HANOVER — The South Shore Vo-Tech Capital Projects Subcommittee has green-lighted a request for qualifications process for an existing facilities assessment at its meeting Monday, Aug. 14.

The vote came after a discussion of planning “the first and most important steps in working toward an ultimate goal” of creating a master facilities plan for the school by the end of this calendar year, according to Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey.If the study completed by this December, a proposed project could be included in the fiscal 2019 budget.

“There is simply no way we can handle our educational needs within this building footprint,” Hickey said. “You’re going to need something with a high ceiling and a free-standing out building could be part of that.”

The plan would also outline the available land on which the district can build.

The district already knows at least one out building is needed for the automotive shop or a greenhouse for the new horticultural program, as well as targeted expansion within the current building’s footprint — such as a possible second floor for academics. Hickey said examples of specific need should be included in any building study.

“This also gives us an unbiased look at what we’ve got when we go to do something,” said School Committee Chairman Robert Molla of Norwell. “This is just a piece of the puzzle.”

The master plan’s major goal, would include components to be used to inform an engineering firm on the repair or replacement needs the school is seeking to expand the school building and accommodate new educational standards and increasing enrollment.

“This document will also help when going to towns for a legitimate, verifiable need,” Hickey said of the needs of SSVT’s 70-year-old building.

Hickey also reviewed what some “end products” and request for qualifications (RFQs) would look like. The bulk of that presentation focused on a facilities plan that KBA Architects produced for Tri-County Vocational. An RFQ details information on what a school district or municipality wants to see in a construction project — to be used as the basis for a plan proposal.

The subcommittee would then wait for firms to respond, choosing three applicants to interview.

“There are firm criteria in here to determine whether or not the firms are eligible,” Hickey said. “My research is showing there are two ways of doing this.”

The panel can require a “not-to-exceed fee” in the proposal if they wish as a way to control the scope and cost of a firm’s engineering study.

“What we would need to do is make very clear what we want and what we don’t want, but we would have to either state that up front or in the form of an addendum,” Hickey said about components that may have been overlooked. “They could ask those questions, we could answer those questions and then we would supply any answers to questions asked, making it completely transparent to anybody who seeks them.”

Committee member Robert Mahoney of Rockland asked if the state could provide a vetted bid list of engineering firms for the facilities plan work.

“It’s not so much the pricing as it is approved state to use, kind of like the bid process for machinery,” he said.

“It’s the authority to get on a government project,” added Molla. “They pre-qualify you to bid.”

Hickey said such a list would be helpful and he would look into it.

One process of selecting proposals, starts with an examination of its qualifications and not the price proposal, he said, with price negotiated after a firm is selected. Some municipalities notify RFQ bidders that there is a not-to-exceed clause in effect, limiting the amount they are willing to pay for an engineering study.

“Everybody has a budget,” Hickey said, noting he does not want to spend the entire $125,000 booked in for master facilities planning and other design fees on the master facilities plan alone. “This kind of plan does not include the actual design of anything.”

Member Kenneth Thayer of Cohasset asked if there was funding built in for unanticipated cost overruns on such a plan.

“We’re basically going to tell them what we want,” Molla replied. “Those are things we know. They’re going to go through and say, ‘you can’t do this without that.’ It’s not them telling us what they think we need.”

Brookline High School did an educational master plan in 2015 at a cost of $105,000. Lincoln Public Schools did one in 2016, contracting with a firm for $40,000. Lexington spent $75,000 and Cape Cod Academy, a private school, paid $59,000 for a master plan in 2014. Tri-County Vocational spent $125,000.

“I personally don’t think that we would be spending that much money,” Hickey said. “We are not the same size and we have done some recent planning and our circumstances are such that parts of this building are in very good condition.”

He advocates being very specific about what parts of the building need review and which do not, making the school’s previous study data available to an engineering study contractor.

“Out of this should come a 10-year capital facilities maintenance plan that we should be able to debate, reprioritize, move things around,” he said. “But this outside analysis should give us a roadmap for the next 10 years.”

The major goals cover specific needs under the heading of architectural, civil or site requirements, structural, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, hazardous material and a capital improvement plan and cost estimate. A second goal would include a location for a greenhouse, a space needs analysis the percentage of  classroom use —including the amount and how much of the school day in which it is used — and identification of all buildable land on campus

“This is what we could bake into the RFQ,” Hickey said. “The firm should have a draft of the highest-priority items, unofficially, to the superintendent by Dec. 1.”

HANSON — The Recreation Commission voted Monday, Aug. 7 to present a warrant article before Town Meeting to reduce the recreation director’s position to 20 hours, as they address what they deem a more pressing problem — facilities upgrades and repairs at Camp Kiwanee.

The 4-0 vote — members Diane Cohen, Rachel Gross and John Zucco were unable to attend — reflects the commission’s continued commitment to programs, they said, while addressing needed repairs. The commission is slated to meet again at 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 14.

