The School Committee on Wednesday, June 7, revisited its ongoing dicusson of meeting protocol, with Chair Beth Stafford suggesting some ideas for discussion on how to make meetings more civil and productive.
Among these, was her assertion that the public comment period – 15 minutes at the start of each meeting that gives the public an opportunity to be heard on issues not on the agenda – could largely stay unchanged she said, unless it is necessary during later discussions, that would be the end of public comment.
“This is a School Committee meeting and it’s up to us to discuss our options,” she said. “Nobody will be recognized from the floor, except by the chair.
Budget time could be a period when such comments are asked for by the chair, but there would be a limit to that, as well.
“Once public comment is done, it is up to us to carry on a meeting,” she said. “We need to accomplish our work and not get done at 10 p.m., when everybody is exhausted from working all day.”
When people get tired, tempers flare up and good work doesn’t get done, Stafford said.
Keeping the number of questions from the committee for the superintendent have also been becoming unmanageable, so Stafford said unless the questions come up during a meeting, they should be funneled through the chair.
“Sometimes [Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak] gets three of the same questions from three different people, and there’s a lot of work he’s got [to do during] his day.” she said.
She will present questions to Szymaniak and then all committee members will receive the response so everyone has the same information.
Meeting minutes are another issue that has cropped up, perhaps due to a misconception of what minutes should be. The Mass. Association of School Committees (MSAC) defines minutes as a brief summary in language clear enough for a citizen reader to understand what was discussed.
“It is not expected, nor necessary that minutes will be a verbatim transcripts, reporting on every School Committee member board comment or summarize every public comment made during the public comment period,” Stafford said.
Norms must also be clarified, she said, suggesting a Wednesday night meeting in July, considering what members suggest should be meeting norms such as respect and listening to others’ opinions. She said the norms the committee comes up with would be put on a poster and displayed at meetings.
McEwan Award’
In other business, Margaret McEwan presented the Do What’s Best for Kids Award, given in memory of former Superintendent of Schools Dr. John F. McEwan “who believed a school is not just a building, but a community of support that maximized learning for all students,” to Catherine Bouzan.
McEwan said Bouzan’s supervisor said she “loves being an educator who delights in seeing her students thrive in a classroom with lessons related to real-life jobs that they have an interest in and will be equipped to continue after they leave Whitman-Hanson.”
Companies or services with which she partners, say her students are the most professional and well-prepared for the vocational tasks they are asked to perform.
“Everyone in this room should be proud of the W-H Transitional Educational program, established for the students 18-22 who are ready, willing and able to join the workforce, doing a job from which they can derive personal satisfaction,” McEwan said.
The award includes $500 Bouzan may use for her own professional development or a related program.
“She is one of the most amazing educators I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet,” Szymaniak said. “This award doesn’t even speak to what she does for our 18- to 22-year-old students in our transitional [program] … she works with each student to make education and life skills fun for them.”
Bouzan also works with the unified basketball and track programs.
Szymaniak said he got Bouzan to the meeting under the ruse that she was to make a presentation on the program to the School Committee – which she did.
“You really got me,” she said. “It, honestly, is an honor to work and do what I do every day, so I thank all of you, but I have to thank you, Jeff, for giving me the opportunity 13 years ago, and I couldn’t do what I do, if I didn’t have – of course – the support of my family, but also my team.”
She said of her paraprofessionals, who just happen to all be female: “I work with a group of women, for whom the integrity of our students, the respect they give our students, the integrity of our program – I’m just very blessed to be surrounded by so many people that care about our students’ success and enjoy them.”
Szymaniak said he hoped someone was taking her out to dinner after that.

WHITMAN – Questions have been raised about a Town Meeting vote on the amount of tax money vs. free cash used to balance the fiscal 2024 budget.
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter reported, in response to a taxpayer’s question that a Town Meeting article to use free cash to reduce the funds raided taxation needed to balance the fiscal 2024 budget.
Dawn Byers, a School Committee member, addressing the Select Board as a private citizen asked in the public forum on Tuesday, May 23 for the clarification, aware that it would not be up for discussion at the meeting, but in hopes it could be explained at a future meeting.
