Where

Esther Howland Chamber, Worcester City Hall (also available virtually by Zoom)

From the posted agenda, as read by AI. The agenda is the official notice; check it before you go.

Recordings of School Committee meetings: WEA-TV, live and archived broadcasts (opens in new tab).

What was decided

The meeting went into executive session to discuss collective bargaining with the Educational Association of Worcester, then reconvened in open session. Consent agenda items, including donations, were approved, and a Carnegie Hall digital curriculum donation was approved in a separate vote. Four public petitions by Joey Ford were referred to the administration, and the Superintendent's evaluation was approved and filed.

Decisions recorded

• Approved the consent agenda, except the Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers digital curriculum donation, 9-0. p. 3page 3 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved the Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers Digital curriculum donation, 9-0. p. 3page 3 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred c&p 6-10 (Ford), concerning a Nelson Place School report, to the Administration, 9-0. p. 4page 4 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred c&p 6-11 (Ford), concerning a public Nelson Place School report, to the Administration, 9-0.
• Referred c&p 6-12 (Ford), concerning outside-counsel spending, to the Administration, 9-0. p. 5page 5 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred c&p 6-13 (Ford), concerning cybersecurity safeguards, to the Administration, 9-0. p. 5page 5 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved the Community-Based Out of School Social and Recreational Program grant of $43,384.50, the RALIE grant of $2,000, 27 prior year payments totaling $101,647.57, and a $20,000 prior year payment for a missed educational level, 9-0. p. 6page 6 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved and filed the 2025-2026 Superintendent summative evaluation, rated Proficient overall, 9-0. p. 6page 6 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved the 2027 School Committee meeting dates, except November 4, 2027, which will be reselected, 9-0. p. 7page 7 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved the Report of the Superintendent Schedule for the 2026-2027 school year, 9-0. p. 7page 7 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Rescheduled the November 5, 2026 meeting to November 12, 2026, 9-0. p. 7page 7 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Referred gb 6-92 (Biancheria), on MassHire services for students, to the Administration, 9-0. p. 7page 7 of the minutes (opens in new tab)
• Approved and filed the change to the IRS mileage reimbursement rate from $0.725/mile to $0.76/mile, 9-0. p. 7page 7 of the minutes (opens in new tab)

The full text is in the city's PDF, linked below.

Minutes posted on Google Drive (PDF, 697 KB). Saved copy (opens in new tab), saved October 27, 2026.

Agenda

The meeting covers contract negotiations and the superintendent's evaluation. It also includes grants, prior year payments, donations, and four petitions from Ford on school placement, outside counsel, and cybersecurity.

Agenda items

• Executive session: contract negotiations with the Educational Association of Worcester, Units A/B
• Executive session: contract negotiations with the Educational Association of Worcester, Paraeducators Unit
• Executive session: review of executive session minutes from the July 16, 2026 meeting
• Consent agenda donations: Prospect Hill Academy Charter School, 953 Amplify Science Student Investigation Notebooks and print materials for grades first through fourth
• Consent agenda donation: Blackstone Watershed Collaborative, forest management tools, supplies, and equipment for the Environmental Technology program at Worcester Technical High School
• Consent agenda donation: Chacharone Properties, space at 220 Barber Avenue for temporary warehouse use
• Consent agenda donation: Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers Digital, curriculum materials, professional development, and digital resources for grades K-2
• Consent agenda cash donations to Worcester Technical High School in memory of Joseph Alfego: $50 (Patricia & Francis Magner), $150 (John Morocco & Telaine Dimatteo), $150 (Elizabeth Defalco & George Defalco Jr), $100 (Donald Speicher & Jill Ann Speicher), $25 (John Evans III & Paula Jeanne Evans), $50 (E Russell Young & Nancy Young), $100 (M. Pope & Co. Fine Jewelers)

Show 18 more items

• Consent agenda: notification of new instructional staff, new non-instructional staff, and resignations/retirements
• Consent agenda: initial filing of recognition and notices of interest to the district or public
• Public comment
• Petition c&p 6-10 (Ford): refer to committees and direct administration to provide an expedited, de-identified report on Nelson Place School placement and transfer decisions for 2026-2027; recommendation is to refer to administration
• Petition c&p 6-11 (Ford): discuss and vote on directing administration to provide an expedited, public, de-identified report on Nelson Place School placement and transfer decisions for 2026-2027; recommendation is to refer to administration
• Petition c&p 6-12 (Ford): discuss and vote on directing administration to provide a public, de-identified report on outside-counsel spending and the practice of involving outside counsel in administrative, educational, or pre-litigation matters; recommendation is to refer to administration
• Petition c&p 6-13 (Ford): discuss and vote on directing administration to provide a public report and proposed corrective action on cybersecurity safeguards, security-incident response, and notification of affected school community members; recommendation is to refer to administration
• Superintendent report: none, due to the superintendent evaluation
• Grant: Community-Based Out of School Social and Recreational Program, $43,384.50
• Grant: Replicating Applied Learning Everywhere (RALIE), $2,000
• Approval of 27 prior year payments totaling $101,647.57
• Prior year payment for missed educational level for a full year employee, $20,000
• gb 6-88 (Petty): summative evaluation of the Superintendent for the 2025-2026 school year; recommendation is to approve and file
• gb 6-89 (Clerk): review and approve School Committee meeting dates for calendar year 2027; recommendation is to approve and file
• gb 6-90 (Administration): approve the Report of the Superintendent schedule for 2026-2027; recommendation is to approve and file
• gb 6-91 (Mayor Petty): reschedule the November 5, 2026 meeting to November 12, 2026; recommendation is to approve and file
• gb 6-92 (Biancheria): request that administration inquire about services through MassHire Worcester Career Center for students seeking jobs or internships; recommendation is to refer to administration
• gb 6-93 (Administration): implement the new IRS mileage reimbursement rate, from $0.725 to $0.76 per mile, as of July 1, 2026; recommendation is to approve and file

The full text is in the city's PDF, linked below.

Agenda posted on Google Drive (PDF, 147 KB). Saved copy (opens in new tab), saved October 27, 2026.

Terms used here

consent agenda

Routine items, such as minutes and reports, voted on together in one motion without discussion. A member can ask to take any of them up separately.

executive session

A part of a public meeting closed to the public. State law allows it only for specific reasons, such as lawsuits, negotiations, or personnel matters.

Open Meeting Law

The state law (M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Sections 18 to 25) that requires public boards to meet in public, post notice of their meetings in advance, and keep minutes.

All the terms in the glossary

Source

This meeting is listed in more than one place: the same board on the same day, and only one listing gives a time. The listings are shown here as one meeting.

• School Committee (opens in new tab), on the city's meeting portal
• School Committee Meeting (opens in new tab), on the school district's website

First recorded by Worcester Publick on October 27, 2026.