Meeting Recap: 9/8/25

Aaaaaaand, we’re back! Welcome to the first recap of the 2025-26 school year. As always, observations and opinions are my own and do not represent any official position of the Medford School Committee.

Agenda | Recording | Transcript

Let’s dive in, starting with the ever-glamorous consent agenda.

For those who aren’t familiar with this, it’s when the school committee approves past meeting minutes, the long list of bills and payrolls since the last meeting, capital purchases, grants, and donations, thus allowing the district to move forward with its daily business and record-keeping. It was, as usual, a fairly routine vote, although we did table the CCSR donation just to clarify some changes to the reporting and spending requirements mentioned in the award letter.

Shifting gears, Dr. Galusi opened with the introduction of Mustang Moments—a new opening feature of every meeting highlighting student achievement and works in progress. This week’s Moment was student arts—a new mural at the high school and our awesome marching band. (Learn more on the Gotta Know Medford site.)

She then followed up with an Opening of Schools update, including new staff, core values and collective charge, orientation and professional development activities, facilities and IT updates (namely, middle school HVAC and new security systems), and City Year (hosted at McGlynn Elementary, McGlynn Middle, and Missituk Elementary and afterschool).

In the category of continued business, we approved the second reading of the Non Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity policy, which apparently got lost in the transition between the 2023-24 committee and the current committee. Thanks to former members Hays, McLaughlin, and Mustone for their work on this!

We approved changes to the building committee to reflect new staffing, i.e., our newly Chief Operations Officer and Assistant Superintendent of Academics & Instruction. Welcome to both of them!

We approved a school committee endorsement of the I AM bill, H.543/S.2491, which will make menstrual products available for free in homeless shelters, prisons, and public schools.

Member Ruseau introduced a Policy Hygiene policy which cleans up some of the overly wordy language in existing policies and codifies some of the understood shorthand that adds to this wordiness. Ironically, we amended some of the language and then it passed its first reading.

Member Graham presented a resolution to recommend that Medford opt in to a program that installs school bus stop-arm cameras to detect and monitor vehicles that illegally pass buses when students are getting on and off. Of note, the program will be fully funded by the fees incurred. After some clarification and discussion about the background and logistics for implementation, the resolution was approved and the recommendation was made to form a cross-government committee. Further action will be in the hands of the City Council (to adopt the program) and the Mayor (to earmark funds from the program for student safety, transportation infrastructure, and public awareness).

Condolences and adjournment. Next meeting will be on September 22. And I recently created a checkbox on my email list to sign up to receive these recaps in your inbox. Feel free to share the link with those who are not on social media.

Wishing you all a refreshing weekend. There’s been a lot of tumult and divisiveness out there lately, and I know this week has amplified that for more than a few people. I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect on how they can make the world a kinder, more supportive place. And don’t forget to vote in the preliminary (city council race only) if you haven’t already! Early voting at City Hall until 12:30 today and then it's day-of at your precinct on Tuesday.