The Halifax Board of Selectmen met in-person on Tuesday evening, Jan. 11. The bulk of the meeting was spent discussing COVID related policies for employees.

Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, Library Director Jean Gallant, Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward, and IT Department Head Cesar Calouro were all in attendance for the discussion. Specific cases were discussed including a library technician who only works 11 hours per week and therefore does not receive benefits. Said employee had a close contact in their immediate family and then later tested positive themselves. Gallant said she wished to pay the employee for the missed week’s salary as they were a good and long-time employee. “I realize that she doesn’t have benefits and you would be making an exception for her,” Gallant told the Board.

The Board was in agreement that if someone is symptomatic but has not yet received a test, they would need to provide documentation of a positive test result. The employee would need to take sick time but would be reimbursed by the town for the time out assuming they had a positive test result. In the case presented by Gallant, it was agreed that despite the employee not having benefits, the town would still reimburse the employee for the missed pay. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews said that they wanted to encourage sick employees to stay home so as to not risk exposing others out of fear of lost wages. “I think we need to look out for the employee’s health and for the town’s health,” Andrews explained.

The Fire Department is providing free testing for town employees. Asked how they were doing on tests, Viveiros said they still have a few hundred tests to be used on town employees.

Another case specific question was asked which prompted Selectman Ashley DiSesa to joke about the myriad of gray areas surrounding COVID. Gallant said she had an employee who tested negative but is quarantining while caring for a positive dependent. It was agreed that sick time would also be reimbursed in that instance. Viveiros and Hayward said that in the interest of consistency, they have been forwarding questions to Halifax Health Agent Bob Valery for guidance on case specific questions.

Other questions regarding the recent CDC guidance updates were also asked. Recent guidance states that COVID positive individuals can end quarantine after five days as long as their symptoms were resolving and they continued to wear a mask for 10-14 days. “I think what everyone needs to know is, they are still symptomatic after day 5, they need to stay out,” Andrews said. Selectman Troy Garron asked whether the town should require proof of a negative test to return, but DiSesa pointed out that the town would likely run out of tests if they did that.

Calouro questioned whether employees who have the ability to work from home should be working while in quarantine. The Selectmen seemed in agreement that they should not be expected to work which prompted Calouro to question why they spent so much money on laptops for town employees.

After much discussion, DiSesa attempted to summarize the policy saying, “So, the policy is, if an employee feels under the weather… they can go to the Fire Station or go to their doctor and get a valid test from a medical professional – not an at-home test. If that test is positive, we will pay them from the day that they tested from their five days out or however many days if they’re still symptomatic. Or God forbid somebody gets a really bad case of it, we will pay them out until they can come back. If somebody refuses to wear a mask after five days, they can’t come back; they don’t get paid. And if somebody refuses a test and is saying they have COVID, they don’t get paid; they have to take the test.”

Andrews provided an update on the budget, telling the other Selectmen that Town Accountant Sandra Nolan had provided the numbers. He said that the numbers for Silver Lake and veteran’s benefits were not included. “We are negative $127,157.65,” Andrews said. He also pointed out that the figure did not include Halifax’s share of the Middle School resource officer that is roughly $36,000. Andrews said that the largest increase for the schools was in special needs tuition and transportation. He said that those two line items plus the elementary school amounted to a $150,000 increase. “I’m estimating that Silver Lake will be at least a $220,000, if not 300,000, increase for just their annual increases that take place within their budget. He pointed out that special education tuition and transportation was out of the town’s as well as the School Committee’s control.

The Board also discussed an update to the process for applying for Host Community Agreements (HCAs). The Board voted to require that companies wishing to apply for an HCA go through the Planning Board first to receive a special permit. The change was made in order to avoid spending unnecessary legal fees.

On the subject of marijuana establishments, Andrews told the Board that Green Earth Cannabis notified the town that due to “unforeseen circumstances” they would no longer be seeking an HCA with Halifax.

Another marijuana establishment, Flower and Soul, was requesting the installation of lights and a pole at 182 and 183 Plymouth St. DiSesa said that as long as the town would be reimbursed for the cost through the community impact fee, she would be in agreement. The lights are being requested for security reasons. The Board voted to approve the request.

The Selectmen met with two applicants who were seeking the two open spots on the Traffic Safety Committee. Both John Sullivan and Steve Littlefield were voted unanimously onto the Committee by the Selectmen.

Interim Town Administrator Ed Thorne said he had a successful meeting with the Chair of the Solar Committee regarding capping the landfill and placing a solar array on it. He said that he had success in doing this during his previous employment. He said that every town in the Commonwealth is moving toward this step and noted that it should provide electrical savings for all town departments including the school. Thorne told the Selectmen that they would be looking to get the RFP completed in order to “get the ball rolling.”

The Board addressed a request to make a proclamation for a specific citizen. Andrews said that while exceptions were made for pancreatic cancer and suicide awareness month, the town doesn’t usually make proclamations. Garron said that while it was a noble cause, it wouldn’t be practical. DiSesa agreed saying that it would set a precedent that could result in many more requests.

The Board discussed two articles for town meeting pertaining to the Water Department. They would be seeking to transfer approximately $53,000 to purchase a new water truck and to transfer $5,520 to fund phase 2 of upgrades at a treatment plant and chemical facility. The Fire Department is also seeking to raise or appropriate funds to purchase a new ambulance.

Before adjourning for the evening, the Board voted to use $16,000 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds to buy ADA compliant levers and box sets in compliance with the Building Inspector’s requirements for emergency egress.

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The Plympton Board of Selectmen met remotely on Monday, Jan. 10. Town Administrator Liz Dennehy addressed possible uses of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds. There had previously been conversation about using a portion of the funds for HVAC work at the schools. Dennehy said that the town has had a difficult time getting a hold of COVID test kits and noted that some of those funds may need to be allocated toward purchasing those as soon as they are available. She said some funding will also need to be directed toward personnel costs for the Fire Department to disperse the kits. “I don’t think it would be a lot of money from our allotment,” Dennehy said. She further said that $5,000 should cover the expense. “We have a real need for testing capability,” she told the Selectmen.

Dennehy said that she acquired quotes for the appraisal of town owned land located on Brook St. She said the appraisal would cost $1,200. “I felt the amount was fair and I think we probably should go forward,” Selectman John Traynor said. Selectmen Chair Christine Joy said she agreed. Selectman Mark Russo said he did not like the idea of the appraisal but if they were going to move forward with it, he approved of the chosen appraiser. The Selectmen gave Dennehy the go ahead to move forward with the appraisal.

The Board of Selectmen also voted to accept the conservation restriction on a portion of land at 122 Main St. The total square footage of the lot is 186,806. “It’s a way to more significantly minimize the messing up of the environment over there,” Russo explained.

