6.2.2025 Fall River School Committee Special Meeting

like to call to order the Monday, June 2nd, 2025 special meeting of the Far School Committee. Deb, would you please call the role? Mr. A here. Mr. Bailey.

Mr. Das here. Mr. Corey here. Miss Larry. Miss Pereira here. Mayor Coogan here. So to the flag which is over here to our left. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Um, pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium.

Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings of transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged impermissible.

Deb, do we have any citizens input tonight?

We do not. Okay.

Item three, committee of the whole 31 is a discussion and vote to approve the addition of up to up to six teachers and six paras for the 2025 school year as referred by the special education alternative education and early childhood subcommittee and presented by Dr. Tracy Curley, superintendent of schools. Mr. Guys, um if this morning um there was an article in the newspaper and since it is within 48 hours of the

meeting, I have some questions and concerns on the matter and I'd like to ask them.

This is a special meeting the agenda here tonight. Um there was um information that was discovered this morning um within 48 hours of the meeting. Yeah, but it's a special meeting. It's a special meeting. So, it has to relate to one of the the agenda.

Otherwise, you might have to wait for a regular meeting. I I don't understand that, attorney. So, we have a a meeting today, a special meeting, a special meeting, and I don't think there's any difference between a regular or special in regards to that 48 hour requirement where we had an incident regarding a ransomware attack on a district. That information was given out. Colin, Colin,

you can't. It's it's it's motion to appeal the ruin of the chair.

This is a special meeting. Uh, I believe by Massachusetts laws or regulations were bound to be what's on the agenda.

Um, and that's all all I've ever known in my five years here. Am I right or wrong? Okay, Mr. Mayor, could you read the motion?

You want to appeal the motion ruling of the chair? Correct. That we stay with the special meeting laws and regulations. There is no violation of the opening law as the information that was discovered regarding a ransomware attack on this district. Hold on. Hold on. You just keep saying it so you can get your point across. What about the rule that we're trying to follow related to special meetings? Do you know that to

be different as a rule, per se? Mr.

Mayor, there's information discovered within 48 hours of the meeting that allow me to ask the questions without violating the open meeting law. I know.

I know. I know. I I don't understand, Mr. Mayor, why you just won't allow me.

Mr. Assad, Mr. Assad, just explain to you the rules of special meetings.

It's a different rule than a regular meeting. That's all I'm saying. I would like to see that in writing. Look it up on your phone. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Aguio, just uh on Mr. Das's point, uh I think that in the past we've asked that any special meeting also have the super superintendent report as well as new business on it. And the reason being because when we meet, if there's something pressing or anything that

happens, anytime that this body gets together, we should be able to bring something up. And this has been asked several times over the past several years. So I think that just every agenda that's a special meeting or regular meeting should allow for the superintendent report as well as new business. Sometimes things come up we can address them here rather than saying, "Oh, we're only going to talk

about the three things that were on the agenda." Mr. Das is talking about something that he just found out about within 48 hours. I believe that the agenda should all have superintendent support to give updates on what's happened. And what that'll do is streamline the next week's meeting because now anything that we don't talk about here, we'll end up talking about it there. And then people complain about

the length of the meetings, but then we have special meetings where we don't actually get the chance to talk about issues. So I think this would streamline matters. All meetings, special or otherwise, should have new business and a superintendent report available. Well, that's not on this agenda, Mr. Regier. I know. All I'm asking you to take a look at. Okay.

Do we have to vote on that? If Yeah, there's no second on it. Second. There's a second. Okay.

Mr. Aia. Yes. Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das. Yes.

Mr. Corey. No. Miss Lar. Miss Pereira.

Mayor Kouan. No. The item does not carry. Discussion and vote to approve.

We're back on the six teachers in the six paris for the 2526 school years. Um Dr. Curley.

So, we discussed at the um last subcommittee meeting for um alt ed and special ed the potential need for additional educators in the district based on what we know for current enrollment, some programmatic changes um in special education and also some outcomes from our um LAT meetings for multilingual learners. So what we know and and we've discussed over time are you know is a growing um enrollment

across the district which is especially has especially given us um I don't want to say I don't we've had to we've had to take a very close look at elementary numbers in particular um in some of our schools.

The issue is compounded by the fact that we have some changes in our special ed programming some in the ways that we're strengthening our special ed programming um in that we are moving to more inclusive environment for students and we have many more students who are um participating in general ed classrooms.

