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Meeting Opening and Committee Comments (Link: 00:01:00 – 00:04:00)
Glenn Paster, Vice Chair of the Swampscott School Committee, called the regular session meeting to order for Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Swampscott High School in room B129. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Paster asked for public comment from both those present in the room and online participants, but no one requested to speak. The meeting then moved to committee comments from members.
A committee member noted that during the previous meeting’s presentation by Ms. Kelly about fall sports awards, the Field Hockey team had won the NEC Conference Sportsmanship Award, which they felt represented the Swampscott community well in sports. Another committee member reported that the homecoming event discussed at the last meeting had been very successful, raising approximately $900, and mentioned that winter sports were starting up.
Suzanne Wright stated she had no comments. Another committee member thanked Mr. Doolet for work on the auditorium, noting that since the town meeting, people had commented positively about being able to see and hear better and feeling like they could actually process information.
John Giantis made comments recognizing the resignation of committee chair Amy O’Connor earlier in the week, calling it a significant loss for both the committee and community. Giantis issued a call for recommitment to respectful collaboration and urged all town boards and committees to recommit to productive, respectful engagement so everyone could move forward collectively and focus on student and school needs. He expressed hope that O’Connor’s resignation would be viewed as a turning point that would strengthen the commitment to civility and allow more effective collaboration for the benefit of the entire community.
Chair Resignation Discussion and Response (Link: 00:10:00 – 00:11:00)
Glenn Paster thanked Giantis for his earlier comments and acknowledged speaking with approximately twenty people over the previous four to five days about how to proceed. Paster stated that while it would be tempting to “go scorched earth” and that such an approach might be deserved, it would not be productive for anyone.
Paster explained the procedural steps that would follow Amy O’Connor’s resignation as chair after twelve years of service on the school committee. He outlined that the town clerk must be notified, who then notifies the committee, followed by notification to the select board within specified time limits. Eventually, the select board and remaining school committee members would meet to discuss whether and how to fill the role. The position would be filled until the next election cycle, at which point someone could run for a two-year seat to complete O’Connor’s term. Paster indicated the four remaining members would continue their work and promised to keep the public updated.
Paster delivered extensive remarks publicly thanking O’Connor for twelve years of dedicated service to the schools, students, and families, stating her commitment had strengthened the community in enduring ways. He emphasized that O’Connor “deserved better” and rejected any interpretation that her choice to resign reflected poorly on her character. Paster characterized the resignation as “a moment of reckoning for our community” rather than a reflection on O’Connor, the school committee, or school staff.
Paster described an environment that had become untenable for O’Connor, shaped by longstanding divisions and an “us versus them mindset” that pits town and school interests against each other. He cited O’Connor’s resignation letter, which mentioned a lack of understanding of educational finance that erodes trust in those responsible for making schools function daily. Paster quoted O’Connor’s statement that painting schools as irresponsible, overspending, or hiding money was “an easy trope” that was inaccurate and harmful to the town’s reputation and the children in their care.
Paster praised the district’s staff, specifically highlighting the Director of Finance as possibly the best in the Commonwealth, noting Cheryl Herrick-Stella’s experience on both school and municipal sides, and describing the new superintendent as eager and working tirelessly to learn. He acknowledged the personal nature of losing O’Connor as both a colleague and friend, stating that her absence left a void and diminished the community.
Paster concluded with a call to action, urging the community to choose “collaboration over conflict, understanding over assumption, and respect over rhetoric.” He called for acknowledging the complexity of school finance and committing to learn, listen, and engage in good faith. Paster specifically challenged individuals on the finance committee and select board to engage openly and publicly, warning that without such engagement, O’Connor’s decision would be in vain.
Wright and Giantis both praised Paster’s remarks, with Wright calling them “true sentiments” and Giantis describing them as “well said.”
Superintendent Report and Bridging Generations Presentation (Link: 00:11:00 – 00:30:00)
The superintendent’s report began with a presentation about the Bridging Generations program led by Hadley Woodfin, a health teacher at Swampscott High School. After some initial technical difficulties with the presentation slides, the presenters introduced themselves. The group included Woodfin, Sabrina Clopton (Assistant Director at the Swampscott Senior Center and outreach social worker), Siobhan McDonald (facilitator and certified OMA instructor from Granges Street Studios), and seven high school students: Eve Byrne, Alex Reams, Evelyn Ebb, Max Osipenko, Brooke Oppenheim, Janera Shaquez, and Simon Ramos.
