Quincy Public Schools

QUINCY SCHOOL COMMITTEE

BUDGET & FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ~ May 26, 2021

A meeting of the Budget & Finance Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 5:30 pm at the Coddington Building.  Present were Mr. Douglas Gutro, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Courtney Perdios, Mr. Frank Santoro, and Mayor Thomas P. Koch, School Committee and Subcommittee Chair.  Also attending were Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Mr. James Mullaney, Ms. Erin Perkins; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Director of Business James Mullaney presented the Quarterly Budget review through the FY2021 third quarter ending March 31, 2021.  For Academic Classroom Teachers, there is an anticipated surplus of $240,481.  For Academic Programs, there is an anticipated surplus of $205,608.  For Academic Support, there are anticipated surpluses of $448,912, and Non-Academic Support $575,003.  The total anticipated surplus for staffing is $1,470,004.  Most of the surplus is due to unfilled positions for bus drivers and monitors, two unfilled nursing positions, and delayed hiring for administrative positions. 

On the expense side, there are deficits for Academic and Non-Academic Expenses (Special Education Tuitions & Transportation and Electicity) that total $358,201.  These deficits will be offset by the surplus on the staffing side.  In the past, Rental revolving account surplus has funded electrical deficit but there was no income for Rentals this year.

Mrs. Lebo asked about additional electrical costs, Mr. Mullaney said schools have more technology devices, additional ventilation devices, and the electricity rates are higher.

Mr. Santoro noted that many of the buildings were running ventiliation 24 hours a day due to COVID-19 concerns.

Mrs. Perdios asked if the electricity line should be increased in the FY2022 Budget.  Mr. Mullaney said that there is reserve funding available to supplement that line should there be overage next year.

Mrs. Lebo said that with all of the uncertainty of this year, it is amazing that there is a surplus.  Mayor Koch said the CARES funding was a factor in covering many expenses.

Mrs. Perdios asked what happens to the budget surplus.  Mr. Mullaney said that at the June 9 School Committee meeting, proposals for spending on textbooks and supplies will be presented and any additional funding will return to the City’s General Fund. 

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to approve the Quarterly Budget report as presented.  Mr. Gutro seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it.

Mayor Koch reviewed that the FY2022 Quincy Public Schools Budget appropriation includes the complete Chapter 70 funding appropriation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Superintendent Mulvey thanked Mayor Koch and the Quincy City Council for the appropriation for Quincy Public Schools, which allows for level services and some areas of growth.  In developing the draft budget, meetings were held with Superintendent’s Leadership and Principal Team members to prioritize areas of increase, opportunities for shifting and reduction.  The proposed FY2022 QPS Budget is $120,290,181, an increase of over $3 million dollars over FY2021.  The budget is from three sources:  the Mayor’s Appropriation of $114,290,181, projected Circuit Breaker funding of $5 million dollars, and CARES Act funding of $1 million.  In addition to the direct appropriation, the City of Quincy budget carries $62,238,561 in funding related to Quincy Public Schools, including health insurance, maintenance and improvements, and debt service for new construction and renovations.  Over the past 10 years, per pupil expenditures have continued to grow with an average of $16,273.  The proposed budget also includes contractual step and level raises; percentage raises are being held in a general city fund in anticipation of negotiations concluding.  Funds available for budget building are $2,119,591 to address class size, increase academic program and supports.

For Academic Classroom Teachers, the proposal is to increase 2.0 FT positions to address class size needs.  For Academic Program Teachers, the proposal is to add 2.0 FT Elementary Academic Talent teachers; 0.5 Art Teacher, 1.0 ELL Teacher, 1.0 Grade 10 Health Teacher (new for NQHS, convert 1 QHS Health Interventionist to Health Teacher), 0.5 Music Teacher, 1.5 CVTE positions (three 0.5 positions at for program expansion for NQHS Carpentry and QHS & NQHS Occupational Health), and 2.0 Special Education teachers (CARES).  For Academic Support, 2.0 Paraprofessionals for Family Liaison to assist Central Registration with welcoming families and connecting to schools.  No changes for Non-Academic Support. 

