School Committee Considers a New Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Policy
Policy Subcommittee Chair Liz Fowlks reported on June 6 that the subcommittee has been working with the district Energy Manager, Kate Crosby, to develop a Zero Emissions Vehicles policy.
If approved, the new policy, which was presented to the full committee for a first read at their January 6 meeting, will set a priority for accelerating a district-wide transition from fossil-fuel-reliant- to all-electric vehicles. A second read and vote by the school committee is required to approve the policy.
District-wide adoption of a ZEV Policy and endorsement of a Decarbonization Roadmap, which is intended to realize the goal of eliminating on-site fossil fuel use by 2050, will allow the Town of Acton to move forward with an application to the State’s Climate Leader Communities Initiative offered through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. The application requires that municipalities and regional school districts commit to reducing on-site fossil fuels in municipal buildings and vehicles and adopt a long-term, actionable plan for decarbonization. The Town of Acton is seeking to apply for a Climate Leader Community designation in July 2024. Successful applicants will have access to additional grant funding.
In a memo to the school committee, Crosby noted that “this policy would currently cover only four vehicles at this time: three drivers education vehicles, and one light-duty pickup truck. Leased school buses are currently exempt.”
The district currently leases its fleet of school buses.
AB High School students representing the group, Resource Force, urged the committee to adopt more rigorous goals that exceed state timelines and requirements, with one member stating, “In exempting leased buses, the policy fails to eliminate a major contributor of carbon emissions. We must also commit to acquiring electric school buses to reduce our carbon footprint.”
According to a 2022 report entitled, Electrification Roadmap for the Town and School District developed for the Town of Acton and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District by the consulting firm Salas O’Brien and funded by a state grant, electrifying the Junior High, High School, Parker-Damon, and Administration buildings will require a $22M capital investment over 28 years from 2022-2050.
Meanwhile, the district was recently awarded $200K from the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program to replace one existing school bus with a clean, zero-emission school bus. Superintendent of Schools Peter Light noted that “this will cover less than half of the cost of a single bus. The all-in cost is about $375K per bus, plus another $25K to equip it with GPS and cameras and $50K for a single charging station. We are hoping to secure additional funding from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.”
The competitive federal grant program awarded a total of $2.7 trillion dollars to schools nationwide to replace 8,535 fossil fuel reliant buses. Seventeen Massachusetts school districts were the beneficiaries of a total of $42M for this program.
In related news, Eversource published a press release this week about their partnership with Acton-Boxborough schools, described in a social media post from the ABRSD.
Superintendent Receives Proficient Performance Rating and a Raise
The School Committee voted unanimously on June 6 to adopt the 2024 summative performance evaluation rating of proficient for Superintendent of Schools Peter Light.
Light received a rating of proficient for effective facilitation of ongoing work toward three District goals that include 1) improving social, emotional, and mental and behavioral health outcomes by shifting practices, supports and environments so students can more effectively access learning and cultivate constructive relationships, 2) increasing the number of students on a pathway to proficiency in literacy and mathematics through implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports, and 3) improving student, staff and families’ sense of belonging by strengthening school culture and climate, diversifying professional staff, and implementing culturally-responsive instructional practices and materials.
Light also received a rating of proficient across four standards of practice including instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture.
School Committees are required to evaluate their Superintendent based on standards adopted by the Massachusetts Board of Education and related rubrics developed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
AB School Committee members gather evidence of effective progress on goals and standards on an ongoing, cumulative basis throughout the year through updates and presentations during public meetings. Members of the public who wish to view past presentations to the School Committee on the 2024 goals can do so by perusing recordings of the spring School Committee meetings (March 7-June 6) on Acton TV or by clicking on the relevant links in the School Committee agendas on the District’s website.
Following the performance evaluation, the AB School Committee voted unanimously to renew the Superintendent’s Contract of Employment with updates that included a 3.5% increase in salary.
Leadership Changes in 2024-25
At their June 6 meeting, the School Committee unanimously approved the appointment of Mary Emmons as the District’s Interim Special Education Director beginning July 1, 2024. Emmons takes over for Jennifer Truslow, who recently announced her departure. Emmons is a retired career special education and student services administrator with over thirty years of experience, twenty of which were in Acton-Boxborough.
Dana Labb, Principal at the Blanchard Memorial Elementary School in Boxborough for the past ten years, has accepted the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Harvard Public Schools beginning July 1, 2024. Labb recently led a successful fundraising effort for a new playground at Blanchard that will also be accessible to children with mobility challenges. The District is currently seeking an Interim Principal for 2024-25.
Earlier this spring, the superintendent announced the departure of Dr. Deborah Bookis, who is retiring from her position as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning. Bookis was a teacher at the Merriam School and was appointed to her current position in 2010. At the May 16 School Committee Meeting, the Superintendent described Bookis’ tremendous impact on the entire school community and acknowledged the critical role she has played in “moving our schools to a more unified system over the last six to seven years with a curriculum that now integrates teaching and learning of academic content within a multi-tiered system of supports with English language instruction for multilingual learners and instruction that supports social and emotional development for all students.” On April 4, the School Committee unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Gabrielle Abrams as the new Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning beginning July 1, 2024.