Bedford School Committee authorizes federal grant signing, flags discipline surge

BEDFORD — May 11, 2026 — Bedford School Committee unanimously authorizes chair to sign federal grant compliance documents covering more than $1.6 million in annual federal spending. Business Administrator Lisa Ambrosio told the board Monday that the district receives approximately $125,000 in Title I, $110,000 in Title II, and $19,000 in Title IV funds annually, with IDEA and preschool grants adding roughly $900,000 more — triggering a mandatory single audit that Ambrosio said came back with a clean, unqualified opinion and no corrective actions. The full consolidated grant application, now subject to a new public comment requirement, is expected at the May 26 meeting, with a state submission deadline of July 1. The board also worked through five interconnected policy revisions — covering academic freedom, staff political activity, and confidential student information — all set to return for a second reading, and heard a discipline report showing Bedford High School alone logged 12 out-of-school suspension incidents for 44 days in April, prompting Chair Susan Adel to note the figures "affirm Dan Morris' comments" about tightening supervision at the high school for the coming year.