The town’s projects and priorities list were also discussed. Dennehy briefly touched on the COVID-19 response saying she and the Board of Health are in touch at least weekly. Regarding financial priorities, she said they are now turning to budget mode. Dennehy also said that a town meeting article may be considered to modify the bylaw and diversify the membership in the Capital Planning Committee.

Regarding affordable housing opportunities, Dennehy said they are aiming to develop an action plan based upon the Housing Production Plan. She said the Housing Production Plan is also due for an update soon. Dennehy also said that they are continuing to attempt to identify town owned land that would be appropriate for these opportunities.

Dennehy said the implementation of a pavement management plan is in progress. A town meeting article is being considered to fund four speed notice boxes and signage with lights for intersections such as Main St. and Ring Rd. and Winnetuxet Rd. and Prospect Rd. “It seems that our pavement painting does not have the desired effect,” Dennehy said of current attempts to control speed at these intersections.

MassDOT denied the town’s attempt to implement a heavy truck traffic exclusion. Dennehy said the State was not in favor of Plympton’s alternate route which would run through Halifax. She said Halifax would need to provide a letter of support were they to continue to pursue the exclusion. Traynor said he was not sure that it would be a good time to pursue this with Halifax as they currently have an interim town administrator. Russo said the decision by MassDOT was “disappointing.” The Selectmen agreed to wait a few months before pursuing anything further.

Regarding the transaction with Middleborough surrounding Soule Homestead, Dennehy said the legislation is currently in the Senate. She noted that she has not been able to get a definitive answer regarding where it stands other than that it is still in the third reading. Dennehy said she would reach out to Senator Michael Brady.

GATRA transportation services are currently in progress. “It’s been a bit stagnant; they have some turnover at GATRA,” Dennehy told the Selectmen. She went on to say that she has been told that someone should be in touch soon regarding level of service including scheduling and routes.

Under technology, Dennehy said the technology master plan including bolstering websites is currently in progress. Traynor suggested involving Silver Lake Technology Director Steve Pellowe in the conversations.

Issues being looked at by the Town Properties Committee were also discussed. Town Properties Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen said that there were many items ahead of the Plympton hearse in terms of priority but said that its current location is problematic. “It’s being taken advantage of by our little four-legged rodents,” he said. A storage facility is needed for the next few years. Wilhelmsen said that discussions were had regarding the need for a storage building but noted that it was “further down the list.” Dennehy suggested the possibility of a private entity housing it.

They also discussed a town meeting article for a study into the building of a new fire station. Wilhelmsen said, “at some point we are going to have to,” regarding the need for building a new station. He emphasized that the money needed now is for a study into the possibility of building a station, not actually building it.

Wilhelmsen said, “the library has been neglected for a bit.” There are lighting and plumbing issues that need to be addressed. There was a roof survey done regarding replacing the library roof. Wilhelmsen said that they now have a cost for the project. “When is the last time you remember us doing anything for the library at town meeting?” Wilhelmsen asked. “We can get that building back on track in pretty short order,” he told the Selectmen noting he was excluding the roof work in that assessment.

The Town House roof also needs to be replaced. Wilhelmsen said the roof is divided into three sections saying that they are focusing on sections 2 and 3 at the moment. He said they need to go out to bid so they have accurate estimates to bring to town meeting.

Dennehy said they are seeking grant funding to replace the cistern on the Town Green.

Dennehy said that they completed SERVPRO remediation at the Old Town House. She said that samples were taken, and they will need to follow asbestos protocols as a result when considering long term remediation. Wilhelmsen said they will need to look at some form of dehumidification for the first floor of the building to address the mold growth. Other issues needing addressing for the Old Town House are new locks and internet access for the building. The new locks would provide a record of who is going into the building. Internet access will be necessary to have those types of locks. “It’s always a long list at Town Properties,” Wilhelmsen said of the myriad of projects needing addressing in municipal buildings.

Traynor spoke regarding cemetery cleanup for North Plympton. He said that the woman who owns the land finally signed the agreement via email but still needs to sign the more formal agreement on paper. He said it was, “in progress.”   

Long-term items being followed include the Carver Urban Renewal Project, the Rocky Harvest Settlement Compliance, future exploration of shared services, grants, and MBTA communities multi-family zoning requirements.

Russo said his rave was for the opening of the annual and special town meeting. “Essentially, out of that meeting… we, the Selectmen, get our marching orders for the year,” he explained.

Traynor said his rave was for Library Director Michael Slawson and the many programs he is successfully running.

Joy said her rave was for “how beautiful it is in wintertime with snow on the ground and the bogs; what a great part of the country we live in with how beautiful it is.”

The town of Plympton was vindicated by a recent Superior Court decision to uphold the Town’s bylaws restricting mounded septic systems to house lots of five acres or more.

Plaintiffs Arlene O’Donnell, trustee of the Anderson Family Revocable Trust, Ernest M. Stevens, Trustee of the S&T Realty Trust, and Richard Springer, a local builder, brought suit against the town for “arbitrary and capricious” enforcement of Plympton’s Title V regulations.

Plympton requires a house lot of five acres or more to accommodate a “mounded system”.  The lot under review was in fact three parcels, two that were not contiguous, that is they do not share a common border, and the total of both did not equal five acres.  The third parcel was a strip of land across the backs of the two lots in between the lots under consideration, thereby connecting the two.   With that 20-foot strip, the area of the “lot” could then total five acres.

Plympton’s Board of Health, Arthur Morin, Chairman, did not allow the permit for the system, citing regulations that “exceed the minimum requirements for subsurface disposal of sanitary sewage … provided by the state environmental code referred to as supplements to Title V of the State Environmental Code,” as the  board is allowed to do.

Because Plympton has no public water or sewer system, all agricultural and industrial wastewaters are deposited into the same aquifer used for the Town’s drinking supply.  The Court allowed that the Board of Health acted properly to protect the Town’s environmental resources and its drinking water supply by not allowing a lot configuration that would not support proper leaching of a septic system.

Nov. 1, 2021, Superior Court Justice William M White, Jr., issued the order.  The Plaintiffs had 60 days to appeal the decision, and did not.  The ruling stands in favor of Plympton.

The Halifax Elementary School Committee met in-person on Dec. 6 at the Town Hall. It began with a school attorney providing guidelines for future school committee meetings including that masks would not be required as they would be held at Town Hall instead of a school building. A vote was taken, and the protocols were adopted by the Committee.

The meeting, which was well attended, was open for public participation. A resident said she was having difficulty accessing the meeting times and agendas. Committee Chair Summer Schmaling said that due to the open meeting law, agendas are posted 48 hours prior to the meetings. She pointed out that the meetings are also available on the district website via the calendar.

