Union, Mount Greylock Finalize Agreement for Shared Superintendent
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — School Union 71 and the Mount Greylock Regional School District finalized their agreement with sharing Superintendent Rose P. Ellis on Friday morning.Ellis is now the superintendent of the high and middle schools, in addition to her current leadership post with Lanesborough and Williamstown elementary schools. She signed a three-year contract and will receive a 9.2 percent increase in salary in her first year — from $135,800 to $147,000. Her salary will increase 3 percent each additional year of the agreement.
Regina Dilego, chairman of the Union 71 School Committee, said that, as part of the agreement, Ellis took a decrease in her district travel expenses.
She will move her office location from Williamstown Elementary School to Mount Greylock Regional High School, which will be her central location for the first year of the contract.
"Rose is very excited now that it's finalized," said Dilego. "She can start moving forward. She spent [Friday] packing some of her things to make the move to Mount Greylock. She met with the staff at the high school [Thursday]."
The administrative cost-share plan will be beneficial to all three schools, Dilego said. In superintendent costs alone, Dilego projected the savings will be about $17,000 for Lanesborough Elementary, $30,000 for Williamstown Elementary and $60,000 for Mount Greylock.
Ellis will be primarily working out of Mount Greylock during the next year, in order to, in the words of Greylock School Committee Chairman David Archibald, "come up to speed" with the high school's proceedings. Dilego said Ellis will be available to the elementary schools if any "situation arises" that requires her services.
"Rose is a known entity at the elementary schools. The kids know her," Dilego said. "So when the kids get to the high school, they've got a face they already know."
As part of the administrative agreement between the union and the district, three other positions will be shared: business manager, administrative assistant and special education coordinator. The business manager is slated to be Jennifer Coscia, who currently holds that title at Williamstown Elementary School. Lynne Sadlowski, the executive secretary at WES, has been pegged to be the administrative assistant. Ellis is in negotiations to finalize both of those positions.
Dilego said an advertisement was recently posted for the special education coordinator position.
She also said there are plans to streamline the school committee meetings by scheduling sessions with both the union and district committees present.
