As we navigate these uncertain times, I am sending an update regarding the upcoming School Committee meetings so that residents will know what to expect both for planned agendas and for public participation.
Agendas for 8/13/20 & 8/20/20
According to the approved meeting calendar, the next regular meeting of the School Committee will take place in the Presentation Room at Medway Middle School on Thursday, August 20, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. At this meeting, we will take up the normal business before the Committee, and our agenda will follow our typical format.
We have added a special meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2020, at 5:00 p.m., also in the Presentation Room at Medway Middle School, solely dedicated to discussing and voting on the Reopening Plan for Medway Public Schools. As a Committee, we feel strongly that this topic requires a dedicated meeting, and as such, the only agenda items will be those pertaining directly to the Reopening Plan.
Public Participation Update
As part of the COVID-19 emergency order issued by Governor Baker on March 15, 2020, in-person public participation at School Committee meetings has been suspended for health and safety reasons. In the interim, we have asked members of the community to email public comments in advance of the meetings, and these comments will be read and added into the record during the public comment portion of each meeting.
We are pleased to announce that we will allow in-person public comment beginning with the August 13, 2020 meeting. Anyone wishing to make a public comment will need to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth, and maintain appropriate distance within the Presentation Room. As we are still under the emergency health order from Governor Baker, we ask that after making a public comment, individuals please exit the Presentation Room and continue watching the meeting online via the Medway Cable Access broadcast (either live-stream or on Facebook). If we have more people wishing to make a public comment than the Presentation Room will hold at one time, we will ask people to wait outside, and they will be called in as space becomes available. At the conclusion of public comment, the Presentation Room will be cleared and the public may resume watching online.
A copy of the district's policy regarding public participation may be found here.
In addition, I want to remind the community that public comment during a School Committee meeting is only one way of sharing your thoughts with the Committee. Residents are welcome to send emails to the Committee at any time either through our secretary, Ellen Quinn, equinn@medwayschools.org, or to members of the Committee directly using the email addresses listed here. If you choose to send an email, please copy Ellen Quinn on your correspondence and indicate whether you would like a response or simply wish to share your thoughts. As a reminder, any correspondence sent to the School Committee is a public record and is subject to all relevant laws.
We appreciate the Medway community's interest in the important topics before the Committee, and we welcome your voices as we make these decisions.
Sincerely,
Susan Dietrich
Chair, Medway School Committee