Another resident who said she is a parent of a student at Halifax Elementary spoke saying she gathered from the agenda that the Committee would be requesting of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that they give authority to local governing bodies to determine what is best for their schools as it pertains to COVID-19. She addressed the Committee with a number of questions that began “What makes you as a Committee think…” She questioned why they would believe that Halifax should have different mandates than the rest of the state as well as why it would be a good time to lift the mask mandate while cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. She asked rhetorically if they conferred with the school nurse, staff and administrators, and parents before deciding to take a vote regarding COVID-19 restrictions.

The Halifax Teachers’ Association made a statement. Elizabeth Antoine spoke on behalf of the HTA saying, “First and foremost we are here to express our goal in building a successful and respectful partnership between the Halifax Teachers’ Association and the Halifax School Committee…as the HTA we would like to address the public comments made at the Selectmen’s meeting.” At this point, Schmaling interjected and said that if they wanted to address comments from the Selectmen’s meeting, they would need to be placed on a Selectmen’s agenda and attend one of their meetings. A member of the audience asked if the comments were regarding the School Committee and Schmaling told her that it was irrelevant if it happened during the Selectmen’s meeting. Much later in the meeting another resident tried to address Antoine’s statement being cut short but was told simply, “moving on” by Schmaling.

Schmaling addressed the letter that she wrote to be sent to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. She said she would also like to see the letter be sent to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Commissioner, Governor Charlie Baker, Senator Michael Brady, and Representative Kathy LaNatra. Schmaling said that the letter was in response to a lack of a response from a letter sent in September seeking information regarding COVID protocols. Schmaling said that the letter was public record and anyone could have access to it at any time.

Committee member Lauren Laws said, “I do agree that some of the information in the letter needs to be clarified but I think some of the reasoning as to why is a little bit not transparent… I agree with a lot of the points of what’s the endgame – how do we get back to more normalcy?” She continued, “At this point with cases rising, I mean, I feel like keeping our kids in school is a top priority and so far there are studies that show that masking works.” Laws further said that she didn’t believe any questions regarding masking or not masking should be kept in the letter. “Let’s not appear to be on one side of the mask issue,” Laws said. Schmaling asked for edits and Laws provided what she would like to see removed from the letter. Schmaling and Laws have notoriously been on opposing sides of the masking debate with Schamling adamantly against mandates and Laws in favor of them. Laws said she didn’t believe the letter should be sent without input from the community. “Take a look at this room and see how many people are masked and I think you might see how our community feels about it,” Laws said. She later stressed that she felt it important to survey the school population and the town regarding the issue.

Schmaling asked for a motion to send the letter to the aforementioned parties. The Committee agreed to send the letter and moved onto a discussion of what that letter should entail. Gordon Andrews, who is not only a school committee member but also a Halifax Selectman, said he felt that he needed more time to think over the contents of the letter and that he would potentially like to see the Committee make a public records request as a public body to gather the information used by DESE to make their decisions. Attorney Dupre spoke up and said that to his knowledge, DESE has not been responding to any school committees that have reached out with questions. Dupre suggested asking the Mass Association of School Committees to request those kinds of records from DESE.

Andrews said, “If we were going to send a letter requesting all the information, I would also be requesting what are they going to do to increase access to all the students who are behind developmentally for the summer and following years… I think if we’re going to send another letter it should be detailed – these are the things that are important to Halifax.” Andrews alluded to masking causing developmental issues and asked what the MASC will do to combat those issues. Laws countered that everything cannot be blamed on the masks as there were other significant factors related to the pandemic that have caused delays, etc. “I think we kind of need to take a bigger picture approach…I feel like there is a lot more to this letter than when are we getting masks off,” she said. Schmaling asked for edits to be sent to her. The Committee voted to table the letter until more details could be gathered.

Schmaling took a moment to acknowledge the retirements of Halifax Elementary School grade 3 teacher Matthew Kaetzer and grade four teacher Robert Dray as well as school attorney Fred Dupre. The Committee members had a multitude of kind things to say about all the retirees.

An update was given on the PTO. A mingle and jingle event was held in lieu of breakfast with Santa. The event included pictures with Santa and a raffle. Youth and Rec also provided a brief update. The basketball program is utilizing the gym 7 days a week. Stem, Game Club, and Art Club are still currently on hold due to COVID.

Principal Kayne Beaudry provided an update. He said that after school programs were all booming and filled to the max when COVID hit. He said they are working toward getting those programs back up and running. He said that a successful lockdown and evacuation drill was run at the school. The turkey trot and food drive was successful despite the chilly temperatures. He said that over 2,000 donations went to the Halifax food pantry as well as over $13,000 in turkey gift cards. Beaudry also said that $13,000 were raised during the PTO book fair. Holiday vacation will begin on December 24 with everyone returning on January 3.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch gave an update on curriculum updates. He said that they have been focusing on how to make progress on their social and emotional learning goal. He said that a student survey on the issue was implemented and nearly 90 percent of Halifax students completed it. It assessed a number of social and emotional areas. He said that teachers will be trained on how to assess the results.

Lynch also provided an update on the three rounds of ESSER funding which is intended to aid in areas affected by the pandemic. He said that the Halifax allocation for ESSER II was about $106,000. Lynch said that the ESSER III funding for Halifax has been submitted but they have yet to receive the confirmation regarding the $225,000 allocated there. Lynch said that a minimum of $10,000 of the ESSER II funding must be spent on social and emotional learning. Schmaling asked what they had planned for ESSER III. He said they just spent money on some assessment programs to identify needs in reading and math as well as English learners. He said that working to make progress toward student supports in social and emotional learning would be high on the priority list as well.

Superintendent Jill Proulx provided a district update. She said that she and other administrators had met with Beaudry to prepare for the budget presentation for January. She went over some enrollment data including homeschool enrollment for K-6. It has gone down in Halifax from 16 students to 15 students for fiscal year 2021-2022. For grades 7-12, across the towns, homeschool has risen by 7 students. Halifax total enrollment has decreased by 5 students at the elementary level and 16 students at the secondary level.

Proulx said the social and emotional learning taskforce will be expanded to include all grades k-12. Included in that is an anti-bullying curriculum. She said it will be expanded to the middle and high schools to ensure a common language within the schools surrounding social and emotional learning. She said that inclusion standards are being implemented to ensure that those on IEPs are not in a substantially separate program unless absolutely necessary. “When we pull students out of the classroom, we tend to find that the gap grows,” Proulx said.