“I do not think we’re going to get away with not having a director,” Chairman Annmarie Bouzan said. “I understand that … I feel like the money aspect of this is really important. But we have to come to a happy medium, so maybe we have a facilities manager that comes in and, for the moment, they can only work 19 hours — that’s not enough.”

Member Brian Smith argued the commission would be better off going to a part-time director and save the full-time costs for the facilities manager they need.

That’s where a Town Meeting warrant would be needed, because the recreation director’s job description as voted at last year’s October special Town Meeting reads 35 to 40 hours.

“That’s going back to Town Meeting and saying, ‘We want to change this at Town Meeting to a 20-hour position,’” Bouzan said.

Smith also argued it would be easier to hire a recreation director on a part-time basis than a part-time facilities manager.

“I really tossed this around because I just feel like we need what we need,” Bouzan said. “The bottom line is if there was somebody here that knows about [managing buildings] … it would benefit the town and the camp at the same time.”

“The facilities are much more important at this time,” member Theresa Cocio said. “Caretakers can’t do everything.”

Members plan to contact an architect to perform an assessment of the repair needs the commission can prioritize and include in an updated job description for a full-time facilities manager position — paid on an hourly basis — to either serve the Recreation Department or to be shared with other town departments.

There is already a facilities manager position listed with the town’s Wage and Personnel Board, so once the job description is ironed out, commissioners said all that would be needed would be to hire someone.

That would ultimately be a Wage and Personnel decision.

Bouzan said she has presented a draft of such a job description to Town Administrator Michael McCue, who has forwarded a copy to Wage and Personnel Chairman and Selectman Kenny Mitchell and to Selectmen Chairman Jim McGahan.

“It’s not like we’re reinventing the wheel here, so we don’t need to go to Town Meeting to get that job approved,” she said. “It’s just kind of trying to find funding for it.”

Bouzan said McCue and selectmen are asking the commission to expand on the list already presented in the job description.

“We need this more than anything else,” Smith said. “If we had another event coordinator and then put that money from the director’s position [it could make the difference in hiring a facilities manager].”

“This place has run for how many years without it,” Cocio agreed.

Smith said the camp’s seasonal use makes it feasible to share such a manager with other departments if necessary.

“If we put somebody full time on this, maybe in a year, you get a lot of repairs done,” Smith said. “After that, it’s maintaining.”

A priority list or repairs, which a consultant can help with, can help the commission compile a matrix, Bouzan said.

“I just feel that’s what we need right now, because we’re out in left field,” she said. “We’re catching stuff and screening cabins and looking at septic designs. Honestly, I don’t think we have a part-time crew that could do half the major things that are on these [repair] lists.”

That’s where a facilities manager’s expertise in knowing how to prioritize and when to seek contractors to do work would be important, according to Smith.

Commission members also argued the manager could also effectively prioritize and assign repairs as well as work on grants for more expensive repairs.

The commission also made its formal vote to accept the resignation, effective July 24, of former Recreation Director Marybeth MacKay, which had not been done previously because the resignation was received the day of the meeting and could not officially be placed on the agenda.

In other business, the commission discussed $78,000 in Community Preservation funds earmarked for the north campground, but which come with restrictions on its use.

“I thought it might be in the best interest of the Recreation Commission to just return the money saying we can’t use it right now and go for a bigger grant for the gatehouse,” Bouzan said.

No decision on the funds have been made at this time.

The previous commission had accepted the funds in 2014 or 2015, she pointed out noting that needs at the south campground is also a bigger priority right now. The funds must be used for materials only on exterior work on the cabins and the north end is not used as extensively right now.

While the commission need only use a portion of the funds in the first year to retain it, the restrictions limit the use to where it is least needed, members agreed.

“I don’t want to hold onto this money when they can use it on other funding sources,” Bouzan said. She said she will email CPC Chairman Thomas J. Hickey for some guidance on the issue.

HANSON — The Highway Building Committee is looking to educate the public on the need and cost of building a new facility and tearing down — and cleaning the site — of the current building, its chairman, Selectman Kenny Mitchell reported to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, July 25.

A series of public meetings is planned to accomplish that aim, Mitchell said. Town Administrator Michael McCue also attended the committee’s last meeting on July 17, along with a representative from project engineering firm Weston & Sampson.

The Committee and engineers will be working to educate the public on the need and cost for the project both for use of the existing structure at the former LiteControl site — as well as for starting from scratch. They will also be crunching numbers on the potential site cleanup costs at the current highway barn.

An environmental assessment of that existing facility is required in the first phase, which could cost about $15,000. Phase II would depend on what is identified in the assessment, Mitchell said, but could range between $10,000 and $30,000.

“One way or another, we need to know what we’re dealing with on [the current highway barn] property,” agreed Selectman Laura FitzGerald-Kemmett. “People want to know, soup-tonuts, how much it is going to cost.”

Mitchell said the cost for taking down the old building and site cleanup is needed, but the two issues cannot be combined, one reason being funding sources.

“Anytime you do demos, you can’t put that in a 20-year debt exclusion,” he said.