The the result of um these this increased focus on inclusion is that we have many more students from substantially separate classrooms who are pushing into general classrooms and we are we have to account for them in our general class general ed classroom enrollment. Additionally, we have many students who have been in foundational classrooms um in the past. We've had students spend many many years in

foundational programs before being mainstreamed.

um and that is not necessarily the case.

We're seeing growing numbers of students who are being mainstreamed and that is also increasing numbers in our general education classrooms. So we um in in that discussion I referenced at the subcommittee meeting that we are looking at the potential need for up to six um six new teaching positions and pair of professionals to complement in those classrooms. um up to four general ed

classroom teachers and then additionally two special education teachers in substantially separate programs because of the growing enrollment there as well.

Motion to approve. Second discussion, Mr. Aaron. Yeah, just uh I agree with everything the superintendent said. Uh purpose of the the agenda item at the subcommittee was on class sizes. I still maintain we have a crisis in class size across the district. uh we have no space for certain programs or the like. So, the superintendent, her team has to also make some decisions on moving classes

out, which is on them to do. Uh but ultimately, this is a case of um we knew this was going to happen, so why not just do it right away? And the purpose of to make my point of what we just talked about, why wait until next week for another meeting? We should, as things come up, we should address them whenever we're meeting, whether it's a special or not. So, this is an example

of what we should do. proactively and I think it makes it makes sense. It does beg the question a little bit of and I didn't mention this at the subcommittee but when we did the budget only three weeks ago, four weeks ago that we didn't know some of these things. So it just begs the question of we need to do a little more intense work with the budget next year earlier so that these issues

would come up because obviously it would have been better to put it in the budget. So I wholeheartedly support it and I think anything that comes up at a subcommittee we need to bring it up as quickly as possible. She needs to be able to post these positions as soon as possible to get the uh people filled.

So, thank you for that. Appreciate it. I yield. Mr. Mr. Corey. Yeah. So, u Dr.

Curley, um I'm going to support this measure fully uh for our for our Fall River district, but I just want to know about the nature of this uh all this this disinclusiveness mandate that's coming down from the Department of Education.

Could you just explain it a little bit to me? Sure. I I mean, I wouldn't say it's not a mandate. um I I wouldn't call it a mandate coming down from the department of ed that we are like scrambling to try to to you know meet the requirement. It's really about our improving our practice and it's really been a long time coming. I think we've made definite progress um over the past

few years. It's been a major f focus of um Miss Obenchain in in coming into the district and um you know in all fairness you know what um what Mr. Aguar is saying about like being able to see it coming. Um it is something that Miss Open Chain has been talking about as this idea of like as this happens, we're going to need, you know, we're going to need this. Um and so it's like I'm I'm

proud of the work that's being done. I'm I'm happy that we're attentive to it. I think I mentioned this at the subcommittee meeting. we are we're getting a lot better even you know in the last month in terms of actually accounting for the numbers in a way that makes sense um so that multiple people have eyes on it. It's not you know a situation where we have Miss Obenchain

and someone on her team who is you know watching those numbers and informing people at the parent information center or in our student information office.

Um, lots of people have their eyes on the numbers now and I think, you know, that's brought us to where we are in terms of feeling very comfortable making these requests knowing that um that this is staffing that we need. Again, what I'm what I'm also hearing is that uh this move toward um more inclusion is also going to affect the vocational schools and they're gearing up to make

changes in their programming as well to try to make those accommodations at their schools. So is this in a com is this are we strategizing for this because the department of education is asking us to or is it is it because of our own demographics? Mr. Chairman point of clarification. Yeah. Mr. Aguar. Can somebody on the administration quote the law related to inclusion because I don't

think it's a mandate. I think it's the law. Yeah. So I think somebody needs to just clarify especially for not only the members but for the public because it's the law. It's not anything that we should have been doing this many years ago.

Specifically, what the law states is about least restrictive environment for educating all students including students with disabilities. And the least restrictive environment per the regulation is the general education setting. So the regulation has always been there that prior to um recommending a substantially separate program for students, we have to exhaust all um supports and scaffolds within the

general education setting. S first and that's always been the law. But then looking at Fall River's data initially, you know, everyone felt, and I can't say that I disagree, when you think about smaller classes, um, lower teacher student ratio, we thought that substantially separate programming would meet the needs of students in Fall River in a way that it just has not as far as student outcomes.