Woodfin explained that Bridging Generations is a quarter-long health elective at Swampscott High School focused on creating an intergenerational program that connects high school students with older adults living in Swampscott and surrounding towns. The program aims to decrease stigma surrounding aging and promote a more connected and inclusive community. Clopton noted that the class represents the culmination of vision and hard work, mentioning that students now wear Massachusetts dementia friends buttons on their backpacks.
McDonald described the OMA (Opening Minds through Art) program, which she discovered through training in Virginia. The program allows people living with dementia to become teachers and artists, enabling them to leave a legacy of artwork and build relationships. Students discussed the real-life applications of their training, with one student explaining increased confidence in interacting with people with dementia or memory issues and better understanding of how to communicate appropriately.
Students described the training sessions led by McDonald, which teach about different types of dementia and how the condition affects people. A key takeaway was learning that dementia is not a normal part of aging. The training prepared students for potential unexpected behaviors or statements from seniors due to their condition. Students emphasized that the program taught them patience and understanding, particularly important given stories of elderly people in nursing homes being treated poorly.
Multiple students shared positive effects they observed in both seniors and themselves. They noted mood improvements among participating seniors, who appeared happier and looked forward to the sessions. Students described feeling good about helping others and building character through working with people of different ages and those with dementia. One student acknowledged the emotional difficulty of witnessing cognitive decline but emphasized how meaningful it felt to bring happiness back to participants.
Students shared specific stories about their experiences, including one student’s interaction with a senior who shared stories about Greece and his 60-year career as a hairdresser. Another student mentioned that the program was particularly valuable because they rarely see their own grandparents. McDonald noted that Swampscott is the only town in Massachusetts that has embedded OMA into its curriculum, and the program has been highlighted multiple times on the OMA website.
The presenters invited the community to an upcoming art show on January 14th at the Swampscott Senior Center from 12:30 PM through the afternoon. The event will showcase framed artwork created by the seniors during the program and serves as a culminating celebration for the course.
Committee members asked questions and offered praise for the program. Giantis encouraged the students to carry the experience throughout their lives. Wright shared personal experiences with her father who had Alzheimer’s and praised the students for developing skills that would benefit them throughout life. She also noted that Swampscott is likely the only high school in the United States with a senior center built into it. A committee member suggested promoting the art show more widely, and another praised the patience, calmness, and kindness they observed during a class visit.
Paster asked students to compare their first day at the senior center to recent visits. A student responded that initially everyone felt nervous, especially since they had not completed all training sessions before beginning. Students were uncertain about how seniors would behave or respond. However, they all left the first session with smiles and now feel excited rather than nervous when visiting, having developed bonds with their consistent partners.
Student Cabinet Initiative Presentation (Link: 00:30:00 – 00:35:00)
The superintendent presented information about a new Swampscott High School Student Cabinet initiative being developed with the help of Ms. Otto and Ms. Kent. The program received 36 to 38 applications and selected 16 students, with four representatives from each grade level. The purpose is to provide students with direct access to administration to share what is working well at school, what they love, what struggles they are experiencing, and how administration can help address issues directly from student perspectives.
The first meeting is scheduled for a week from Friday, with acceptance letters being sent to selected students the following day. The plan includes one meeting per month for the remainder of the school year. The selection process considered 24 different criteria to ensure diverse representation, including gender, cultural representation, multilingual learners, economic diversity, students receiving special education support, 504 plans, and IEPs. The selection also intentionally included students involved in sports, clubs, art classes, community service volunteering, and employment, recognizing the challenges students face balancing multiple commitments while maintaining academic performance.
Meetings will be held during X block to maximize student participation. The superintendent emphasized that the initiative focuses on student voice and empowering Swampscott High School students. This represents a pilot year at the high school level, with potential expansion to the middle school in subsequent years. The goal is to involve a new group of students each year to capture as many student voices as possible.