“You’re going to want to do it in stages,” she agreed. “But at least people will be fully informed of what the plan is.”

The firm has been working on Highway/DPW projects for a couple of other towns while Hanson has been holding meetings on its project. Cost increases on those projects have moved the company to suggest finetuning the numbers before the committee goes to Town Meeting for the cost of engineering and final design phase.

The engineering costs should be known by Aug 20, Mitchell said.

“That’s going to allow us to do an actual RFP on the building next March and get an actual, physical cost that somebody’s committed to build this building, and then we’ll be able to go to Town Meeting and say … it’s going to cost X-amount,” he said. “We’ll have a number so we’re not playing that Russian-roulette game and we’re not losing that precious time we’re all concerned about.”

Hubbell’s Chief Engineer Matt O’Neill has reported to the building panel on July 17 that the company’s cleanup work at the Hawks Avenue site if 95-percent complete, but planting in the wetlands have not been finished because of the rain.

“He admitted to me that they’re a year behind,” Mitchell said. “This fall, there is no question in his mind, that they’ll be able to do that. Once the permit is closed, from the Army Corps of Engineers, at that point they can subdivide the property and convey it over to the town of Hanson.”

That would not realisticallyhappen before winter,Mitchell reported.

Appointed town boards and commissions that have not video recorded meetings in the past have already begun doing so, McCue noted. Two cameras and tripods are currently available to be distributed for use as needed.

“I have not heard back from the Finance Committee, the Planning Board, or from any of the other elected boards where, obviously, it is up to them,” he said. “We can’t tell them [to do it]. We’re encouraging them, but they need to choose whether they are going to do that or not.”

The Water Commission did film one of its last meetings, using a VHS recorder — one in almost-new condition — but a third digital camera and tripod is being provided to that board, as VHS tape cassettes are harder to come by these days.

Newer cameras record video onto a USB thumb drive, he said.

Former volunteer videographer Richard Edgehille said he could help find tapes for use with the VHS camera. He also argued the filming of meetings could help spur residents to volunteer to serve on boards and commissions.

“If you don’t advertise, you can’t make money,” he said. “If you cover those boards, you’re going to get participation.”

Selectman Don Howard argued that, if more meetings are filmed, residents would opt to stay home and watch meetings on TV.

Edgehille gestured to the nearly-empty chamber.

“Look at the room now,” he said.

“We need new people to get involved,” Selectmen Chairman James McGahan agreed.

Selectmen also discussed public access to the recordings.

“It’s great that we’re recording it, but accessibility is really about getting put out there,” FitzGerald-Kemmett said asking how soon are recordings uploaded to YouTube and how long are they archived there.

Selectman Don Howard said it takes about a week to get the recordings uploaded and McCue said he will look at how archives can be accessed online.

McCue and McGahan met with Arlene Dias of the Cable Access Board of Directors and WHCA-TV Executive Director Eric Dresser on Friday, July 28 regarding the contract with Hanson and may be reporting back to Selectmen on the status of the contract at the Aug. 15 meeting.

In other business, Mc-Cue reported he plans to negotiate for ne request for proposal services as “good business sense to go out there and see what is available.” There is a possibility the town will remain with its current provider, but he wanted to determine if there are other options out there.

McCue also reported he has met with the Library Trustees regarding potential expansion and relocation. He also said he has received a favorable quote on a new ramp for the Hanson Food Pantry and will be drawing up a contract with the bidder, which will also be submitting a quote for windows, to be compared with other price quotes.

HANOVER — Representatives from the town of Hull attended a portion of the South Shore Vo-Tech’s Thursday, July 19 meeting to ask questions about the ongoing discussions centering on the town’s possibly joining the SSVT region.

“I’m going to try to answer some of the questions I picked off when I visited them last month,” said SSVT Committee Chairman Robert Molla during the meeting broadcast by Whitman-Hanson Community Access TV. “One of them was how did the new towns we brought in in 1992 affect it and how did the populace accept joining our club?”

Hull Board of Selectmen representative Jennifer Constable updated the SSVT board on her committee’s work on the issue to date.

Hull voters, in 2016, voted favorably on a Town Meeting article forming the South Shore Vo-Tech Exploratory Committee, which has been “learning as much as we can about voke-tech,” and discussing the issue with its own school district, she said.

“We have decided on two tracks of assessment in terms of how we will get to whether or not we make the recommendation,” Constable said.

That decision is slated to come before the town’s 2018 Town Meeting.

She said one track involves the level of interest among Hull residents. The other involves the feasibility of the financial assessment for which the town would be responsible. The Hull officials invited SSVT representatives to attend an informational session in September and noted that Hull officials and interested residents could attend the SSVT open house on Saturday, Oct. 14.

Hull is also hiring a consultant to assess the financial impact on the town.

“We will take that information into consideration when we decide whether or not we do or do not recommend the feasibility for the town to join the district,” she said.

