Below is a summarized version of the School Committee meeting, organized by timestamps and speakers, focusing on key points raised during the discussion in Reading, Massachusetts. This summary condenses the discussion into major themes, speaker contributions, and decisions, avoiding excessive detail while retaining the essence of the conversation. Timestamps correspond to the video linked at the bottom.
Contents
- 📅 Agenda Overview
- 🏫 School Committee Meeting Summary
- 📊 FY27 Budget Public Hearing
- 📋 Consent Agenda
- 🧾 Reports
- 🏛️ New Business
- 1. 🏋️♂️ Facility Naming Request: Mixon Fitness Center & Training Room
- 2. 🎙️ Facility Naming Request: “Ted Bryson Announcing Booth”
- 📚 Learning & Teaching Midyear Update
- 🎓 Scholarship Approvals
- 💰 FY27 Budget Discussion
- 🔍 Superintendent Search Update
- 🧾 Key Takeaways
🏫 School Committee Meeting Summary
🗓️ January 22, 2026
🕒 ~1hr32min
🧑⚖️ School Committee Members Present
Shawn Brandt (Chair) · Tom Wise · Lara Durgavich · Sarah McLaughlin (Remote)
📅 Agenda Overview
| Timestamp | Topic |
|---|---|
| 07:06 | Meeting Called to Order & Opening of FY27 Budget Public Hearing |
| 07:46 | Close Hearing & Return to Regular Session |
| 09:02 | Public Comment |
| 10:08 | Consent Agenda Vote |
| 10:20 | Reports (Brief) |
| 13:18 | New Business – Facility Naming: Mixon Fitness Center & Training Room |
| 18:12 | Facility Naming: Ted Bryson Announcing Booth |
| 31:39 | Learning & Teaching Midyear Update |
| 1:24:23 | Scholarship Votes |
| 1:27:22 | FY27 Budget Discussion |
| 1:28:39 | Superintendent Search Update & Timeline Vote |
| 1:36:49 | Motion to Adjourn |
🏫 School Committee Meeting Summary
🕒 7:06 PM – 1:37:05 AM
🧑⚖️ Members Present
Shawn Brandt (Chair) · Carla Nazzaro (Vice Chair, arrived from Spelling Bee) · Tom Wise · Laura Durgavich · Sarah McLaughlin (remote)
📊 FY27 Budget Public Hearing
🕒 07:06–08:45
- Hearing opened and closed with no public comments
- Reminder: written questions due by end of night for inclusion in Q\&A
- Full discussion held later in meeting (summarized below)
📋 Consent Agenda
🕒 10:08–10:14
- Approved unanimously (5–0)
🧾 Reports
🕒 10:20–10:57
- Superintendent: Absent recovering from knee surgery; watching remotely
- Liaison Reports: None this meeting
🏛️ New Business
1. 🏋️♂️ Facility Naming Request: Mixon Fitness Center & Training Room
🕒 13:18–18:12
Presenter: Claudia Mixon (Class of 1971), donor of $550,000 for the RMHS fitness center and athletic training room overhaul.