Proulx also talked about growth mindset. She said, “Our expectations, our beliefs in our children and the children’s belief in their own ability to persevere have a profound impact on whether or not they will persevere and have the tenacity and grit to succeed.” She went on to say that we should have troubles and be able to say, “I’m not good at that yet” as opposed to just “I’m not good at that.”

Proulx also addressed the posting of vaccination rates for staff and students. Schmaling said her initial reaction was that she would not want that to happen but said that she wanted to open it up to the Committee as a whole. “The vaccination rates are already public,” Laws said. “I figure since it is public information, why not make it accessible,” she continued. Schmaling said, “I didn’t think it was an appropriate place for it to be on the school website.” Laws suggested possibly a link to where it could be found. Schmaling asked why do it for COVID vaccination status when it isn’t done for other vaccinations. Most of the Committee seemed against publishing the rates on the school website.

The Committee also reviewed and discussed the test and stay program. Proulx said that the test and stay program is intended to allow close contacts to stay in school as long as they remain asymptomatic and receive a negative rapid test each day. They must also monitor for the development of any symptoms. Close contacts exempt from quarantining or test and stay are those on buses, those who have previously been diagnosed with COVID in the last 90 days and are recovered and without COVID symptoms, and those exposed in the classroom while wearing a mask and spaced at least 3 feet apart. Schmaling said that she has been asked if one sibling is awaiting a COVID test, should the other stay home. She said that no, they should not. Additionally, Schmaling mentioned that the test and stay program is intended only for those who were exposed in school. Beaudry said the nurse notifies close contacts that were within six feet but only those within 3 feet qualify for test and stay. It was also mentioned that children who qualify for test and stay are allowed to take the bus.

Schmaling said she has been asked what constitutes an outbreak. She said the nurse said that 20 percent of the student body being out sick with an illness would qualify as an outbreak. Proulx said that thus far there has been no evidence of classroom spread.

The Plympton Board of Selectmen met virtually on Monday, Dec. 6.

The first appointment of the evening was with the Finance Committee and Wage and Personnel. Chair of the Wage and Personnel Alan Wheelock said he was looking for this to be a collaborative meeting to discuss a cost-of-living increase without a vote or decision being made until the following week. “We have done our usual research and I think one of the things that we would like to hear from the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee on… is what components you would like to see incorporated into this [fiscal year 2022 plan]… this is a very, very unusual year that we have experienced and that we will continue to experience.” Selectmen Chair Christine Joy asked Wheelock if he had a recommendation. Wheelock said that the social security recommendation for a cost-of-living increase is 5.9 percent. He said that the number came as a surprise to many of the surrounding communities including Plympton. Wheelock said their recommendations have nothing to do with the school or police departments. “Our scope is quite small, I think it is less than 30 people that our recommendations have an impact on,” Wheelock said.

Chair of the Finance Committee Nathaniel Sides said that the town has never voted for a number that matches the social security recommendation in his six years with the exception of a recent year affected by COVID. He said that five out of six of those years the town has voted higher than the social security recommendation. “The overall dollar impact for the typical one percent, two percent increase… for this small group of employees when you calculate it all out… that pencils out to $25,000 or $30,000 impact out of an $11 million budget,” Wheelock explained. He acknowledged that going from the one or two percent increase to five percent was a significant jump. Wheelock said a possible solution might be a one-time bonus for the affected employees instead of blindly following the social security guidelines.

Joy said, “while your scope is pretty small… your recommendation is used in many contracts that the town has; wages are based on Wage and Personnel.” She also said that those numbers would be factored in when negotiating with the school as well. “It has pretty far-reaching tentacles with what we recommend,” she continued saying that the town couldn’t maintain more than a one or two percent increase.

Selectman Mark Russo said the question is whether the last 30 years of low inflation or this year is the aberration. “I had been feeling like the number of 2.5 sounded good,” he continued. Russo said they had to be careful with respect to precedent but said that he thought a bonus to reach the 3 percent number might be a rational approach. Selectman John Traynor said, “I think a year from now we’ll know if this year was an aberration.” Traynor said that 2 to 2.5 percent sounded right. He went on to say he was unsure about the bonuses as it would affect the contracts with other town employees. Wheelock confirmed Traynor’s suspicion that all the surrounding towns they spoke with were falling in the 2 to 2.5 percent range.

Elyse Lyons with Wage and Personnel said she would like to ask that the bonus be considered a one-year adjustment rather than a bonus. Sides pointed out that the town often has an issue with retention. “I think that would send a message that Plympton is a town that cares about their employees,” Sides said of the adjustment. Regarding retention Traynor said that to him it seemed to mostly apply to fire and police and said that he felt it was less about salary and more about moving to a more dynamic environment.

A decision will be made during the December 14 meeting of Wage and Personnel.

Town Administrator Liz Dennehy said the Plympton Hazard Mitigation Plan had been finalized and approved by necessary state agencies. The Selectmen voted unanimously to adopt the plan.

There was also a discussion of an appraisal of town-owned land located at Old Brook Street. Russo said they had previously discussed the viability of the site for Habitat for Humanity. Dennehy recommended getting an appraisal done for the land as a buildable lot versus a lot with restrictions. The options as presented were for the town to keep the lot, the town to go through the correct channels to sell the lot, or the town to partner with a non-profit to utilize the lot for affordable housing. Joy said it was her understanding that they likely would not use this lot for Habitat for Humanity due to its proximity to some industrial businesses. Traynor made a motion that the town get an appraisal for the lot. Russo voted against the motion, but it did pass with the support of both Joy and Traynor.

The cost of transfer station stickers was discussed as the cost of waste management went up 25 percent last year. The projected revenue shortfall for 2022 was nearly $19,000 just for household refuse. It was recommended that a $200 sticker increase in cost to $240 and the senior sticker be increased to $120 in order for the town to break even. The sticker price has not been increased since 2012.  “It’s either going to come this way or it is going to show up in the tax rate,” Traynor said of the increase. “I think this is fair to the citizens and to the town; it’s regrettable that things are going up, but they are,” Russo said. The Selectmen voted to approve the increased rates. The recycling stickers stay the same price as previously at $30.

Two appointments were made during Monday’s meeting. Both Cameron Broderick and Nathan Cristofori were named as part-time police officers to indefinite terms.

Dennehy provided a Town Administrator’s update. She said that both the Green Communities Grant and the Hazard Mitigation Grant were nearly complete. She did note that they were denied an IT grant but said that they are currently conducting a full assessment of the town’s IT needs so it would put them in a better position to apply next year. Dennehy said that herself and Traynor had been working with multiple department heads to try and be better prepared for an emergency, long-term power outage. Public outreach messages and warming stations were discussed. She said they were also in talks with Carver about a possible overnight shelter should the need arise.

