2026-08-13 - School Committee

Summary

This page summarizes the posted agenda (Agenda #14), not what happened at the meeting. The School Committee set a 4:00 PM executive session (collective bargaining strategy for the Educational Association of Worcester Units A/B and the Paraeducators Unit, plus review of July 16 executive session minutes) and a 4:30 PM open session in the Esther Howland Chamber. The consent agenda listed approval of the July 16 minutes and a long run of donations, including space at 220 Barber Avenue from Chacharone Properties for temporary district warehousing and several memorial gifts to Worcester Technical High School in memory of Joseph Alfego. Four public petitions from Ford (c&p 6-10 to 6-13) asked for de-identified reports on Nelson Place School placement and transfer decisions (two petitions), on outside-counsel spending, and for a public report and corrective action on cybersecurity safeguards and incident notification; all four carried a recommendation to refer to the Administration. The Superintendent's report was listed as "No report due to the Superintendent Evaluation," and general business included the Mayor's summative evaluation of the Superintendent for 2025-2026 (gb 6-88), 2027 meeting dates, a proposal to move the November 5 meeting to November 12, a request from Biancheria on MassHire career-center services for students, and a raise in the mileage reimbursement rate from $0.725 to $0.76 per mile. Grants listed were $43,384.50 (Community-Based Out of School program) and $2,000 (RALIE).

Source: posted agenda (PrimeGov, template 75920); no minutes or transcript yet.

Issues discussed: WPS Cybersecurity Incident Response

Agenda

CLERK OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
20 IRVING STREET
WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS 01609

The School Committee will hold an in-person meeting with a virtual option*:

on: Thursday, August 13, 2026
At: 4:00 p.m. Executive Session
4:30 p.m. Open Session
Esther Howland Chamber, Worcester City Hall or virtually with link below

ORDER OF BUSINESS

A. General Business Items taken in Executive Session

To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have
a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so
declares – Successor Contract Negotiations – Educational Association of Worcester,
Units A/B.

Executive Session pursuant to Mass. G.L. c. 30A, Section 21(a), Purpose 7 to comply
with, or act under the authority of, any general or special law, including the
Massachusetts Public Records Law, Mass. G.L. c. 66, Section 10, and the
Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, Mass. G.L. c. 30A, Sections 22(f) and (g), relating
to review of executive session minutes for meetings that occurred on July 16, 2026.

B. Call to Order

C. Pledge of Allegiance/National Anthem

D. Roll Call

M. Student Advisory Committee Items

i. Approval of Minutes
Approval of Minutes of the July 16, 2026 School Committee Meeting.

ii. Approval of Donations
To consider approval of a donation from Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
of 953 Amplify Science Student Investigation Notebooks, plus additional print
materials to benefit Worcester Public Schools grades first through fourth
grade.

To consider approval of a donation from Blackstone Watershed Collaborative of
forest management tools, supplies and equipment to benefit students enrolled
in the Environmental Technology program at Worcester Technical High School.

To consider approval for the donation of space located at 220 Barber Avenue
from Chacharone Properties to assist with temporary warehouse opportunities
for the district.

To consider approval of a donation from Patricia & Francis Magner in the
memory of Joseph Alfego in the amount of $50 to benefit Worcester Technical
High School.

To consider approval of a donation from Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers
Digital of curriculum materials, professional development, and digital
resources to connect students in grades K–2 to rich and diverse musical
communities as they build fundamental music skills through listening, singing,
and moving to benefit Worcester Public Schools.

To consider approval of a donation in the amount of $150 from John Morocco
& Telaine Dimatteo to support Worcester Technical High School in memory of
Joseph Alfego.

To consider approval of a donation in the amount of $150 from Elizabeth
Defalco & George Defalco Jr to support Worcester Technical High School in
memory of Joseph Alfego.

To consider approval of a donation in the amount of $100 from Donald
Speicher & Jill Ann Speicher to support Worcester Technical High School in
memory of Joseph Alfego.

To consider approval of a donation in the amount of $25 from John Evans III
& Paula Jeanne Evans to support Worcester Technical High School in memory
of Joseph Alfego.

To consider approval of a donation in the amount of $50 from E Russell Young
& Nancy Young to support Worcester Technical High School in memory of
Joseph Alfego.