Whitman SSVT representative Daniel Salvucci talked about the process that town went through in joining the district in 1982-83. One of his sons attended SSVT, studying drafting, as did his son’s wife — who is now an engineer.

“There was really no vocational education [in Whitman] for children,” he said. “When [W-H] regionalized fully, K-12, there were children who were seeking a vocational education and we couldn’t offer it. So we had to look to the closest school system that offered vocational education, and that happened to be South Shore Vo-Tech.”

As the district was a regional one both Whitman and Hanson joined SSVT together.

“It’s been great,” he said. “We have had no bad feelings or [thoughts we were] doing the wrong thing for our children.”

While Whitman voters have, from time to time, asked why the SSVT assessment — which is based on the number of students from each town — has been so high, they have never questioned the quality of education.

“If a child wants a vocational education, who are we to say no?” Salvucci said he argued to Whitman voters at the time. He also noted there are no user fees for sports at SSVT. “It’s all there.”

Constable said she wanted to make it clear that no one in Hull was advocating saying no to any child wishing to pursue a vocational education.

“It’s just there is that sticking point — to determine if we can afford that buy-in cost,” she said.

Molla reviewed the SSVT student populations, and average per-pupil cost, per town’s local educational budget. With SSVT picking up transportation costs to SSVT, he argued Hull would pay lower per-pupil costs than the current cost of about $20,000. He added the board is open to negotiation on the buy-in cost, so it could be considerably less.

“When do you rent and when do you buy, and in order to determine that, you’ve got to figure out how deep the interest is,” said Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey said. “Information is good and we stand ready to help in as many forums or opportunities as we can. … You’re here to figure out and ultimately make a recommendation. ”

Molla had also suggested that an informational program on WHCA-TV could be helpful.

“I think the third-party analysis will yield a lot of good information,” Hickey said. “Now there’s another year’s worth of data available.”

One Hull committee member asked about where SSVT graduates head after commencement, to work or higher education?

“Every one of our students has a job,” Molla said. “Most of the students — electrical is one shop — probably have their career jobs by their junior year, because we have an excellent co-op program. Automotive is another.”

Hickey said the numbers change year-to-year, but noted that every student has a career plan by graduation.

“If it’s a direct-to-work field, there is a place for them,” he said. “Where they’re headed next might include some post-secondary education [65-percent of 2017 grads planned to do so]. … There are a lot of success stories out there.”

SSVT has also begun tracking graduates up to five years after commencement for even more accurate numbers.

Five years ago, SSVT changed admission policy to accept nonresident students — when places are available — but all resident students scoring between 60-100 points are admitted before nonresident students and finally residents with scores below 50 are accepted.

In other business, Hickey said work on revisions to the regional agreement is essentially complete, but will not likely be ready for presentation to town meetings this fall.

Freshmen will be invited in for “Freshmen Fiesta” on Aug. 15 to familiarize themselves with the building and a cookout lunch.

WHITMAN — A public hearing on the status of the alcoholic beverage license issued to O’Toole’s pub, already delayed by legal negotiations, has been again rescheduled — this time, officials say, for the final time. The matter will be on the agenda for the Tuesday, Aug. 15 selectmen’s meeting.

Whitman Selectmen were scheduled to conduct a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, July 18 about the license at the 24 Raynor Ave. business following police investigations of disturbances at the pub, but Town Administrator Frank Lynam noted that he communicated with town counsel last week to confirm the plan to move forward. On Monday afternoon, however, after an email had been forwarded to O’Toole’s lawyer to confirm that all legal hurdles were cleared, that attorney requested additional information from the town.

“We responded and are providing them with copies of a recording and other items that are being requested,” Lynam said. “That will go out [Wednesday, July 19]. The hearing will be scheduled for Aug. 15 and it will occur.”

He said it was the third postponement of the hearing.

Energy grant

Lynam also noted that — after Assistant Town Administrator Lisa Green had announced last month that the town had received a $197,000 green communities grant for boiler replacement at the Fire Department and Library as well as an energy management system for the Library — the approved grant amounts were reduced by the calculation of expected energy savings from the new boilers.

That means funds will have to be used from the Fire Department revenue account for that boiler. At the Library, a $17,050 request to make up the difference in the $80,000 worth of improvements to the Library ran into a snag. Director Andrea Rounds has told Lynam she does not want to use available trust fund money for the work.

“Frankly, we don’t have the money available to make up the difference right now,” he said. “I guess we’ll be having a discussion in August and either the additional money will be available or we’re going to have to pass on that opportunity for the boiler and energy system.”

“That’s a lot of capital to pass over,” Selectmen Chairman Dr. Carl Kowalski said.

Lynam also noted the town, via the Library, had received $300,000 in a bequest from a patron for things other than library operating expenses.

The current boiler is original to the 1988 construction of the Library building.

“So, we’ll have a boiler that’s worth about $30,000 or $40,000 that we only have to pay $17,000 for — why wouldn’t we do that?” Selectman Dan Salvucci said.

“That’s a question we’ll have to ask,” Lynam said.