Plympton Elementary School Committee Chair Jon Wilhelmsen told the Selectmen that the paving at the new playground at Dennett Elementary would be happening that week. “The hope is that they will be able to open that up in the very near term; we were not able to put down the rubber surfacing due to the weather… we will put the rubber surfacing down in the spring,” he explained.  He said the hope is that the playground can be used during the winter with wood chips in lieu of the rubber surfacing.

Russo’s rave was for new Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her slogan, “we can do big things if we get small things right.” He said his rave was for her thirty-something energy and not being “burnt out.”

Joy said her rave was for town government and the “awesome team” Plympton has assembled. “I just feel fortunate to be part of this team all the time,” Joy said.

Traynor said he had two people come forward with raves. He said that a resident who’s relative was in an accident had high praise for multiple members of the fire and police departments. Another resident came forward with a rave for those departments as well.

Our friend, Cathy Drinan, 69, died Sunday after being critically injured in a fire at her home in Plymouth. Cathy was the much loved and respected health agent for the towns of Plympton and Halifax for many years before her retirement in 2019 and a talented columnist for the Plympton-Halifax-Kingston Express.

Plymouth Fire Dept. responded to the call to the home at 10:22 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, after a 10-year-old neighbor saw the fire next door and alerted parents who made the 911 call to Plymouth emergency services.

One Plymouth firefighter was later transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital where he was treated for first and second degree burns to his ears, neck, and back.   His ears took the worst of it, Plymouth Fire Chief Ed Bradley told the Express. “This (injury) was steam burns from the water being used to control the fire.   The heat was intense.”

The victim was transported via MedFlight ground crew to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where she later died.

The cause of the fire was likely an electrical failure in the living room, Bradley said, though the fire remains under investigation by Plymouth Fire Department investigators, along with the fire investigation troopers from the Fire Marshal’s office.

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting on Thursday, Dec. 2 began with celebratory cupcakes from the culinary department in honor of Attorney Fred Dupere’s retirement. “Your dedication, integrity, and work ethic are an inspiration to all of us; your depth of knowledge is truly impressive and beyond comparison,” Superintendent Jill Proulx said. Committee Chair Paula Hatch added, “You’ve helped us through things big and small… you truly are a part of the Silver Lake family.” Dupere’s son Russell will be taking over as school counsel.

Principal Michaela Gill provided the Committee with a Principal’s report. She had to leave the meeting early as she was participating in the school’s play. In her words, her participation included “lines, a costume change, and choreography.”

Gill said she wanted to recognize some fall athletes including Summer Bejarano and Samantha Faherty who participated in the State Cross Country Championship. “Our girls’ soccer team had a historic season making it to the State Championship game for Division II,” Gill told the Committee. The cheerleading team made it to the State Competition where they placed third and had a bid to Nationals. “I would like to thank all of our coaches and athletes,” Gill said. Gill also said that due to low numbers Silver Lake Regional and Whitman-Hanson Regional requested approval from the MIAA to become a cooperative swim team for the 2021-2022 season. Gill said they were granted that approval and noted that they currently have a cooperative girls’ hockey and gymnastics team with Whitman-Hanson and Pembroke respectively. “It actually is a cost savings for our District,” she said.

Gill told the Committee that proposed changes were made to the school dress code to make it less gender specific and less restrictive overall. She noted that hats and boots would no longer be prohibited but said that teachers could still request that students take them off at their discretion. Committee member Summer Schmaling asked Gill to clarify what constitutes hate speech on articles of clothing. “Anything targeted towards a protected group of individuals,” Gill clarified. Committee member Emily Davis said, “I would just say as a former teacher, I think this is fantastic. I think it is going to allow educators to focus on positive relationship building with students as opposed to constantly asking kids to take their hood off or pull their shirt down or pull their pants up. And I think especially coming out of the pandemic when some of those relationships didn’t have the opportunity to flourish the way they usually would.” The Committee voted unanimously to approve the revised dress code.

Gill told the Committee that the school recently donated over $11,000 to Dana Farber as part of the October Breast Cancer Awareness campaign. She said it was the largest donation to date. She also said that Silver Lake was excited to welcome therapy dogs back through a non-profit organization out of Scituate.

Gill said that 10 CTE students recently participated in a Skills U.S.A Leadership Conference. “The students that participated in the Community Engagement Program built picnic tables for the Hopkinton Y.M.C.A.,” Gill said. Some students created a 90 second video with their group that had to meet specific criteria using only the allotted timeframe. Several Silver Lake students won awards in that category as well as others.

Freshman and Student Council Representative to the School Committee Katherine Arnold provided an update to the Committee as well. “Throughout November we did a bunch of fun activities,” she began. She said the junior and senior girls played a flag football game against Pembroke. “We sadly lost the game, but a bunch of donations were made for Toys for Tots,” she told the Committee. She also said they hosted Laker Day which included school-wide Bingo and prizes. A hypnotist show and pep rally were also held in November. A student vs. faculty basketball game will be held just before the holiday break in December and funds will be raised for the Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless.

Middle School Principal Jim Dupille began his update saying he would like to welcome Jessica Kennedy, who is the new part-time adjustment counselor at the Middle School. She comes with a great deal of experience. He told the Committee that the teachers won the annual Turkey Bowl this year which Dupille himself participated in as well. He noted that there were over 500 students who attended the event. “That sharing of that day amongst our students and our teachers and our staff – that was kind of a powerful moment,” he explained. He asked the Committee for permission to hold an out of state field trip to Canobie Lake Park. Committee member Jason Fraser said that he has had wonderful experiences dealing with Canobie Lake and said he felt comfortable sending students there. The Committee approved the trip.

Dupille said they have been awarded the Cape Cod Educational Grant for $500 to support the positive behavioral intervention program at the school. The Committee voted to accept the grant.

Dupille said the Holiday Head Start party would be held at Head Start this year on Dec. 22. He said there would be carolers, cookies, and Santa. The Toys for Tots program and Coats for Kids program are both also occurring this month. Student Council will be holding Stockings for Soldiers on Dec.7 through Dec.16 for military serving overseas. The Annual Giving Tree will also be held where staff provide gift cards for needy students and families. The food drive, coordinated by Student Council, was held in November. Dupille said that the winter concert would be held on Dec. 14. Basketball tryouts will be held on Dec. 14, 15, and 16. ‘Twas the Week After Christmas, the school play, will be held on Dec. 11 and 12.

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Lynch said that middle and high school students will take a survey this month that the social and emotional learning taskforce will then prepare next steps from after interpreting the data. There was significant conversation and debate amongst the Committee regarding how that data would be dispersed and used and ways in which participants would remain anonymous. “It’s a busy year and we appreciate all the energy that goes into, not only supporting students, but adding on new things and moving forward with new initiatives that are important,” Lynch said.

