The School Committee looked at the fiscal year 2026 capital plan, approved builder’s risk insurance and talked about goals and improvements during Thursday’s meeting.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Susan Rothermich said the strategy with replacements is to spread them out over several years. In fiscal years with large projects like a roof replacement, those would stand alone to “make them more palatable for the community,” she said.

The district’s requests for FY 26 total $2,595,000 and include replacements for the following: $735,000 for heat, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); $200,000 for storefront entry doors; $60,000 for campus sewer cover; and $100,000 for system technology upgrades.

Also listed is $1.5 million for an adaptive playground located at Marathon School. Rothermich explained that the schools would be submitting a grant application to the Community Preservation Committee.

Town Meeting in fiscal year 2024 approved use of Community Preservation Funds for an engineering study as well as design and construction bid documents for the project. An Adaptive Playground Committee has been working on these items in conjunction with BETA and expects to have construction bid documents by November.

As for the other requests, Rothermich said the high school has 14 HVAC units and the middle school has eight that need to be replaced. The requests also include funds for a feasibility study for a sustainable replacement plan, she said.

At the middle school, there are two sets of double doors that get heavy use, she said. Frames are corroded, and there are gaps that allow moisture from outside to enter the building and cause problems.

At the high school, behind the driveway, Rothermich said, there is a sewer access cover that has become damaged over time and has a pump below the chamber.

Also at the high school, there are existing firewall appliances that need larger capacity. Expansion also is needed for core switch capacity to accommodate growth and more audio visual capacity for the auditorium and press box.

Speaking more about the adaptive/inclusive playground, Rothermich said it must have the following characteristics: be accessible to all, be sensory rich and encourage social play as well as be a safe and supportive environment.

The Marathon School site was chosen after the Adaptive Playground Committee considered 198 town-owned parcels, Rothermich said.

Chair Nancy Cavanaugh said the project had been passed over twice before by the CPC but may stand a better chance now these preliminary steps have been accomplished.

Insurance shifts for Hopkins project

Chris Eberly, project manager at Vertex, spoke via Zoom about how the town’s insurer, MIIA, told the district it cannot cover Hopkins School because its renovations include an existing building and that work and the building of an addition will occur when the school is occupied.

He recommended and the committee approved a builders’ risk insurance policy amounting to $245,624 from Atlantic Specialty Insurance Co.

Eberly said the contract requires a transfer of $75,624 from the contingency fund but said there is “ample” contingency left, and the “budget is in a healthy place,” even with this expenditure.

The policy runs from Oct. 1, 2024, until Oct. 1, 2026, and the coverage with MIIA is “on pause” until the policy term ends.

HHS improvement plan unveiled

In other business, HHS Principal Evan Bishop presented the school improvement plan featuring the goals of meeting every student’s needs and building a community of trust and respect.

Both goals involve analyzing assessment data and putting forth effort to try to get better at what the school does, Bishop said.

He reviewed successful rankings for MCAS and AP testing mostly from the mid-80% to 96% range, saying he wanted the success rate to be at 100%.

In another survey, 85% of students said there was more than one person at the high school they could trust and turn to when necessary. Bishop said he wanted that percentage to increase to 100% as well.

Also regarding school climate, Bishop said strides are being made to improve preparation for students going to the workforce rather than to two- or four-year colleges. Data collected from a researcher for 2023 graduates said 92% felt prepared or very prepared for college.

Bishop said students are surveyed twice a year to get a sense of how they are feeling emotionally and physically. Of note, the principal added, is that 30% of female students reported feeling very stressed in the last 30 days (when the survey was distributed).

Of those, most were juniors and seniors. Bishop said it is understandable because at that time of year, they are filling out college applications and facing academic demands.

Nancy Cavanaugh praised Bishop’s “lofty” 100% goals.

“I appreciate you are not just comfortable sitting back and instead are trying to find pockets of places where we could do better,” she said. “[That] serves our students well.”

Committee adopts goals

The School Committee adopted goals very similar to what was adopted last year — focusing on DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), stewardship of assets and community connectivity.

New members were in favor of the past practices of “listening sessions” and “office hours” as well as nurturing positive relationships with local legislators.

They also spoke about being visible at other town events, using social media responsibly and the positives of sharing ideas and experiences with School Committee members in other towns.

The School Committee will meet next on Oct. 1 with the Select Board and have a regular meeting on Oct. 10.