Salvucci also reminded motorists using side streets as detours during a DPW paving project on School Street to drive slowly.

“If you’re detoured on a secondary street, watch your speed, there’s lots of kids playing,” he said.

In other business, the board voted 3-0 to appoint Laura L. Howe to the post of primary animal control officer — on an on-call basis from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. — and Mary A. Drake as secondary animal control officer, pending both women’s completion of mandatory hiring processes. Selectmen Randy LaMattina and Scott Lambiase were absent.

“Laura has expressed great interest in serving the community in this capacity,” Lynam said.

Nita Sault was appointed to a vacancy on the Whitman Cultural Council. Both Howe and Sault had run for seats on the board of Selectmen in the May annual Town Elections and had expressed interest in further involvement in town activities after their campaigns fell short.

Selectmen approved a resolution to authorize the signing of a lease-purchase agreement for a sidewalk plow as supported by voters at the May 1 Town Meeting.

Lynam explained that, in order to complete the lease-purchase agreement, there are documents to be signed on behalf of the board.

Selectmen also approved a Class II auto dealer’s license for Ricardo Miranda Filho for his business RT Auto Sales & Repair at 288 Essex St.

The building inspector had no concerns about the application, provided the business removes all inoperable vehicles from the premises and that cars are displayed according to the site plan.

“I will try to make the place better,” Filho said  in brief remarks to the board after their vote. “We’ll put nice signs there, better cars there, and keep it clean.”

Selectman Brian Bezanson lauded the Recreation Commission for the annual Fourth of July Family Field Day program.

“They do a great job and they’re giving up their holiday to do it,” he said. “I want to thank all the volunteers.”

If it’s true that once you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door, then Whitman and Hanson students taking part in the summer 3-D Printer Camp at WHRSD should perhaps start preparing to greet their global partners.

Any successful product starts with a solid design.

“There’s so many things we can do with this,” W-H Business and Technology Education teacher Julie Giglia said July 10 on the first day of the second camp session. “Why are we starting with a smaller project? Before we can print anything, we’ve got to know how to design and baby steps lead to bigger steps and practice makes potential.”

The three four-day camps taught by Giglia — and assisted this summer by 2017 graduate Conor Keane of Hanson — began June 26 and conclude with a session from July 31 to Aug. 4.

Keane will attend the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester this fall, where he will study architecture. In between helping Giglia answer campers’ questions, Keane also did some work on a design for the dream house he plans to build one day.

“Practice makes potential,” is Giglia’s, teaching mantra. “Nothing’s perfect, unless your name is Perfect.”

The camp was first offered last year following the school’s being awarded a $1,600 Innovation Station grant from representatives of Otter Products on behalf of its Otter Cares Foundation in September 2015. The grant made the school’s 3-D printer purchase possible and that technology upgrade led to the idea for the camp.

“I think a lot of people are excited with new technology,” Giglia said July 10. “It’s an opportunity for kids to design and make things from scratch — from inception all the way to a prototype.”

Like any summer camp, the 3-D Printer Camp begins with an ice-breaking session so the half-dozen or so participants can get to know each other. Then they watched a video on how the computer-aided drafting software works before starting off with a practice session on drafting dog house with a design by Google SketchUp via 3DVinci.net.

The week culminates on a Thursday afternoon with an open house for the campers’ families from 2 to 3 p.m.

“Sometimes videos put us all to sleep,” Giglia said, interrupting the program to start some practical work on a simple doghouse design to familiarize the students with the software. “We’re starting easy because we build on our knowledge.We can’t just go out and print before we learn how to design. … We learn best when we see things.”

“Before you can be independent, you’ve got to learn to be non-independent,” Keane added.

This writer will admit that the campers, ages 10 to 15, left me in the dust as they mastered the basics before adding extras, such as windows, colors, roofing materials and exterior fencing, while I was struggling with the initial dimensions.

Campers learned the need to follow three axis points to arrive at a three-dimensional drawing. As Giglia offered instructions at the white board, Keane offered individual help where needed.

“This is ‘camping is fun’” Giglia said. “Some people learn at different levels. Don’t compare yourself to Conor, he’s much more advanced.”

One or two campers had made the mistake of recording their doghouse dimensions as inches instead of feet, but their errors paled in relation to their creativity. They also learned about the software’s version of the Cloud storage system — called the Warehouse —as well as how to file their work in folders, the value of the undo key and of saving their work frequently lest computer crashes cost them a lot of work. Work in the Warehouse may be downloaded for incorporation in new projects, including landscape features.

Keane also offered a couple shortcuts to ensure straight lines and angles, too.

By the end of the camp, participants would be able to create items such as rings and key chains from biodegradable plastic filament specifically manufactured for use in 3-D printers, and from which student designs can be reproduced in plastic models. The filament, which can be made from recycled plastic bottle caps, is fed into the printer in order to create prototypes.

“Anything you can use to recycle is a positive thing” she said. “I think kids come away pretty happy.”

The campers can also use virtual reality visors for fun as well as design challenges at the camp sessions.

