Back to School & Equity Report

Note: Transcripts are generated from video auto-captions. While highly accurate, they are non-official and do not meet State Archivist record-keeping requirements.

• 0:00
  Call to Order and Roll Call

  Chair Ryan calls the meeting to order, followed by a roll call of board members. Ms. Ratliff is noted as absent.
• 0:00
  Pledge of Allegiance

  The board and audience stand for the Pledgeof Allegiance.
• 0:02
  Student Representative Report (Eliot Wertheimer)

  Student Representative Eliot Wertheimer reports on the smooth start to the school year across all seven schools. He highlights activities at the high school and middle school, notes the success of the middle school's phone policy, and mentions increased kindergarten enrollment at Kaler Elementary.
• 0:05
  Superintendent's Report: Gun Violence and Enrollment (Superintendent Matheney)

  Superintendent Matheney begins his report by expressing sorrow for the school shooting in Georgia and vowing to continue advocating against gun violence. He then reports that district enrollment has declined by a surprising 7% in one year, which could have significant financial repercussions on state subsidy.
• 0:09
  Superintendent's Report: 2024-25 Pillars & Priorities (Superintendent Matheney)

  The superintendent introduces the district's annual goals, framed by four pillars: Instructional Excellence; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging; Planning for an Inspiring Future; and Operational Effectiveness. He outlines key objectives under each pillar, including continuing work on MTSS and PBIS, and conducting studies on school boundaries and configurations.
• 0:17
  Superintendent's Report: Mental Health Deep Dive (Superintendent Matheney)

  Superintendent Matheney provides a detailed overview of the district's focus on mental and behavioral health, linking it to instructional excellence. He acknowledges the community's grief over three recent student suicides and frames the issue as an unacceptable crisis requiring an all-hands-on-deck community response.
• 0:24
  Superintendent's Report: Current Mental Health Supports (Superintendent Matheney)

  The superintendent lists the district's current mental health supports, including social-emotional learning teachers, health curriculum on mental wellness, and screening tools like MindWise and SRSS. He also mentions the anonymous SpeakUp for Safety reporting system and the use of Gaggle to monitor student documents for safety concerns.
• 0:29
  Superintendent's Report: Mental Health Staffing and Future Plans (Superintendent Matheney)

  Matheney details the extensive mental health staffing, including 13 school counselors, numerous social workers, and five school psychologists, and welcomes the new Director of Mental and Behavioral Health, Erika Boulware. He outlines future steps, such as reconvening the district mental health committee, implementing universal screeners, and expanding Mental Health First Aid training for staff.
• 0:36
  Board Discussion on Superintendent's Report

  Board members respond to the superintendent's report, focusing primarily on the mental health crisis.

  • 0:36 Ms. Schen
    Ms. Schen expresses excitement about the goal to focus on engaging instruction.
  • 0:37 Eliot Wertheimer
    Mr. Wertheimer emphasizes the importance of not just improving mental health curriculum but also addressing the stigma around it, which he believes prevents students from being open to the lessons.
  • 0:38 Ms. Kabisa
    Ms. Kabisa asks if there will be mental health training and support targeted specifically towards athletics and coaches.
  • 0:39 Ms. DeAngelis
    Ms. DeAngelis gives an emotional statement about the recent student suicides, naming the children lost and stressing that the community is in a crisis. She calls for kindness, compassion, and love as the most important response.
  • 0:42 Ms. Ryan
    Chair Ryan speaks about her experience explaining suicide to her fourth grader and highlights the need for resources and support for parents who are partners in this crisis. She advocates for incorporating parents and caregivers into the district's educational conversations on mental health.
• 0:45
  Consent Agenda Reading (Superintendent Matheney)

  The superintendent reads the items on the Consent Agenda, which include approving the minutes from the August 19 meeting and the hiring of Harold Blaney as Buildings and Grounds Director and Jon DiBiase as a special education teacher.
• 0:46
  Public Comment on Agenda Items

  Citizens address the board on agenda items, with all speakers focusing on either the proposed artificial turf fields or the student mental health crisis.

