Jan. 5, 2022 Special Organizational Meeting

Jan. 5, 2022 Special Organizational Meeting
Posted on 01/03/2022
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Agenda

Quincy School Committee
Organizational Meeting

City Council Chambers, Historic City Hall
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
6:00 p.m.

Per Governor Baker’s order suspending certain provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A sec. 20, the public will not be allowed to physically access this School Committee meeting. Members of the Public can access the meeting live on QATV Channel 22 or at www.qatv.org. The meeting will also be recorded for rebroadcast and posted on the QPS SchoolTube website on Friday, January 7, 2022.

  1. Call to Order - Mayor Thomas P. Koch

  2. School Committee Oath of Office Administered by Mayor Thomas P. Koch

  3. Organizational Meeting of the School Committee - Mayor Thomas P. Koch

    • Election of School Committee Vice Chair

    • Appointment of Secretary to the School Committee

    • Appointment of Clerk to the School Committee

  4. Adjournment

Minutes

Quincy, MASSACHUSETTS – January 5, 2022

Organizational Meeting of the Quincy School Committee

Organizational Meeting

Chairman Presiding

An Organizational Meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on January 5, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at the Historic City Hall. The following members and members-elect were present: Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mrs. Tina Cahill, Mr. Douglas Gutro, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mr. Frank Santoro, and Mayor Thomas P. Koch, Chairman. Also present were Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Secretary and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk; City Councillor Nina Liang; Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Ms. Rita Bailey, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Ms. Julie Graham, Mr. James Mullaney, Ms. Maura Papile, and Ms. Madeline Roy.

There was a moment of silence for members of the armed services at home and abroad and for past School Committee members in honor of their service.

School Committee Members Sworn In

Mayor Koch proceeded to swear in Mrs. Tina Cahill, Mr. Douglas Gutro, and Mrs. Emily Lebo for the 2022-2025 term of office.

Superintendent Mulvey called the roll and all School Committee members were present.

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Organizational Meeting

Mayor Koch then opened the Organizational Meeting of the Quincy School Committee.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to open the nominations for the Office of Vice Chair of the School Committee for 2020-2021. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Vice Chair Elected

Mayor Koch asked for nominations for the Office of Vice Chair of the School Committee for 2022-2023.

Mr. Bregoli nominated Mr. Frank Santoro for the Office of Vice Chair for 2022-2023. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion.

Mr. Bregoli made a motion to close the nominations for the Office of Vice Chair and Mrs. Cahill seconded the motion. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

On a roll call vote, Mr. Santoro was unanimously elected School Committee Vice Chair by a vote of 7-0.

Mr. Santoro’s Remarks

Mr. Santoro began by thanking his colleagues for the honor of their vote as Vice-Chair. Mr. Santoro is looking forward to working with Mayor Koch, School Committee, the Superintendent’s Leadership and Principal teams as the Quincy Public Schools moves towards a bright future, including welcoming a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator to the Superintendent’s Leadership Team, negotiating new contracts, collaborating with students and staff, planning a new Squantum Elementary School, and opening the DeCristofaro Learning Center.

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Secretary Appointed

Mayor Koch asked for nominations for the Office of Secretary to the School Committee for 2022-2023.

Mr. Santoro nominated Superintendent Kevin Mulvey as Secretary to the School Committee for 2022-2023. Mr. Gutro seconded the motion.

Mrs. Hubley made a motion to close the nominations for the Office of Secretary to the School Committee and Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

On a roll call vote, Superintendent Kevin Mulvey was unanimously appointed Secretary to the School Committee by a vote of 7-0.

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Clerk Appointed

Mayor Koch asked for nominations for the Office of Clerk to the School Committee for 2022-2023.

Mrs. Hubley nominated Ms. Laura Owens as Clerk to the School Committee for 2022-2023. Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion.

Mr. Santoro made a motion to close the nominations for the Office of Clerk to the School Committee and Mr. Gutro seconded the motion. On a voice vote, the ayes have it.

On a roll call vote, Ms. Laura Owens was unanimously appointed Clerk to the School Committee by a vote of 7-0.

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Emergency Update: COVID-19 Metrics & Responses

Mayor Koch asked for School Committee to allow Superintendent Mulvey to provide an emergency update on COVID-19 Metrics and Quincy Public Schools responses to the uptick in cases reported. School Committee unanimously consented on a voice vote. Mayor Koch noted that for the Superintendent, the Leadership and Principal Teams, there was constant communication while the schools were closed and planning for the safest re-opening of school possible.

Superintendent Mulvey reviewed that the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education released new guidelines about COVID-19 Case Isolation, Close Contacts, and Quarantining that align with the most recent Centers for Disease Control guidance. In most cases, isolation/quarantine has been reduced to five days from ten days.

The Quincy Public Schools nursing staff is working above and beyond to share information with families, to provide guidance for families with positive cases or close contacts, and to contact trace. The new guidance was shared with families in a QPS Newsletter on December 31, posted on the QPS website and social media, and encouraged students and staff to sign up for the QPS Pooled Testing and Test & Stay programs. We have also created a new QPS COVID-19 Resource page as a permanent place to post the evolving guidance and protocols. Principals are working on alternate lunch plans to mitigate exposure when students are unmasked. We are also requesting National Guard assistance with COVID-19 Pooled Testing and Test & Stay. All of these efforts have the goal of maintaining in-person teaching and learning at our schools as safely as possible.

DESE also provided KN95 masks and home COVID-19 tests for all student-facing staff at schools. The tests were distributed to staff on Sunday, January 2 for them to voluntarily test prior to returning to school on Monday. The KN95 and other masks are available at all school sites. Staffing continues to be a challenge, QPS is continuing to recruit substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and lunch attendants. Superintendent Mulvey thanked all Quincy Public Schools staff members for their dedication and professionalism and parents for their patience and collaboration in monitoring their students’ health.

Superintendent Mulvey shared the COVID-19 positive case metrics (shared with School Committee and also posted on the QPS website): there have been 570 student and 140 staff cases in the two weeks December 22-January 4. Today’s cases are 81 students and 13 staff members. For pooled testing, just over 1,200 staff and students were tested on January 3 and 4, with 54 positive cases identified.

Mr. Gutro asked for clarification on how students access remote learning while home in quarantine. Superintendent Mulvey said that schools have one day to transition a student to remote learning, access information is provided by the principal or guidance counselor.

Mrs. Lebo thanked Superintendent Mulvey noting that these cases are not in-school transmission, families gathered over the holidays and in some cases, are reporting cases already cleared before the return to school. Managing pooled testing and test & stay is an enormous administrative task for our school nurses, requested additional clerical support for them.

Mr. Bregoli asked about hospitalization rates for staff or students. Superintendent Mulvey said there is one staff member hospitalized currently.

Mayor Koch said that the press coverage of the crisis is alarming to families and staff and wants to reassure everyone that Quincy Public Schools administrators are working hard to ensure the safety of staff and students.

Superintendent Mulvey thanked Mayor Koch and the School Committee for their support.

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Adjournment

On a motion by Mr. Bregoli, seconded by Mr. Santoro, the Organizational Meeting was adjourned at 6:35 p.m. The ayes have it.