So now we're seeing the gap between our substantially separate students in substantially separate programs and their general education counterparts and we're trying to say in order to meet their needs we can do it for some of them not all of them there will always be a place um to have alternative programming across the district but for some of them we want to give them the opportunity to learn amongst their peers

with um certified teachers with the appropriate scaffolds and support. So, the regulation has always been there. We looked at the data in Fall River and said what we were doing to meet the needs of these students across the district wasn't um providing them the opportunity we thought it would. So, now we're working towards getting them that opportunity in the least restrictive setting, which is the regulation. Yeah,

thank you so much. That was a a great clarification. It helps me to understand, you know, I I totally support the strategy that you guys are working on right now and I'll yield. Uh Mr. D. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um fully support this and I fully agree with my colleague to my far left. We went over the numbers and there is a class size issue within this district and I hope this alleviates some of the burden.

Since um we are filling um 12 positions, I had some questions for the HR director in terms of recruitment if I can ask them.

Thank you, Mr. Lai. Um just a few quick questions. So, how how do we look in regards to recruitment over the last month? Um in in terms of like the recruitment fair, are we getting in um a lot more hiring in terms of resignations? Is that starting to balance out more? We're getting a lot more recruitment and less resignation.

How does that look? Um I I would say that the numbers maybe haven't changed too drastically. Um we certainly got, you know, a number of applications. Um I'd have to go in to see how many we actually hired off of those job fairs, but um good turnout at the job fairs that we've attended and that we held. So that was all encouraging. Do you um anticipate the um 60some or so teachers

to that number to go down over the summer? I'd hope so. Um, the reason I asked this, if we're going to place 12 positions in the budget, and again, I'm going to vote to support this, I just want to make sure they get filled. Um, I know we discussed a little bit about this. Where are the positions going again for schools? So, right now, we're looking at um two special education teachers in substantially separate

classrooms and up to four in general classrooms. So I will say you generally speaking the general ed classrooms and those classroom pair of professionals are not among the difficult to fill. The positions that we do see open are for the most part special education in particularly in our substantially separate classrooms. Okay. And um so those will be a challenge which is why I'm we have positions posted right now.

So there aren't um it's it's not as if oh we could have hired someone for these positions a month ago if we'd only known. There are open positions like these for whom we haven't hired yet. But we'll have two additional that we need to post right now. And um I don't know this Mr. Obachain will have the answer or this would be for everyone here with these special education positions. I

know we talked about it in the past a little bit, but just remind the committee what is like the reasonings that we can't fill those. Is it just like the the duties? Is it I in general I would say that there are not enough licensed people out there.

So we're part of our recruitment efforts, part of our um development of teachers has been focused on special education supporting people toward special education lensure coursework that is going to move them you know maybe general education teachers that we have to have them get another license so that they actually could become teachers in special education classrooms substantially separate classrooms. you

know that we um the committee approved the um you know incentive the $4,000 stipend for people who are teaching in those settings. So we're making moves to attract people into those positions and the reason we really need to do that in terms of providing those incentives is because there just aren't enough people out there. Sure. And um no and and thank you for the explanation and um the

transparent explanation and I think it's also that we provided a um new collective bargaining agreement.

Hopefully that will lead to a rise and also and I'm glad you mentioned the stipen as well. I just hope um anyone who's qualified or for that stipen is um receiving it because we don't want word to go out there that that stipen is only selective. Um I know the committee's received some reports on that. It it's it's I will say I mean it it is selective in that the contract language

says that we're paying the stipen to licensed special education teachers. So it is selective in that way. I understand. I yield. Thank you. Anything further, Mr. Aia? Along those same lines, I know I've mentioned this for months. We have classrooms like this that if we don't have a teacher, they're filled with a teacher assistant.

And one of the recruiting things that I think needs to be very clear is that as far as I'm concerned, that person that's teaching a class should be getting first step teacher pay. Period. And if we don't advertise that to teacher assistants that might not have the license but have the capability and the capacity to teach that, we cannot recruit people to the district from anywhere else because we're going to

tell them that you're going to teach a class, you're going to work your butt off, you're going to do all the work and make a difference to the kids and you're going to get 36,000.

