Quincy Public Schools

A meeting of the Quincy School Committee was held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the School Committee Room at the Coddington Building.

Superintendent Kevin Mulvey called the roll and present were Mayor Thomas P. Koch, School Committee Chair and School Committee Members Mr. Paul Bregoli, Mr. Doug Gutro, Mrs. Kathryn Hubley, Mrs. Emily Lebo, Mrs. Courtney Perdios, and School Committee Vice Chair Mrs. Tina Cahill.

Also present were: Superintendent Kevin Mulvey, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Perkins, Ms. Jill Bernardo, Ms. Kim Connolly, Mr. Daniel Cosgrove, Mr. Scott Devlin, Mr. Michael Draicchio, Mr. Daniel Gilbert, Ms. Julie Graham, Mr. Michael Marani, Mr. James Mullaney, Ms. Julie Norton, Ms. Maura Papile, Mr. Keith Segalla, Mr. Edward Smith, Mr. Larry Taglieri, Mr. Paul Tully; NQHS Student Representative Amy Tan and QHS Student Representative Mirudulaa Suginathan Yamini; Quincy College Vice President of Student Success & Partnerships Meghan Giovannoni; and Ms. Laura Owens, Clerk.

Mrs. Cahill read the following statement into the record: Pursuant to the Open Meeting Law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

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Regular Meeting

Vice-Chair Presiding

Mr. Kai Lee spoke in favor of a new elementary school on Crescent Street at the site of the former St. Mary’s School property.

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Open Forum

Superintendent Mulvey opened his report by recognizing North Quincy senior Basketball captain Kobe Nguyen who recently scored his 1,000th career point. Kobe is the 12th Basketball player in North Quincy High School history to reach this milestone.

North Quincy High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC’s Unit Assessment Report was shared with School Committee in their packets. The unit scored a 93 and earned a rating of Exceeds Standards.

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday last week, elementary school students across Quincy Public Schools celebrated Read Across America with March Madness bracket reading events where students pick their favorite books, visits from local authors, and guest readers, including special thanks to the Arbella Insurance employees who visited the Lincoln Hancock Community School.

At the recent Massachusetts Music Educators Association Eastern District Senior Festival, High School Band students Anders Eshelman, Edward Giza, Zexiang Li, Justin Zhao, and Owen Veith and High School Choir students Nathaniel Baryza, Calla Jones, Michael Romeo, Fin Solano, Jocelyn Walt, and Amy Wu competed alongside top musicians from high schools across the region, a highly competitive and rigorous audition process. Congratulations to Owen Veith, Nathaniel Baryza, Fin Solano, and Michael Romeo who were all selected for the MMEA All-State Festival, which culminates in performances at Boston’s Symphony Hall on March 22.

Upcoming Quincy Public Schools and City of Quincy Events include: Quincy~North Quincy Drama presents Music Man with performances on March 14, 15, 21, and 22, all at 7:30 pm in the Quincy High School Lloyd Hill Auditorium.

High School Course Selection events are being held at both high schools this week to assist parents and students in understanding the process of choosing classes for the next school year. Quincy High School held theirs last night and North Quincy High School’s will be Thursday, March 13 at 6:00 pm. The Middle School Citywide Swimming & Diving meet will be held on Saturday, March 22 at 9:00 am at the Lincoln Hancock Community pool. The annual Credit for Life Fair will be held on March 27 at the Tirrell Room starting at 9:00 am. Thanks to our Quincy School~Community Business Partners for putting together this important annual event for 200 high school students.

The Atlantic Middle School Players are presenting the musical Mean Girls on April 4 at 7:00 pm and April 5 at 2:00 and 6:00 pm in the school’s auditorium. In celebration of Quincy’s 400th Anniversary, there will be a Historical Family Walk on Saturday, April 5 starting at 9:00 am from Adams Field. Students and families, staff, and community members are invited to join as we explore fifteen local landmarks. The next Parent Academy on Behavioral Health Navigator will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at 6:00 pm on Zoom and feature local community partner Bay State Community Services.

