Members of Taunton High School's DECA chapter presented a recap of last year and goals for the 2025–26 school year to the school committee on Oct. 1, including membership-growth targets, fundraising goals for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and plans to expand DECA advising at all middle schools.

"Last year, we had 155 district competitors, 45 state competitors and 13 ICDC competitors," Shelby German, DECA president, told the committee as part of a multi-officer presentation. The presentation highlighted that Taunton was the largest DECA chapter in Massachusetts last year and listed alumni now enrolled in college programs.

Officers described specific goals: recruit at least 300 members (including alumni and business/professional sponsors), raise $24,000 total with $20,000 earmarked for Muscular Dystrophy Association, field 10 national competitors, increase social-media views, and achieve 80% member participation in noncompetitive events. The chapter also reported securing five business sponsors in the first month and restructuring officers to distribute responsibilities across a larger leadership team.

Advisers Jesse MacPhail and Molly Sullivan summarized program supports: the high-school advisers will partner with fully staffed middle-school DECA advisers (Freeman, Martin and Parker middle schools) to run a spring middle-school competition and to host transition events for middle-school students visiting the high school. "We have a fully staffed, middle school program," Sullivan said, naming the middle-school advisers the committee will recognize at future events.

DECA's career-development and hospitality teams described plans for resume workshops, virtual business simulation competitions (Knowledge Matters partnership), mock-state events to prepare students for higher-level competition, and monthly middle-school outreach. Finance officers said they will organize at least one fundraiser per month and build a database of local business contacts for future outreach.

Committee members praised the presentation. Chair Dr. DeMello invited the DECA team to take a five-minute recess so the committee and students could take a group photo at committee seats. "You're the important people," he told the students during the exchange.

The presentation also included positive testimonials about the Yondr phone pouch program from a DECA adviser: "The phone and Yonda Pouch thing has been amazing. It's bringing me back to my high school days where people are actually talking," Jesse MacPhail said.

The DECA delegation's plans, fundraising targets and proposed outreach represent an expanded extracurricular program with both competitive and noncompetitive student engagement components for the coming school year.