Councillors support elimination of MCAS test; seek update to repurposing of former high schools

By Neil Zolot

The City Council endorsed passage of ballot Question 2 in the upcoming November election to eliminate the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test (MCAS) as a requirement to graduate from High School in their meeting on Tuesday, October 15. The Question states that “…for a student to receive a high school diploma, the proposed law would require the student to complete coursework certified by the student’s district as demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards…”

Councillor-at-Large Katy Rogers said having MCAS distorts education by requiring teachers to teach to the test.

Councillor-at-Large John Hanlon was the lone dissenting vote. He feels eliminating MCAS lowers academic standards.

The School Committee passed a similar measure on October 7.

In Public Participation, Everett High French teacher Randy Boudreau said students “should not be denied a High School diploma for not being able to pass one test,” in reference to students who pass parts of MCAS but not all. A number of representatives from social service agency La Comunidad also spoke in favor of eliminating MCAS as a graduation requirement, some in Spanish.

Hanlon feels remarks in languages other than English are frustrating because city councillors can’t understand them. An agenda item for the Administration to consider allocating funds to add multilingual translation services to City Council meetings was referred back to the Administration to provide information on funding.

In other matters related to education, the City Council passed proposals presented by City Council President Robert Van Campen for “the Administration to provide the City Council with copies of any lease, rental or operating agreements in effect at the former Everett High School by and between the City and the Broadway Boxing Club and the Elliot Family Resource Center,” which occupy the old High School, 548 Broadway, for which School Superintendent William Hart is requesting $72 million to convert to classroom space for seventh- and eight-graders to relieve overcrowding in neighborhood schools and “for the Administration [to] provide an update on its ongoing efforts to reclaim the former Everett High School for expanded school purposes, including the relocation of certain other non-educational uses within the facility, and the reuse and redevelopment of the former Pope John property,” 888 Broadway, but mostly facing Lafayette Street. In discussion, Van Campen expressed frustration in not receiving the information, which he requested September 9.

In other business, the Council defeated a request to extend the appointment of Mirlande Felissaint as Director of Elections/Registrar until January 5, 2026, primarily on the basis of her lack of experience and infrequency of voting. She will remain in the position until a successor is found.

The Council also approved a request from Trimount and its parent company, Jupiter Power, to install an underground electrical duct bank, inclusive of an electrical transmission line under Alfred, Dexter and Roberts Streets on the site of a proposed energy storage facility planned for Beecham Street, south of Revere Beach Parkway/Route 16 and east of Lower Broadway. The land was the site of an Exxon Gas facility and is currently being remediated by owner the Davis Company. “We need this,” Hans Detweiler of Jupiter told the members. “Like all other utility projects, it has to connect to something and the grid is already strong at the location.”

Approval helps them in their approval process with the state Dept. of Public Utilities and other agencies, but the mayor doesn’t seem to be in agreement with the project, at least not yet, as related by Van Campen, Councillor-at-Large Stephanie Smith and Ward 1 Councillor Wayne Matewsky. “We don’t know where the Administration stands,” Smith admitted.

She thinks representatives for the City of Everett should be present during the permitting process Trimount/Jupiter is pursuing. “If the Mayor isn’t on board with this, we have to consider that,” Matewsky feels.

“Can we invite someone from the Administration to speak on this?” Ward 4 Councillor Holly Garcia asked.

“Let’s vote on what we want,” Ward 6 Councillor Peter Pietrantonio said before the unanimous vote of approval. “This is a technology Everett desperately needs. If the Administration doesn’t want it, that’s their call. They don’t tell us anything anyway.”

In a housekeeping measure, the Council gave final approval to a proposal from Rogers requiring all playing fields in Everett to use environmentally sustainable organic grass instead of artificial turf when possible. Her original proposal on September 23 was to prohibit artificial turf altogether, but it was amended to allow nontoxic turf when appropriate and include involving the Parks Department in the process.

Although Smith voted against the measure September 23 and October 15 on the grounds the Council shouldn’t be dictating the way the City should determine field surfaces and should leave it to professionals in the administration, she nevertheless congratulated Rogers on passing her first piece of legislation.