School Committee Meeting - May 16, 2026

The meeting was called to order by Chair Davis at 12:00 AM. The meeting was conducted via hybrid participation pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2025.

• Roll Call Attendance:
  • Member Pitone: Present
  • Member Lippens: Present
  • Member Eldridge: Present
  • Member Green: Present
  • Dr. Stellman: Present
  • Mayor Wilson: Present
  • Member Biton: Present
  • Dr. Ackman: Present
• Quorum: 8 members present.

The Committee recognized the top academic achievers for the Somerville High School Class of 2026:

1. Valedictorian: Tommy Vandewidge
   • Academic Standing: 4.8 GPA.
   • Achievements: President of Art Club, VP of National Honor Society, Secretary of National Art Honor Society.
   • Future Plans: Attending Smith College.
2. Salutatorian: Lucas Oliver
   • Academic Standing: 4.7 GPA.
   • Achievements: Completed over 8 AP classes; member of the Community Service Club and Varsity Baseball team since 8th grade.
   • Future Plans: Attending Tufts University to study Biochemistry.

Bhavika, a junior at Somerville High School and member of the AAPI Commission's Youth Council, presented her project on inclusive curriculum.

• Project Goal: To address the 'invisibility' of AAPI students (5% of SHS population) by integrating AAPI history into existing 10th-grade U.S. History themes.
• Key Integrations:
  • Unit 4 (Immigration): Lessons on birthright citizenship.
  • Unit 7 (Civil Rights): Lessons on cross-racial solidarity and the Yellow Power Movement.
• Future Objectives: Proposing a dedicated Asian American History elective course.

Twenty-one speakers addressed the committee, primarily focusing on School Resource Officers (SROs) and Special Education funding.

• School Resource Officers (SROs):
  • John Campbell: Opposed SROs, sharing a personal account of being threatened by an armed officer at age 14. He noted that 'casualty rates are actually higher in schools where a resource officer is present.'
  • Molly Kraus-Wiley (Safe Schools Somerville): Cited that between 2018-2021, police entered Somerville schools 4,300 times, with 60% of interactions involving students from Next Wave/Full Circle.
  • Erica Eiderhoven (State Representative): Warned that school policing creates a 'deportation and detention pipeline' for immigrant students via databases like BRIC.
  • Kevin Foster: Noted the financial cost of an SRO is approximately $119,000 per year, suggesting funds be used elsewhere.
• Special Education and Budget:
  • Ryan Williams (Ward 7): Urged funding for digital reading and math interventions to address implementation gaps identified in the special education review.
  • Jess Perez-Adams: Highlighted systemic alarms, noting Next Wave has a 52% out-of-school suspension rate compared to the 1.4% district average. She stated, 'The children are not invisible. They are in the basement.'
  • Sam Steiner: Called for a public implementation plan for the Special Education and Intervention Review findings.
  • Abby Hare: Advocated for hiring more interventionists and expanding the co-teaching pilot at East Somerville.

Superintendent Rubén Carmona provided updates on district initiatives and the budget.

• Haitian Heritage: Recognized Haitian Flag Day and the contributions of the Haitian community to the district.
• Budget Update: Acknowledged the budget shortfall but noted that Somerville continues to invest at levels beyond peer districts to maintain level service.
• SRO Engagement: Announced ongoing focus groups and a district-wide survey regarding the high school's collaboration with the Somerville Police Department (SPD). He clarified, 'This is not a done process. We are not engaging in this process with a definite answer in mind.'

Dr. Jessica Boston-Davis and Assistant Principal Amy Candelora presented on the MTSS framework and the partnership with Boston Children's Hospital.

• Definition: MTSS is a 'data-based and problem-solving approach' to ensure all students grow through tiered supports (Tier 1: Universal, Tier 2: Targeted, Tier 3: Intensive).
• Child Study Teams (CST): A cohort model was piloted at the Argenziano, Healy, and West Somerville schools to strengthen meeting structures and data-driven decision-making.
• Behavioral Health Screener: Piloted at the Argenziano for grades 1, 5, and 6 to identify social-emotional needs early.

Director Ildefonso Arellano and the APPEL team presented findings from the Special Education and Intervention Service Delivery Review conducted by Empowered Ed.

• APPEL Initiatives: Created a 'Massachusetts IEP Quick Start Guide' and an anonymous family survey to measure meeting effectiveness. Initial data from 31 responses showed strengths in communicating meeting purposes but a need for more transparency in service delivery.
• Empowered Ed Review Findings:
  • Strength: 77% inclusion rate for students with disabilities, exceeding the state target of 65%.
  • Gap: Significant achievement gaps in Grade 5 MCAS (Math: 31% all vs. 4% SWD; ELA: 37% all vs. 5% SWD).
  • LEA Determination: The district moved from 'Needs Assistance' to 'Meets Requirements' with a score of 83% (29/35 points).

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes from April 6, 2026, were approved unanimously (Motion: Green, Second: Lippens).
• Retirements:
  • Kristi Savas (PE/Health, Argenziano): 33 years.
  • Linda Murray Walsh (Special Ed, Winter Hill): 30 years.
  • Cheryl McGovern (Senior Clerk, SHS): 20 years.
• Field Trips: Approved trips for SHS Auto Tech to New England Dragway and East Somerville 8th Grade to Canobie Lake Park.
• Diplomas: Approved 14 high school equivalency diplomas for adult learners.

The meeting adjourned following the conclusion of business items. The next meeting is scheduled for June 15, 2026, with a potential MSBA-focused meeting on August 17, 2026.