11.18.2025 Fall River School Committee - Special Meeting

I'd like to call to order the special meeting of the for school committee for Tuesday, November 18th. Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. A here.

Mr. Bailey here.

Mr. Das here.

Mr. Cory here.

Miss Larby here.

Mr. Pereira here.

Mayor Kuan here. Salute to the flag behind the over there. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the [clears throat] republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

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

Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible. Uh do we have any citizens input tonight?

Deb, we do not.

We do not.

Uh any new business to come before the committee hearing? None. I'll detain a motion to go into executive session.

Make a motion to go into executive session. Second.

I have a motion to second.

Mr. Chairman, the reason Mr. Yeah, I wasn't really paying attention, but I don't think you read the open meeting law or did you read it?

Yeah, I read it.

Thank you. Sorry.

It's okay.

Uh, the reason is MGL chapter 30A section 21 A6 to consider the purchase or value of real property as the chair has determined that an open session may have a detrimental effect on negotiating position of the school committee. I have a motion and a second. Deb, could you call the role, please?

Mr. Das. Yeah, before we um on the motion to enter enter executive session, um just want to quickly just wish to go on the record and express my profound disappointment with both the administration and school committee leadership for the lack of transparency in calling for this meeting. I have asked multiple times in emails that included both the superintendent, the mayor, attorney Assad, and the entire

school committee, why exactly are we going behind closed doors today? And no one could even give me the courtesy of a call back or an explanation as to why we're having this meeting today. I was told by the superintendent days later that I should contact the school committee chair. However, one, the school committee chair was included in the emails and I haven't heard anything.

And two, under MASC guidelines, which many individuals on this committee fall forward for, it states clearly that the it is the superintendent's responsibility to one, keep all school committee members informed about school operation and programs, and two, provide all school committee members with appropriate background information in advance for each committee meeting.

Today is a committee meeting. So I'm just asking as one member, the communication with the entire school committee needs to improve. Thank you, Mr.

Chairman. Mr. Yeah.

Can we just get a response to Mr. Das from both the chair as well as the superintendent?

Miss Mr. D. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Great. Miss Per didn't see you, buddy.

Thanks. I know. I'm sure Miss Pere.

Um, I just wanted to make a point that I did respond to your email. When I saw today, nobody had. So, when you say the whole skill committee, I did respond.

Um, I'm under the impression I have a good idea of what we're here for based on what it stated on the agenda.

Um, so I just wanted to make it clear that I I did respond with what I thought was why we were here today.

I yield.

We will explain the reason for the non uh reply in about one minute. Chairman, Mr. today. Yeah.

I would like to respectfully ask the chair in public session as well as the superintendent to respond to Mr. Das.

It's an easy question and at the end of the day, everyone should just get an idea whether it's a courtesy phone call or anything. The man brings up valid points that everyone should be done the same way. And and I asked the superintendent and personal email, not to the whole school committee, to the a personal email to explain to her that he's entitled to an opinion and and information. And for whatever reason

over the days, no one responds. That's unacceptable. He deserves a response.

Okay. So, I did respond when I read your email on Sunday evening. I know that you took issue with the fact that I took the weekend off and that I didn't respond to you. I I know that you said I had the weekend to respond. You're right. I had the weekend and I spent it with my family. And when I got back to email on Sunday evening, I did respond. And at

that point, I explained to you that by the time I received your third email on Friday, although I didn't read it until Sunday, by the time I got your third email on Friday, the agenda had already been posted and that the subject was already available and that we were getting together to discuss the purchase or value of real property. As the chair has determined that an open session

would have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the school committee, I did not feel comfortable sharing with you any details of what we would um be discussing in executive session. And I did reach out to you after you sent me um additional emails that the mayor had called the meeting and that I thought you should reach out to him personally.

Mr. Chair, Mr.

Quickly to my colleague to my right, I I did see your um email and I do appreciate that and you went further than most others did. So I I genuinely do appreciate that, Miss Pereira.

Um to the superintendent, I'm not you don't really Excuse me, superintendent. Thank you.

You don't really get a choice on what information you can or can't share. It specifically states in MASC that to provide all school committee members with the appropriate background information. When we go into executive session at every meeting, we usually get backup information to explain.

I don't know if it's just something personal with the superintendent, but guess what, superintendent? I was also elected too.

And I deserve the same amount of respect as every other member, and you need to start showing it.

I'm going to show you the same respect that you show me on an ongoing basis.

Could you call the role, Deb, please?

Let's go, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, Miss Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. Chairman, I hope it's quick and it's got something related to what we're going to get to to give him the information he seeks. Right now, we are going to It is definitely relevant, but I think we need to tone it down with the rhetoric going back and forth.

The superintendent doesn't need to chastise a school committee member for asking for information and you as the chair also have to lead. Okay? I emailed the superintendent individually and said to her something along the lines of if the mayor's not going to lead and let everybody know what's going on, then he needs to allow you as superintendent to take the lead. This is not acceptable

whether it's in this particular case or in any other case. And Mr. Das or any other member of this committee don't deserve to be treated the way that the superintendent is treating him right now.

You said that already.

I yield. Thank you.

Dem call the role.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey.

Yes.

Mr. Mr. D.

No.

Mr. Cory?

Yes.

Miss Lar?

Yes.

Miss Carrera?

Yes.

May.

Yes. Okay. We're going to go into executive session. I guess we'll stay right here.

We're back in regular session. Deb, please call the role.

Here.

Here.

Here. Cory here.

Here.

Here.

Call the role. Deb.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey.

Yes.

Yes.

Yep.

Yes.

Yes. Chairman.