For the Subsidized Services, there are no changes for Food Services (all meal costs will be waived for the 2021-2022 school year due to the USDA reimbursement), School Building Rentals (recommending no change in rates), Transportation (recommending no change in rates), and Athletics (recommending no changes in fees).  There was very little revenue in any of these accounts for the FY2021, as there were no Transportation fees, Building Rentals, or School Meal charges.  For Athletics, User Fees were still collected but there were no gate receipts for Athletics events.

For Academic Expenses, the recommendation is to add $1 million to the Special Education tuition line and $500,000 for Special Education translation, including a subscription to 24-hour translation services online.  There are no recommended increases for Non-Academic Expenses. 

In summary, the proposed FY2022 has an increase of 12.5 positions (29%) and $1.5 million in expenses (71%). 

Mr. Gutro fully supports the increased expenditures for Special Education and the Family Liaison positions.  Mr. Gutro asked for clarification on the High School Health Teacher positions and the implementation of the DOVE curriculum.  Ms. Perkins said that currently, NQHS has one Health Interventionist and QHS has two.  Under the budget proposal, there would be one Health Teacher at each high school to teach the Flash curriculum and integrate the DOVE program in a Grade 10 Health class.  The High School Health teachers would also coordinate with the middle school Health staff members.

Mrs. Perdios agreed that both the Health positions and noted that the Family Liaisons were advocated by parents and the Citywide Parent Council.  Mrs. Perdios asked how the Family Liaisons can support school PTOs.  Ms. Perkins said they could be translators for meetings and documents and events along with assisting parents to be active members of the school community.

Mrs. Perdios asked for clarification on the number of employees, some are grant funded.  There are an estimated 1400 QPS employees.

Mrs. Lebo thanked Mayor Koch, the City Council, and the taxpayers of Quincy for their support of Quincy Public Schools.  Mrs. Lebo would like to discuss additional expenditures for curriculum.  Mrs. Lebo supports the expansion of the CVTE programs to ensure all interested students can enroll in the program of their choice.

Mrs. Lebo is concerned about the Academically Talented program expansion, typically there are up to 80 students invited to the Grade 5 program.  Ms. Perkins said the expansion allows for the top 20% of each school to participate at their school site.  Mrs. Lebo asked about Grades 3 and 4, Ms. Perkins said these students would receive an hour per week for advanced content.  The priority would be Grade 5 programming.  Mrs. Lebo would like to see effort and funds expended into raising the performance of elementary students who have EL or Special Education.  Ms. Perkins said this will increase opportunity for students who don’t typically have the performance to be qualified for the advanced program. 

Mrs. Perdios said that there are students who are above grade level that have not traditionally been served by this program and this expansion can address that. 

Mr. Santoro said these teachers will be a resource for all elementary staff members, assist them with reaching the higher performing students.  Mr. Santoro hopes that the Family Liaisons will be out at schools actively working with families. 

Mayor Koch noted that the FY2022 Quincy Public Schools Budget Public Hearing is scheduled for June 2 at 5:30 pm.

Mrs. Lebo made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:30 pm.  Mr. Santoro seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.

Quincy School Committee

Teaching & Learning Subcommittee

**This meeting is a Committee of the Whole**

Mrs. Emily Lebo, Teaching & Learning Chair

Mr. Paul Bregoli & Mr. Frank Santoro, Subcommittee Members

Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 6:00 pm

Coddington Building, School Committee Room

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 website on Friday, May 28, 2021.