Superintendent Jill Proulx also provided an update. Proulx said that the vaccination rate for the middle and high schools for students was nearly 58 percent. The high school alone is at 67 percent. For staff at the high school the vaccination rate is nearly 94 percent and at the middle school it is at nearly 81 percent. The middle school’s overall average is nearly 63 percent, and the high school’s overall average is nearly 69 percent. “The cases in the State are, in fact, rising,” Proulx said. Vaccination clinics were held on Dec. 4 and 9 and another will be held on Dec. 18 from 9-12. The Middle School has tested 19 students and the high school has also tested 19 students. “We have fewer students who need to be tested at the secondary level,” she explained. She pointed out that cases are rising steadily at the elementary level. Committee member Emily Davis asked why students exposed at home also couldn’t be made a part of the test and stay program. Currently, students must be exposed in school to be tested through the school. “My understanding is that test and stay is only for school close contacts,” Proulx said.

Schmaling asked if a child was exposed at home but tests negative, could they return to school. She was told that they could test after five days but would need to stay home until seven days had passed post exposure. Hatch argued that if you are exposed at home you are subjected to continuous exposure rather than limited exposure. Fraser told the Committee that the test and stay program has saved over 50,000 days of learning state-wide since its implementation. He said the number is likely closer to 100,000 days as the data has not been checked recently.

Proulx said the next item for discussion was a recommendation from a School Committee member to put on the agenda whether to send a letter to the Department of Education regarding unmasking and the 80 percent vaccination threshold that must be met. “When and if the school were to reach eighty percent, that does not mean that schools are unmasking necessarily,” Proulx explained. She said the decision would need to be made locally. Davis asked if having Covid in the last 90 days would count toward the 80 percent vaccination rate since having Covid in the last 90 days exempts you from having to quarantine post exposure. Proulx said that it only applies to exemption from testing and quarantining post exposure.

Fraser said his greater concern would be dividing the student body along the lines of those that can unmask and those that cannot if and when the schools hit the 80 percent threshold. Fraser said that other options for unmasking were discussed at the state level including looking at the CDC charts regarding transmission at the county level. Davis said, “We’re pretty far from 80 percent at this point and I think it would behoove us to know if there were other off ramps in the making,” she said regarding unmasking. Fraser pointed out that in the latest numbers, Plymouth County is even further away from the CDC’s qualifications for low transmission. Fraser, who serves on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), said that he has been and will continue to push for answers to the questions presented during the meeting that night. Attorney Dupere recommended moving in that direction as opposed to sending a letter to DESE.

Proulx provided a District update which included data received as of this point in the school year. Student enrollment in Grades K-6 is up in Kingston by 13 students, down by 5 in Halifax, and up in Plympton by 32 students. For Grades 7-12, Kingston has declined by 16 students, Halifax has declined by 16, and Plympton has declined by 22. Home school enrollment for K-6 has declined since last year. Home school enrollment for Grades 7-12 has increased District-wide by 7 students.

Leslie-Ann McGee said that the school start time subcommittee had been changed to a working group. McGee asked the other School Committee members if they had any input as they begin to more actively explore the issue. Hatch said that it might be best to get members from the other school committees as well as potentially some parents to participate in the working group. Schmaling asked if the intent behind the working group is to change the start times or see if there is interest in the communities to change those times. Davis said that there is a growing body of evidence that changing the start times would be beneficial. McGee said that there is a lot of evidence out there that they should be evaluating but said that polling the parents and staff would also be important. She noted that she does not have any preconceived notions.

Fraser provided a legislative update. He said that Massachusetts State Senate President Karen Spilka delivered a mental health bill that has yet to be passed. It would bring about 2,000 more mental health care workers to the State. Fraser said that certifications in the State can be archaic. “This bill would address some of those issues to streamline the process; it would also create a state database of available beds for mental health treatments,” Fraser explained. He continued saying that last month, Children’s Hospital in Boston said it was taking them an average of 35 days to find an available bed for patients in mental health crisis. He said the bill would also make it harder for insurance companies to deny referrals for mental health care.

“$4,000,000,000 in federal funds have been finally approved; they’re starting to unveil how those funds will be spent,” Fraser said. Unlike others who think they spent too much time deciding how to spend the funds, Fraser said he was grateful for how deliberate the legislature was in taking the time to decide how to spend the one-time funds. He noted that the State took $100,000,000 out that was specifically earmarked for school infrastructure funds. One-hundred billion dollars was taken at the federal level. He said he is going to D.C. in January to meet with their delegation and one of the first things he would ask them to do is work to put that $100,000,000,000 back into a federal infrastructure bill to support aging schools amongst other things.

McGee brought up the stabilization fund that was proposed to be a receptacle for things that would not have to be taken out of E&D. “The tone from the towns has changed tremendously this year,” Fraser said of the fund crediting the work of Committee member Chris Eklund. Eklund said they met with the three towns back in November and received a bit more support for the stabilization fund than what was seen in the spring when it was viewed as “rushed.” He said that version 1 of the capital plan was reviewed earlier that night and noted that the tennis courts were still “kind of a question mark.” He said that it may end up as an article this year as it likely won’t fit into the capital plan.

The Halifax Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Nov. 23. Former Town Administrator Charlie Seelig was no longer present as his resignation was effective Nov. 20.

Interim Town Administrator

The Board had an appointment with former Pembroke Town Manager Edwin Thorne to discuss hiring him as Halifax’s interim Town Administrator. Thorne, who served in Pembroke for 21 years, said he has been in the business for nearly 40 years in a career spanning multiple states. Selectman Troy Garron asked Thorne, “What’s your management style?” Thorne replied, “I take a lot of it from my upbringing in New Jersey and being in athletics all the years that I was in… I played baseball at East Carolina and I was never the best player on the team but somehow I made all subject conference two years in a row. I’m a team kind of guy and I think all the department heads will find that out.” Regarding his former experience he said, “If I had to be tough, I can be tough but that wasn’t my style.” Selectman Ashley DiSesa asked how he dealt with disgruntled people. “I think you use a lot of thought into the process of making a decision for the employee and for the organization and town; different kinds of things have happened over the years; I had an employee commit murder in one of the places I worked; there’s not really a whole lot that I haven’t seen,” Thorne said. He continued, “I think that I would just use my expertise and my experience to get through the process, so the resolution is in the best interest of the community.” “I like him,” Garron said in summary. The Board voted to award Thorne the interim position. “Thank you very much, I’m honored,” Thorne replied.

