MANCHESTER – Here’s your recap of the Monday, September 23, Board of School Committee meeting. The agenda for the meeting is here: https://5il.co/2x307. Video from the meeting will be posted online by Manchester Public Television. As a reminder, we provide live updates from full board meetings at https://x.com/mansd_nh.
Bakersville Students Lead Pledge of Allegiance
For the first time this school year, we had students join us at Monday's Board of School Committee meeting to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Bakersville Elementary School 4th Graders Royce and Alexa did a great job leading the pledge. Beforehand, they had a chance to visit with Mayor Ruais and School Board Member Bob Baines, the latter of whom noted that he was an alumnus of Bakersville (and he even sang the school song!).
Great job, students, and thanks to Principal DiBenedetto for coordinating.
Presentation on Facilities Projects
In Monday’s only presentation, the team from SMMA, the District’s partner in the long-term facilities work, provided progress updates on the upcoming work at Hillside and McLaughlin Middle Schools, as well as planning for the new Beech Street school. The slides, which you can find starting on Page 2 of the agenda packet, include conceptual designs for the additions and renovations to Hillside and McLaughlin, as well as a look at the design for the new Beech Street school.
These schools are part of Priority 1 in the District’s long-term facilities planning process. As a reminder, priority 1 includes:
Closure of Henry Wilson Elementary School, which at 129 years old was well beyond the expected lifespan for a school
Former Wilson students moving to Beech Street and McDonough Elementary Schools
Construction of a new, larger elementary school at Beech Street, which when completed will accommodate all former Wilson students
Completing the transition of all fifth grade students to middle school, with Hillside and McLaughlin welcoming this grade level for the first time
Additions and interior renovations at all four middle schools, to properly accommodate the student population and better suit modern educational practices
Modular classroom buildings placed at six sites, including all four middle schools, and Beech Street and McDonough Elementary Schools, to help accommodate additional students and provide swing space during construction
Construction is expected to begin at Hillside and McLaughlin in the spring of 2025, followed by Beech Street next summer.
Action and Consent Agendas
Following the presentation from SMMA and detailed questions and feedback from board members, the board quickly approved both the action agenda and consent agenda.
The action agenda included only one item, the board goals for this school year, as developed at the special work session meeting of the board and superintendent last Monday, September 16. These include:
COMMUNICATION: Developing a Board communication plan that includes outreach to constituents and the community at large, as well as Board visibility in schools and at community events.
TRAINING: Take part in opportunities for Board training, including Finance/Budget training, Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI), and a retreat with the Superintendent.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Support the exploration of a new or updated strategic plan, to be led by District Administration in consultation with the Board, coordinated with community partnerships and informed by community input.
The consent agenda, which was approved in full, included the following (location in the agenda packet noted in parentheses):
A revised job description for a position in the District IT department (pages 36-40)
Renewal of the Student Assistance Program grant (pages 104-125)
Manchester Apprenticeship Program (pages 126-129)
RFP results for behavior support personnel services (pages 130-134)
An advocacy letter sent to the State Board of Education regarding the Ed 306 minimum standards (pages 182-186)
Superintendent’s Communications
Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel offered a quick update on two events from last week: the State of the District and CelebratED. The State of the District was held Thursday, at French Hall, the home of the new district Welcome Center. The fourth annual CelebratED, meanwhile, took place Saturday at Veterans’ Park. Both events were well-attended, highlighting both our amazing students and the work the district is doing on their behalf.
Speaking of the Welcome Center, Assistant Superintendent Nicole Doherty offered a quick update on the new facility. The building, which is located at 148 Concord Street, is open weekdays from 8 am-4 pm, with the hours planned to expand to include some nights and weekends as operations scale up.
New Business
One item under new business drew considerable discussion: the new track at Livingston Park. In August, the board approved use of $82,300 capital improvement plan funds to support renovation of the track at Livingston, which is used by both Central High School and Hillside Middle School. The total cost of the Parks and Recreation project is expected to be $743,800. Work is expected to be completed on the track later this year.
Since that vote in August, the district was made aware that for an additional $25,000, the track could be specially colored green to match Central’s and Hillside’s school colors. Since the work on the track has already begun, the issue was time sensitive, which is why it was brought up in new business. In order to officially vote on something in new business, however, the board must first vote to suspend board rules.
Ultimately, when the board determined there was not enough support on the board to approve spending the additional money, the issue was put to rest. Like the tracks at West and Memorial, this new track will be a standard red clay color. Andy Sylvia of Manchester Ink Link detailed the discussion here.
Adjournment
Following new business, the board briefly went into non-public session before adjourning. The next meeting of the full board is set for Monday, October 7. You can find more information on the Board of School Committee here: https://www.mansd.org/page/bosc.