Recap: Jamestown Ratifies Shared Superintendent Rules, Hears Top Test Scores

Jamestown is moving ahead with Narragansett on hiring one superintendent for both districts. The committee ratified the joint body's bylaws by roll call, and the timetable described calls for posting the job in November, reviewing in December and hopefully interviewing in January. A community survey is coming. Staff reported Jamestown ranked first in the state in math, second in English and third in science on last spring's tests. A revised AI use policy had its first reading, and a community meeting on the school facilities plan is set for December 2 at 6 p.m. at Lawn School.

The Jamestown School Committee on Thursday ratified the bylaws of a new joint body that will search for one superintendent to serve both Jamestown and Narragansett, according to the Jamestown School Committee's published meeting recording. The committee also heard that Jamestown students ranked first in Rhode Island in math on last spring's state tests, and took a first look at a revised internet and artificial intelligence use policy.

Vice Chair Drew Allsopp ran the meeting because the committee's chair was absent.

Shared superintendent bylaws ratified The joint body is called the School Committee Union for Shared Superintendency. Committee member Lisa Tuttle said it held its first meeting Monday, with all five members of the Jamestown School Committee and all five members of the Narragansett School Committee present, along with a few members of the public. She said the group approved its bylaws, elected officers and began working out how to collect public feedback, write the job posting and set a timeline.

The current plan is to post the job in November, review applicants in December and, hopefully, interview in January, according to the timetable described at the meeting. Allsopp said Superintendent Katherine Sipala and a Narragansett official were scheduled to meet Friday to finalize the job description and posting.

Allsopp said all 10 union members voted for the bylaws Monday. The chair of the Narragansett School Committee will chair the union for one year, after which a Jamestown representative takes over, Allsopp said. Allsopp is the union's vice chair, and CJ, a Narragansett School Committee member, is its secretary.

The union planned to meet again Monday to discuss how to share information with the public and to review a final draft of a community survey, the vice chair said. "But it's gonna move fast," Allsopp said, and asked residents to watch for the survey.

Later in the meeting, Allsopp said the Jamestown committee itself likely needed to vote to ratify the same bylaws. A member moved to ratify, the motion was seconded, and the committee approved it by roll call, with Joshua Furtado, Allsopp, Tuttle and Christian Cowan each voting aye.

State test results Instructional coach Jenn Kittredge presented results from last spring's Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System, or RICAS, which tests math and English in grades 3 through 8, and the Next Generation Science Assessment, given in grades 5 and 8.

Kittredge said 70.3% of Jamestown students were proficient in English language arts, second in the state. In math, 68.7% were proficient, which she said ranked first in the state. Science proficiency was 67.4%, third in the state. She said the district was more than twice the state proficiency rate in all areas, and that both Melrose School and Lawn School performed at nearly the same high level.

District staff also presented growth figures. In English, 48.7% of district students showed high growth, compared with 30.5% statewide, and 28.2% were exceeding grade level, compared with 4.5% in the state. In math, 38.5% showed high growth, against 30.5% statewide, and 29.3% were exceeding grade level, compared with 5% statewide. In science, 31.4% exceeded their grade span, compared with 14.1% in the state.

Staff said seven of 10 state accountability indicators are based on a few days of testing in the spring, and stressed that the schools are about more than test scores.

What the schools are doing The Melrose School presentation said the school expanded a writing program called Simplify Writing to kindergarten through grade 4 this year after a pilot, and is rolling out new social studies standards and OpenSciEd, a hands-on science curriculum. The presentation said Melrose is holding AI trainings for educators only. "We are not putting AI in front of children at this point," the presentation said.

The Lawn School presentation listed added writing classes, math labs, a seventh-grade boat project with CISF and robotics work in sixth grade. Upcoming events mentioned included the VFW Patriots Pen awards the day before Thanksgiving break and the jazz band playing at the tree lighting, which the presenter said they thought was December 5.

