District administrators presented clarifications on MCAS Grade 10 biology scoring, reported a 90% design submission for Fox Hill Elementary to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), and explained the permitted uses of recent curriculum and health grants.

On MCAS biology, presenters said grade-10 biology scoring can include students who took the course in ninth grade and that item-analysis disaggregation shows the district performs better in several subdomains but needs improvement in ecology. District staff said they will work on tier 1 instruction, refine standards-based units, explore textbooks and align grade 8'to'9 instruction to improve outcomes.

Regarding Fox Hill, administrators reported the 90% submission has been delivered to the MSBA, that the team will complete 100% design for bidding in December, and that the district expects four prequalified construction firms to submit bids. The presentation said ground work is planned for 2026 and that preliminary estimates show the project could come in about $6 million under the preliminary budget; officials said the final number will depend on returned bids.

Committee members asked about grant funding and whether recently awarded grants could be reprogrammed to offset operating costs. Administrators clarified that the PRISM grant (K'3 curriculum implementation) and a separate health planning grant are each restricted to specific uses (e.g., K'3 supplies and professional development for health/PE) and cannot be applied retroactively to prior expenses or reallocated to unrelated budget lines.

No formal votes were taken on these items; they were presented as informational updates.