Whereas if we just made the rule that anybody teaching children gets first step which is 53,000. Now it's a recruiting tool. You go out there and advertise to anybody with it that's a teacher aid. Come to the district. You might have the possibility of filling in for a teacher and making 53,000. But for some reason we keep on saying, "Oh, we'll give them a couple hours here or five bucks an hour there." And it turns

out that they're still making 36,000.

when in in essence, we need to say if we can't fill the positions, which we can't, if we're going to fill it with a teacher assistant that's qualified and been doing the work, why don't we just tell them that they can make 53,000? I think we got to we got to address some of these issues straight up and put it right out there. And the sooner we do it, the better. We just keep on kicking

the can down the road. And you're not going to get anybody to fill the positions. How many do we have open now?

Subsparate teaching positions without a teacher. I don't have at least a dozen, right? Yeah. So over a dozen positions in the district that we can't find a certified teacher to teach, but we're filling them in with a power. Many times a very quality power that the kids are getting service quite well, but we're still nickel and dimming them on their salary. I think it's it's high time we

do something different. I yield. Deb, would you call the role? I don't speak.

Oh, I'm sorry. No, Mr. Bailey. I think Mr. Aguar answer one of my question. And I just was going to ask how many um positions were open and is the incentive um that we approved working and if not or if it is um can we get some information on that just just for feedback? Um cuz obviously um you know like Mr. Aguar said I I think we really need to start taking a look at this. Um

how I see it I just don't want to see um kids going without their services and and and getting what they need. And however we have to do it and if we have to fill gaps we have to figure out how to how to get it done. Um, but that's just all I had to share. Without that, I'll yield.

Mr. Das, thank you. I just had um and um just going um in line with my colleague's comments, I just had one followup. I know um I put in a request for information for some sort of analysis on how much it would be to give um recruitment statements, recruitment bonuses. Um and I know that will be on the next agenda. However, since I put it in about a week, week week and a half

ago, I didn't know if we had some numbers. I think we should look at especially for the um special education position. Mr. D, that's that's a separate issue that you did put in.

It'll be on the I understand. And um this since two of these I believe two of these teacher positions are for subsepparate classrooms.

Yes. Thank you. So, um what I was um trying to get to is these two teacher positions I think um which are subsepparate and speak on that specifically that topic in order to recruit to help recruitment in the district especially for those hard to fill positions that we just talked about. I believe that we should provide a bonus. Um, superintendent, you think is there that something that we can get

behind? That we it is on the um it is on the agenda for the next meeting and we are preparing we are preparing some figures just in terms of letting the committee know like how much it would cost in different scenarios depending on the um you know what the value of that bonus was and um just working through some different scenarios. So we are prepared to do that at the next meeting

or we are preparing. If we were prepared, I'd give you some data today, but I I can't. Okay. I I was going to suggest that maybe we offer a $750 bonus for those subseppparate classrooms. Um I don't know if it's too early to discuss that, but since we're discussing recruitment for these positions, I don't think um it's too early to discuss it.

Um so, if the committee approved $750 bonuses, that's something we can get um in the near term. Do do you have any idea how much we're talking for money, Mr. D? How many how many how many subseppparate positions are are open?

They just said they don't know. Okay. I I'll wait for a week. Then I yield.

Okay. I just didn't know what the cost was. Um Mr. Hagier, just and I'm assuming this, but in Dr. Kurly's response that next week you're going to have that recommendation like whether it's 500, 750, 20,000 like whatever the you're going to have done the analysis so we get some real numbers to come forward with the number of open positions. I I personally think it makes sense um if we think about kind of

tiering out the kinds of referrals um specific to the highest need positions like those substantially separate classroom teachers like the pair of professionals um that are in those rooms and things like that. So I expect kind of different dollar amounts that we're looking at do a whole proposal or something. So the only comment I would make is to when you do that you have to look at the person has to stick to the

district. So probably year end you know if they make it through the entire year so we're not paying out and then they leave and things like that but I'm sure you have it covered. Thank you. I yield.

All right. Can we call the role now on that one Deb please? Mr. Yes. Mr.

Bailey. Yes. Mr. Dus. Yes. Mr. Corey.

Yes. Miss Laravey. Miss Pereira. Yes.

Mayor Cougar. Yes. Request for executive session. Uh, can I get a motion? A second. So moved. Second. I have a motion, a second. Um, do you want to read it? You read them first. Go ahead.

