1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:

• August 9, 2022 Regular Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
None

6. Awaiting Reports:
#22-202: Afterschool Transportation | Joint Motion by Vice Chair Rachel, Mayor Siddiqui, Member Fantini

WHEREAS: The Superintendent and School Committee have been working with the Department of Human Services Programs to expand access to afterschool programs; and

WHEREAS: Cambridge Public Schools have increased access to space for programs within school buildings, and have recruited district staff to apply for DHSP after-school positions; and

 WHEREAS: A waiting list of over two hundred families remains for city-run after-school programs this school year; and

 WHEREAS: Many students attend afterschool programs run by community partners; and

 WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Schools transportation policy has made extended considerations for students in grades 6-8 beyond the state requirement; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee requested a plan for transporting students to after-school programs last year (21-311, Members Wilson and Fantini); and

WHEREAS: Cambridge Public Schools provided additional funding to community partners last year to address the transportation needs of their participants; and

WHEREAS: The administration has examined options for bus routes and policies, including those outlined in the Student Transportation Assessment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED: That the Cambridge Public Schools will work with the contracted transportation company to address student transportation this year, including but not limited to allowing students to ride buses that have the capacity, and exploring adding stops along/near existing routes; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the administration will provide the School Committee with an update on related efforts no later than October 31, 2022.

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Superintendent's Update:
None
7b. Presentations:

Superintendent's Update: Transportation, Covid-19, SY 22/23 School Opening
Dr. Victoria L. Greer, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Lyndsay Brown, Chief Strategy Officer

7c. CPS District Plan:

None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#22-207 Recommendation: Approval of Family & Medical Leave, Parental Leave & Small Necessities Leave Policy (Second Reading)
#22-208 Recommendation: Approval of the Policy Regarding Use of Electronic Signatures (Second Reading)
#22-209 Recommendation: Approval of FY22/23 General Fund Budget Statutory Transfers
#22-210 Recommendation: Contract Award: Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology: Instructional Services
#22-211 Recommendation: Contract Award: Enroot: Educational Services
#22-212 Recommendation: Contract Award: Youth Guidance: Educational Support
#22-213 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY23 Expanded Learning Time (SC23829)
#22-214 Recommendation: Contract Award: Grant Award: FY222 ARP II Homeless Children & Youth Increase (SC22711)
#22-215 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY23 Special Education IDEA Allocation (SC23605
#22-216 Recommendation: FY23 Title IIA Educator Quality (SC23731)
#22-217 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY23 Title IV Student Support & Academic Enrichment (SC23732)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#22-218: Universal Pre-K | Joint Motion by Mayor Siddiqui, Member Wilson and Member Weinstein

WHEREAS: A joint ad-hoc of City Councilors, School Committee members, Cambridge Public Schools employees, and Department of Human Services employees are working towards implementing universal pre-kindergarten; and

WHEREAS: Universal pre-kindergarten refers to government-funded programs that are accessible to all regardless of income, children’s abilities or other factors; and

WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge and the School Committee are working to address questions regarding enrollment and eligibility for four-year-olds and three-year-olds; and

WHEREAS: A Cambridge Early Childhood Pulse Survey with the Early Learning Study at Harvard University collected over 200 responses from 113 early childhood programs in Cambridge to understand the strengths and needs of the early education workforce to implement policies that better support the important work early educators do; and

WHEREAS: As of 2022, CPS is currently serving approximately 373 4-year-olds in Special Start, JK, Tobin Montessori, and Fletcher-Maynard Academy and 112 3-year-olds through Special Start, Tobin Montessori and Fletcher-Maynard Academy; and

WHEREAS: As of 2022, the city supports the enrollment of approximately 306 preschoolers in high quality programs, including its own city-run preschools, B3 scholarship programs, and Head Start; and

WHEREAS: Approximately 1/2, or 153 students, are 4-year-olds; and

WHEREAS: Currently, the eligibility for enrollment for junior kindergarten is 4 years old if the child’s birthday is on or before March 31st and if a child is 5 on or before August 31st then they are eligible to enroll in kindergarten; and

WHEREAS: There is enough capacity in Cambridge Public Schools and community-based programs as a mixed-delivery system to lower the enrollment age for all four-year-old children to enroll; and now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the Superintendent collects information regarding lowering the enrollment age to allow students who are four-years-old on or before August 31st to enter junior kindergarten (across a mixed delivery system), and to separate kindergarten and junior kindergarten, and share updates with the School Committee by fall 2022. In addition, the School Committee will review any related policies to the enrollment age of students enrolling in junior kindergarten.

10. Resolutions:
None

11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:

• Vice Chair Rachel: Draft SC Meeting Presentation Calendar

At the conclusion of the Regular meeting, the School Committee will entertain a motion to enter into an executive session for the purposes of discussing strategy for contract negotiations with non-union personnel (Superintendent) as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the contract negotiating positions of the School Committee.

Updated on 08/22/2022