Quincy Public Schools

A meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the School Committee Room at the Coddington Building.

Superintendent Kevin Mulvey called the roll and present were Mayor Thomas P. Koch, School Committee Chair and School Committee Members Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Doug Gutro, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Courtney Perdios, and School Committee Vice Chair Mrs. Tina Cahill.

Also present were: Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Perkins, Mr. Nicholas Ahearn, Ms. Christine Barrett, Ms. Kim Connolly, Mr. Daniel Cosgrove, Mr. Richard DeCristofaro, Jr., Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mr. Daniel Gilbert, Ms. Julie Graham, Ms. Janet Loftus, Mr. Michael Marani, Ms. Courtney Mitchell, Mr. James Mullaney, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms. Aliza Schneller, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Larry Taglieri; NQHS Student Representative Anthony DiBella; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Mrs. Cahill read the following statement into the record: 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 or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

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Regular Meeting

Vice-Chair Presiding

Mr. Tom Leung asked for assistance with the traffic pattern at Russell Park and Huntley Road for Quincy High School dropoff as it blocks residential access to Huntley Road. Mr. Leung said the Saville Avenue house grounds are being used as a dog park. Mr. Leung thanked Mr. Gutro for his years of service to the City of Quincy.

Mr. Kai Lee thanked School Committee for the opportunity to learn about the CVTE programs from the last School Committee and is looking forward to learning more about the plan to re-open the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center.Mr. Lee also thanked Mr. Gutro for his years of service.

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Open Forum

Superintendent Mulvey opened his report by recognizing the Grade 8 Project 351 Ambassadors who represented Quincy Public Schools on Saturday, January 25, at an in-person Day of Service project at different locations in the Boston area. Congratulations to the students: South~West: Jackson Davis; Broad Meadows: David DiBona; Atlantic:Thu Nguyen; Central:Maisarah Rahman; Point Webster:Yangkang Wu

Congressman Stephen P. Lynch will be visiting Central Middle School on Friday, March 28 to visit with Grade 8 Civics students. Social Studies teachers Paul Griffith and Bill Pavao will be moderating as Congressman Lynch shares with the students about his work in Congress and answers their questions. Special thanks to Community Development Director Sean Glennon for his assistance in arranging the visit.

Congratulations to the North Quincy High School Academic Decathalon team on qualifying to represent Massachusetts in the upcoming Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa in May. Best wishes to team members Matthew Amador, Luisa Baiense, Emily Ko, Matthew Lin, Marko Mano, Dhani Paliwal, Philip Wang, and Stephen Yu as they prepare for the upcoming competition with coach Beni D’Amore.

The Quincy High School Competitive Math Team, secured a commendable 7th place finish at the Southeastern Massachusetts Math League playoffs earlier in March. Competing against a field of over 30 talented teams, the QHS Presidents Math Team demonstrated exceptional problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit. This year's playoff qualification was a first for the team, thanks to coach Laurie Canning and team members Ramona Bentzel, Jacob Chan, Abheri Chanda, Edward Chen, Iman Habib, Yilun Lin, Lucas Snow, Mirudulaa Suginathan Yamini, Minh Tan Tran, and Matthew Wong.

At the recent SkillsUSA District 3 competition, 45 Quincy Public Schools students participated in a variety of competitive events, showcasing their skills and dedication to their respective trades. Ten Quincy High School students earned medals for their impressive performances and eight of these medalists have qualified to advance to the prestigious SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in May. Congratulations to: John Huynh, Bronze Medal in Information Technology Services; Bradley Chaisson, Bronze Medal in Internetworking; Solana Selinger-Batista, Silver Medal in Criminal Justice; Ali Al-Rekabi and Ahmad Ansar, Silver Medal in Cyber Security; Catherine Mulyanga, Regina Lorusso, Ana Sophia Valencia Acevedo, and Gianna DiBona, Silver Medal in Health Knowledge; and Elizabeth Wong-Waywaymyint, Gold Medal in Nurse Assisting.

Congratulations to the members of the QNQ Varsity Jazz Ensemble for earning a silver medal at the recent Massachusetts Association for Jazz Education State Finals. Individual Outstanding Musicians, as selected by the judges are Nathan Aronoff, Tenor Sax/Alto Sax; Johnny Chen, Clarinet/Trombone;Avyanna Garcia-Pizarro, Voice; Dave Jean-Philippe, Bass

Upcoming Quincy Public Schools and City of Quincy Events include:

• North Quincy High School will face off against St. John’s Prep in the first round of Season 16 of WGBH’s High School Quiz Show on Saturday, March 29 at 6:00 pm. Best of luck to the team and we will update you on their progress through the tournament.
• The Atlantic Middle School Players are presenting the musical Mean Girls on April 4 at 7:00 pm and April 5 at 2:00 and 6:00 pm in the school’s auditorium.
• In celebration of Quincy’s 400th Anniversary, there will be a Historical Family Walk on Saturday, April 5 starting at 9:00 am from Adams Field. Students and families, staff, and community members are invited to join as we explore fifteen local landmarks.
• The next Parent Academy on Behavioral Health Navigator will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at 6:00 pm on Zoom and feature local community partner Bay State Community Services.
• Finally, the combined High School Choir Concert will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at North Quincy High School at 6:00 pm and the combined High School Band Concert will be held on Thursday, April 10 at 6:00 pm at Quincy High School.

