The Melrose School Committee has changed over the last few years. We currently have regular meetings twice per month. The second Tuesday of the month at 7pm is our Sub Committee Meeting. At this meeting new business is brought up by the sub committee chairs. Any votes taken during this meeting are preliminary votes, and need to be confirmed with a second vote at a Full Committee meeting. The fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 pm is the Full Committee Meeting. There, discussion is continued and second votes are taken as needed. Both of these monthly meetings are held in the Aldermanic Chambers at Melrose City Hall, and they are also televised live on MMTV.

In addition to the two regular monthly meetings, from time to time, there are task force meetings. These are public meetings and are posted in City Hall and on our web site. Our task forces reflect current needs, and meet as needed. These include for example, the Education Task Force, the Gifted and Talented Task Force, and the Athletic Task Force.

2008 is the beginning of the new structure of the Melrose School Committee under the Melrose City Charter. The Committee has been reduced to 7 members, and the Mayor of Melrose is included as one of those members. This has been a welcome change, as we are finding that the inclusion of the Mayor brings the City/School partnership even closer.

As the city and the schools strive to update their Web sites, we are trying to get more information posted, and have it posted in a more timely manner. This work is slow going, but we will continue to improve.

The School Committee has focused recently on providing clearer information about its work, and about the work of the school department. Substantial progress is being made, and more is in the works. If you have suggestions in this area, please contact the sub committee chair of your area of interest. Ms. Golini is the Chair of the Policy and Planning Sub Committee, which handles review of the policies of the School Committee and their implementation, the School Committee self evaluation, and enrollment planning, for example. Ms. Casatelli is the Chair of the Finance and Facilities Sub Committee, which handles the Budget, Monthly Expense Reports and the use of Facilities, for example. Ms. Driscoll is the Chair of the Educational Programs and Personnel Sub Committee, which handles curriculum, staffing, and Superintendent reviews, for example.

The Melrose School Committee's responsibilities are to hire and evaluate the Superintendent, to set the Budget and monitor its application, and to set policy and monitor that they are applied. We welcome input from the public in any of these areas. If we are contacted about a topic, which is not in our jurisdiction, we will gladly refer you to the appropriate person to handle your question.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to another successful year in the Melrose Public Schools.

Kristin Thorp
Chairman
Melrose School Committee