AGENDA     

1. Virtual Learning Survey Data                       Ms. Perkins, Ms. Roy
2. High School Curriculum Collaboration                        Mrs. Lebo
3. Updated World Languages Curriculum Framework        Ms. Roy
4. Elementary & Middle School Improvement Plans     Ms. Perkins

      SIPs are being submitted to School Committee without presentation;                       please email any follow-up questions

QUINCY SCHOOL COMMITTEE

TEACHING & LEARNING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ~ May 26, 2021

A meeting of the Teaching & Learning Subcommittee was held on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 6:30 pm at the Coddington Building.  Present were Mr. Doug Gutro, Mrs. Courtney Perdios, Mr. Frank Santoro, and Mrs. Emily Lebo, Subcommittee Chair.  Also attending were Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins, Ms. Maura Papile, Ms. Kimberley Quinn, Ms. Madeline Roy, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Edward Smith; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Assistant Superintendent Erin Perkins introduced Curriculum Team Administrators Kimberley Quinn and Ed Smith to present on the Virtual Learning Survey data from Parents (636 responses), Students (1,983 responses from Grades 5-12), and Educators (325 responses).  The surveys were organized into categories for Participation & Engagement, Social & Emotional Well-Being, and Technology & Digital Learning.  The responders were 48% remote and 52% in-person.

82% of Parents and 78% students agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the virtual learning provided by QPS educators.  90% approved of the use of Google Classroom and 70% felt that students are focused during remote learning.  76% of parents and 80% of students say that students feel connected to adults at school.  77% of students and 71% of students say the students feel connected to other students at school.  54% of parents believe there was less student learning during virtual learning and 66% of parents are concerned about their students’ social-emotional health due to virtual learning.  89% of parents and 85% of students say they or their students look forward to returning to in-person learning in September.

For Educators, 90% felt confident in developing activities and lessons that are appropriate for student learning experience.  62% felt they covered less content than they could in person.  60% felt they had the opportunity to make connections with their students, parents, and families during remote learning.  70% did not feel connected to their colleagues while teaching remotely.  83% plan to continue to use Google Classroom regardless going forward.  90% would like the option for meetings, conferences, and PD to continue to be held virtually.

Mr. Gutro is glad to see the data on continued usage for Google Classroom.  Mr. Gutro asked for how QPS plans to re-establish connections with students, families, and staff who felt disconnected during this school year.  Ms. Perkins said the robust summer programs, which the majority will be held in person, are focused on this.  Many of the schools have informal summer events to build family communities and principals will be encouraged to expand this.

Mr. Gutro noted that there are many students who have never attended their school in person, orientation will be an issue at elementary, middle, and high schools.  Ms. Perkins said there are transitional programs available to address these students needs.

Mrs. Perdios asked if the survey was anonymous how to follow up with parents and students who did not feel engaged.  Mrs. Perdios would like to see MCAS and MAP scores aggregated for remote and in person learning, especially with the feeling about less content being covered.  Mrs. Perdios agreed that parents liked the remote teacher conference options, much easier than juggling childcare.

Mrs. Lebo said there are no surprises in this data, looking forward to students returning to school in the fall.  Mrs. Lebo said that the teachers feeling disconnected during remote learning made this a difficult and isolating year for them.  The MCAS data will be interesting to review, given all the challenges.  Educators who felt they did not have the materials they needed may have been unprepared for the technology challenges.

Mrs. Lebo spoke about the recent meeting she attended in collaboration with the NQHS and QHS students and staff who are evaluating new literature titles for the high school curriculum.

Mr. Santoro objected to the item being on the agenda, as it is not an item in this Subcommittee.  The topic is in the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Subcommittee.  Mr. Gutro agreed with Mr. Santoro.

Mrs. Perdios noted that School Committee members were not given the option to be included in the meeting.

Mrs. Lebo said that if more than one School Committee member is included, the meeting must be posted as a public meeting.

Mrs. Lebo said the Curriculum Collaboration group has been meeting about EDI issues as it relates to curriculum.  Students have also been involved in this discussion and there are titles that are being considered to diversify the reading program.  Mrs. Lebo would like to discuss increased curriculum funding in the FY2022 Budget to purchase these newer titles for both high schools.