“I have some follow-up questions regarding Article 42 from the May 1 Town Meeting,” Byers said. “I do hope, as you proceed with setting the tax levy over the next several months, you will perhaps be able to address this in a future public meeting.”
Article 42 asked Town Meeting to vote to appropriate a sum of money from available free cash to reduce the amount of money to be raised by taxation for fiscal 2024.
Byers asked that the board explain what is being done with Article 42, which was approved by the Town Meeting, and why the Select Board proposed the article. She noted that the Finance Committee had not voted on it because there was no dollar figure at that time it came before them, but an amendment on Town Meeting floor inserted the amount of $455,323.
“There was a lower amount and when the schools came in, we had a compromise,” Carter said. “We juggled some things around from capital and so forth, and that was the amount we needed from the remaining free cash to just close the budget.”
Carter said it had been discussed all through the budget process that the town would be using funds from free cash to close the budget.
“After that was done, there was $53,000 some-odd remaining in free cash,” she said. “That was it.”
Byers said it sounds like the town is not fully taxing to the levy, but instead chose to use free cash or is perhaps not recognizing some new growth.
The board will be returning to the issue at coming meetings, Chair Dr. Carl Kowalski indicated.
“We do often hear the term Proposition 2 ½ override, but this feels like the opposite – is this an underride and is it the board’s intention to report it to the Department of Revenue as such when the FY ’24 tax levy is set?” she said. “[It] is a significant amount of tax revenue.”
An accountant in her professional life, Byers asked what the purpose of the one-time free cash funds was, what was the benefit to the town and and who benefits by reducing the amount of money to be raised by taxation.
“I did attend Town Meeting,” Byers said, noting that it had lasted nearly three and a half hours and the article was the second to last to be voted on that night. “We were all there until 11 p.m.” she said.
“While I do agree it was approved by the voters just prior to 11 p.m., I think it’s an extremely important financial decision made by the town that deserves to be further explained,” she said.
In other business, with the Whitman Police Department down a number of officers with a couple more planning retirements in the coming months, Chief Timothy Hanlon requested that the Select Board start the process of calling for a civil service list.
The board approved the request unanimously.
“The process is going to be a little bit more lengthy than it was in the past, when we had the opportunity to reserve officers and see how they fit in on more or less a part-time basis and go through the part-time academy,” Hanlon said.
With the new police reform law, there is no more part-time police academy, however, and the department has exhausted its reserve list as two of them began the police academy May 22, but until they graduate, Hanlon said the department is going to have to fill the remaining vacancies by starting a new civil service list.
Vice Chair Dan Salvucci asked if it would affect promotions within the ranks, and Hanlon said it depends on what ranks retire, as a majority are officers and one is of rank.
The board also approved an amendment to the host community agreement with Soul Flower Inc., permitting the firm to split the company into multiple corporations – retailer Chill & Bliss LLC, product manufacturer Fusion Drop LLC, cultivator Crafted Cannibis LLC and existing licensing transporter Soul Flower Express LLC – for business purposes, according to Carter. All are Massachusetts LLCs and have been approved by town counsel.
“The HCA restricts their ability to so, so they need this amendment,” she said. “It should not change their operations as approved by the [Select Board] under the host community agreement.”

The Whitman-Hanson boys’ tennis team were victorious over the Silver Lake Lakers, 3-2, on Senior Night May 23, and their final home match of the season. Seniors Drew Fountain and James Goyette won in dominant fashion at second doubles (6-0, 6-0). Senior captain Zachary Lindsay and junior Tristan Baker also looked strong in their win at first doubles (6-1, 6-1).
Junior Mateo Santalucia was able to secure the Panthers win at second singles (6-2, 6-2). Senior Matt Bergin played one of his best matches of the season at third singles but came up short of the win. The Panthers improve to 6-11 and wrap up regular season on Thursday at Plymouth North. Match time 4 p.m.
The W-H team lost to Hingham Friday, May 19 in back-to-back matches, 0-5, 0-5, falling to 4-11 on the season. The team had some great games and played well, but were just overpowered by the high-powered play of Hingham.