National Laws Chapter 38, Section 21 A7 to review and approve executive session minutes for May 12th, 2025, regular school committee meeting. National Laws Chapter 38 Section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated May 9, 2025 filed by Colin Das. Regarding the forward school committee held u a meeting on uh the forward school committee held a meeting on March 3rd, 2025. Since that meeting, the committee

has also held meetings on March 10, March 18, March 19th, April 17th, and April 29th. The complaint alleges the minutes of the March 3rd, 2025 meeting have not been approved yet. A violation of the open meeting law. Mass General Laws chapter 3A section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated May 9, 2025 filed by Colin Das regarding the for school committee that the fall

school committee held a meeting on March 10, 2025. Since that meeting, the committee has also held meetings on March 18, 19th, March 19th, April 17th, and April 29th. The complaint alleges the minutes of the March 10, 2025 meeting were not approved on April 17, 2025, a violation of the open meeting law. National Laws Chapter 38 section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated May 9,

2025 filed by Colin Das regarding the for school committee meeting held on uh on March 18, 2025.

Since that meeting, the committee has also held meetings on March 19th, April 17th, and April 29th. The complaint alleges the minutes of the March 18th, 2025 meeting were not approved on April 29, 2025, a violation of the open meeting law. National Laws Chapter 38 Section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated May 23rd 2025 filed by Colin Das regarding the May 23rd 2025 response to a request to the for

superintendent of school search committee chairperson Mimi Laravey for all open session and executive session minutes in the for uh public school superintendent of school search committee from 2024. The complaint alleges that the chairperson did not publicly announce whether the open session would reconvene at the conclusion of the executive session and never declared that an open

meeting would have a detrimental effect in obtaining qualified candidates.

National Laws Chapter 38 Section 21A1 to review the open meeting law complaint dated May 23rd 2025 filed by Colin Das regarding the May 23rd 2025 request to the for uh superintendent of school search committee chairperson Mimi Laravey for all open session and executive session minutes in the for public schools superintendent of school search committee from 2024. The complaint alleges that the

school committee has never been provided the search committee minutes in their entirety unredacted to review. National laws chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining relative to all civil uh clerical employees of the forward school system represented by the forward department of civil service clerical employees association as the chair has

determined that no procession may have a detrimental impact on a bargaining position of the committee. Mass General laws chapter 38 section 21A1 to discuss complaints brought against school committee members uh as the chair's terminal position may have a detrimental impact on the live game position of the committee mass general laws chapter 38 section 21 A3 and section 21 A7 to discuss a pending settlement agreement

and in order to discuss strategy with respect to litigation and comply with student records laws. The chair has determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on the litigating position of the committee.

National Laws Chapter 38 Section 21A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiation with non-UN personnel and/or to conduct contract negotiations with non-UN personnel including all four river educational and Fall River government TV cable positions nine in number all administrative assistants 10 and number all school-based community uh support specialists six and number all

school-based athletic program support positions All facilities and operations supervisory positions eight in number.

All computer technical and student information management system support positions 19 in number. All special education support positions to a number. All early education support positions to a number. Allison Lowe's, the redesign coach. James Sullivan, chief officer of special education compliance. Stacy Gaan, financial manager. Christine Abdo, uh, procurement specialist. Sandra Silva, payroll

manager. Melissa St. Pierre, CTE cooperative, uh, education coordinator.

Kendra Pimemental, postsecary career pathway specialist. William Squires, National Navy Defense Cadet Corp, and Derek Randall, National Navy Def uh, Defense Cadet Cor. We would reconvene the mayor statements at that time. Mr.

Chair, Mr. Dice. Thank you. Um, in regards to the settlement agreement in respect to litigation, um, what what what's in the student records law? I I see the student records law is quoted as the reason this item is being discussed in executive session. What does the student records law entail?

I'll defer to the attorney. I I don't not have the the specifics on that. That is something to be discussed in executive session. Right. this committee is going to take a vote to enter into into executive session for um two purposes. And if we're going to be quoting the law, we should we should know why we're we're quoting that law. I don't believe for this item we've received any information relative to

specific students. So that's my reason as to why um we shouldn't be quoting this law. Um I think it's something that actually the public um should know about. I don't see any reason I don't see a detriment to the committee with having this discussion in the public sphere. So I'd like to make a motion that we discuss the settlement agreement an amendment I'm sorry I'd like to make an amendment to the motion that the

settlement agreement be discussed in public session.