Mr. Santoro asked when the meetings were held and who the participants were.  Mrs. Lebo said students from the EDI Subcommittee and QPS staff participated in the discussion.  Mrs. Lebo requested Ms. Perkins to share the list of titles and suggested a One City, One Book initiative that the Thomas Crane Public Library can be involved in.

Mrs. Perdios asked if there is a specific funding increase for the curriculum purchases.  Ms. Roy said there are considerations for adding one new title for each grade level.  Mrs. Perdios asked to see a proposal for budget consideration.  This can be discussed further at next week’s EDI Subcommittee meeting.

Senior Curriculum Director Madeline Roy presented on the Updated World Languages Curriculum Framework updated in April 2021, reflecting the national standards developed by the American Council of Foreign Languages.  The national standards are organized around the five “C”s: Communities, Cultures, Comparisons, Conversations, and Communication.  The new frameworks have an abundance of open-source resources.  The goal is to empower students to engage in a language other than English, participate in local, national, and international communities.  Ms. Roy said there is a lot of overlap with the Humanities curriculums.  In addition to the content standards, the new frameworks have guiding principles that enhance the robust learning experience.  Next steps are to participate in the district networking meeting on June 3; DESE is hosting a district leadership meeting in August.  In September 2021, the middle & high school Foreign Language teachers will meet to begin to unpack the standards and professional development will be planned.  Ms. Roy thanked the high school department chairs for the work done already in anticipation of the new frameworks and the shift to proficiency-based learning.

Mrs. Perdios likes the global citizenship concept being integrated into the new frameworks.  Mrs. Perdios asked about grade level requirements, Ms. Roy said this is proficiency-based, more along the lines of EL proficiency levels.  Ultimately, this may change how students are assigned to classes. 

Mrs. Perdios asked what the current Foreign Language requirement, Ms. Roy said this is currently two years/10 credits.  Ms. Roy said some colleges have a three-year requirement so guidance counselors work with students based on their post-graduate plans. 

Mrs. Perdios asked whether Grade 8 Foreign Language fills the requirement, it does not count.  Mrs. Perdios would like to see Foreign Language instruction begin earlier, possibly Grade 6 and would also like to see American Sign Language as an option.

Mr. Santoro asked about introducing an immersion program, for future consideration, perhaps in Mandarin.

Mrs. Lebo agreed with the idea, if funding allows.

Mrs. Lebo noted that French is not universally available for Grade 8, it depends on the interest level at each school.  Mrs. Lebo asked about remote access being the solution.

Mrs. Lebo asked about the Massachusetts State Seal of Bi-Literacy, Ms. Roy said this is an award who recognizes high school students who attain a high level of proficiency in two or more languages.  This seal is on their transcript/diploma, and there are assessments to be administered to confirm this.  The first step is for Quincy have approved assessments and would require the coordination of EL and Foreign Languages departments.

Ms. Perkins reviewed that the Elementary and Middle School Improvement Plans were submitted to School Committee.  The academic goals were continued from 2019-2020 and a social-emotional goal was added.  All facilities needs have been referred to the Facilities, Transportation & Security Subcommittee.

Mrs. Lebo asked about the Point Webster Middle School grounds, Superintendent Mulvey said that Mayor Koch is working on an outside funding source.  Some preliminary work is being done by Woodward & Curran in assessing the site in anticipation of receiving the funding.

Mrs. Perdios thanked Superintendent Mulvey and Mayor Koch for this work, asked about master list of Facilities needs.  Ms. Owens will collaborate with Public Buildings Commissioner Hines to update this list for the June 2, 2021 Facilities Subcommittee meeting.

Mr. Gutro asked and received confirmation that the regular schedule of SIPs being presented by principals to School Committee will resume.

Mr. Santoro made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 pm.  Mrs. Lebo seconded the motion and on a voice vote, the ayes have it.