Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 1

Our first October meeting is at 7 pm on Thursday. You can find the agenda here.
There's lots going on this week. We have several groups coming through for recognitions. Mr. Monfredo has filed for reconsideration of the item on preferential hiring for in-city applicants for jobs. We have all the minutes from this past month to approve, plus the language of the school committee section of our policy handbook to approve.
Then onto the rest of the agenda.
The report of the superintendent is on the arts magnet program in the Burncoat quadrant.
By Thursday, we will have three standing committee reports: Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports, Governance, and Accountability (see my previous post).
We have a few more HR updates as we're still beginning the year.
We have the held item on parking around Temple Emanuel back up again.
Mr. O'Connell is concerned about the costs of the Affordable Care Act (particularly around, if I'm reading this correctly, the so-called "Cadillac tax").
Mr. O'Connell wants to look at MCAS scores, and PARCC scores, and AP scores.
We're being asked to approve a prior year payment of $6,487.80 for translation.
Mr. Monfredo is asking that we support Senator Flanagan's S 2020 regarding opioid testing for students. 
We're being asked to accept a donation from Doherty graduates of $10,619.15 for Doherty (I believe I see the cleaning up of student activity accounts happening here).
I'm asking my colleagues to look at the resolutions that are before the Mass Association of School Committees Delegates Assembly next month, where I'll be representing Worcester. 
Miss Biancheria is asking for an update on crosswalk repainting.
She'd also like a report on the number of students who are homeless and what schools they attend (This one is screaming 'FERPA violation' to me; we'll have to see what admin says about how this could be reported)
Miss Biancheria would like to know how we hire consultants.
She'd also like to honor Maureen Binienda for "developing innovative ways of providing healthy food" to students (which I think we already did?).
Mr. O'Connell wants to providing mentoring through the Chamber of Commerce.
Administration asks that we honor the Worcester Senior Center African American Seniors Group for their donations to our students.
Mr. O'Connell wants to know that our site councils are meeting.
And we're being asked to approve a prior year payment of $162.73 for three citywide gym teachers.