Request
- Fitness Center → Named for her parents:
Robert & O. Elizabeth Mixon Fitness Center - Athletic Training Room → Named for her father:
Coach Robert Mixon Athletic Training Room
Claudia described:
- Deep family roots in Reading
- Her father’s years teaching and coaching
- Desire to give back to teachers, students, and coaches
- Project completed in 120 days with no major issues
Committee Notes
- Extremely grateful for generosity
- Naming process requires multi‑step review
- Dedication cannot occur by Feb 12 ribbon cutting due to policy timeline
2. 🎙️ Facility Naming Request: “Ted Bryson Announcing Booth”
🕒 18:12–30:39
Presenters:
Pete Moscarello · Kim Penny · Phil Vicaro
Case for Naming the Press Box
- Ted “Ace” Bryson: 50 years of service at RMHS
- Roles: PE teacher, dept. head, coach (baseball, basketball, golf), equipment manager
- Announcer for 49 football seasons & 22 basketball seasons
- Model of professionalism, safety leadership, sportsmanship, and community presence
- Known broadly as “The Voice of the Rockets”
Community Support
- Widespread enthusiasm; letters submitted
- Already an RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame inductee
- Requested name: The Ted Bryson Announcing Booth (Ted prefers no “Ace” in official title)
Committee Notes
- Strong emotional resonance in community
- Will be considered for referral to Naming Advisory Committee next week
📚 Learning & Teaching Midyear Update
🕒 31:39–1:24:23
Presented by Dr. Sarah Hardy, Erin Birchill (Humanities), MaryAnn Lynn (STEM)
Core Themes of Curriculum Work
- Belonging – Creating environments where staff & students feel seen, valued
- Consistency – Shared instructional practices & expectations across classrooms
- Coherence – Aligned curriculum, assessments, and interventions supporting growth
Major Curriculum Projects
🔹 Year 1 Reviews & Implementations
- Middle School Social Studies Review
- First in 8+ years; building common vision, vocabulary, and expectations
- Elementary Science Review
- Updating pedagogy for phenomenon‑based science; teacher surveys; visits to model districts
- Gr 7–8 Math Curriculum Review
- EnVision expires June; teachers evaluating HQIM replacements
- Goal: reduce variation and increase deeper thinking routines
- ESL Curriculum (National Geographic)
- Year 1 implementation; strong feedback; asset‑based design
🔹 Years 2–3 Projects
- High School Social Studies Review
- Common assessments for historical thinking skills (sourcing, contextualization, collaboration)
- Middle School ELA (Amplify ELA)
- Deepening implementation through “Bridge & Blueprint” coherence days
- Focus on engagement, vertical alignment between grades 5–9
- Middle School Science Unit Development
- Teachers designing new phenomenon‑driven units
- Emphasis on consistent routines to free cognitive load for content
🔹 Years 4+ Projects
- Elementary Lit Labs (ARC K–5)
- Cross‑school grade‑level days integrating ARC + Hill for Literacy
- Building robust, sustainable literacy practice after ARC coaching concluded
- K–6 Math (Illustrative Math) Benchmarking
- Implemented BOY/ MOY/ EOY benchmarks
- Consistent intervention system; resource bank under development
Committee Discussion Highlights
- Appreciation for coherence, teacher empowerment, and evidence‑based practice
- Caution around curriculum‑created materials’ alignment to standards
- Interest in integrating AI‑literacy and future‑ready competencies
- Ongoing challenge: insufficient elementary time‑on‑learning for science
🎓 Scholarship Approvals
🕒 1:24:23–1:27:15
Approved
- David Savio Law Enforcement Scholarship – $251
- Arthur L. Spencer Memorial Scholarship – $400
Tabled
- David B. Libby Scholarship – Amount requires verification
💰 FY27 Budget Discussion
🕒 1:27:22–1:28:39
- No new committee questions
- Administration has not identified alternatives to reduce FY27 dependence on school choice revenue
- Salary savings next year remain the key variable that could soften FY28 cliff
🔍 Superintendent Search Update
🕒 1:28:39–1:36:49
Key Actions Completed
- Community survey launched
- Focus groups scheduled
- Screening committee recruitment underway (seeking SEPAC & METCO representation)
Search Timeline (Revised & Approved)
- Feb 2 – Job posting live
- Mar 1 – Application deadline
- Mar 4 – Screening committee selects semifinalists
- Mar 9–18 – Semifinalist interviews
- Mar 19 – Screening committee presents finalists
- Mar 23–Apr 3 – Finalist visits & interviews
- Apr 2 or Apr 6 – School Committee vote
- Apr 7 – Town Election
Vote: Timeline approved unanimously
🧾 Key Takeaways
- Two major naming proposals introduced: Mixon Fitness Center & Ted Bryson Announcing Booth
- Midyear Learning & Teaching report showcased multi‑year coherent curriculum strengthening
- Scholarship fund approvals continued; Libby scholarship tabled for clarification
- FY27 budget unchanged; school choice revenue still key balancing mechanism
- Superintendent search timeline aggressively accelerated to conclude before April election