Congratulations to the North Quincy High School Girls Basketball team and Coach Liana Cunningham for their outstanding season. The team bowed to #1 seed Medfield High School in last night’s MIAA Tournament Division 2 Final Four game, but we couldn’t be more proud of them for this season and their tournament wins against Hingham High School, Archbishop Williams High School, and Notre Dame Academy.

Mayor Koch requested a presentation on the re-opening of the Amelio Della Chiesa Early Childhood Center at the next School Committee meeting.

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Superintendent’s

Report

Mr. Gutro reviewed that there is one item for discussion this evening, School Committee Policy 5.5.7 Motor Vehicle Idling on School Grounds.

Mrs. Perdios suggested that the Policy should define “idling” and “queuing”. Mrs. Perdios asked how the Policy will be enforced, especially during the winter.

Mrs. Lebo said that Mr. Draicchio is responsible for enforcing this with the bus drivers. Superintendent Mulvey said that the School Resource officers can also assist with this.

Mrs. Perdios asked how this has been communicated to families. Mrs. Cahill said that once the Policy is approved, this can be shared with parents in a simplified form and reinforced with the school opening information.

Mrs. Hubley asked if penalties were assessed, Superintendent Mulvey said it would have to be issued through the Quincy Police Department, this is a state law.

Mr. Gutro clarified that this a codification of the Massachusetts state law and the language is recommended by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. It is an opportunity for education of the best practice for the environment and the communication rollout will be important.

Mrs. Perdios asked about the fines, they are defined by the state law.

The Policy is eligible for vote at the March 26, 2025 School Committee meeting.

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Old Business

Policy Item for

Discussion

Executive Director of Career Vocational Technical Education Keith Segalla presented the four finalists for the Outstanding CVTE Student of the Year: Joyce Lukelo, Criminal Justice; Niamh Gendron, Engineering Technology; Aya Kaafihi, Healthcare Technology; Kyrie Blue, Metal Fabrication & Joining Technologies. Ms. Blue was selected as Outstanding CVTE Student of the Year by an interview panel made up of eight School~Community Partnership members. Ms. Blue will be recognized at an award ceremony in April, along with 56 other CVTE students from regional and comprehensive high schools across the state.

Each student shared an overview of the skills they obtained in their respective programs, certifications, future plans, and a summary of their capstone project.

School Committee had the opportunity to ask questions and thank the students for their presentations.

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New Business

CVTE Student of the Year

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Erin Perkins, Quincy College Vice President of Student Success & Partnership Meghan Giovannoni, and Executive Director Keith Segalla presented an overview of the Early College High School Pathways program, one of the partnerships between Quincy Public Schools and Quincy College. Other partnership opportunities include Dual Enrollment, CVTE Pathways, the Accelerated Associate Degree program, the LEAP Program at Quincy College, Professional Development Initiatives, and On the Spot Admissions with Financial Aid support.

Over the last three years, the Early College High School program has grown from 204 to 304 students and expanded to include Grades 9-12. The participants are almost evenly split between the two high schools and grade level, special population, and demographic data was shared. 30% of the students are first generation of their families to attend college. Of the 92 members of the class of 2024, 22 are continuing to attend Quincy College, 63 went on to 4-year institutions, 3 entered the military, and 4 entered the workforce.

The curriculum and credits were reviewed, students who enter the program in Grade 9 can earn 25 college credits at the same time as fulfilling their requirements to graduate from high school. In addition, grant funding has been secured for Saturday school Grade 8 preparation programs for Point Webster and South~West Middle Schools students and a Summer Academy program where students can earn additional college credits. Next school year, there will be Saturday programs for Grade 8 students at Broad Meadows, Central, and Atlantic.