Holidays in Halifax

Halifax Fire Chief Jason Viveiros gave an update on Holidays in Halifax which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. “It’s going to be a little different than we’ve had other years; the Committee met; obviously we still face a lot of challenges with the pandemic still going on. We decided it would be best to have an all-outdoor event this year.” He continued saying there would be a tree lighting ceremony, performances by the Silver Lake Chorus, an ice sculpture, farm animals, food truck vendors, and a large-scale movie. Multiple local companies have all made contributions to this year’s event including one of the town’s newest marijuana establishments Flower and Soul.

Aldana Rd. Land Transfer

The Board also discussed the Aldana Rd. land transfer. The deal dates back to 2019 when Joan Pierce with the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife met with the Board to request purchasing an area of Peterson’s Swamp. The Board and Pierce came to an agreement that included a transfer of land behind Aldana Rd. from the State to the town. Ownership of the sliver would allow the town to be able to eventually pave the road. Selectmen Chair Gordon Andrews read an update from Pierce that said, “We received the executed deeds; I will prepare for the Commissioner to sign when she’s in the office next week.”

Snowplow Drivers

Highway Surveyor Steve Hayward spoke on wages for people hired by the town to drive snowplows. “Last year we were paying $20.33,” Hayward said. Garron said, “How is it compared to the other towns?” Hayward responded, “It’s a joke.” He continued that on average, Halifax pays $5 less than every other surrounding town. The Board voted to support Hayward in his efforts to pay drivers a more comparable wage.

Animal Shelter

There was a discussion regarding the agreement with the Lakeville/Halifax animal shelter. Police Chief Joao Chaves said it was the same contract that was signed each year with the only difference being an increased fee to hold dogs from $15 to $25. “We’ve actually only surrendered one dog this past year; a dog that was involved in a dog bite incident, so the owner actually requested to surrender the dog themselves,” Chaves said. Chaves said he was trying to look into Kingston’s prices. The Board decided to move the decision to the next meeting until the Kingston prices could be investigated and compared.

IT Needs

Cesar Calouro met with the Board to discuss possibly using ARPA/Cares Act funds to purchase an interactive display to facilitate interactive Zoom/Google Meets/Microsoft Teams meetings. “Right now, upstairs, we don’t have anything. Here we have that display screen which is a regular TV screen but that’s actually going out to the front lobby of Town Hall to replace the bulletin board,” Calouro explained. He continued that he would like to see something be added upstairs and in the room they were currently in to allow the continuance of the hybrid style meetings.

Calouro was looking at an interactive display that would cost around $5,000 and would be able to be wheeled around different rooms. “I just don’t know that we’re going to utilize it,” DiSesa said. DiSesa expressed concern that not enough Boards were currently using the hybrid style meeting approach to warrant the expense. “I think it’s great if we’re going to use it,” she continued. Calouro expressed that many Boards and Committees have reached out to him expressing a desire for such a device. The Board decided to vote on the issue during their next meeting.

Comcast Public Hearing

During the Board’s meeting there was a town of Halifax public hearing on the Comcast Cable license renewal. The Executive Director of Area 58, Richard Goulart, asked to speak. “Halifax currently receives five percent of the revenue from Comcast brought in, that is the maximum that is allowed generally speaking. Halifax also gets $25,000 capital each year. Over the ten-year period, we’re basically looking for something in the similar vein,” Goulart said. “While we can justify more than that for capital, we know they’re not going to go higher than that,” he continued. Goulart also told the Board that Comcast is the only company looking at ten-year contracts as other companies such as Verizon were looking toward five-year contracts.

The attorney explained that there was no decision making to be made by the Board of Selectmen that night as it was an early-stage hearing for public input only. “From the town’s perspective, I think it would be nice to see an upgraded upload speed from Comcast,” Andrews said. Andrews also said that the Cable Advisory Committee has tried to solicit Verizon to come into Halifax many times without any success. The Comcast representative told the Board he would have someone that handles upload speeds reach out to them. A resident also spoke to express disapproval of Comcast’s services saying, “I would rather see the town not renew the license with Comcast even if we had to spend the extra money to go Satellite or any other options.”

Former Selectman Tom Millias also spoke saying, “I have the same lament I have had for years… I think the public should know who’s paying for it and where the money is coming from; there is no definitive place on the Comcast bill that lets anybody know that they are paying for this [the local channel].”

He went on to say that he wasn’t advocating for or against Comcast but rather for clearer indication of what they are paying for on the bill. Millias also pointed out that Area 58 is also now available on Youtube to everyone. The Selectmen closed the hearing for the night but left it open for public comment until December 10.

There was a joint meeting of the Halifax Elementary School Committee, the Kingston Elementary School Committee, the Plympton Elementary School Committee, the Silver Lake Regional School Committee, and Union 31 on Thursday, Nov. 18.

Special Education Presentation

The first presentation of the evening was given by Special Education Director Marie Grable. “Marie is here this evening to give you a general overview with regards to special education and the costs associated with it,” Superintendent Jill Proulx told those assembled. Grable said that the special education team needs to evaluate students to determine if they meet the criteria to receive an IEP. The categories used include autism, developmental delay, intellectual, sensory, neurological, emotional, communication, physical, or health impairment. Grable said that developmental delay applies up to the age of 9. She said she considers it a blessing as it gives them time to evaluate the youngest students accurately.  Once a disability is determined, a comprehensive evaluation then takes place. She said the goal is to make sure the student has the ability to access the same opportunities as other students. She used a graphic to differentiate between equality versus equity with the latter equating to access to the same opportunities. Current regional program offerings include the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) and Pathways, the Structured Learning Center (SLC) or Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC), and the Language Based Learning Center (LBLC).

“Our overall student population for students receiving special education services has increased over the last few years,” Grable said. The number currently stands at 673 students – an increase of 30 students over last year. The percentage of students with an IEP for each of the schools is 16.3 percent for Halifax Elementary, 17.3 for Kingston Elementary, 13.7 for Plympton Elementary, and 15.1 percent for Silver Lake Regional. The state average is 16.7 percent.

Kingston Elementary School Committee member Jeanne Coleman asked Grable if there had been an influx in requests for evaluations this past school year. “How are we doing in meeting all of the requirements for getting a student evaluated for their IEP?” she continued. Grable said, “we are on track with every referral that we have received since the beginning of the year to make sure that all of those evaluations are completed by the 30^th and 45^th day.” She confirmed that they have had an increase since the beginning of the year.

Grable also shared a slide on special education tuitions and transportation budget. She explained that Circuit Breaker “is setup to allow districts to seek some reimbursement for the… very costly tuitions that we are paying for out of district placements.” Grable shared an example of an actual student tuition where the total claim is $109,953. The foundation, or the amount the state assumes the district can absorb, is $46,704, and the net claim is $63,249. The potential return is $41,112 and the actual town impact is $68,841. Entitlement grants are another way that the district can offset tuition costs.