Giglia, who has taught CAD for seven years at WHRHS, said the camp also fosters an interest in that subject.

HANOVER — The South Shore Vo-Tech School Committee on Wednesday, June 21, heard a report from its Regional Planning Subcommittee on progress made concerning revisions to the district’s regional agreement.

Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey provided a PowerPoint overview of edits to the agreement recommended by consultants from the Mass. Association of Regional Schools.

“We have a little more work to do,” Hickey said. “It’s our intention to bring to you, as a full committee, a proposed revised regional agreement at our July meeting. I think we’re almost there.”

He said there remain some “small language items” that still need clarification, and that the subcommittee wants the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to weigh in on the document changes.

No vote was sought June 21, but Hickey said, the subcommittee wanted to present a draft that would help the committee feel comfortable in bringing the updated agreement to the eight member communities for town meeting votes soon. The timing was gauged to provide time over the summer for boards of selectmen, town administrators or other stakeholders to give early feedback on some of the proposed changes.

“If the feedback from our communities is neutral to favorable, then I would probably want to bring [this matter] back to you for a vote to move this as a potential warrant article for fall or special town meetings,” he said. “If we get feedback that [it] requires further study, there is no rush. There is no looming deadline hanging over our head.”

The possible admission of the town of Hull to the district is a separate topic, Hickey stressed.

“This presentation is not word-by-word, it’s really just a view at 5,000 feet,” he said, noting he would review the proposed changes to the agreement only.

Among the proposed changes are:

• Moving mention of Whitman and Hanson to the preamble — as the last time the agreement was revised was the mid-1980s when those two towns first joined the district — and removal of specific mention of them in the rest of the first section as no longer relevant to mention of the “original member” towns.

• Updating member community status to reflect the one-member-one-vote process now followed. The subcommittee and consultants spent the most time in sections IV and V to reverse them and revise the budget and assessment procedures. In the previous version assessments were addressed before how budgets are built.

• Dealing with capital on a three-year rolling average and makes clear where a year refers to a July-to-June fiscal year and where it refers to a calendar year.

• Handling debt as a fixed number.

• Referring to a specific statute, MGL Ch. 71 Sec. (d) or (n), on how communities would be asked to incur debt. It is not now referred to in the agreement.

“This law is very challenging,” Hickey said, noting that a debt service could be passed with only two-thirds of member communities voting in favor. “But, any community that votes no doesn’t have to pay their share, and any community that votes no could have their enrollment restricted from any part of the building where an addition or a renovation might take place.”

He said he does not know how the district would address that restriction should the renovation be to something like a septic system or a cafeteria.

“I certainly don’t understand how that promotes district harmony,” he said. Currently debt must be accepted by a unanimous vote of member communities.

Future amendments to the regional agreement not involving debt, however, would only need a vote of two-thirds of member communities. Admission of new member towns would be covered by that change.

For withdrawal from the district, more clarity is included on necessary notice, procedure and post-departure financial obligations.

Chairman Robert Molla said he would like to see enough time built in that process to ensure the freshmen of a departing town would be able to complete their education at SSVT.

“In a nutshell, the bulk of this work is updating to current practices, aligning with current statutes, looking to give this and future committees greater flexibility as permitted under the statute in many cases,” Hickey said.

In other business, the committee overruled Hickey’s self-evaluation rating of “proficient” in all categories and insisted he be rated “exemplary” despite Hickey’s objections.

“I think Tom was very conservative and underestimated his abilities,” Molla said. “He’s been a 24/7, 365-day superintendent.”

“His ability to sit with you and talk with you is unbelievable,” member Kenneth Thayer of Norwell said of Hickey’s willingness to discuss concerns with School Committee representatives.  “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

Hickey kept shaking his head “no” during the comments.

“I appreciate the motion, I appreciate your support,” he said. “I would, however, like to go on record  and say that I do believe my self-assessment more accurately reflects the rubrics of a superintendent. I will sign the evaluation if you vote this way, but I do so under protest because I think that “proficient” is a more accurate reflection of my performance.”

They didn’t listen to him and voted for the higher ranking.

The School Committee on Wednesday, June 14, provided more detail on transitional plans as Maquan Elementary School enters its final year as an active school in Hanson this September.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner along with Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Safety and Security Dr. Patrick Dillon and other administrators have met with Maquan and Indian Head School faculty to discuss the transition.

Dillon is leading that transition.

“This summer, during the school break when kids aren’t in session, we’ll start to meet with school leaders who are responsible for various portions of the transition and start the detailed planning process,” Dillon said.

“I think we’ve made good progress,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “I think people feel comfortable that, if they do have questions, to bring them forward. We’re asking them to remain calm, we’ve been through this process before.”

Dillon reported the leadership team has been identified and new Special Education Director Kyle Riley will oversee the preschool and special ed transition at Maquan. Hanson Middle School Principal William Tranter will be responsible for the incorporation of fifth-graders into that school and Maquan Principal Elizabeth Wilcox, who will serve as principal of both schools next year, will also supervise the transition of the remaining grades into Indian Head.

