Orleans School Committee Elects Roache Chair, Advances Policy and Budget Reviews

ORLEANS -- June 8, 2026, Orleans Elementary School Committee reorganized for 2026-27, elected officers, and grappled with unresolved year-end special education funding questions at its June 8 meeting. Superintendent Sandra Roache was unanimously re-elected chair and Kathy McMurray was named vice chair; Ron Collins, the committee's newest member, was introduced and assigned alternate warrant authorizer duties. New Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Beth Regalbuto, on her sixth day in the role, presented an expenditure report through May 31 that left several items unresolved: a $138,000 special education stabilization fund draw approved by the Select Board in May fell approximately $5,000 short of the district's combined out-of-district tuition cost of $71,000 and transportation cost of $69,000, and Title I funds routed to the town rather than the district require a separate resolution with town officials. Special Education Director Matt Kravitz reported that a state Integrated Monitoring Review audit issued one special education finding, requiring dual licensure for pre-K teachers serving students with disabilities, and five civil rights findings, mostly policy and procedure updates; a corrective action plan is due to the state June 25. The committee completed a second reading and approved policy sections I, J, K, and L, completing a multi-year MASC-led policy manual review, and received first readings of updated student absence, visitor, student records, and homeschooling policies, which will return for a second read and vote at the fall joint school committee meeting.