June Regular Meeting

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 & Roll Call

  Chair DeAngelis calls the meeting to order, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the superintendent's roll call.
• 0:02
  Chair's Report on Administrator Compensation (Rosemary DeAngelis)

  Chair DeAngelis addresses community feedback regarding the recent vote to provide additional compensation to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jo Prince. She details Dr. Prince's extensive extra work on the budget, labor contracts, and school reconfiguration, and explains the funding comes from savings in the new superintendent's prorated salary and a business office resignation.
• 0:07
  Introduction of New Student Representative (Sarah Lupien)

  New student representative Sarah Lupien introduces herself to the board and community. She shares her long history in the district and expresses her excitement to offer a student perspective on board decisions.
• 0:09
  Upcoming Dates & Events

  The Chair announces the School Budget Referendum Voting on June 9th and the next regular board meeting on July 20th, which will welcome the new superintendent.
• 0:10
  Student Representative's Report (Sarah Lupien)

  Student representative Sarah Lupien delivers her first report on school activities. She highlights end-of-year events, field days, and academic projects at the elementary and middle schools, and celebrates the SPHS graduation and the boys' track team state championship win.
• 0:13
  Superintendent's Report: Retiree Recognition

  Superintendent Entwistle recognizes and presents gifts to retiring staff members with 15 or more years of service to the district.
• 0:18
  Education Foundation Update (Sarah Stickney)

  Parent Sarah Stickney provides an update on the newly formed South Portland Education Foundation. She announces the foundation is now officially incorporated in Maine and is working to file for federal non-profit status, with the goal of supporting the district's community school strategy.
• 0:24
  SPHS PBIS Awards Update (Sarah Glenn)

  SPHS Principal Sarah Glenn presents an update on the high school's first year as a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) school. She outlines the "Red Riot Way" expectations and recognizes quarterly student award winners who exemplified positive behaviors.
• 0:33
  Heat Mitigation Plan Presentation (Mike Nalli)

  Director of Operations Mike Nalli details the new Heat Mitigation Plan. The plan establishes clear temperature thresholds (85°F and 90°F) for installing portable AC units and considering other measures, aiming to provide a more consistent and proactive response to hot weather.
• 0:47
  Transportation Update (Mike Nalli)

  Mike Nalli addresses recent transportation issues. He explains that to solve overcrowding for the large track team, the district will now contract for three buses per meet, and that overcrowding on Brick Hill routes is being managed with a float driver and a comprehensive route analysis for next year.
• 1:05
  Enrollment & Resignation Report (Superintendent Entwistle)

  The Superintendent briefly reports that student enrollment is currently 2,775 and announces the resignation of behavior specialist Laura Casey.
• 1:06
  Public Comment

  The first public comment session is dominated by criticism of the board's decision to award an administrator a $12,000 retirement contribution amidst budget cuts. Teachers, parents, and union leaders express feelings of betrayal, poor morale, and a lack of transparency and shared sacrifice.

  • 1:07 Tracy Tannoia
    In her retirement speech, she reflects on her 26 years in the district and the low pay for Ed Techs. She urges the board to be more mindful of how it spends community money, ensuring it is prioritized for students' needs.
  • 1:10 Sarah Gay
    While acknowledging Dr. Prince's hard work, she states the board's decision put her in an uncomfortable position and the implications for staff were not fully considered. She also strongly urges the community to vote "yes" on the school budget to avoid further devastating cuts.
  • 1:12 Stephanie Edwards
    She questions the justification for the $12,000 contribution, calling it deeply disappointing after a painful year of staff cuts, a school closure, and insufficient funds for teachers managing the closure. She argues it sends a message that appreciation is reserved for those at the top.
  • 1:15 Corinne Altham
    She thanks a library volunteer at Brown Elementary, urges a "yes" vote on the budget, and asks the board to work with teachers to find solutions for space challenges in the school libraries.
  • 1:18 Cidney Mayes
    Speaking as a member of the district's equity committee, she urges the board to pass the Educational Equity Policy. She emphasizes that the policy's data component is crucial for objectively identifying and addressing inequities, countering personal biases and anecdotal stories.
  • 1:20 Jen Fletcher
    She describes the administrator bonus as "tone deaf," contrasting it with the music program having to fundraise for student activities and her own unanswered request for compensation for 185 hours of extra work. She also details the stress of securing transportation for the 200-student middle school band for the Memorial Day parade.
  • 1:24 Carmen Caterina
    She calls the decision a "slap in the face" to educators and students, noting the $12,000 could have funded cut programs like summer credit recovery or school composting. She shares student comments that the school feels "broke" and that the decision reinforces a perception that those furthest from students make the most money.
  • 1:27 Jamie Watson
    Speaking on behalf of SPMS teachers, she questions the fiscal stewardship behind the bonus and the lack of transparency. She also raises concerns about the equity of after-school busing, noting a disparity in the number of buses serving different parts of town.
  • 1:31 Jennifer Marshall
    She asks when the retired electrician's position will be posted. She also details safety concerns about bus overcrowding for both regular routes and sports trips, stating that three students per seat is unsafe with equipment and that coaches should be on buses.
  • 1:35 Meredith Diamond
    She criticizes the board for a lack of public notice, stating she only learned of the special meeting by chance and that the vote on compensation was not on the published agenda. She accuses the chair of violating public trust and failing to be transparent.
• 1:39
  Board Response to Public Comment (Rosemary DeAngelis)