The superintendent noted positive observations about student behavior and attitudes at the high school, describing students as respectful, hardworking, and generally doing the right thing, while acknowledging that everyone occasionally has difficulties that require support. Ms. Otto expressed excitement about the opportunity to strengthen relationships with students and understand their experiences and perspectives, emphasizing that all student input is valuable and that administration needs to understand what they may not currently know about the student experience.
The superintendent discussed the importance of addressing perceptions versus reality, noting that if students perceive something differently than administration intends, work may be needed in communication, clarification, or practice changes. A committee member praised the cross-sectional representation across different student groups, noting it would capture viewpoints that might not emerge through traditional student council channels, particularly from students focused on employment or multilingual learners.
The superintendent described the difficulty of selecting only 16 students from the high-quality applications received, noting that responses were much more detailed than expected, with students providing paragraphs of valuable information rather than brief sentences. Ms. Kent and the superintendent spent considerable time reviewing applications in Ms. Kent’s office. A speaker added that the program would benefit students by allowing them to learn from each other, bringing together seniors, freshmen, and various groups from throughout the building to share different perspectives.
High School Update and Open House Report (Link: 00:35:00 – 01:04:00)
The superintendent introduced a comprehensive Swampscott High School update from Ms. Otto, explaining that it began with plans to present about an exceptional open house but expanded to cover many positive developments at the high school. The superintendent noted that similar presentations would be scheduled for the middle school and elementary school in January.
After some technical difficulties with the presentation slides, Ms. Otto provided an overview of new events and activities as part of her initiative around excellence, opportunity, and community, which align with the school improvement plan. She focused on creating a culture of belonging and increasing family engagement and partnership. Otto described increased visibility efforts including daily bulletins, weekly communications, social media posts through Instagram, and being present at community events from morning drop-off through dismissal.
Otto highlighted expanded club opportunities for students, including multiple clubs and activities fairs and the November open house. She emphasized increased communication efforts, partnering with local news publications to share stories and educate the community about student opportunities and experiences. Otto mentioned community partnerships, including work with Shore and the senior center on a mental health conference planned for March that would incorporate student voice.
Otto described the open house as designed to be an event experience rather than traditional presentations, with faculty and staff creating interactive activities in their departments. Examples included advanced manufacturing presentations, business and finance budget decision-making activities, music department performances, and live TV studio segments with newscasters interviewing attendees every twenty minutes. The event was designed to showcase student work with students themselves doing the presenting rather than adults.
Otto explained the strategic approach to the open house, noting that private schools and charter schools use such events for recruitment and enrollment. She described communicating with Tower School and Shore Country Day to ensure they had information about the event, and mentioned conversations with families from Pingree about bringing their children back to Swampscott after seeing the opportunities available. The evening began with the school band playing “Smells like Teen Spirit” in the atrium, followed by a thirty-minute activities and clubs fair featuring all sports departments and over forty clubs.
Wright praised the initiative, noting that the committee had long advocated for showcasing the schools’ achievements. She observed that Otto’s fresh energy combined with the district’s stability allowed focus on the enjoyable aspects of education, and noted seeing school information in places beyond just the school itself. The superintendent acknowledged the intentional nature of these efforts, explaining that he and Otto had discussed showcasing the district’s achievements from the beginning of her appointment.
Wright suggested placing QR codes linking to the superintendent’s bulletin in town hall, the library, and the senior center to reach community members without children in the schools. She proposed sending the bulletin directly to town meeting members and board members to reach the eighty percent of residents without children in the district. Paster agreed about feeling the positive energy and noted the happiness of his great-nephews and nieces in the system.
A committee member connected these efforts to the district’s core initiative of community engagement, noting increased student participation in public activities and community events. Otto mentioned continuing formal engagement through PTF meetings, with three completed and another scheduled for the 16th, and the establishment of a School Advisory Council that would provide input on family surveys.
Otto provided updates on the Class of 2025 achievements and current Class of 2026 progress. She highlighted the decision to remove class rank, explaining that this reduces competitiveness among students while requiring college admissions committees to focus more on GPA and course rigor rather than just rank numbers. Otto noted that two students from the previous class attended Ivy League schools despite not being valedictorian, demonstrating that high-performing students were gaining admission at appropriate levels.
