The Cohasset School Committee kicked off its first meeting of the new year on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, by unanimously approving a new capital fund for a regional partner, gratefully accepting nearly $100,000 in donations, and discussing the community's response to the district’s "unplugged" winter break policy for staff. The meeting began with a presentation from Michael Loesch, the executive director of the South Shore Educational Collaborative (SSEC), who requested the committee's support to establish a capital reserve fund. He explained the fund would be built from budget surpluses, not direct contributions, to cover future building repairs or property acquisitions. "The capital reserve fund will allow us really to serve and save in a specific account that can accrue interest over time and help build upon itself to really make sure that we have money available," Mr. Loesch stated. After brief questioning, member Mr. Dial summarized his understanding, saying, "So this is really just the approval for you guys to create an account so that you can better manage your own resources as they come in." The committee then voted on the measure. Motion Made by Mr. Dial to support the establishment of a capital reserve fund at the South Shore Educational Collaborative. Motion Passed 4-0.

Superintendent Dr. Leslie Shannon's report celebrated a successful professional learning day held before the winter break, which featured workshops ranging from "AI for Teachers" to "Taylor Swift, pop star or poet." She also announced a vote to allow the annual town election to be held at Deer Hill School on Saturday, May 9, which passed unanimously. The report sparked a discussion about the district's recent initiative to have an "unplugged" vacation, discouraging non-emergency communication with teachers over the break. While some members noted negative feedback from a few community members, the committee discussed how to better frame the policy in the future. "Maybe it's a matter of packaging," suggested Mr. Squatrito. "It came across as 'don't call your teachers' and maybe instead it should be, 'Hey, look, the teachers on break too. If you have an issue, you email them. Don't expect them to respond.'" Chair Jen Lesky added that connecting the initiative to the district's strategic goals on wellness is key, and that the committee could formalize it as a policy to provide more structure.

The committee also heard an update from Director of Student Services Michael Stapleton, who announced that registration for the Integrated Preschool program for peer role models is now open. The committee later shifted its focus to finances, celebrating the immense generosity of local organizations. The Cohasset Education Foundation (CEF) donated a total of $89,825 to fund projects across the district, including new bike racks, an author visit, and support for the district's "redefining success" work. Following that, the committee accepted a donation of $8,143 from the Parent School Organization (PSO) for items such as fitness center supervision and new recess toys. Member Mr. Evans expressed his gratitude not just for the funds, but for the effort behind them. "I just want to enthusiastically thank people who came up with the ideas and fill out the paperwork," he said, "because it's not zero amount of work to apply for it." The committee passed motions to formally accept both donations.

Before concluding the public portion of the meeting, the budget subcommittee gave a brief update, with Mr. Evans noting, "Times are tight and money is scarce, so we're going to do the best with what we can." Chair Jen Lesky closed the public session with a thank you to the community. "Cohasset, thank you for listening in and participating," she said, before the committee voted to move into a private executive session for collective bargaining purposes. Motion Made by Mr. Dial to move into executive session for reason number two, collective bargaining regarding teachers, not to return to general session at the adjournment of that session, and to adjourn the general session. Motion Passed 4-0.