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Peabody School District committee meeting, Sep 22, 2026

1 h 20 min · 1 public speaker

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 20 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Peabody schools fully spent $99,050,552 fiscal 2026 appropriation, staff member reports 13:53

  • The committee took roll call votes on the minutes, warrant number 6507 and the 4 written communications. 9:27
  • A district staff member reported that the district fully expended its $99,050,552 local expenditure appropriation for fiscal year 2026, with transportation and health insurance overspent and offset by other sources. 13:53
  • A staff member presented a summer Springboard tutoring report, and Pamela Milman asked how students are chosen and how results are tracked. 27:36
  • Members questioned the cost and approval of an organizational review by the UMass Boston Collins Center, which a staff member estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. 59:15

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Item by item (13)
  1. Opening and approval of minutes 8:05
    • The presiding officer called the meeting to order in the middle school library and led a Pledge of Allegiance. 8:05
    • A motion to approve the minutes of the September 8th, 2026 regular meeting was made and seconded, followed by a roll call vote. 9:23
  2. Approval of bills 9:52
    • John Olimpio moved to approve warrant number 6507 in the amount of $4,022,776.23, subject to audit. 9:58
    • John Olimpio also moved to approve warrant number 6508 in the amount of $56,396 and 46 cents, subject to audit. 10:34
  3. High school building project update 11:10
    • Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne said an educational plan was being developed with the architects and project manager, along with additional site examinations. 11:21
    • Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne said the building committee would meet October 8th at the high school in room D13, open to the public. 11:49
  4. Fiscal 2026 budget closeout 12:28
    • The staff member said transportation was overspent largely due to out-of-district van transportation and health insurance was overspent, with the deficit offset by $577,169 from revolving funds, entitlement grants and $440,000 from the school choice account. 13:53
    • A district staff member said the district fully expended its $99,050,552 local expenditure appropriation for fiscal year 2026, including encumbrances of $33,006.25. 14:13
    • Pamela Milman asked how often transportation contracts are reviewed, and the staff member said the district looks every year and expects to take a hard look at the end of fiscal year '27. 20:16
  5. Springboard tutoring impact report 27:25
    • A staff member said the summer program served 44 students in grades K through 3, with 89% achieving individual reading goals and 3.4 months of reading growth. 27:57
    • Pamela Milman asked how students are chosen and whether results would be tracked into middle school, and the staff member said students are invited based on benchmark assessments and DESE requires the district to send its data. 30:24
    • One board member said using two programs and two funding streams was creative. 38:00
  6. Superintendent's report 38:41
    • A staff member recognized school supply donations from Tesla and from Outback, which were being sent to the schools. 40:17
  7. Public comment 40:36
    • The speaker said a public records request for the superintendent's evaluation had not received a response, and that an open meeting law complaint filed July 24th, 2026 was past the 14 business days for a response. 41:56
    • The presiding officer said the city solicitor has been in touch with the state offices and would be checked with. 43:36
  8. Written communications 44:00
    • The committee took up four written communications, including descriptions of subcommittees and the FY27 Innovation Career Pathways Implementation Grant Award. 44:00
    • A motion to receive the four communications was seconded and put to a roll call vote. 44:38
  9. Education subcommittee report 45:04
    • One board member said the district is wasting millions upon millions of dollars on MCAS and called for doing something more valuable with the money. 45:39
    • Pamela Milman said the education subcommittee had not discussed MCAS. 46:52
    • Joseph Amico said MCAS would be placed on the agenda when an education subcommittee meeting is scheduled. 47:33
  10. Safety, athletics and policy subcommittee reports 47:43
    • John Olimpio said the school safety subcommittee met in executive session and discussed camera improvements, a 1 to 3 year plan and security for the new high school. 47:51
    • Joseph Amico said the football team is 1⁠-⁠1 and the athletics website needs updates to the fall schedule. 49:13
    • Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne said the quality and standards subcommittee had gone through Section A of the policy manual with MASC and started Section B. 50:10
  11. Organizational review by outside center 52:33
    • Pamela Milman said the UMass Boston Collins Center would conduct interviews and surveys, with a report expected by December 8th. 52:37
    • Asked by Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne about the cost, a staff member said the understanding was $10,000 to $15,000, and Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne later said the full committee did not vote on the expenditure. 59:53
    • Joseph Amico asked whether MASC was contacted first, and Pamela Milman said MASC was contacted and the service was not available. 1:11:01
  12. Advisory board and special education updates 1:14:30
    • Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne said the first Parent Advisory Board meeting of the school year would be Tuesday, September 29th at 7 PM in the library. 1:14:35
    • Pamela Milman said the Special Education Parent Advisory Council would meet tomorrow night at 7 o'clock virtually. 1:16:21
  13. Announcements and future agenda items 1:16:57
    • A speaker said a MASC presentation on the open meeting law and school committee responsibilities would take place October 27th. 1:17:07
    • Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne said an item on internet security for the school system would be submitted for the next meeting. 1:17:54
    • Pamela Milman asked for future discussion of the wellness committee and theater, visual and performing arts. 1:18:32

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

Other meetings

Other meetings of this board

Video: posted by the district as “Regular School Committee Meeting 09.22.26”