District News

The Barnstable School Committee recently heard a presentation regarding the multiple facets of school safety led by our Executive Director for SEL and Student Services, Mary Beth Taylor, and members of our School Resource Officer Team - Officers Ross, Stampfl, and Downs. We have been planning to share this update, since the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 District Improvement Plan both have school safety initiatives and improvements on which we have taken action.

There presentation went into additional details about the school safety measures we have in place, which are available for your review on our school safety website. The website contains a lot more information about our Threat Assessment Protocol (CSTAG) and Standard Response Protocol. There are videos and handouts for families, and most of these resources are available in multiple languages.

The presentation can be viewed at the Town of Barnstable video on demand site. The safety presentation begins at 1:40:00

When issues arise, we aim to communicate in a timely and transparent way. While there are details we can not disclose due to personnel or student privacy laws, I hope that having information like this up front lets you know know that response procedures are. It is VERY important that your contact information is up to date in ASPEN, our student management system. Please do NOT opt out of receiving our calls, texts, or email messages as this is our primary way to communicate directly with you. Please contact your child's school to OPT BACK IN to receive our messages, including our emergency notifications.

Safety is a task for everyone. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office, a building administrator, or a member of the School Resource Officer team so that we may address your concerns.

In order to best serve, support, and protect students, parents/guardians are required to annually update each student’s personal and medical information. Families who have not yet done so, will be contacted directly from the school.

For the safety of our students, this once a year on-line process is necessary in order for the school to have accurate, important student information, such as addresses, phone numbers, emergency contacts, and medical needs. However, if any information about the student changes later, parents/guardians can complete the process at any time throughout the year.

For more information on how to complete the annual update, please visit https://www.barnstable.k12.ma.us/link-2/update-student-information

We encourage you NOT to opt out of our communications. We are required by law to offer you the opportunity to do so, but in doing so, you opt out of everything we send. We do try to streamline and limit communications. We do not share promotions or spam, using a "virtual backpack" and our social media accounts to share appropriate items of interest to school-aged families.

Each month, we will spotlight a different building, identifying its size, population, major projects, and relevant facilities associated costs so that our community can be more informed about issues and progress.

Total GSF: 198,805sf, Second largest school in the BPS District

Population:

Student enrollment: Approx. 585+/- students

Teachers and staff: Approx. 124 +/-

Facilities Projects recently Completed at BIS:

• Updated Generator and new Automatic Switch Gear spring of 2025
• New Fence around the Generator
• Replaced Library Carpet with new carpet tiles- summer 2025
• Interior wall resurfacing along some exterior walls along the east wall on the second floor- summer/fall of 2025
• Finalized and awarded HVAC contract

Facilities Projects planned for 2025/2026:

• Milling and repaving the front apron along the curb along the front of the school to address the puddling and water drain off. Approx. 20 ft out by 200 ft long
• Complete replacement of roof top HVAC units, including new VAV boxes (variable air velocity boxes) exhaust fans and cleaning all ductwork and vents.
• Project engineering and ordering is underway, minor interior work may begin spring of ‘26 roof top unit placement late spring earlier summer 2026 to limit school disruption.
• Door and Hardware replacement of approx. 18-20 exterior doors.
• Front main entrance vestibule work, involving adding glass partition walls and new flooring to create a proper visitor management system and set up
• Gym Floor replacement- been moved to summer 2026

• New Roof over entire school- waiting to hear back from MSBA before moving forward. Roof is in desperate need of replacing.
• New PA system, part of District wide upgrade
• JV and softball fields redesign and engineering- drawings by spring 2026

The District is proposing the following Capital Projects for FY 27. They will be sent to the Town's CIP Taskforce for review and consideration as part of the overall Town Capital Plan. Recommended projects go to Town Council in April for a public hearing and approval.

Additionally, the District is currently waiting to hear back from the MSBA to learn if they will accept the BIS and BHS roof projects into their accelerated repair program. This program would provide state funding to help support these efforts.

CIP Requests Being Presented for FY27

1 BHS Exterior Shell Entire Roof Replacement $13,370,000

2 BUE HVAC Complete new HVAC $10,700,000

3 BPS Mech BPS Mechanical Upgrades Y3 $250,000

4 BPS HVAC BPS HVAC Repairs & Upgrades Y2 $250,000

5 BHS Interior Shell Locker room renovations Y2 $300,000

6 BPS Infrastructure Network equipment replace/switches Y2 $165,000

7 BPS Infrastructure Security Camera upgrades & Maint. Y2 $225,000

8 BPS Exterior Shell Masonry Repairs $350,000

9 BPS HVAC Digital Controls Upgrade Y2 $850,000

10 BPS Grounds Paving, Patch Parking/Drives $703,000

11 BIS Exterior Shell Entire Roof Replacement $4,400,000

Total $$ being requested for FY 27: $31,563,000

Foster Parents Needed

There is a desperate need for foster homes on Cape Cod. If parents are unable to care for their children, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) tries to locate a family member able to help. If that is not possible, children are temporarily placed in foster care. Unfortunately, there are very few homes available on Cape Cod, so siblings may need to be split up and children are often placed off-Cape which can be very disruptive to their friendships and schooling. If a neighbor, coach, or someone else known to the child steps forward, DCF will try to fast-track the approval process.

Please help spread the word that DCF is actively recruiting for Cape Cod Foster Homes:

• You can be single, married, partnered, divorced or widowed.
• You can rent or own a home.
• Diverse backgrounds and multi-lingual families are needed.

Foster parents receive training, support, and resources. The rewards of providing a safe, secure home that enables a child the chance to heal is immeasurable. For more information, contact Courtney Davis at 508-894-3700 or email courtney.davis@mass.gov You can also visit their website at

https://www.mass.gov/foster-care

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce that our free Parenting Solutions Library is now available in Spanish. MPY is offering this valuable resource in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit organization located in Mansfield, Connecticut.

Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive. The video trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change.