To consider approval of a donation in the amount of $100 from M. Pope & Co.
Fine Jewelers to support Worcester Technical High School in memory of
Joseph Alfego.

iii. Notification of Personnel Records

a. New Hire Instructional Staff
b. New Hire Non-Instructional Staff
c. Resignations/Retirements

iv. Initial filing of Recognition

v. Notices of Interest to the District or to the Public

F. Item for Reconsideration

G. Held Items

H. Recognitions

I. Public Comment-Any member of the public may address the Committee regarding

any item before them for two (2) minutes. Those speaking will state their name, their
residence, and the item on which they wish to speak for the record. Those speaking
may do so in person or via remote participation. Those wishing to address the
Committee in a language other than English are asked to notify the Clerk of the
Committee in advance, so the Committee may be provided with an interpreter.
Members of the Committee may not respond to the comments of the public at the
meeting. Click to view Policy BEDH-Public Comment

J. Public Petition

c&p 6-10 (Ford)
(August 13, 2026)
Petition Backup
The petitioner respectfully requests that the Worcester School Committee refer this
matter to the Standing Committee on Operations and Governance, with input
from the Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning and Student Success,
and direct the administration to provide an expedited, de-identified report concerning
Nelson Place School placement and transfer decisions for the 2026–2027 school year.
Recommendation: Refer to Administration

c&p 6-11 (Ford)
(August 13, 2026)
Petition Backup
The petitioner respectfully requests that the full Worcester School Committee discuss
and vote on directing the administration to provide an expedited, public, de-identified

report concerning Nelson Place School placement and transfer decisions for the
2026–2027 school year.
Recommendation: Refer to Administration

c&p 6-12 (Ford)
(August 13, 2026)
Petition Backup
The petitioner respectfully requests that the full Worcester School Committee discuss
and vote on directing the administration to provide a public, de-identified report
concerning outside-counsel spending and the district’s practice of involving outside
counsel in matters that remain administrative, educational, or pre-litigation in nature.
Recommendation: Refer to Administration

c&p 6-13 (Ford)
(August 13, 2026)
Petition Backup
The petitioner respectfully requests that the full Worcester School Committee discuss
and vote on directing the administration to provide a public report and proposed
corrective action concerning the district’s cybersecurity safeguards, security-incident
response, and notification of affected members of the school community.
Recommendation: Refer to Administration

K. Report of the Superintendent

No report due to the Superintendent Evaluation

L. Reports of the Standing Committees

N. Approval of Grants and other Finance Items

To consider approval of the Community-Based Out of School Social and Recreational
Program grant in the amount of $43,384.50.

To consider approval of the Replicating Applied Learning Everywhere (RALIE) grant in
the amount of $2,000.

To consider approval of 27 prior year payments in the amount of $101,647.57.

To consider approval of a prior year payment for missed educational level for a full
year employee in the amount of $20,000.

O. General Business

gb 6-88 Petty
(August 13, 2026)
Summative Evaluation
To conduct an evaluation of the Superintendent for the 2025-2026 school year.
Recommendation: Approve and File

gb 6-89 (Clerk)
(August 13, 2026)

Recommended Meeting Dates
To review, discuss, and approve School Committee Meeting Dates for the calendar
year 2027.
Recommendation: Approve and File

gb 6-90 (Administration)
(August 15, 2024)
Proposed ROS Schedule 2026-27
To approve the Report of the Superintendent Schedule for the 2026-2027 school year.
Recommendation: Approve an file

gb 6-91 (Mayor Petty)
(August 13, 2026)
To consider rescheduling the November 5, 2026 meeting to November 12, 2026.
Recommendation: Approve and file

gb 6-92 (Biancheria)
(August 13, 2026)
Request administration inquire on the possible services that can be provided to our
students whom are job or internship seekers through MassHire - Worcester Career
Center including Worcester workforce Board opportunities.
Recommendation: Refer to Administration

gb 6-93 (Administration)
(August 13, 2026)
To consider approval to implement the new IRS mileage reimbursement rate as of
July 1st, 2026 from $0.725/mile to $0.76/mile.
Recommendation: Approve and file

P. Announcements

Meeting Dates:
-August 18, 2026, Operations and Governance, 4:30 p.m., Doherty Memorial High
School, Guidance Conference Room, 299 Highland St, Worcester, MA 01602
-September 3, 2026, School Committee Meeting, 5:00 p.m., City Hall, Esther
Howland Chamber
-September 17, 2026, School Committee Meeting, 5:00 p.m., City Hall, Esther
Howland Chamber

Q. Adjournment

Kristi Turgeon, Clerk of the School Committee

Transcript

Transcript pending: YouTube captions can't be retrieved yet (see the Worcester playbook).