The district had announced to parents last week that John Riley will continue as Indian Head School’s assistant principal and Director of Science Mark Stephansky, a licensed principal/assistant principal, will be based at Maquan where he will also serve as assistant principal.

Maquan Administrative Assistant Susan Andrews will remain in place next year and will move to Indian Head for the 2018-19 school year. Indian Head Administrative Assistant Joan Maloney is retiring, effective June 30, and a temporary assistant will be hired for next year. Maquan’s Early Childhood Coordinator Patricia Collins and School Psychologist Joan Joyce will continue to assist with administrative responsibilities.

A steering committee of from eight to 10 stakeholders will also help provide guidance in the process.

The committee also reviewed the district’s Emergency Management Plan, which has addressed situations this year ranging from a smell in the Hanson Middle School elevator and a gas problem at Whitman Middle School to the national concern over scary clown sightings last fall.

“As we were reflecting on that, folks were saying, ‘and that all happened this year?’ — and it did,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

For the past two years, Dillon, has been working on a comprehensive emergency plan.

“When we reflected on the events from this year, we became ever more certain as to why those things [in the plan] needed to happen,” Gilbert-Whitner said.

Dillon reported on the progress of his 13-person planning task force. That group has reviewed the plan and provided individual feedback, which will be incorporated into the plan and submitted to Gilbert-Whitner by the end of the month and the police and fire chiefs in both towns over the summer.

The 2017-18 training plan will be presented to the School Committee in August, including procedures for evacuation, relocation and reunification plan for emergencies.

“One of the goals next year will be to practice that evolution in one of the schools,” he said. “It won’t happen until the springtime, but that’s an example of what we’re training for.”

In other business, the Committee presented its evaluation of Gilbert-Whitner’s goals and performance for 2016-17.

“The committee seems to be very pleased with our superintendent,” School Committee Chairman Bob Hayes said of the rankings which were in the proficient-to-exemplary range. The reports are kept on file at the administration office.

“The role of the superintendent has really changed over the years,” said committee member Robert Trotta. “I think it’s important to know that there’s a lot that goes on at the superintendent level — just dealing with the budget alone has got to be the most frustrating thing … All in all, I think you’ve done a great job.”

“I know we’re getting beat up a lot with financial issues … but I’ve seen a lot of improvement in what’s happening,” said member Kevin Lynam, whose children attend school in Whitman. “I’ve seen science programs hit the elementary schools … my oldest did not have that program and my youngest do.”

He said his children are now always bringing home science projects and are talking about science.

“That never happened before,” he said. “Neither of their parents have a science background at all — this is all coming from the schools.”

Committee member Fred Small, cautioned that the budget situation remains a concern.

“There’s so much more that we could be doing and should be doing,” he said.

172 graduate from SSVT

COHASSET — The 172 members of the South Shore Vocational Technical High School Class of 2017 have been urged to be champions of others — they are already champions themselves.

“You have character, a strong work ethic and talent,” Superintendent-Director Dr. Thomas J. Hickey told his graduates Friday, June 9 during ceremonies at the South Shore Music Circus. “You’re a group of young adults who are ready to fix, to build, to lead, to create, to heal, to serve. I see champions everywhere I look.”

Introducing his theme with an audio highlight clip of Super Bowl LI, courtesy of 98.5 Sports Hub Radio Producer Howie Sylvester, Hickey urged the students to remember the word “champion” is also a verb.

“When we champion the causes of others, it means we are there to support and rally to others in need,” he said. “Because there will be people in your lives, at home, at work, who will be down 25 points, and they may not have a Brady or an Edelman, or a Belichick behind them. But they will have you.”

Student speakers, too, spoke of the difference the Class of 2017 has already done in their four years at SSVT.

“We were artists and actors, craftsmen and friends,” said Valedictorian and Senior Class President Benjamin Duncan. “Each one of us having a unique skill set and talent that we were ready and eager to share with the world.”

Duncan shared the last of his infamous annotated emails to his fellow seniors, offering a 13-point to-do list for life after high school. Expressing gratitude, smiling often, living simply and showing persistence were among those goals.

“Let’s throw ourselves out into the open and let’s not be afraid to make mistakes, because who knows where taking those chances will lead us in the future,” he concluded.

Salutatorian Dakota-Lyn Bagley used her volleyball team’s growth in her four years as an example of how she has also grown as a student, an athlete and a person.

“High school is difficult,” she said. “It is awkward and an emotional rollercoaster for everyone. … I was lucky to find stability at SSVT and I cannot put into words how thankful I am that I met all of you people that helped me find it.”

She said the process will start all over again with the start of college in the fall.

“But my time at SSVT has taught me that I will be OK,” she said.

Student Body President Jacob Cormier also lauded the school for providing each student the opportunity to discover their own unique talents.

“The experiences during the time at Vo-Tech have shaped every single one of us in some incredible way,” Cormier said. “If I hadn’t come to this school, I would be a completely different person.”