The committee members who spoke praised the results and the teachers. One member said they had misgivings about some of the tests but called the scores "really impressive and a testament to the teachers."

Student presentations Erin Preston, the Melrose School music teacher, showed work from her music engineering class. Second graders recorded a podcast of the Greek myth of King Midas with their own sound effects. Kindergartners built string instruments from recycled materials, inspired by a true story about children in Paraguay who made instruments from a landfill.

At Lawn School, visual arts teacher Steph Smith described a new Design and Engineering class she co-taught with Samira Hakki. Students were asked by their client, Nate Edmunds, to design new pieces for the outdoor checkerboards painted outside the sixth-grade wing during COVID, because the old pieces did not last. The pieces had to work for both checkers and chess and stack for storage.

Seventh graders described prototyping in Tinkercad, a 3D printer and a CNC machine. One class chose knotty red cedar. A student said Liberty Cedar is making the wood and has donated material, and that the set is expected in the spring. Students said each class chose colors for repainting the boards.

Consent agenda The committee approved minutes from its October 8 and October 22 meetings by voice vote. It also approved payment of bills dated June 30, October 13 and October 29 by voice vote. A consent agenda groups routine items for approval together.

AI policy gets first look Samira Hakki presented an updated internet acceptable use policy that adds references to artificial intelligence, including a new section on AI use. This was a first reading, the initial review before any vote. Allsopp said the committee would likely see it again at its next meeting with a chance to approve it.

Hakki said the draft was shared with staff, who were invited to comment, and with parents, who were invited to join an AI task force. She said most comments were about a separate guidance document, which she described as a living document that is not up for a vote. She said the task force would reconvene, likely in November or early December, to see the changes.

One member questioned whether a line saying AI "may not be used to generate assignments submitted as original work" belonged in the policy or in the guidance, noting gray areas such as using AI to clean up writing. Hakki said she could take that back to the group.

Another member raised equity, noting some families can pay for more powerful AI subscriptions. Hakki said the district's focus is on school-provided tools, but that once students are home, "we really don't have a lot of control." A member also asked how the district will keep parents informed; Hakki said the district could share the policy and guidelines and make clear the guidelines can change.

Election congratulations Allsopp congratulated Christian Cowan on winning reelection to another four-year term. The vice chair also congratulated a newly elected member who will join the committee once a swearing-in date is set.

Committee reports The Special Education Local Advisory Committee, or SELAC, has not met this year, a member said, citing low parent interest; Erica Dickson is working to schedule a meeting. The Melrose School Improvement Team meets next on December 10, and the Lawn School Improvement Team on November 19, members reported. The North Kingstown School Committee's next meeting is November 16, a member said.

On facilities, a member said the second community meeting on the district's school facility master plan is Wednesday, December 2, at 6 p.m. at Lawn School, with the design team including CIVIC. A facilities committee that includes town council members, staff and residents meets November 18, the member said.

Nate Edmunds gave the Wellness Committee update. He listed a district-wide DESSA student screener through Branching Minds, the Signs of Suicide curriculum for grades 6 through 8, and a December 1 digital wellness workshop for families, offered with the PTO and supported by a grant put forward by Amanda Bridges.

A member reported on a Legislative Committee meeting with Sen. Dawn Euer and Rep. Alex Finkelman, attended by Sipala, Kittredge, Dickson and Jane Littlefield. The member said the discussion covered the shared superintendent, the state school funding formula and costs for career and technical education, or CTE, and that both legislators were supportive.

The finance report, given by a member, said the Finance Committee met November 4 and that the district still expects to close the 2026 fiscal year with about $130,000 in excess revenue. The member said there are still open questions about how CTE billing will work and that budget season is beginning.

The committee then adjourned.

Residents can attend the facilities master plan community meeting December 2 at 6 p.m. at Lawn School and watch for the shared-superintendent community survey.

Recap: Jamestown Ratifies Shared Superintendent Rules, Hears Top Test Scores

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