For the current senior class, Otto reported that 110 students had submitted 860 applications to 204 different colleges and universities. She noted that early admission results were beginning to come in, with acceptances already received from Villanova and Boston College. Otto explained the timeline for college admissions, with early action and early decision results typically arriving in mid to late December, regular decision deadlines on January 1st and 15th, and responses coming in March and April.
Otto reported significant growth in AP test participation, from approximately 400 tests in previous years to 603 tests administered the previous year among 271 unique students. She noted that 80% of these students scored 3 or higher on their exams, with scores of 3, 4, or 5 generally considered passing and accepted for college credit by most institutions. Otto explained that about 80% of students take at least one AP course, with the school offering 18 or 19 AP courses depending on enrollment numbers.
Otto announced that the school had submitted the first portion of an application for a third innovation pathway in TV, Media Arts and Design, and had been approved to proceed to the more intensive second portion of the application. She explained that these pathways provide competitive advantages and unique curricular offerings, similar to the senior center partnership, allowing students to lead, learn, and apply skills in real time.
Committee members and student representatives provided feedback on the presentation. A student noted feeling more positivity in the hallways and increased student engagement, particularly with club activities. Wright asked about the impact of the cell phone policy on engagement and happiness. Otto responded that students largely comply with the policy, are allowed to use phones at lunch, and that teachers report few issues with phone use during class time.
Otto acknowledged that lunch remains loud and social despite phone access, suggesting students are engaged throughout the day and don’t feel compelled to use phones even when permitted. A student representative confirmed that knowing phones are available at lunch reduces temptation during class time and allows for better engagement, with many students choosing not to use phones even during lunch due to ongoing engagement with peers.
Committee members praised various aspects of the presentation, including the elimination of class rank, high AP test scores, increased student engagement, and the overall positive energy in the building. The superintendent shared observations from the Thanksgiving football game, praising student behavior both on and off the field, and highlighting the band’s performance with over sixty students compared to five when the director started. Paster concluded by noting Otto’s counseling background and its impact on supporting all students regardless of their post-graduation plans.
Enrollment Data and Analytics Platform Report (Link: 01:04:00 – 01:19:00)
Ms. Kent presented a two-part enrollment report, beginning with the traditional October 1st report submitted to the state and followed by a demonstration of a new data platform. The October 1st report, compiled by registrar Jessica Hannah, covered the period from July 1st through October 1st and showed 121 new students enrolled during this timeframe. Data showed where departing students went, with most remaining in Massachusetts and relatively few leaving the country, though private school departures remained a concern that the high school principal was working to address.
Kent displayed enrollment patterns by grade level, noting that the middle school received many new students and that grade six appeared to be a turning point in enrollment trends. She also showed where new students came from geographically. Traditional withdrawal data compiled by Tricia Nottingham showed 81 total withdrawals, including destinations such as Essex Tech and private schools. The official October 1st enrollment count submitted to the state was 2,120 students, including out-of-district students.
Kent introduced a new data partnership with Open Architects, described as a group of educators who moved into the data field to help schools consolidate information from multiple sources into manipulable dashboards. The system syncs nightly with Aspen and includes dashboards for attendance, behavior, MCAS, ACCESS, iReady, course grades, student profiles, student explorer, AP, SAT, IEP management, and enrollment. Kent emphasized that the data updates overnight, providing real-time information rather than historical snapshots.
The enrollment dashboard showed current data as of December 1st, comparing enrollment to previous years and allowing real-time analysis of changes. Kent demonstrated that since the start of the school year, the district had lost nine students overall, not including pre-K and out-of-district placements. The system allowed comparison of current enrollment against the same point in previous years and provided breakdowns by demographic subgroups, showing 2% fewer students with disabilities, similar multilingual learner numbers, and 2% fewer low-income students compared to the previous year.
Kent presented entry and exit data, again highlighting sixth grade as significant with six students joining and one leaving. District-wide, there had been a net gain of five students since the school year began, with 18 students entering and 13 leaving. The data also showed the loss of five students with disabilities and one multilingual learner during this period.
