ORR District School Committee — October 1, 2026

The Old Rochester Regional District School Committee met in hybrid format on October 1, 2026. The meeting opened with condolences offered to member Michelle Ouellette-Smith following the passing of her husband, Chris Smith. Following a brief tour of campus facilities conducted by Director of Facilities Gene Jones and Food Services Director Jill Hennessy, the committee approved regular session minutes from June 15 and July 1.

Key actions taken during the meeting included approving overnight and out-of-state travel for the DECA club, which includes trips to Quincy, Boston, and Anaheim, California, supported in part by a $50,000 Innovation Career Pathways grant. The committee also formally accepted two donations totaling $2,500—including $2,000 from the Feinstein Foundation—and approved five educational grants totaling over $277,000, funding early education, literacy, civics, and career technical education. Administrators presented opening-of-school reports, covering mental health supports, facility upgrades such as asphalt repaving and gym bleacher replacements, and ALICE school safety drills scheduled for October and November.

During subcommittees and organizational updates, members highlighted the upcoming Tri-Town Education Foundation Gala, which had already raised over $20,000 in sponsorships, and voted to appoint Frances Felice Kearns as the delegate to the annual Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) conference. With no members of the public signed up for public comment, the committee conducted a roll call vote to enter into executive session regarding collective bargaining and legal provisions, adjourning immediately thereafter.

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