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Superintendent’s

Report

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to approve School Committee Policy 5.5.7 Motor Vehicle Idling on School Grounds. Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion.

On the motion, Mrs. Perdios reminded about the importance of communication to parents/guardians about the Policy.

On a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Superintendent’s Goals for 2024-2025. Mr. Gutro seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it, 7-0.

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Old Business

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Perkins and Lincoln Hancock Community School Principal Janet Loftus presented a proposal for the re-opening of the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center in September 2026. The proposal shared with School Committee is to add Pre-Kindergarten classrooms for neighborhood students: three half-day Integrated classrooms and two full-day Integrated classrooms. The CPPI Needs Assessment identified full-day Pre-Kindergarten as a priority for 44% of families responding.There are currently 200 students on the waiting list for Pre-Kindergarten.

In addition, six Kindergarten classrooms would move from Lincoln Hancock to Della Chiesa ECC, along with the Transitional Kindergarten class that was moved to Atherton Hough for this school year due to space constraints at Lincoln Hancock. The Della Chiesa ECC floor plans were shared with School Committee and individual spaces for administrators, related services such as OT, PT, and Speech were identified.

Principal Janet Loftus discussed the concerns about the physical learning environment at Lincoln Hancock, due to the building’s design and construction in the early 1970s with open classroom concept. Many classrooms do not have walls that go to the ceiling and only 8 of 30 homerooms have doors. Spaces for Special Education and English Learners are fit in between classes and are often not private spaces.

With the six Kindergarten classes moved to the Della Chiesa ECC building, homerooms could be re-organized by grade level and there would be private classroom spaces for Special Education and English Learner classes. The library space has been encroached on and so would be able to return to former size.

Mrs. Lebo complimented the Lincoln Hancock staff for their flexibility, making the best of the physical limitations of the building and serving the students. Mrs. Lebo said the half-day program hours are very difficult for working parents.

Mr. Bregoli asked for clarification on the preschool parent needs, Dr. Perkins said most families are looking for 6-8 hours of Pre-Kindergarten due to their work schedules.

Mr. Bregoli asked about the security of the Lincoln Hancock building where there are classrooms without doors. Ms. Loftus said that the doors for each floor are locked and accessible with the key cards.

Mrs. Hubley said this proposal addresses the concerns of the community about expanding opportunities for Pre-Kindergarten.

Mrs. Perdios said there is overcrowding at different schools as well, would like to have a big picture discussion about the entire school district as a whole. Mrs. Perdios noted that Grade 5 students at the middle schools continues to be an equity issue, along with the fact that there hasn’t been re-districting in over 30 years. Along with the Della Chiesa ECC building, there is the property where the former St. Mary’s School available as well.

Mayor Koch asked about enrollment, Ms. Loftus said that 565 students are currently enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 4. Around 115 Kindergarten students would attend Della Chiesa ECC. Mayor Koch noted that current class sizes are smaller than when our schools were originally built. In addition, the Della Chiesa ECC building needs capital improvements, including the HVAC system. Mayor Koch said that building a school on the former St. Mary’s school property would allow for redistricting. This proposal is a good step forward and will continue to be discussed.

Mr. Gutro thanked the presenters and agrees with Mrs. Perdios about a bigger picture look at the district facilities.

Mrs. Lebo asked whether the state has mandated that Pre-Kindergarten will be required, possibly as soon as 2030. Dr. Perkins said nothing has been announced yet, but we are monitoring.

Mr. Bregoli asked for clarification, the class size policy is set by Quincy School Committee and could be amended as needed. Mr. Bregoli suggested that grade level bands could be adjusted throughout the city, different configurations than what currently exists.

Mayor Koch said that building a new school in West Quincy would trigger the redistricting discussion. Mayor Koch agrees that grade level bands can also be discussed, some districts have K-8 schools or 7-12 schools.

Mr. Gutro said that the City Clerk reviews the Ward boundaries every ten years after the census completion, perhaps School Committee should adopt a similar mechanism to review the school districts at set intervals.

Mrs. Perdios asked what the timeline for review of these issues would be. Mayor Koch asked Superintendent Mulvey to research and identify the enrollment and district challenges.

Superintendent Mulvey said that the Lincoln Hancock space issues are the most important to address of all those across the district. The Superintendent’s Leadership Team will work on this is in the coming months. The goal is to do the best with what we have before an additional school building is available.

Mrs. Lebo referred this to both the Teaching & Learning and the Facilities, Security & Transportation Subcommittees for review and discussion.

Mrs. Cahill thanked Superintendent Mulvey, Dr. Perkins, and Ms. Loftus for the thoughtful proposal. Having the Della Chiesa ECC building available is an almost-immediate solution to the teaching and learning issues raised during the presentation. Mrs. Cahill said that enrollment shifts over time, so it might be premature to project redistricting when a new school may not be available for 5-7 years.

