjX3xroyA53mgZ0yD9gSpxI1G3DpRQKUn9-T7Rtt~vyUKzAR6Sgj0yXqqAYUhTW4uP7okfpvZ4m1q9Wng20LF0rsSopa~eZ0gpsRbacS02MPlQ3sOo8n3RUY0bN6P8uQyLGjnMVsATONgEVuFWE6Qs8dj-5D0u~rTSYFbedtWicHR~UMFuanZmxGi5rnlO2gBxu7twsqY5D704gs1WxZvd05TWJyKLvtEGwK~ma~TamafS2f7~2kh7ZoCx7nAr5nFjo4Qd9kb3kQz-jvP8qD3YrqZOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Easton School Committee voted Feb. 13 to approve revisions to the Oliver Ames High School Program of Studies for the 2025–26 school year and to amend graduation policy IKF to implement the state's competency determination for the class of 2025.

What was approved: The program of studies changes include course clean‑ups (removing electives with persistently low enrollment), additions (children's literature tied to elementary partnerships, media literacy as a semester elective, a second yearbook section to expand student leadership, an applied learning capstone and a renamed \"Learning Center\" for academic support), and math and science curricular clarifications. School leaders also updated language to mark courses that carry early college credit.

Graduation policy: The committee adopted editing to IKF to implement a short‑term competency determination for the class of 2025 consistent with state guidance: students who have not previously received a diploma but who meet the district's outlined course‑based competency determination (the specified coursework in the program of studies that matches MCAS‑tested content) may be eligible for a diploma. Committee members left a larger policy discussion about MCAS participation versus passing for classes 2026 onward to a later meeting and asked the administration to return with recommendations.

Why it matters: The changes formalize course and curricular updates and provide immediate clarity to seniors affected by recent state guidance on MCAS-based graduation requirements. Committee members highlighted additions intended to expand student leadership and career‑linked learning (yearbook editors, capstone applied learning) and supported a reworded Learning Center description to emphasize student independence.

Votes and follow‑up: Both the program of studies updates and the IKF amendment passed on roll call votes. Committee members asked principals and department heads to provide brief follow‑up notes on which course proposals are currently running and to confirm how new offerings (for example, children's literature partnerships with Blanche Ames and ARO) will be scheduled.

Ending: The committee approved the program changes and the graduation‑policy edits after a short discussion. Members asked staff to continue the policy conversation for the class of 2026 and beyond and to circulate more detailed course enrollment data for the record.","The committee approved updates to the Oliver Ames program of studies (course additions and deletions) and amended graduation policy IKF to reflect the state's competency determination for the class of 2025; the committee left longer‑term MCAS policy questions for subsequent meetings.",{"_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},6651469,"Easton School Committee debates new facilities‑use fee schedule; first reading seeks community feedback",778,4957000,5735000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b&start=4957&end=5735","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b/thumbnail_4957000.jpg","/articles/6651469/Massachusetts/Easton-School-Committee-debates-new-facilitiesuse-fee-schedule-first-reading-seeks-community-feedback","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651469-684231c3cbcfe3b35ed894a3a075ade7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165348&Signature=iqXDHyKv3bmIqGG-i5mDdCaV2HxJg1v0ThO16acFjnbMWPP3JiQ7yi1ku4o7nPox3-48a25JRbwH9~Z2Egw-JeCASeNpmEUV~GY2Q4XZCUGTi-3~XLtJatQMWKCVUqBf27KwqGVBrh26aWH5yDTmFndkk5PtpEmZVyQEiI6vonkQXT64fekFH~fc3I4e5x04RUEph6YvMYZEPDybs4yglUcWZwl5WVXRaq6nRox9ID8HceMneDaXy4O~OkyD1wyGwkWl0BawLdRAVASr4UusUzzuTTAo6qacNFP39Qs13hbcqwsrY0gW0VS8Z4HwuB8eBRJ0qAWRqlZjseaPejCIyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tony Copas, the district director of facilities and operations, presented a first reading of a revised facilities‑use and rental fee policy on Feb. 13 that proposes new and higher charges for community and private use of school spaces, including custodial, stadium manager and equipment fees.

Why it matters: With the town and school budget under stress, the district is exploring revenue options and trying to capture fees to pay for wear‑and‑tear and staffing associated with outside use. The proposed schedule assigns spaces to usage tiers (tier 1: nonprofits; tier 2: for‑profit; a separate designation for town departments), raises many existing charges and adds new service fees (stadium manager, custodial overtime, audiovisual and scoreboard operation, chair/table rental, parking stall rentals and lighting/pickleball/tennis hourly fees).

Key details: Copas said the last comprehensive fee review was about 2016. Classroom rates in the draft are modest (example: $40/day for many rooms for nonprofit groups) while athletic and performance spaces have hourly or higher rates. The package includes a stadium manager requirement when the district rents athletic fields or the press box; the renter would also cover custodial, cafeteria and scoreboard operator costs where appropriate. Chair and table rental fees, added to recover replacement costs, would be charged to lessees. The redlined draft ties fee revenue to maintenance of the leased area (attorney guidance): fees “cannot be used for other purposes.”

Questions from committee and public: Members sought clarity about who qualifies as a \"community group\" and how town Recreation (Rec) activities will be classified. Committee members asked for a user list showing current groups and summer bookings, and whether existing summer reservations would be grandfathered. Tony Copas said invoices already include a notice that rates will change as of July 1 and said the intent was to publish a searchable calendar and contact process online.