Sophomore Mateo Santalucia had the best overall chance at a win, losing 5-8 in the first match and 4-8 in the second.
The Panthers had team defeated the Quincy Presidents May 18, 4–1, in the completion of a rain delayed match. The team played well on all five courts. Sophomore Brady Wright played three strong sets at first singles (6-3, 4-6, 6-2). Junior Mateo Santalucia won in two sets at second singles (7-5, 6-3). Senior Captain Zach Lindsay and junior Tristan Baker won in two sets at first doubles (6-0, 6-1), while senior Drew Fountain and junior George Dykens took care of their opponents in two sets on the second doubles court, (6-3, 6-3). 
The Lady Panthers tennis team defeated Brockton May 22, 5-0. In first singles Alyson Tobias won 6-2,6-0 and at secondnd singles Sam Jacobsen won 6-2, 6-3.
In third singles freshman Mari Santalucia defeated her opponent 6-1,6-2. In first doubles Delaney Hughes and Sophie Ennis won 6-2,4-6,6-0 and at second doubles Mary Lynam and Sarah Regan won 6-3, 6-2. 

The School Committee on May 10 addressed what Vice Chair Christopher Scriven described as issues, including a morale problem, which had ultimately led to Chair Christopher Howard’s resignation.
Scriven asked that a discussion of committee protocol be placed on the agenda.
“I appreciated all that Chris did for us and the direction he moved us in, but going forward, I think we need to have a discussion and ask some questions of ourselves about what we want to be going forward,” Scriven said.
His preference is to concentrate on the district’s mission statement supporting providing students with a high-quality education that promotes student success and responsible citizenship.
“I would like to ask the committee what do we want for individuals and what do we want, collectively for our group?” he said. “To say that we have some morale issues is an understatement.”
He wants to see a continuing discussion of reasonable protocols and procedures to which the committee should adhere. Rather than being a question of getting along with other members, Scriven explained it as a search for the goal of the committee and how members fit in to accomplish things together.
“By no means is this an effort to keep someone quiet or keep them from getting information that they want to [put out there],” Scriven said. “It’s about how do we function most effectively as a committee?”
The frequency in which members reach out to administration – for whatever reason – which has been disproportionate from some members of the committee, which keeps those officials from accomplishing other things.
Member Dawn Byers said, rhetorically, what the best avenue would be toward finding information she might need. She also said there should be a way to discover if a member has a problem with something another member said, how best should those interpersonal issues be addressed and worked out.
Approaching the end of his first year on the committee, Glen DiGravio said he has had no problems with other members.
“You guys have all treated me great,” he said. “Thanks for bearing with me and … if this needs to be improved, then to me, it’s only going to get better because I expected it to be much more negative than it’s been.”
Scriven had expressed his incredulity at, arriving to the joint meeting with the two select boards over the budget, only to find out a member had reached out to one board and come up with a deal.
“Is that how we want to operate?” he asked. “I don’t have the answers, but I have questions.”
Hillary Kniffen suggested that, in a couple of weeks there might be another committee. Michelle Bourgelas aggreed.
“I’m not disagreeing with things that you’re saying, but I think it might be a good idea to table this until we have our full committee that we will have after the tow election,” Kniffen said, suggesting that members be asked to propose a few norms they want to see and discuss at a June meeting.
Scriven said he was in complete agreement with that suggestion. Beth Stafford agreed it would be an important thing to do.
“Let’s try to remember the positive reasons we want to be here,” Bourgelas said. “A lot of good things happen at this school … there’s a lot of good people here. … There’s just been too much negative things at these meetings.”
Member David Forth said serving on the committee has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of his life, of which he is very proud as he has learned a lot from it.
Building a rapport with other members over coffee has been very helpful, he said.
“I might not always agree with your position or your vote, but I respect you and your character and your position, and I respect your vote,” he said of his fellow committee members. “We have a great group of people and I try to remember that and try to … ask what’s my role to help improve upon that.”

HANSON – The Select Board, on Tuesday, April 25, came to a consensus agreement to join with Whitman and the W-H School Committee in voting to require a two-thirds vote for all financial votes of the School Committee, rather than only financial votes, as part of a revised Regional Agreement.