Funding for the Early College High School program comes from State Street Foundation and the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. Scholarships are also available at Quincy College for ECHS Grade 12 students to continue their education there after graduation from high school. New for this school year is an ECHS Alumni initiative to support students in establishing career and social connections.

The Accelerated Associate Degree Program was initiated for the 2024-2025 school year, 14 students will earn an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts General Studies (62 college credits) at no cost to students and families through a combination of ECHS, Dual Enrollment, attending additional classes at Quincy College after the regular school day, and the ECHS Summer Academy.

Mr. Gutro thanked the presenters, the program seems like smashing success and students and families will benefit from these opportunities that the City is providing.

Ms. Tan asked about the weight of the classes in student GPAs, currently these are classified as Honors classes. Boosting the weight of these classes to differentiate them might increase enrollment. In addition, the AP exams cost $100 each while the Early College High School credits are free.

Ms. Yamini agreed that boosting the GPA value would be an incentive for students.

Mrs. Perdios said that the Quincy model for Early College High School is a leader in the state in terms of innovative programming. Mrs. Perdios said the pathway for economically disadvantaged students is critical to student success, especially the continuation for the first-year tuition for the post-high school graduates.

Mrs. Perdios said that for Grade 8 students and families, there is a lot of information to absorb, suggested a one-page graphic to help families understand the difference between the various programs.

Mrs. Perdios noted that the Accelerated Associates Degree requires an afterschool commitment which couldlimit student participation in high school extracurriculars. Mr. Keith Segalla said the current AAD program students are participating in chorus, band, drama, and athletics.

Mrs. Perdios noted that multiple AP exams can be a burden for families. Dr. Perkins said there are funds available to support families with financial hardships pay for the AP exams.

Mrs. Lebo said the ECHS program demographics are incredible, is very excited about the Accelerated Associates Degree program and sees potential growth for the program. Mrs. Lebo agrees that the weight of the classes should be adjusted, these could be advanced credits as well. Students are completing a full year of work in a semester.

Mayor Koch said these are incredible opportunities for our students, thanks to Chair of the Board of Education Katherine Craven, the State Street Foundation, Dr. DeCristofaro. State Street has been a valuable partner to the City since 1971, providing thousands of jobs and contributing to the City’s revenue.

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New Business

Early College High

School Pathways

Mayor Koch made a motion to approve the item listed under the Consent Agenda: Approval of the February 12, 2025 Regular Meeting and Executive Session minutes; grants from the One8 Foundation and the State Treasurer’s Financial Education Innovation Fund; and a Student Travel request for the Atherton Hough Elementary School Grade 5 to go to Canobie Lake Park on June 6, 2025. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Lebo and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it 7-0.

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Consent Agenda

There was no Additional Business.

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Additional Business

Mrs. Cahill noted that upcoming School Committee meetings will be held on March 26; April 9; May 7 & 21; and June 11, 2025 all at 6:30 pm at the Coddington Building. There will be a Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meeting on March 19, 2025; and a Special Education and Teaching & Learning Subcommittee meeting on April 30, 2025. All Subcommittee meetings are at 6:00 pm.

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Communications

Mrs. Lebo reported on the February 5, 2025 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee, where overviews of the High School Adjustment Counselors and Targeted High-Dosage Mathematics Tutoring for elementary school students. The Superintendent’s Goals for the 2024-2025 School Year were reviewed and approved and moved back to School Committee for final approval.

As there were no changes proposed, the meeting minutes of the February 5, 2025 Teaching & Learning Subcommittee was accepted as presented.

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Reports of

Subcommittees

Mayor Koch made a motion to adjourn to Executive Session for the purpose of Contract Negotiations at 8:25 pm. Mrs. Hubley seconded the motion and on a roll call vote, the ayes have it. School Committee will not return from Executive Session.

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Executive Session

Since School Committee did not return from Executive Session, the Regular Meeting was adjourned at 8:25 pm.

Adjournment