A first look at Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh’s goals and a request for more detailed minutes going forward were among the topics on Thursday’s School Committee agenda.

The goals presentation was the first in a process that spans the 2024-25 school year and is used ultimately as part of the superintendent’s evaluation.

To name a few examples, Cavanaugh will be monitoring growth in math scores, conducting an analysis of Grades 2-12 in English/language arts and developing a dyslexia action plan as part of her curriculum work.

Under social/emotional learning, the superintendent’s planned activities include analyzing data from surveys on adolescent health and paths students take following graduation; developing protocols for cell phone use at the middle and high schools; vetting of curriculum and instruction for biases; committing to family outreach and culturally proficient teaching; and validating students’ identities primarily at the secondary level.

An ongoing goal relates to addressing enrollment growth and includes working with Vertex, Perkins Eastman and the Elementary School Building Committee (ESBC) on the Charleswood and Hopkins projects. Additionally, it involves modifying the five-year capital plan as needed.

“We’re nowhere near done,” Cavanaugh said regarding this goal.

Pertaining to the next goal, the superintendent talked about the work done to date by the district climate team — and what is to come. These steps involve interpreting results of a 360-degree assessment and climate surveys given to faculty, students, parents and staff.

She said teachers had expressed they wanted administrators to visit classrooms regularly, so Cavanaugh said she and Assistant Superintendent Jeff LaBroad hope to do walkthroughs of buildings at least twice per month.

Responding to a question by member Chris Masters about school climate, Carol Cavanaugh said that it pertains to how students and adults in the district are feeling and what morale is like.

She said by 2020 during COVID, “People were wiped out. People were hanging on by a thread.” When questioned this past spring, the superintendent said respondents reported being “in a better place.”

“Our goal is to create that fertile place for people to thrive as educators and students, paraprofessionals … everyone in the district,” the superintendent said.

A professional practice goal includes the superintendent serving as chair of the Board of Directors for the ACCEPT Collaborative; serving on the Massachusetts Professional Development Subcommittee; having membership on several other boards; and revising the district-wide courses guide.

Cavanaugh said these practices would “stretch” her and “make me a better leader, generally.”

Detail of minutes discussed

Vice chair Jamie Wronka said to capture meeting discussions more accurately, particularly on budgets, minutes should be more “robust” and detailed going forward.

Wronka compared what the School Committee minutes are like in Weston, Westborough and Lexington as well as in the past in Hopkinton. She found current minutes lacking in detail.

Masters suggested there are low-cost, artificial intelligence (AI) platforms that transcribe in a recap format and could be used.

Chair Nancy Cavanaugh said she is not in favor of “tedious” transcriptions of meetings. Instead, she said she supported the idea of having additional details included.

Nancy Cavanaugh said the town has guidelines, approved by town counsel, as to what should be contained in minutes. She said the board could “circle back” to the topic at a future meeting.

New administrators, enrollment announced

In her superintendent’s report, Carol Cavanaugh noted new administrators include Rachel Ritchie, Hopkins School assistant principal, and Cherie Kent, director of K-5 literacy, and she announced an opening for assistant principal at Hopkinton Middle School following Patrick Nash’s departure from the district to take another job.

She also gave enrollment updates. In K-12, there are 4,129 students, and the preschool has 65. Carol Cavanaugh added that preschool numbers are expected to increase and other numbers evolve and change as students move in and out of the district throughout the school year.

In other business, the School Committee approved a request for two Level C paraprofessionals at the middle school. Director of Student Services Abby Hanscom explained that it should not be as difficult to fill these positions as it was at the high school recently because the levels and context are not the same.

The positions will be paid for by a special education grant from the federal government, noted Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Susan Rothermich.

Misc.: Nature’s Classroom proposal accepted

The committee heard from middle school Assistant Principal Ann Benbenek seeking approval of the Nature’s Classroom experience for sixth graders in Freedom, New Hampshire. Because there are 360 students participating, they are broken up in two groups: one going from Nov. 18-20 and the other from Nov. 20-22. She said the cost is $405 per student.

Member Susan Stephenson said the program, run for decades, “is a really good thing.”

Nancy Cavanaugh said students not only learn “hands-on in a natural environment,” it also is a great bonding experience for them. …

As liaison to the Sustainable Green Committee, member Kyla McSweeney reported on a meeting she attended Monday. That committee expressed interest in having more student members and receiving information on environmental curriculum in the district beyond two classes they knew of at the high school. The Sustainable Green Committee also spoke about working on a composting program at Marathon School.

McSweeney noted that the SGC also would like to see electrical vehicle (EV) chargers at the schools. McSweeney said there are plans to put two chargers downtown first.

Rothermich noted that money was allocated as part of the “participatory budget” at Town Meeting for this purpose but said it would not be enough for installation at this point. …

The next School Committee meeting is Aug. 22.