School Committee — October 14, 2026

The Fairhaven School Committee met on October 14, 2026, to address district presentations, policy adoptions, budget schedules, and financial acceptances. Special Education Director Tanya Dawson and consultant Stephanie White provided a detailed update on special education trends, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and programmatic enhancements across district schools. Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (SMEC) Executive Director Kim Wilmot discussed collaborative programming and the enduring partnership with Fairhaven, while Superintendent Tara Kohler celebrated the district's recent designation as a Unified Champion School District by Special Olympics Massachusetts. Assistant Superintendent Mark Balestracci presented an overview of district MCAS scores and the ongoing implementation of the iReady assessment system and Academic Lab intervention blocks.

The committee also discussed the FY28 budget development timeline following recommendations from the Finance Subcommittee, adjusting future meeting dates to align with the review process. Members voted unanimously to cancel their January 27, 2027 meeting, establish a meeting on February 24, 2027, and reschedule the April 14, 2027 meeting to April 28, 2027. Under new business, the committee conducted a first read of the Protect Act Policy and formally voted to adopt the district's Artificial Intelligence Policy.

In financial matters, the School Committee accepted several grants, donations, and restitution funds. These included accepting a $5,000 court restitution check following the high school break-in, a $1,767 Peter Marsh Foundation grant for middle school music chair racks, a $2,593 car wash donation for the high school activity fund, $2,260 from the Maddie Oliver Memorial Fund for Hastings Middle School, $500 from Ann and Robert Koser for an East Fairhaven Elementary mural, and $22,462 in mini-grants from the Fairhaven High School Alumni Association. Finally, the committee approved the high school PTO's annual Powder Puff flag football game for November 3, 2026, before adjourning.

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