“Although that doesn’t put us back to the per-pupil method, I think it does go a ways toward showing that there’s some partnership among the School Committee and the town of Whitman,” Select Board Chair Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett said, thanking Select Board member Jim Hickey for his “swan song” in persuading the other boards to agree to his proposal. “He really worked hard on it and it was very persuasive.”
Hickey was absent from the meeting.
Town Administrator Lisa Green added that a consensus document, with all the areas of the sections discussed and agreed on – dealing with transportation, building leases, the two-thirds vote and capital expenses – will be forwarded to the school district’s legal counsel for a review of language.
The Regional Agreement Committee will reconvene after town elections to discuss any questions or concerns stemming from that review.
Whitman agreed on a consensus basis to the revisions during their April 18 meeting.
“Every group brought their suggestions back,” Select Board representative Justin Evans told the Whitman board, reminding them there were not a lot of contentious issues. He reviewed the most contentious issues with his board – including the two-thirds vote.
Whitman Chair Randy LaMattina said Hickey’s argument that a two-thirds vote on the assessment method would “go a long way.”
Emergency capital expenses have been another concern of Whitman’s particularly the debate the board has had with the school district on maintenance responsibilities vs emergency repairs.
Evans reported the schools were concerned about the timeliness of doing emergency repairs.
“You’re talking about half an hour,” Vice Chair Dan Salvucci said, by the time the facilities direct can inspect a problem to advise the town administrator on whether or not it is an emergency.
“If something is an emergency, you have an obligation to act immediately to remediate it,” Former Whitman Town Administrator Frank Lynam said to help clarify the matter. If the expense involved a large sum of money the Select Board was uncomfortable approving the expenditure, one can always go to the director of accounts under Ch. 41 and seek an authorization for emergency spending. “It’s not a complicated process.”
Most emergencies are obvious, but he said he has seen some over the years that “were not that exigent.”
“It’s common sense,” he said.
Evans said the language concerning emergencies makes sense.
In other business, the Select Board also voted to appoint Laurie Cogan and Jason Green as caretakers at Camp Kiwanee. Green recused herself other than to say many caretakers are needed, because she filled out a potential conflict of interest disclosure on one of them. She said there are not enough caretakers to work weddings and other events for the upcoming season.
FitzGerald-Kemmett said she didn’t think Green needed to recuse herself, but that she didn’t think the optics looked good for Green’s son to be applying for the job since she is town administrator and, as personnel director, she would have to be involved in any performance issues that might occur.
Select Board member Ann Rein said she thought it was a “shame” that he could be precluded from doing something because his mother works for the town.
Select Board member Joe weeks said he understood the concern, but was feeling conflicted about it and Heal agreed it was a tough call.
“I don’t see a real issue, but I’m wondering,” Heal said.
Weeks asked if her son has financial ties to her or lives with her. She said there are no financial ties, but he does live at home. When Weeks questioned if it even mattered, FitzGerald-Kemmett said it could be argued that, because he lived at home, it could be argued that Green benefits financially from her son’s working for the town.
The Camp Kiwanee Commission has voted to hire both.
The Select Board voted 4-0 to hire Cogan and 3-1, with FitzGerald-Kemmett voting no and asking Green to not take it personally. Green said she did not regard it that way.
The board voted a conditional approval to the application for a Class II auto sales permit from: Limitless Auto Sales, 200 Liberty St. They are new owners of the property. The acting fire chief has to inspect the existing building to ensure it meets safety regulations before the board signs off on it.

Dollars for Scholars will hold its eighth annual “Bowling for Dollars for Scholars” from noon to 5 p.m., on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, at the Hanson Bowladrome (adjacent to the Hanson AA) at 171 Reed Street in Hanson.
For every string bowled during the event a donation will be made to benefit Whitman & Hanson Dollars for Scholars. The cost to bowl will be $10 per string with no charge for shoe rental. Door prizes and complementary food will be available throughout the two day event.
All funds raised during the event will benefit the Class of 2023 in the form of scholarships. For more information, please contact Mike Ganshirt at 781-252-9683 or visit www.WhitmanAndHanson.DollarsforScholars.org.