Longtime member honored for dedication and years of service
Reading, MA — Surrounded by family and former and current School Committee colleagues, Chuck Robinson attended his final meeting last Thursday. Robinson has served on the committee for eighteen years, serving as chair several times. Before his election to the School Committee in 2008, Robinson served on the Finance Committee for nine years.
Both current and former members of the committee praised Robinson’s commitment to the youth of Reading, both as a school committee member and as a youth sports coach. Several referred to him as a mentor and guiding voice. Superintendent of Schools Thomas Milaschewski noted, “You lead by listening, you lead by seeking common ground, you lead by working with people, and you lead by walking the walk.”
Robinson thanked the gathered crowd for their support and friendship over the years. “It is the way we were raised . . . to give something back. The kids of the community are what it is all about,” Robinson reflected.
Reading’s local election for the School Committee and other local offices will be held on April 8 at the Hawkes Field House.
School Committee member Carla Nazzaro reported that the Massachusetts School Building Authority has increased the reimbursement for the potential Killam School building project by $1.5 million. This brings the total amount of reimbursement for the project to just over $44.1 million. According to Nazzaro, this is 52.19% of the eligible reimbursable costs for the project.
In a special May 13 election, voters will be asked to authorize a debt exclusion of $85.5 million to complete the project.
The committee’s regular business included a one-year update on progress being made on the Student Opportunity Act, which included promising gains in student attendance statistics. The committee also chose not to opt out of school choice for the coming school year, thus continuing the program in the district. Milaschewski reported that the district currently hosts fifty-one school choice students, and the program has generated $450,000 in additional revenue for the district over the past three years. He also noted that half of these students are related to district staff members. Milaschewski expects another fifteen to twenty additional applications for open slots this coming year.
Milaschewski continued, reporting that 290 students have enrolled for kindergarten in the district for the coming 2025-2026 school year. While this is still under projection, he still does not think it wise to remove the additional 1.5 full-time equivalent teacher position from the FY 2026 budget as families are often on the move into town during the spring and summer months.
The School Committee voted 6-0 to approve policy FF, which updates the process for naming school facilities. Considerable discussion emerged around how political influence could prevent a chair from even bringing a request to the committee. Member Shawn Brandt expressed concern that policies need to hold up not just now but into the future and that, as worded, a future chair could unilaterally decide not to allow discussion on a proposal by the entire committee due to their political beliefs. Other members assured him that the policy’s language made it clear that this would not occur.
By a vote of 6-0, the committee approved three other policies, including gifts to staff and participation in political activities. The board also voted 6-0 to approve the first reading of policy GBGE, domestic violence leave.
After one final motion by Robinson, the School Committee adjourned at 9:25 pm.
