Stay up-to-date with the School Committee

Published February 19, 2021

The following was submitted by Jen McAndrew, chairperson, on behalf of Melrose School Committee.

MELROSE — Melrose residents should take great pride in the efforts of the Melrose Public Schools during this challenging time. We thank our educators, administrators, Superintendent, families and especially our students. Some students are learning fully in person, many are learning in a hybrid model (alternating weeks in and out of the buildings), and some families have chosen a fully remote model. As the COVID-19 pandemic has upended how public education is delivered, we are grateful for the leadership, cooperation, patience and care that so many of you have displayed.

The School Committee continues to work closely with Superintendent Julie Kukenberger and her team to advance the Melrose Public School District’s mission, to provide and sustain a thriving teaching and learning environment for all students, and to invest resources in a fiscally responsible manner.

Though the pandemic has changed how we do our work, the Melrose School Committee continues to meet virtually. We know it can be challenging to stay updated, informed, and engaged during these remote times. We hope the information below is helpful in that regard.

Here are some of the major topics of discussion before the Committee:

• Supporting the health and safety of our students, educators and community through: investments in personal protective equipment and safety supplies, health screening, air filtration, and sanitation; the introduction of routine COVID-19 testing; and a critically important focus on social-emotional health and support.

• Continuing to assess and improve instructional approaches and learning models necessitated by the pandemic.

• Responding to changes in state regulations and requirements.

• Working closely with the City to deploy resources, including COVID-19 federal funds, grants and appropriated funds, in an appropriate and sustainable way.

• Developing a Fiscal Year 2022 school budget that prioritizes the recovery (both academic and social-emotional) that will be needed during the next school year.

• Centering equity, diversity and inclusion in our work.

• Looking ahead to expanded summer programming and planning for the fall.

Here are some ways to connect and stay up-to-date:

• Our meetings take place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 pm, with occasional exceptions. You can see the meeting schedule and our agendas on the City of Melrose website (go to www.cityofmelrose.org and click on “Meetings Agenda Portal”).

• You can join our meetings as a virtual participant, and even participate in public comment that way. The details on how to join our meetings, and all City meetings, are here: www.cityofmelrose.org/remote-meetings.

• MMTV is broadcasting and livestreaming our meetings, either via your cable TV provider or on https://mmtv3.org/. We are grateful for MMTV’s partnership and expertise.

• You can email the Committee at schoolcommittee@cityofmelrose.org.

• You can follow the Committee on Twitter (link: twitter.com/SchoolMelrose) or Facebook link: www.facebook.com/MelroseSchoolCommittee).

We appreciate the continued engagement of the community and your support of the Melrose Public Schools.