Mr. Mr. I'd like to add on something before we do that. the uh first of all that uh uh the wording on that in terms of student record law as well as the settlement agreement was something put together by attorney Joyce superintendent. Do you have any information on that?

I don't have anything specific um to the the reason for um complying with student records law um other than the fact that um we may be it may be required for us to look at individual students um in terms of the settle agree settlement agreement so that'll be provided tonight because when we discussed this item in the past we haven't discussed individual students I don't recall at least I don't believe we

have right so I If we're not spec discussing specific students, I just don't see the reason why we would discuss this item in executive session. I think it has to do um with the expenditure of public dollars and entering into agreement with another government agency. I I believe um it'll be beneficial for the public to be aware of what this is about. It's it's a pending settlement agreement. uh

settlement agreements as well as litigation are a natural item for executive session. I would uh recommend very strongly to the committee that this matter be held in executive session and not an open session.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment. Uh Mr. Mr. Mr. Raguar. Yeah. I just uh based on the information that we just received that attorney Joyce gave this record this information. It's troubling a little bit that he put this in here.

Nobody knows what it's about. But I don't think the comply with student records law has anything to do with cancing the pending settlement agreement. I think student records might be part of a settlement agreement, but I don't understand why we have to put the it makes it look like as if we're going to talk about student records where I don't I've read all most of the stuff. I don't see it as being the issue. So I

think we can still talk about the settlement agreement. I just make a motion that we reduce we reject the part that says comply with student records law. We're still going to talk about the full settlement agreement whatever that includes. So I think it's just over wording personally and if attorney Joyce is not here to explain it and nobody else knows why, I say we strike it. I would I would draw my my motion. I

second that one. Excuse me. Can I um M Pereira? I understand attorney Joyce wasn't here, but we do have an attorney here. Um, and no disrespect to any of my colleagues, but I'm pretty sure nobody's got a jurist doctorate except for that man here. So, if he thinks this should be done in executive session and he thinks it's written the way it should be written, I'm going to go with that. If

he tells me different, then I will do that. If I had a plumbing issue, I probably ask Kenny. A law issue, I'm going to ask um, Attorney Assad. I believe he's earned that.

Mr. Chairman, uh, Mr. Yeah. Yeah. The reason why I said that was our attorney, attorney Assad, who I think is very capable, referred to the superintendent to ask him what Michael Joyce, why he put it in. Quite frankly, if we're doing things the way we are supposed to be doing things in this on this body, the chair, the vice chair is supposed to meet with the superintendent and attorney Assad to go over the agenda.

And at that point, attorney Joyce, if he's the one that made this language, should have been part of the conversation. So, I'm not I'm not trying to bypass attorney Assad. It was stated by the superintendent that attorney Joyce is the one that said it. And since he's not here, I think we should strike it. And that's it. I yield. So, we have a motion to strike on um Do we have a

second? A second. Yes. I have a second for Mr. Das. Stunning. Go ahead, Mr.

Dus. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I I didn't know how that would be stunning since I gave the stunning. Oh, I'm stunning.

Thank you. A nice tie and you got a nice sweater. You look good. Thank you, Mr.

Chairman. Yes. Might I please ask for some decorum and professionalism from you, Mr. Chairman. Please stop making comments about individual members.

That's inappropriate. I like this. It's inappropriate and we know you're being fac. You're being facitious and unprofessional. Again, because of your mind readading ability, you're able to tell me what you're thinking.

Unprofessional. And I'd ask you that you have someday quorum and and stop it. Go ahead, Mr. Tyus. All right. on on on on the motion. Um my colleague to my right um and I I agree with um Mr. Aguar, Mr.

Attorney Assad is very capable. I have plenty of respect for attorney Assad.

This I don't believe this was put together by attorney Assad. I believe this was put together by attorney Joyce who is not here today. And just to quote recent language actually from the council president on I mean an attorney's opinion, it's just an opinion. It doesn't mean we have to.

It's nice to have. That's his exact words. Doesn't mean we have to follow every single thing that an attorney tells us.