Grable told the Committee that there will be a virtual meeting of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. She said it would be a review of basic rights and parents’ responsibilities and rights as it pertains to their child’s IEP.

Technology Presentation

Steve Pellowe, the Technology Director, followed Grable with a presentation. “I’m here to basically present an overview of the technology budget and give a background and some information on, not only where we were, but where we are and where we’re going and why it costs so much,” Pellowe said. He said that they have made significant progress in the district in the ten years that he has been there and credited that to the School Committee and the taxpayers. Some of the highlights include a new network infrastructure in all buildings and wi-fi coverage in all educational spaces as well and 1-1 Chromebooks in school or take-home for grades 2 through 13. All four districts have also been unified into a single unified network that has provided both cost savings and management time. There are also new phone systems that are tied into one system. In addition, they are building inventory for tracking devices and projecting future replacement needs.

Technology categories within the budget include school management/curriculum software and subscriptions, technology management, supplies and repairs, and technology hardware and assistive technology. Regarding upcoming challenges, Pellowe cited the replacement of Chromebooks that have a limited life expectancy. He also said that by the 2025-2026 school year, district-wide there will be 300 wireless access points aging out. Other replacement needs include projectors in all of the buildings. Also by 2024-2025, the laptops bought for staff during COVID will begin to need to be replaced as will network infrastructure and phones.

Pellowe also shared that the responsibilities for IT are increasing with items that were not previously considered to be IT responsibility now falling under their scope. Such items include security cameras, phones, access control, clocks/intercoms, alarms, and gas meters. “This strains our already thin IT resources,” Pellowe explained.

Regarding support Pellowe said that the last recommendation from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) was 1 technician for every 400 devices. This is significantly more devices per technician than the for-profit industry. He said that currently the district is running at a ratio of 1 technician to every 3,000 devices. Halifax Elementary School Committee Chair Summer Schmaling asked what the solution was to this problem. Pellowe said one option is to bring in more technicians. Another would be to have a management company come in to assist the department. “There is no one solution that I can put my finger on without saying really it comes down to money,” he explained.

Schmaling brought up the bulk purchases, including the teacher laptops, that were bought using the CARES Act funding. She said that looking back she is wondering if they should have staggered it more to extend the life of the items purchased. She suggested possibly buying 1,000 Chromebooks per year over three years as opposed to purchasing 3,000 Chromebooks in a single year. Pellowe called it an excellent question and said they have a tool called Chrome Gopher that looks at age-out times and evaluates what they have. He further said that companies are now being advised to make technology last closer to six years as opposed to four.

Saying, “now it is time for some good news,” Pellow told the committees that this year the FCC offered the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) to help provide devices and connectivity to those that could demonstrate a need. This equates to 65 Chromebooks for Dennett Elementary, 125 for Kingston Elementary, 250 for Kingston Intermediate, and 100 for Halifax Elementary. He said that Silver Lake Regional is still awaiting a decision. They are also waiting for a decision regarding staff devices in all districts. He also said that the district is continuing to take advantage of E-Rate funding for all eligible services and in the current fiscal year, there are commitments for over $46,000 in funding.

Plympton Elementary School Committee and Silver Lake Regional School Committee member Jason Fraser said to Pellowe, “You are extremely conservative with your budget, and I think we’re seeing that with how you disperse your funds for personnel and the numbers that you’re showing comparing what you’re actually dealing with with the amount of devices per person compared to what DESE is recommending; it’s an astronomical feat that you’ve accomplished. I want to make sure that you do not play your numbers as conservative as you come up with some plans for us moving forward.” He continued, “I think it might take a couple of years to really roll out the development of your team to where it should be and I want you to be very specific and very purposeful in putting together that plan… every dollar I feel that I’ve ever voted yes for in any of your budgets, Steve, feels like an investment to me and that investment has paid dividends in our towns and to our children.”

Curriculum Presentation

K-6 Curriculum Coordinator Melissa Farrell was next to present the elementary curriculum budget proposals as well as the Title I grant. Farrell shared that the contracted services for teaching budgets stand at $6,870 for Halifax, $2,719 for Plympton, $2,714 for Kingston Elementary, and $8,700 for Kingston Intermediate. Costs for textbooks were $98,812 for Halifax, $36,718 for Plympton, $87,825 for Kingston Elementary, and $95,618 for Kingston Intermediate. “Textbooks have evolved a lot in my time in this role; they are now defined as consumable workbooks/physical materials but also any software that is integrated with the packages of print materials,” Farrell explained. Farrell said there was about a 12 percent increase in textbook costs this year over last year due to science. Instructional software costs were $33,706 for Halifax, $22,164 for Plympton, $27,373 for Kingston Elementary, and $42,164 for Kingston Intermediate.

Farrell, who has been the Title I Director since 2017, showed the fluctuations in the grant allocations from 2017 to 2022. “We have seen it go all the way from $344,637 down to $156,013, back up to $261,126,” she explained. She said they need to be flexible in how they use these funds due to the fluctuations. Title 1 pays for tutors who are licensed teachers. Currently Halifax has 3 tutors, Kingston 6, Plympton 1, and Silver Lake Middle 2. “These support reading and math intervention,” Farrell explained.

Debate over Calendar Change

“There was a proposal made by our Union 31 Chair that we consider a calendar change; that we take a pupil day and turn it into a half day at the elementary schools for conferences,” Proulx said. She said that since the schools share buses, they would need to come to a consensus between the multiple school committees. Proulx said the date would likely be December 8. Clarification was made that parents would be given the option between in-person and virtual conferences. Fraser made a motion on behalf of the Silver Lake Regional School Committee to allow the administration to come up with that day. Silver Lake Regional voted in favor of the motion just as Plympton Elementary School Committee previously had. Halifax also voted in favor of adding the day to the calendar.

Coleman, who serves on the Kingston Elementary School Committee, said that parents have reached out saying it would be a hardship to add the day into the calendar due to difficulty finding childcare. She said for that reason she would be a no. Kingston School Committee member Timothy Lewis also expressed concern over adding the day. Kingston Elementary School Chair Sheila Vaughn said she did not feel like it was right to force all the towns into the same vote as she felt that members of her community had reached out to her separately. “Our town, I really do feel like, does not want this,” she said. In the end and with reluctance, Lewis said, “In the spirit of cooperation… I make a motion to amend the calendar for a half pupil day on December 8 or at the discretion of the administration.” All but one of the Kingston members voted no. This meant that a consensus was not reached, and the day will not be added to the calendar.