Mrs. Perdios agrees the proposal has merit, but would like to discuss the idea ofGrade 5 students being accommodated in the elementary schools through additions at Clifford Marshall and Lincoln Hancock.

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New Business

Re-Opening

Della Chiesa ECC

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Perkins and Executive Director Keith Segalla presented an overview of the proposed revision to the state’s regulations on admission to Career Vocational Technical Education schools, both regional and comprehensive schools. Prior to the draft regulation changes being shared with the Board of Education on March 10, 2025, there was no notification to schools with CVTE programs. Mr. Segalla reviewed the current School Committee Policy on CVTE Program Admissions 10.5.3, which was revised in 2022 to meet updated state regulations. There are rarely oversubscribed CVTE programs in Quincy Public Schools; in the last four years, Automotive Technology has been oversubscribed twice, and Healthcare Technology at each high school has been oversubscribed once.

Under the new regulations, there must be a public weighted lottery system for oversubscribed programs. There is some confusion about how the weighting system will work, and selective criteria will not be allowed except for attendance (no more than 27 absences in the preceding 270 days of school, which is Chronically Absent) and discipline (no more than 10 days suspension or expulsion). In addition, schools must hold two open house events and three virtual information sessions in order to require admission applications.

Quincy Public Schools strongly opposes these proposed changes to the regulations and are urging the School Committee to sign the letter of support prior to the end of public comment on April 18, 2025. The Board of Education is anticipated to vote on this at the May 20, 2025 meeting.

Mayor Koch asked what is driving these proposed changes, Mr. Segalla said two high schools were in violation of the current regulations. Mayor Koch noted this will also affect the Norfolk County Agricultural School as well.

Mrs. Lebo said the regional Vocational schools have admission criteria because they don’t know the students that are coming from multiple districts. At comprehensive high schools, all students are accommodated in their first, second, or third choices of CVTE programs. Mrs. Lebo is opposed to these proposed changes, supports the School Committee letter.

Mayor Koch asked if there is a Public Hearing scheduled, Mr. Segalla will research.

Mr. Gutro asked about the point in the letter about data, Mr. Segalla said the DESE data was not shared with school districts, so we have no idea what the basis is. Mr. Gutro suggested that the phrase be added “that was relied upon for the development of this policy”.

Mrs. Perdios asked for clarification, Superintendent Mulvey said the process would be backwards. Currently, students indicate their interest in particular programs through the scheduling process.

Mrs. Cahill suggested the letter include that the information sessions are a burden to staff and families. There is cost associated with staff time.

Mrs. Lebo said that Quincy High School Exploratory Program exposes students to all of the CVTE programs, but it doesn’t count as a promotional event. Mrs. Lebo suggested the potential for compromised safety standards and jeopardizing apprenticeship opportunities since business partners don’t want students with excessive absences or discipline. Mrs. Lebo also stressed local control as a part of the letter.

Mr. Gutro asked if the business partners will also send letters, Mr. Segalla said there are over 100 community business partners who have agreed to send letters in opposition to the proposed CVTE regulation changes.

Superintendent Mulvey

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New Business

Proposed Revision

To CVTE Regulations

Mrs. Hubley made a motion to refer Video Monitoring for School Bus Safety Enforcement to Facilities, Security & Transportation Subcommittee.

Mrs. Hubley clarified that these cameras would be on the outside of the school buses to document traffic violations.

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New Business

Referral to Facilities,

Security &

Transportation

Subcommittee

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the item listed under the Consent Agenda: Approval of the March 12, 2025 Regular Meeting and Executive Session minutes; a grants from the South Shore MassHire Workforce Board; a donation from the Fontbonne Academy Theater Program; and Student Travel requests for the South~West Middle School Grade 6 to go to Canobie Lake Park on June 17, 2025; Broad Meadows Middle School Grade 8 to go to Canobie Lake Park on June 12, 2025; the North Quincy High School US Academic Decathalon Team to go to Des Moines, Iowa April 30-May 3, 2025; and for the Quincy High School History Bowl Team to travel to the National Championship in Washington, D.C. on April 24-27, 2025. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Hubley and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it 7-0.

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Consent Agenda

There was no Additional Business.

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Additional Business

Mrs. Cahill noted that upcoming School Committee meetings will be held on April 9; May 7 & 21; and June 11, 2025 all at 6:30 pm at the Coddington Building. There will be a Quarterly Budget & Finance Subcommittee meeting on April 9, 2025; and a Special Education and a Joint Teaching & Learning & Policy Subcommittees meeting on April 30, 2025, starting at 6:00 pm.

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Communications

Mrs. Lebo reported on the March 19, 2025 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee, where progress towards the district writing goal was reviewed, along with the upcoming MCAS Civics and Science Technology Engineering administration.

As there were no changes proposed, the meeting minutes of the March 19, 2025 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee were accepted as presented.

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Reports of

Subcommittees

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to adjourn to Executive Session for the purpose of Contract Negotiations at 8:25 pm. Mr. Gutro seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it. School Committee will not return from Executive Session.

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Executive Session

Since School Committee did not return from Executive Session, the Regular Meeting was adjourned at 8:25 pm.

Adjournment