Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - July 18, 2017

I missed having this meeting on the Franklin Matters calendar (and it wasn't on the official Town calendar, oops...)



1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the June 27, 2017 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Dr. O’Malley
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
Correspondence: Budget to Actual – Miriam Goodman

2. Guests/Presentations
a. 2016-17 District Improvement Plan Update

3. Discussion Only Items
Policy – Second Reading
o IKB – Homework Policy
o JICH – Substance Abuse Policy

4. Action Items
a. I recommend adoption of the following Policies as discussed:
1. IKB – Homework Policy
2. JICH – Substance Abuse Policy
b. I recommend acceptance of the following donations for FHS totaling $2,200.00:
1. $275.00 from various donors for the Paul Castelline Scholarship.
2. $150.00 from Mariko Tamate for the K. Kitanosono Scholarship.
3. $1,150.00 from Rebeca Shrager Memorial Fund – Temple Beth Am for inhouse enrichment at FHS.
4. $625.00 from various donors for the Maureen Sabolinski Scholarship.
c. I recommend acceptance of the following donations for Davis Thayer totaling: $3,135.16:
1. $2,897.64 from the DT PCC for Supplemental supplies.
2. $237.52 from O’Connor Portraiture for supplemental supplies.

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
a. Policy Sub Committee – Ms. Scofield
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Motion to Adjourn 
– Dr. O’Malley

Concerts on the Common: Sharon Band - July 19

Set aside Wednesday evening for "family night" on the Town Common. Bring a blanket, chairs, and a picnic meal; relax and enjoy the evening.

July 19 - Sharon Band

• DJ Rich Green - Children's Program

In the event of rain, the concert will be held at:St Mary's/Ben Franklin Charter School - across the street from the Town Common.

Wednesdays 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Children's Programs 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM 

Concerts on the Common: Sharon Band - July 19

Lisa Bailey - "Colorful Escapes" - art show in Natick, classes in Franklin

Franklin artist, Lisa Bailey is having a solo show in August and September in Natick. The advertising flyer for the show is displayed below. The show will be held at The Frame Shop - Gallery https://www.frameshop-gallery.com/

Lisa Bailey - "Colorful Escapes" - art show in Natick

Lisa had painted a picture of her cats called "7 of 9 Lives" which just won Honorable Mention at the Cape Cod Art Associations show called ‘The National 2017.’  

7 of 9 Lives by Lisa G Bailey

Lisa is holding open enrollment for art classes that she teaches at her house called Developing Artists. She is a registered small home business owner here in Franklin. 

https://www.facebook.com/DevelopingArtistsFranklin

Sometimes it takes 82 days

Weymouth resident Andrea Honore has been visiting Governor Baker’s office daily to highlight her opposition to the compressor project. She posted this today as her Day #82 entry:

"Holy flying pancakes, you guys!

I’m still processing this in what’s left of my brain. I’ll post more tomorrow.

For now, there’s this:
BAKER ORDERS STATE TO INVESTIGATE COMPRESSOR STATION ISSUES

By Michael P. Norton

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JULY 17, 2017…
Requesting a public health assessment and thorough airing of public safety concerns, Gov. Charlie Baker has directed state agencies to investigate issues raised by opponents of a controversial natural gas compressor station planned along the Fore River in North Weymouth. 

In a letter dated July 14 and released by Baker’s office on Monday, Baker said his administration would examine claims about project impacts, gather public health data, and facilitate the presentation to the federal government of public safety concerns. And while he reiterated that the “primary decisions” about the project will be made by the federal government, Baker said he’s committed to ensuring that community concerns are “heard fully.” 

“We recognize the serious concerns that have been raised by many, including constituents in your town and neighboring communities, regarding a proposed natural gas compressor station to be sited along the Fore River,” Baker wrote in a letter to Weymouth Mayor Robert Hedlund, a former state senator who has called the federal review of the project “a rigged process.”

You can continue reading the post and the other 81 days that preceded this
https://sitwithandrea.wordpress.com/

image from Sit With Andrea webpage

In the News: UMass tuition rises; legislative deal on marijuana reached; used needles everywhere

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition and fees by an average of 3 percent for in-state undergraduates on Monday -- a move that will cost the average Massachusetts student $416 more than the previous academic year. 