Next steps: The item was a first reading only. Committee members asked Copas to provide: 1) a complete list of current users and summer reservations, 2) a parallel table comparing Easton's rates to nearby communities, and 3) clearer tier definitions that distinguish Rec‑sponsored programs from independent community groups. The district indicated the goal, if approved, would be an effective date of July 1 to allow community organizers time to plan.

Ending: Officials said fees are being considered because the district cannot sustain facility maintenance and additional staffing for rentals without revenue. The committee requested additional data and will return the policy for a second reading after those materials are provided.","District facilities director proposed dramatically revised lease/fee rules for Blanche Ames and other schools to raise revenue and recoup custodial, managerial and equipment costs. The committee held a first reading and asked for usage data and clearer tier definitions before second reading.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6651476,"Easton superintendent outlines fiscal-year spending, warns of multi‑million shortfall at town level",987,1073000,2060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b&start=1073&end=2060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2621186-1b16d46d9158ecc1db414c2b234a022b/thumbnail_1073000.jpg","/articles/6651476/Massachusetts/Easton-superintendent-outlines-fiscal-year-spending-warns-of-multimillion-shortfall-at-town-level","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6651476-40a15baf1e0874589445e401510f4b51/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165348&Signature=IdrmU1Umbgfe3IBAe4cK6CQuiiburOAnvzEREkEyBWDbYlG5lvQse9h-Ob561Xa1NuOiPySa-mRHf5eiIlPlwLwZmG6EQOhMEHQpM6hlER0102sElA-cLRz0cCNgu6NazgDj7EVLP30P9A7lGvmm1tOuHuZJKn5j8-TWxhhMc8GJmNQL6DfkVqovSJ4y8fQ34UvyP9c4Py9j1wx8KnaiLDC8N696OcyamhHGCRI1NpQVu0BR82I0Z5~mz8zz6Xv6A6SIM6dCpzR7nubQ2p4-1yvosxonMtpUX2xS3wrDRrZcnI-e0xFjlyayHSrUeTeHPh45jkYftSKeeTA-aoLAWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Christopher Cabral and Finance Director Andrea (last name not specified in transcript) presented a second‑quarter operating budget report to the Easton School Committee on Feb. 13, 2025, outlining where the district has spent its fiscal 2025 appropriation and warning that the town faces a combined shortfall of about $6.3 million.

The presentation said Easton Public Schools had spent roughly $18.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2024, about 37.4% of the district's $49.7 million operating budget. That compares with 38.6% spent at the same point a year earlier; year‑to‑date spending was about $459,000 higher than the prior year. Director of Finance Andrea (surname not specified) told committee members the differences are mostly timing and a handful of invoices that move from one quarter to another.

Why it matters: Committee members and district leaders said the district is operating with a lean, largely personnel‑based budget. With more than 80% of the town's costs in fixed expenses and payroll, officials told the committee that closing the town's $6.3 million gap will require difficult choices that could include staff reductions unless voters approve an override.

The presentation highlighted several items driving year‑over‑year changes: a 5.5% increase in salaries and wages (about $789,000), timing differences in purchases of services and materials & supplies (including a roughly $172,000 transportation invoice), and a $37,000 increase in \"other charges and expenses\" driven mainly by higher unemployment insurance costs.

Cabral and Andrea also told the committee that a districtwide reclassification of expense lines to conform with DESE's July 2022 chart of accounts continues to affect cross‑year comparisons. Andrea said roughly $122,000 of a $163,000 increase in the central administration line resulted from reclassifying positions and expenses from other location codes into central admin.

On state and federal aid, the district reported uncertainty. The superintendent said the governor's initial FY26 budget proposal included a $75 per‑pupil minimum aid placeholder — down from $104 this year — and that the proposal could change as it moves through the Legislature. The Business Office also flagged potential shortfalls for the universal free school meals program: the governor's proposal, as presented, would not fully fund a year of universal free breakfast and lunch, producing a potential shortfall the district has previously estimated could be as much as $250,000.

Federal entitlement grants (IDEA, Title grants and others) also appear unsettled for future years, although district staff said entitlement grants for the current fiscal year are expected to be paid through June. The district identified roughly $1 million in IDEA funds and an entitlement (Title 1) allocation that fell from about $290,312 last year to $138,482 this year.

Discussion, next steps: Committee members pressed for more detail on reclassifications and asked for line‑by‑line deltas and pivoted general ledger extracts for follow‑up. The business office said budget managers will be asked to submit purchase orders by April 1 so staff can calculate encumbrances and, if necessary, prepare budget transfers for committee approval. The superintendent and PACE (the town's budget review committee) will continue outreach: the town plans an open house Feb. 26 and the PACE committee will finalize recommendations in late March for the Select Board.

The committee was also told the town's timeline means a final legislative and federal picture may not be known before the district must submit a balanced budget to the town in April. Officials said they will continue refining projections and bring budget transfer requests and clarifying schedules to the committee as needed.

Ending: District leaders urged the public to follow PACE and town budget updates and to attend the Blanche Ames open house and PACE sessions. They said the community will face a choice of service reductions, an override, or some mix of both.","School leaders reviewed the district's second-quarter operating budget and told the School Committee the town faces a roughly $6.3 million deficit that will require cuts, an override or a mix of both. Officials described timing drivers, DESE coding reclassifications and uncertain state and federal aid.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Easton School Committee actions, Feb. 13, 2025

School Committee approves two Gale Associates design amendments for school security project

School Committee adopts program changes, clarifies graduation competency for class of 2025

Easton School Committee debates new facilities‑use fee schedule; first reading seeks community feedback

Easton superintendent outlines fiscal-year spending, warns of multi‑million shortfall at town level