Holyoke School Committee Meeting, October 14, 2025

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MEETING NOTICE

SCHOOL COMMITTEE AGENDA

DATE: October 14, 2025

TIME: 6:00 PM

LOCATION: Fifield Room, HOLYOKE HIGH DEAN CAMPUS, 1045 MAIN ST, HOLYOKE, MA 01040

https://hps-holyoke-ma-us.zoom.us/j/85287777627

Members of the public can access the meeting here:  

(Spanish Interpretation will be available).    

 

Today, March 29, 2025 Governor Maura Healey signed into law bodies to H.62, as amended by S.2506 (which contains the final form of the bill), entitled “An act Relative to Extending Certain Covid-19 Measures Adopted during the State of Emergency” (“ACT”). Of interest to all governmental public bodies in Massachusetts, the Act extends until June, 2027, the authority for meetings of multiple-member bodies to be held in an entirely remote or hybrid format. All public bodies may hold fully remote or hybrid meetings, without the physical presence of a quorum of the public body, as long as “adequate, alternative means” of public access is also provided. 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 28 OF THE ACTS OF 2009, SECTIONS 17-20 (FORMERLY SECTION 23B OF CHAPTER 39) OF THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS, THAT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE HOLYOKE SCHOOL COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 14,2025. 

• CALL TO ORDER ~ ROLL CALL ~ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

• Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 30A, s. 20, I am hereby informing all attendees that a video and audio recording is being made of the meeting and the meeting is being live-streamed and run live on the City’s community TV channel. 

• STUDENT SHOWCASE – Opportunity Academy

 

• PUBLIC COMMENT- Members of the public wishing to submit public comments can email ifeliciano@hps.holyoke.ma.us no later than 3:00 p.m Tuesday, October 14, 2025  

• Comments will either be displayed or read during the meeting.

 

4. COMMUNICATION AND REPORTS
5. Student Reports

• HHS North
• HHS Dean Campus

1. Superintendent’s Report

• Superintendent Goals
  • Proposed Goals Memo

 

5. NEW BUSINESS 

1. Nurses recommended for official appointment 

• School Nurse Hiring Summary Audrey Arpie, RN
• School Nurse Hiring Summary Ina Fisher, LPN

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to appoint School Nurses as recommended by the Superintendent per updated Policy BBA.  

1. Delegate Voting 

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee authorize the delegate to vote as deemed appropriate, in accordance with the positions and preferences of the Holyoke School Committee. 

1. Out of State Travel 

•  Timothy LaGrant- Director of Technology 
  • This PD will offer valuable insights into the latest advancements in technology solutions, as well as opportunities for professional development and networking.
  • Fortigate – This is the company we use for our firewall system This will outline their roadmap from the future and will highlight new features and integrations that will be coming to us soon.
  •  ClearTouch – This session will overview a solution for AI in the classroom- NUITEQ Chorus AI Assistant. This AI allows teachers to enhance student engagement, support personalized learning, and promote creativity and collaboration. This will provide insight for Tim’s participation on the AI Working Group, forming later this year. 
  • Travel Form Tim LaGrant and TL Schedule for Conference 

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to approve and authorize out-of-state travel for Tim LaGrant- IT Director of Technology to attend the Technology Conference 2025 in Ledyard, CT on November 13, 2025.

•  Michelle Cooper-Cox- Special Education Director
  • Attending the ASHA Convention in Washington, DC, this November will provide Holyoke Public Schools with a rare, high-impact opportunity to address one of our most urgent staffing needs—recruiting and retaining qualified speech-language pathologists. This event attracts thousands of practicing professionals, graduate students, and university leaders, enabling us to recruit directly for current vacancies, establish long-term talent pipelines, and promote HPS as an equity-focused, student-centered employer. Participation will also keep us informed of licensure updates, policy changes, and best practices that directly affect candidate eligibility and retention strategies. By attending, we will not only expand our pool of high-quality candidates but also strengthen the support that keeps them in our schools—improving outcomes for the students we serve.
  • Michelle Cooper-Cox Travel Form 

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to approve and authorize out-of-state travel for Michelle CooperCox, Special Education Director to attend the ASHA Convention in Washington, DC from November 20-22, 2025.

1. Orders 

• Order requested by Member Wilson: Fiscal Crisis Sign on Letter (Fall 2025) The public school fiscal crisis is impacting communities across Massachusetts. Today, we ask you to sign on to the letter below to publicly urge that the governor and Legislature take decisive action to address it in the FY27 state budget. 
  • https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=61uWWiYlBEG2gBMeVZPHUbs3fFXjgEVCjYcBCj26eCBUQTZVMENNUlNBWldSSEc0MDFTWEE3MVpRMy4u&route=shorturl 

1. Approval of Meeting Minutes

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to accept and approve the meeting minutes of  5.28.25 Leadership, Accountability, and Measurements Subcommittee Meeting Minutes 

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to accept and approve the meeting minutes of  6.3.25 Leadership, Accountability and Measurements Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

1. Updates of Committees 

• Policy and Governance Subcommittee
• Finance and Operations Subcommittee
• Joint City Council/School Committee
• Local Control Subcommittee
• Leadership, Accountability and Measurement Subcommittee

 

6. ONGOING BUSINESS

1. Policy updates/ Removal/ Addition 

• Final Reading 
  • BDFA- School Councils
  • BDF-E- School Improvement Plan
  • CB-School Superintendent
  • CBD- Superintendents’ Contract 
  • CBI- Evaluation of the Superintendent 
  • CCB- Line and Staff Relations 
  • CE- Administrative Councils, Cabinets and Committees
  • CHA/ CHC- Development of Procedures
  • CHCA- Approval of Handbooks and Directives 
  •   CHD- Administration in Policy Abuse 
  • CM- School District Annual Report 

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to approve as a final reading, and to adopt policies to be effective as of October 14, 2025. 

• Remove Policy 
  • CHB- School Committee Review of Regulations 
  • CCA-Organizational Chart for Holyoke Public Schools 
  • CHC- Development and Dissemination of Procedures
  • CL- Administrative Reports  

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee vote to remove policies from the manual effective October 14, 2025. 

1. Final Fiscal Budget 2026 

• FY26 Final State Budget School Committee Memo

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee approve the Governor’s final budget proposal of $123, 518, 322 for FY26. 

1. Student Activities Accounts and Procedures

• Student Activities Memo

o   RECOMMENDATION: That the School Committee authorize the district’s current procedures involving student activity accounts and approve the current list of student activities, clubs and programs. 

7. ANNOUNCEMENTS

• October 15th, Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Lawrence School from 9:30am to 10:30 am
• October 15th, Lawrence School Site Council from 4pm to 5pm. 
• October 22nd, Lawrence Presents: Raising a Reader PreK Event from 4pm to 5pm in the school cafeteria
• October 27th, School Committee Meeting from 6pm to 7pm, Fifield Room, Dean Campus 

 

The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.* The Holyoke Public Schools makes available a public discussion period for persons in the audience to address the Committee on specific agenda items. In order to hear as many speakers as possible, the Committee asks individuals to continue their remarks for two (2) minutes. Any person wishing to submit longer testimony should give copies to the Committee Secretary before the meeting so that they may be distributed to Committee members. The speaker can then summarize this testimony at the meeting within the two (2) minute time period. Persons wishing to speak should register with the Committee Secretary immediately before the meeting begins. Individuals who request specific items to be included on the Committee’s agenda should mail a written request fifteen (15) days in advance of a Committee meeting date to Irene Feliciano, 57 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, MA 01040