Across the UMass system, the average in-state undergraduate will pay an average $14,253 in tuition and fees this year. It is the third year in a row the university has increased tuition for students. Last July, the trustees voted to increase tuition and fees by 5.8 percent -- a hike that cost the average in-state undergraduate student $756. The trustees broke a two-year tuition freeze in 2015 when they voted to increase tuition by 5 percent. 

The five-campus UMass system had more than 74,000 students enrolled during the 2016-17 academic year. Some 17,700 students earned UMass degrees in 2017 -- the largest graduating class in UMass history. The board approved the increases during a meeting in Worcester."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170717/university-of-massachusetts-raises-tuition-and-fees-3

http://www.umass.edu/

"State House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement Monday on the state’s voter-approved marijuana law that would allow retail pot sales to be taxed at a maximum 20 percent rate. 

Highlights of the deal were released by a six-member conference committee that spent several weeks trying to resolve differences between the two chambers.The compromise language mostly splits the difference between a House proposal to raise the total tax on marijuana to a mandatory 28 percent and the Senate version of the bill, which called for keeping the tax at a maximum of 12 percent. 

Under the agreement, consumers would pay a 10.75 percent excise tax in addition to the state’s regular 6.25 percent sales tax. Cities and towns would also have the option of adding a 3 percent local tax."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170717/marijuana-deal-calls-for-up-to-20-percent-tax-on-pot-sales

"They hide in weeds along hiking trails and in playground grass. They wash into rivers and float downstream to land on beaches. They pepper baseball dugouts, sidewalks and streets. Syringes left by drug users amid the heroin crisis are turning up everywhere. 

In Portland, Maine, officials have collected more than 700 needles so far this year, putting them on track to handily exceed the nearly 900 gathered in all of 2016. In March alone, San Francisco collected more than 13,000 syringes, compared with only about 2,900 the same month in 2016. 

People, often children, risk getting stuck by discarded needles, raising the prospect they could contract blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis or HIV or be exposed to remnants of heroin or other drugs. 

It’s unclear whether anyone has gotten sick, but the reports of children finding the needles can be sickening in their own right. One 6-year-old girl in California mistook a discarded syringe for a thermometer and put it in her mouth; she was unharmed."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20170717/its-raining-needles-drug-crisis-creates-pollution-threat

Safe Coalition update to Town Council (video)

The S.A.F.E. Coalition presented and discussed their efforts to help address the substance abuse issues that troubles Franklin and much of MA (as well as the entire US).

I will share the video replay once it is available from Franklin TV and encourage you to view it to get the fullness of the discussion. 

The video replay is available
http://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerController.aspx?PGD=franknma&eID=477

The document used for the presentation is here:

SAFE Coalition - July 12, 2017 from Franklin Matters

Some of the key takeways:

• All Franklin 1st responders are now equipped with NARCAN
• Training and distribution of NARCAN to the community exceeded expectations
• Support line established (call 508-488-8105 for support, but not for emergency situations)
• Additional communications and education events planned
• Franklin Police provide real time overdose tracking for Franklin residents 
• SAFE has a YouTube channel with informative videos

SAFE Coalition presentation to Town Council, July 12, 2017

Closing Day - 3rd Annual Franklin Cultural Festival - Saturday, July 29

*** THE BLACK BOX

12:00 – 7:30 PM, Inside THE BLACK BOX (TBB)
Art Exhibit, Franklin Art Association

Select Franklin Restaurants will be selling food throughout the afternoon.

12:00 – 6:00 PM, The Festival Stage (Inside TBB)
• Heath Nisbett
• Emma Newton
• Universal Singers
• Ann Sears
• Kaye Kelly

12:00 – 8:00 PM, The Circle of Friends Stage (Outside TBB)
• Michele Kelly
• Jamie Barrett
• Stelfilia’s Stone
• Jim Henry
• Victims of Gravity

3rd Annual Franklin Cultural Festival Schedule: Saturday, July 29, 2017

* note the schedule is subject to change
 
If you are interested in getting updates on the Franklin Cultural Festival please check out the webpage http://www.franklinsculturalfestival.org/ or follow the Festival on Twitter https://twitter.com/artshappenhere

We do maintain a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FranklinCulturalFestival but you should not rely on timely updates due to the way Facebook filters the information to followers.

To help financially support the Festival please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/FCF2017. 

The tri-fold flyer with the full schedule can be downloaded here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczZFlnZFNMV1puWkE/view?usp=sharing