  The Chair addresses questions raised during public comment. She explains the criteria for the administrator compensation, clarifies a statement to the press about funding, and defends the legality of the un-agendized vote by citing legal counsel that it was a personnel matter arising from executive session.
• 1:45
  Committee Reports

  Chairs of the Finance, Policy, and Buildings & Grounds committees provide updates on the budget forecast, new policies, and summer maintenance projects.

  • 1:45 Abigail Ketchen
    Presents the monthly financial report, noting the projected year-end deficit range has shifted slightly more negative. She also outlines a plan to reconcile and clean up numerous old reserve funds, some of which have lingering deficits totaling over $400,000.
  • 1:53 Rosemary DeAngelis
    Reports that the Policy Committee has drafted a new cell phone policy (JICI) for its first read to comply with state law. She notes that a public workshop will be held to develop the implementation procedures.
  • 2:01 Daniel Feller
    Outlines summer maintenance projects, including vestibule upgrades, deep cleaning, and athletic field remediation at the middle school. He also reports on the logistics for moving materials from the closing Kaler Elementary and exploratory talks about adding more solar panels to school buildings.
• 2:06
  Approval of Consent Agenda

  The board unanimously approves the consent agenda, which includes meeting minutes and the acceptance of several grants and donations.
• 2:08
  Approval of Policy BEDB: Agenda

  The board unanimously approves the second read of Policy BEDB, which formalizes procedures for creating and distributing board meeting agendas.
• 2:09
  Approval of Educational Equity Policy

  The board unanimously approves the second read of the new Educational Equity Policy, which was developed by the district's equity committee.
• 2:10
  First Read of Policy JICI: Cell Phones

  The board unanimously approves the first read of an amendment to the cell phone policy, which is required to comply with a new state law prohibiting phone use during the school day.
• 2:11
  Approval of 2026-27 Board Meeting Schedule

  After amending the schedule to move the start of budget workshops from March to December, the board unanimously approves the meeting calendar for the next school year.
• 2:14
  Public Comment (Part 2)

  The second public comment period focuses on the unusable athletic fields at South Portland Middle School and the conduct of board members.

  • 2:14 Kate Porter
    She asks for a specific timeline on when the SPMS athletic field will be usable for students. She notes that classes are currently being bused to other locations for field days at an extra cost to the district.
  • 2:15 Jamie Watson
    She reports that an invasive weed is growing on the new SPMS field and questions the lack of sports shuttles for next year, which makes the field's usability critical. She also criticizes the board members for their unprofessional conduct toward each other during the meeting.
• 2:18
  Board Communications

  Board members reflect on the meeting's public comment, with several apologizing for the rushed and poorly communicated vote on administrator compensation. They also welcome the new student representative and thank the outgoing interim superintendent.

  • 2:18 Daniel Feller
    He apologizes for not slowing down the vote on the assistant superintendent's compensation and for failing to "read the room" regarding the district's current austerity. He takes responsibility and questions how the district can move past a "zero-sum mentality."
  • 2:21 Elyse T. Richardson
    She apologizes for the rushed, un-agendized vote, acknowledging it failed to allow for community engagement and was made with too few facts. She pledges not to vote on items not on the agenda going forward and calls for a broader discussion on compensation for extra work.
  • 2:25 Claire Holman
    She also apologizes for the rushed and hurtful decision, agreeing that communication was poor and key stakeholders should have been consulted. She advocates for better public notification via text messages and for giving student representatives a more active, issue-oriented role.
  • 2:29 Sarah Lupien
    She affirms that students are very aware of the district's budget difficulties and that their teachers are concerned about cuts. She also shares that she is already working with the high school principal on ways to increase student body involvement with the board.
• 2:34
  Adjournment

  Chair DeAngelis adjourns the meeting.