By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING — The School Committee approved an overlapping set of goals for themselves and their work on the Fiscal Year 2026 budget Monday night.
“There are a lot of similarities,” observed Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Michael Connelly.
The specific budget goals include:
• Continue to explore new opportunities to reduce expenses associated with energy costs, e.g. solar power.
• Continue to support the development of the plan to reduce the kindergarten fees leading toward the eventual goal of providing free full day kindergarten and explore the next steps to increase access to universal free pre-kindergarten.
• Continue to review the current structure of user fees for extra-curricular and athletic activities and its impact on families.
• Develop strategies to restore and preserve positions and educational support systems that were eliminated or reduced in FY25 while also continuing to move the district forward in alignment with the NRPS 2030 plan.
• Review all aspects of school transportation including the bus fees, contracts and rates, the process for route design, and emerging topics such as the electric school bus pilot and continue to collaborate with representatives of the Select Board, Finance Committee, the Town Administrator, and the town’s Director of Finance to discuss potential changes to the budget development calendar as a goal with having a revenue guideline budget amount earlier in the process.
These goals dovetail with similarly worded School Committee goals with regard to reducing energy costs, kindergarten fees, bus fees and activity user fees as well as working with other entities of town governments on town- and school-related issues. This includes possibly hosting a joint meeting of town committees as well as plans to involve the entire community in student events and programs.
The School Committee would also like to hold a professional development session about its responsibilities and authority under Massachusetts General Laws and invite both State Sen. Bruce Tarr and State Rep. Brad Jones to provide the committee with information on the state of the school system and gather information about developments in the legislature.
Additional School Committee goals include supporting the superintendent in discussions of the impact of budget cuts; establishing a working group to implement goals in the NRPS 2025 plan related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; outdoor time and recess; and student use of social media devices as it relates to their mental health while also encouraging expansion of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports plus reimaging the use of the Powerblock, including meeting with professional involved in that work.
“We need to make sure we’re involving the entire community,” Chairman Scott Buckley said during the discussion related to goals for committee outreach to the community.
Buckley also said the School Committee supports more time for recess, but Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly warned that expanding recess and outdoor time as well as the Powerblock could impact the entire schedule.
HAUNTED PLAYGROUND
In other news, the High School Masquers theatre group briefed the School Committee on the upcoming annual Haunted Playground, scheduled for Saturday, October 19 at the Batchelder School. In the event of poor weather all activities would be moved indoors to the NRHS gym and adjacent Main Street, as was necessary last year.
The event will be a little different this year with space formerly devoted to the now-discontinued horse carriage rides to be used for other activities.
Masquers President Sofia Naulivou reported they are considering expanding the event to two weekend days, which would involve hiring a company that runs fairs and would share a percentage of the proceeds with the Masquers and the town. “We’ve grown as much as we can,” she said. “To expand it further, we’d have to have professionals.”
“I love the plan for expansion,” School Committee member Jennifer Leenders reacted.
DELAYED SCHOOL OPENINGS
The Committee also approved a second reading of changes in the policy regarding delayed school openings. These changes would extend the delay from 90 minutes to two hours.
On days when a delayed school opening is necessary, the policy calls for the cancellation of all morning pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes. Notification would be made by the Superintendent or his/her designee, and those responsible for updating the district’s website, social media accounts, and calling TV and radio stations will state that the delay will be for two hours not 90 minutes and there will be no morning kindergarten classes.
