Superintendent details progress on goals and standards ahead of June 5 evaluation; School Committee adopts policies and reviews financial outlook
Reading, MA — In preparation for his full public summative review on June 5, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Milaschewski provided the School Committee with an overview of progress towards his goals and rating standards on Thursday evening. The summative review will complete the first two-year review cycle of Milaschewski’s tenure as superintendent.
The first goal presented focused on student learning. Milaschewski declared that this goal has been achieved, as 80% of student assessments have successfully met the range indicated in the goal. Additionally, enrollment in Advanced Placement classes and dual enrollment courses at Reading Memorial High School is projected to reach an all-time high.
Milaschewski touted progress in expanding secondary math pathways as evidence toward the innovation goal. He shared that the next steps in this goal will be to evaluate the outcomes of students accessing the various new pathways. The third goal deals with the use of data. While Milaschewski admitted that progress has been made toward this goal, it has not been fully achieved. He did note that significant progress has been made in early literacy screening. Still, other aspects of the goal, such as the development of a central location for storing key student-level data for easy analysis and use, “was not quite there yet.”
He concluded his overview of his goals with his fourth goal, which is to coach, support, and develop principals. Milaschewski shared his belief that continued growth in the principals in the district has led to improvements in student outcomes. The fifth goal was accomplished a year ago with Milaschewski’s completion of the new superintendent induction program.
Milaschewski also provided evidence regarding several standards by which his performance is to be measured. These include instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture. He again noted student achievements, as evidence, along with the addition of school choice, full-day kindergarten, the meals program, and METCO enhancements as areas of growth in these standards. Milaschewski also provided approval of the Killam project by Town Meeting and the voters, as well as the creation of the Children’s Cabinet, as additional evidence.
The School Committee will provide Milaschewski with his formal summative review on June 5.
The committee voted unanimously to adopt several new and amended policies, including policies on personnel records, professional staff positions, and professional staff salary schedules. It also unanimously approved the first reading of policies on domestic violence leave, online fundraising, and professional staff supplemental pay plans.
The policy on the employment of principals was tabled after discussions regarding the practicality of the School Committee’s role in approving contracts were raised.
Interim Director of Finance and Operations Philip Littlehale presented the committee with a third quarter financial update during which he noted that the district “is in good shape for Fiscal Year 2025.” Littlehale anticipates a surplus of approximately $75,000 to be returned to free cash at the end of the fiscal year, with $350,000 allocated for technology refresh, a $300,000 transfer to the Special Education Reserve Fund, and $1.2 million in special education tuition prepayments.
The $300,000 transfer to the reserve fund would bring the balance of that fund to just over 1% of the total school department budget. School Committee chair Thomas Wise advised that, even though Massachusetts General Law allows for the fund to retain 2%, the district made a verbal commitment to Town Meeting to limit the fund to 1% when Town Meeting approved the creation of the fund. The School Committee will discuss the issue further when the time comes to make the transfer.
The School Committee adjourned to Executive Session just before 10:00 pm.