Assistant Principal Mark Aubrey summed up the Class of 2017 in a different way before handing out the diplomas:

“Every graduating class is a little unique,” he said. “Looking back at this class, the best way I can describe it is — young at heart. This is the class that brought a bouncy house to school last week. That’s before some mean, older guy told them they had to take it down.”

Whitman and Hanson graduates of SSVT are:

              WHITMAN

Sarah Achin, David Anderson, Olivia Baker-Buckley, Matthew Bennett, Cassidy Burt, Steven Coates, Ashley Corkery, Corissa Crowley, Alex Cullinan, Mitchell Ellis, Alexis Green, Shawn Holland, Christopher Kearns, Jared Keith, Liam Leonard, Christopher Martell, Sarah Maul, Nathan Maynard, Owen McLaughlin, Alex McPherson, Jonathan Mills, Kelly O’Sullivan, Cassie Rapoza, Alexandra Reiser, Christian Tanner.

HANSON

Brian Buchanan, Brian Burns, Alexander Cross, Tylor Fleming, Harry Gauthier, Colby Ingemi-Jolie, Dylan Key, Matthew McAndrew, Kade Milewski, Harrison Newcomb, Christopher Pellerin, Emily Sansone, Derek Stalker.

W-H lauds its CES graduates

They’ve already taken the road less traveled toward earning their high school diplomas, so Community Evening School Co-Director William  Glynn had some suggestions for the 18 students of the Class of 2017 — keep blazing different trails.

Be the first one to dance at a party. Eat weird foods — try mayonnaise on your hot dog. Read books no one has made you read and authentically share your life with others.

He also asked the students to step up to help change their world, by being themselves.

“This evening’s ceremony not only celebrates the countless hours of hard work of our graduates, but the dedication of those who have supported the students throughout their journey,” Co-Director Dianne Nicol said in her welcoming remarks Thursday, June 1. “Everyone sitting in this auditorium has contributed to each student’s success — give yourself a well-deserved round of applause.”

The keynote speaker, Glynn has been a part of the graduates’ entire high school experience. He asked the students if they felt nervous on the occasion he felt “terrified — and I’m from Whitman, so imagine how the people from Hanson feel right now,” he quipped.

He congratulated the students from the heart.

“You did this,” he said. “Of course, people helped you — family, friends, even some teachers, all looked out for you. They guided you, they goaded you, in some cases they affectionately dragged you here to this moment. But you did this.”

He said many had overcome challenges that would have stopped others in the room dead in their tracks.

“It will provide a place of strength from which you can better face the challenges, seize the opportunities and enjoy the splendors of the world that now lie before you,” Glynn said. “Get out there and experience it.”

He urged them to go places they’ve never been, to meet new people and try new things — including that bit about mayo on hot dogs. He also urged them to listen to new music and work a bunch of different jobs.

“Some things will work out beyond your wildest expectations,” he said. “Some things, to speak the truth … might feel like soul-crushing disasters.”

Both kinds are invaluable experiences that can enrich and ennoble life and neither is forever, Glynn said.

School Committee Chairman Robert Hayes noted that while CES students may not go through the “typical program of studies, but it got them here” as graduates of WHRHS.

“You have to stay committed and finish — finish everything that you do. It’s a must,” Hayes said. “As you know, this was not an easy task. … the future has great hope for all of you. Stay focused and committed.”

He also advocated that the students dream big and remain life-long learners.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner also addressed the class, in the same theme of the meaning of success as her address to the 282 students who graduated Friday, June 2.

“When success is defined as favorable or desired outcomes, each one of you is a success, having accomplished all the requirements to obtain a high school diploma,” she said.

She also urged them to savor the moment.

“Memories that will last a lifetime are being created right now,” Gilbert-Whitner said. “For those of us who graduated from high school some time ago, those memories are rekindled as we proudly watch the Class of 2017 receive their diplomas.”

Students then received their diplomas from persons each had asked to make the presentation.

CES Class of 2017

Rebecca Helen Ames presented by Bruce Gardner, Owen Robert Andrews, Jesmelia Isabel Brandao presented by Emelia Ortiz, Aaron Douglas Brown presented by Vivki Brown, Paulo Roberto De Oliviera presented by Maureen Garrett, Taylor Grace Fitzgerald presented by Paul Fitzgerald and Kim Baker, Sarah Catherine Folan presented by Shana Folan, Katrina Lucille Freeman presented by Jeffrey Andrews, Thomas Ray Hines was absent, Cameron Charles Hunsinger presented by Rachel Hunsinger, Katherine Anne Lee presented by Kerry DeSista, Ryan Patrick McCabe presented by William Glynn, Cole James McCarthy presented by William Glynn, Joseph Scott McHugh presented by his father, Bailee Frances Poirier presented by William Glynn, Mark Joseph Smith presented by Bruce Gardner, Shelton Caribe Terry presented by William Glynn and Debra Rose Williams who was absent.