CPS

Regular Meeting of the School Committee Meeting | Agenda

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Held in and broadcast from the Dr. Henrietta S. Attles Meeting Room, Cambridge Rindge, and Latin School, 459 Broadway, Cambridge. To sign up to call in using the ZOOM app on your computer or mobile device: visit www.cpsd.us/school_committee/virtual

Regular Meetings will be live-streamed at www.cpsd.us and broadcast on Cambridge Educational Access TV (CEATV) Channel 98/99, as usual. Motions shown below are updated live as they progress.

From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee

January 7, 2025 | 06:00 pm

1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):

2. Student School Committee Report:

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
  • December 10, 2024, Special Meeting
  • December 17, 2024, Regular Meeting 
  • December 19, 2024, Special Meeting

4. Reconsiderations:
None

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
#24-259: Tobin Montessori School Preliminary Report | Joint Motion by Member Hudson, Member Harding: Download File

WHEREAS: The Tobin Montessori School was recently recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and by the Cambridge Public Schools Superintendent for its high student achievement; 

WHEREAS: The Tobin Montessori School is leading the way within the Cambridge Public School District, delivering clear, measurable progress in narrowing gaps in achievement between students with different backgrounds – an issue that the District has long stated is its most important; and

WHEREAS: The School Committee went on record a year ago supporting the expansion of the and directed the Superintendent to “…provide a report and recommendation to the committee a plan of action for the possible next steps…”; and

WHEREAS: No report nor recommendation was ever made; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the School Committee request that the Superintendent provide a preliminary report on the feasibility of making this change, and a recommendation from the Superintendent as to whether next steps are warranted and what those next steps would be, no later than December 31, 2024 (with the definition of preliminary to be determined by the Superintendent).Tobin Montessori program (specifically, “…to explore the recommendation of the American Montessori Association Accreditation team to extend the Tobin Montessori Upper Elementary Program to three years…”) and referred the matter to the Superintendent “…for further review of the recommendations from the Accreditation team to explore implications of such a change including but not limited to the budget impact, upper school enrollment, and feeder patterns…” 


6. Awaiting Reports:
None

7. Superintendent’s Agenda:

7a. Superintendent's Update:

An update on pending matters and highlight various initiatives taking place across CPS school communities to advance the district strategic priorities for the 2024 -2025 school year.

7b. Presentations:

A summary of the Cambridge Public Schools FY 26 Operating Budget development process as well as the annual summary of CPS enrollment data and projections information. The presentation will include an analysis of the district’s annual and anticipated budgetary expenditures.

David Murphy, Interim Superintendent and Ivy Washington, Chief Financial Officer

7c. CPS District Plan:
None

7d. Consent Agenda:
#25-001 Recommendation: Contract Award: Day & Residential Program Services not Available from the Cambridge School Department
#25-002 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#25-003 Recommendation: Grant Award: FY25 Miltilingual Newcomer & Homeless Support Grant (SC25863)
#25-004 Recommendation: FY25 Broad Institute Coding Clubs (SC25153)

8. Non-Consent Agenda:
None

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#25-005: December 5, 2024, Special Education & Student Supports Subcommittee Report | Motion by
10. Resolutions:
#25-006: Dr. Robert S. Peterkin Condolence | Joint Motion by Mayor Simmons, Vice Chair Hunter: Download Attachment
11. Announcements:
None

12. Late Orders:
None

13. Communications and Reports from City Officers: None

Updated on 01/03/2025 08:59 AM