10-26-26 Groton Board of Education Meeting

At the October 26, 2026 regular meeting of the Groton Board of Education, the board approved several spending items. It approved an $85,000 state Learner Engagement and Attendance grant for Fitch High School, with 85% designated for home visits, and a $50,000 state high-dosage tutoring grant for about 48–50 eighth graders at Groton Middle School. The board also approved three replacement vehicles funded through ECS supplemental funds: a 2027 Ford Transit cargo van listed at $58,393 and two 2027 Ford F-350 trucks with plows listed at $56,878.80 each (the truck amount is unclear in the transcript). FY27 budget transfers were approved; the reported total appears to be $9,741.57, though the transcript’s figure is garbled.

Facilities staff reported ongoing playground work at Mary Morrison School and discussed planned capital work, including $500,000 for Fitch High School HVAC testing and repairs in FY28, Northeast Academy HVAC replacement in FY29, and an $8,000 request for mini-split units at Charles Barnum School. No construction contract award was made. A bid item had received no bids and will need to be rebid; staff also discussed a reported 6% increase from Silver Petrachelli and the need to seek an extension for work extending beyond June 30, 2027. The board approved the Intro to Robotics, Discrete Mathematics, and Investing 101 curricula; robotics-related materials were grant-funded, while Investing 101 was described as having no district cost. Public comments also raised special-education transition services and the Seabird Enterprises/Puffins vocational-training partnership; administrators were reportedly working toward a contract for a student placement, but no contract approval or amount was presented.