We have to be able to make decisions on our own and for our own. Attorney and other attorneys aren't always going to be here to help us. So, we need to be able to make decisions and make decisions that benefit the public. So, that's why I voted for this. Again, we need to do more and explain to the public what we're voting on and not have archaic weird language in here that

doesn't even make make sense when you're reading it. Just just an example, just the other the other week when we were discussing the the ransomware issue, we had language in there and and the public thought we were discussing issues in regards to charges being filed on specific people. Again, just speaking to just to the motion again, how we have language in here that sometimes just doesn't make sense and we

need to get to the basics and again we need not be relying on attorneys for every single thing we do and we cannot be relying on executive sessions for every single thing we do as a district.

I yield. Can I uh just add one more thing to go ahead, Mr. Okay. I'm looking at the what uh attorney Joyce had put together to discuss a pending settlement agreement which is certainly an executive session matter and in order to discuss strategy with respect to litigation which is an executive session matter and then he adds and to comply with student record laws well we better do that I mean that's just that's not a

a situation where anybody should have a concern about we of course are going to comply with student record the records law and so it's a it's a statement that's made that has is a benign statement uh but a very legal statement that uh to to just to uh indicate that any type of a discussion with respect to the settlement agreement would be in in comporting with what the student records

law are uh in in the the common of Massachusetts I don't see it as an issue um I think the the wording is to comply with the law um I don't I don't believe that uh that is a a problem with anyone for it that anybody would have. Uh and uh I think we should get on with a vote.

I have a motion to amend. Uh Deb, would you please call?

Mr. Okay. Can can you restate the whole thing? It's to strike um comply with the student records law.

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Aon, and the reason why I said that is exactly what Attorney Assad just said. We have to comply with that law no matter what. So striking it actually doesn't do anything other than to make the members feel comfortable that it's it's gone. We're going to follow the law anyway. So the first part that says discuss strategy with respect to litigation is going to cover it. So

this is harmless to to do. It's just an added word that we don't need and the guy's not here to to tell us why he put it. But we can still comply with the law. Mr. Chair, if I can just add one point. Go ahead. Thank you. And just so the public's aware at home, from the information from the backup that I received on this document on on this specific line item and when we discussed

in the past, we never received any student records whatsoever. So, it's just important for the public to know that we're not discussing this item. And again, it's also important for the public to know that this member is going to do everything possible to make sure we limit the use of executive sessions in this committee. So going forward, I'm going to have a critical eye in every

executive session item that comes before this committee because we cannot be relying on it for everything. I yield.

De call the role, please. Mr. Young.

Yes. Mr. Bailey. Yes. Mr. Dus. Yes. Mr.

Cory. This is to have the the uh the issue follow through in executive session or not.

It's to change the wording to strike out the language the attorney put and change it to what Kevin prefers. Uh no. Miss Laravey, Miss Pereira, no.

Mayor Coogan, no. The motion does not pass now on the vote to go into executive session. Deb, Mr. A. Mr. Chairman, Mr. A. So, what I what I would like to do is I think we do have to get some business, but when we just take votes just strictly because we want to just push the the numbers. If three members of the committee vote to say no, we're not going into executive

session. Now we're gonna have that vote doesn't carry either and then we went in here and wasted our time for nothing.

Agreed. Agreed. Yeah, that would be horrible. Let's vote. But yeah, wouldn't that wouldn't that be horrible? But I think we got to look at when we take votes. Mr. Mr. Each each and every vote.

I think you need to I need I think we need to take the votes and when we do, we have to know there's ramifications to each of those. Okay. I call the vote to go into executive session, please. De Mr. Yes. Mr. Bailey. Yes. Mr. D abstain.

Mr. Corey, yes. Miss Laravey. Miss Pereira. Yes. Mayor Kan. Yes. In executive session. We may come back.

Oh, are you guys all set? Okay, we're back in session. Deb, please call the role. Mr. Aam, here. Mr. Bailey, here.

Mr. Das, here. Mr. Cory here. Miss Laravey, Miss Pereira here. Mayor Coogan here. Anything further to come before the committee? Uh motion to approve chapter 3A section 21 A7 to review and approve the executive session minutes for May 12th, 2025 regular school committee meeting.

Second. I have a motion, a second discussion. D call the role, please. Mr.

Yes. Mr. Bailey, yes. Mr. Das, no. Mr.

Corey, yes. Miss Laravey, Miss Pereira, yes. Mayor Coogan, yes. Uh, entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion to second. I have a motion to second. De, please call the role. Mr. Yes. Mr. Bailey, yes. Mr.

Das, yes. Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, Miss Pereira, yes. Mayor Coogan, yes.

Ajourned. Oh.