  • 0:47 Karen Talentino
    A biologist and conservationist, Ms. Talentino expresses deep concern about the proposal for three artificial turf fields. She questions the safety data provided and highlights environmental risks such as microplastic pollution into Casco Bay and the loss of natural carbon sequestration.
  • 0:50 James Mellow
    A retired family physician, Mr. Mellow speaks against artificial turf, citing health risks to athletes, including increased injuries and exposure to extreme heat from the superheated surfaces. He also raises concerns about PFAS chemicals and microplastic pollution in waterways.
  • 0:54 Priscilla Draymond
    A retired pastor, Ms. Draymond echoes environmental concerns about artificial turf, including the loss of wildlife habitat, contaminated storm water runoff, and the long-term problem of disposal in landfills. She urges the board to slow down and explore organic grass field alternatives.
  • 0:57 Holly Christensen
    Ms. Christensen addresses the recent student suicides, defining the situation as a public health emergency and a suicide cluster that requires urgent intervention from outside experts. She strongly recommends the district consult with the JED Foundation, a national expert in youth mental health and suicide prevention.
  • 1:01 Tara Pelletier
    A family physician and parent, Ms. Pelletier thanks the board for their bravery in discussing suicide and supports the call to bring in additional, national-level resources. She emphasizes that while it is a community responsibility, the school is in a prime position to act and should seek expert help.
  • 1:03 Paula Gentile
    A psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and parent, Ms. Gentile confirms the emergency nature of a suicide cluster, stating the entire community is at heightened risk. She stresses the need for expert help and offers to be part of a community-wide solution.
• 1:05
  Vote on Consent Agenda

  The board holds a vote on the consent agenda as previously read by the superintendent. The motion passes unanimously.
• 1:06
  Finance Committee Report (Ms. Schen)

  Chair Schen reports that the district's finances are stable and comparable to the same time last year. She notes the department is planning to move to an accrual method for reporting and that the annual audit is scheduled to begin in late September.
• 1:07
  Buildings & Grounds Committee Report (Ms. Ryan)

  Chair Ryan reports that the new Director of Buildings and Grounds has started and thanks the entire facilities department for their extensive work preparing all seven school buildings for the start of the school year.
• 1:08
  Policy Committee Report (Ms. Holman)

  Chair Holman reports that the committee is continuing its work, led by the assistant superintendent. She notes that several policies are up for a first read, which are mostly routine updates required by law.
• 1:11
  Superintendent Evaluation and Support Committee Report (Ms. Rauscher)

  Chair Rauscher details the comprehensive process for the superintendent's annual evaluation. The committee used four data sets: a district-wide staff survey, a targeted survey of leaders, the superintendent's self-evaluation, and the board's own evaluation.
• 1:15
  Public Comment on Open Topics

  The board opens the floor for public comment on topics not on the agenda.

  • 1:16 Sarah Gay
    Sarah Gay introduces herself as the new president of the South Portland Teachers Association (SPTA). She reports on collaborative work with the district and shares the SPTA's goals, including creating a protocol for responding to high temperatures in schools, and invites the board to visit classrooms.
• 1:19
  Board Questions for Superintendent (Ms. DeAngelis)

  Ms. DeAngelis asks for clarification on two points from public comment: whether the turf field referendum allows for choosing natural grass, and whether the district will seek outside expert help for the mental health crisis.
• 1:20
  Superintendent's Response (Superintendent Matheney)

  Superintendent Matheney responds that the referendum language specifically designates funds for an artificial surface, so a change is not possible post-vote. He affirms that the district will consult with outside experts on mental health while also expressing high confidence in the district's current staff.
• 1:22
  Vote to Enter Executive Session

  The board votes unanimously to enter an executive session to discuss collective bargaining with the SPTA.
• 1:23
  Adjournment

  Following the executive session, the board reconvenes and votes unanimously to adjourn the meeting at 8:10 PM.