The platform provided detailed course enrollment information, showing class sizes and demographic composition for specific courses like biology, fifth grade social studies, and second grade English language arts. Kent demonstrated how the system could display enrollment by individual teachers, with varying class sizes reflecting different roles such as special education teachers with smaller caseloads, elementary classroom teachers, and middle or high school teachers with multiple sections.
Kent explained that the system generates AI-powered key insights and can analyze trends over time by grade level. She emphasized that this enrollment dashboard represented just one component of the comprehensive data platform available to administrators.
Committee members praised the data system’s capabilities. Paster noted the value of having real-time data rather than waiting until February for enrollment projections, and highlighted its usefulness for analyzing teacher loads and IEP versus regular education distributions. Kent explained that the system would support equity initiatives by allowing analysis of AP course participation, identifying over-subscribed and under-subscribed courses, and examining demographic patterns in course enrollment.
Wright asked about apparent discrepancies between different data reports regarding high school enrollment changes. Kent suggested that differences might be attributed to students enrolled in summer school programs. Wright expressed appreciation for having dashboard capabilities, referencing previous committee member requests for such tools, particularly for attendance tracking that could be made publicly available.
Kent highlighted the student profile feature, which consolidates MCAS scores, ACCESS scores, iReady results, attendance data, and quarterly course grades in one location for individual students. This comprehensive view assists administrators in meetings about specific students and has been particularly appreciated by staff members.
A committee member noted the value of seeing class enrollment data for monitoring classroom sizes, an issue that had emerged during recent contract negotiations. Wright observed that the sample classes shown appeared well-balanced, and Kent acknowledged selecting representative examples while noting that the system revealed much about actual enrollment patterns. Kent explained how she uses the platform before classroom observations to understand the composition of classes she will visit, including the number of students with disabilities and multilingual learners, which helps provide better feedback to teachers.
Chemical Health Policy Vote and Administrative Items (Link: 01:19:00 – 01:25:00)
Paster announced they would skip chair and subcommittee reports but noted there was a vote needed on the chemical health policy. Wright reminded the committee that at the last meeting, the superintendent had been asked to consult with the attorney about removing certain provisions from the policy.
The superintendent confirmed that immediately after the previous meeting, they received email confirmation from the attorney that the proposed changes were acceptable. He explained that the discussion centered on non-school related events and constructive possession language that currently created harsher punishments for students making mistakes off-campus on weekends compared to incidents occurring at school. The superintendent noted that many issues brought to the school’s attention fall outside their actual purview.
The superintendent explained that while the district wants to support parents and families when students make mistakes, they do not want to create punitive responses for off-campus incidents. He confirmed that the attorney verified they could remove the non-school related events provision while remaining in alignment with outside organizations like the MIAA. The superintendent emphasized that the district could still be supportive of families and students without overstepping their bounds into matters that should be handled by families on weekends.
Wright made a motion to accept the updated Swampscott Public Schools chemical health policy for the student body, which the superintendent seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Paster noted there were three donations and regular session minutes to address and asked if they could be combined into one vote. Wright suggested making a motion to put items B, C, D, and E on a consent agenda. Wright made the motion, which was seconded and passed unanimously.
Paster read the three donations aloud. First Light Home Care from Swampscott donated $949 for scholarship money to assist students needing financial assistance for the 8th grade field trip to Washington, D.C. The Class of 2025 Student Activity Account, organized by Laura Roghian who was a class officer, donated $2,000 to the Swampscott High School library for purchasing new books. Laura D’Andreo Hughes from Beverly donated $50 to the Swampscott High School Film and TV Club.
Wright questioned whether the Class of 2025 donation came from the recent review of old student activity accounts that had been conducted. The superintendent noted uncertainty since the Class of 2025 had just graduated the previous year, distinguishing it from the review of accounts from the 1980s and 1990s. Committee members expressed appreciation for the generosity of the recent graduates.
The consent agenda also included the minutes from the November 20th regular session meeting. Wright made a motion to accept the consent agenda, which was seconded and passed unanimously. A committee member then made a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and passed, officially ending the meeting.
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