Editor's note: Complete write-thru at 3:42, on April 3, 2018. Several pages were missing from the report given to iBerkshires on Monday and corrections have been made in the article to reflect new information. The full report can be found at the bottom of the article.
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee members were "underwhelmed" by a seven-page report that outlined some benefits and concerns over sharing a superintendent with North Adams, but it was enough for them to desire talks with their city counterpart.
After quickly reviewing the District Management Group Shared Superintendent Feasibility Study on Monday, the committee asked to hash out the prospect of a shared administrator further with North Adams.
"No one has really talked, and we haven't had the opportunity to sit down and chat and have an open discussion," Superintendent Robert Putnam said. "I think we can improve everybody's understanding."
Putnam last year announced his retirement at the end of this school year, prompting a search committee to be formed.
The committee agreed to also look at the option of sharing a superintendent with another school district and the North Adams School Committee voted in February to fast-track part of a two-year feasibility study to look specifically at how a shared superintendent, presumably North Adams' Barbara Malkas, might work.
Adams-Cheshire is continuing its superintendent search process alongside this study.
The report outlined some benefits that include strengthening leadership and administrator teams, increasing grant opportunities and reallocating funds toward other priorities, aligning curriculums and sharing specialized services and administrators.
It also mentioned some hurdles and possible mitigations, noting that many stakeholders felt the transition would be irreversible and suggesting that a trial period could be implemented to quell this concern.
Also, the report stated that some stakeholders felt that this direction has not been clearly communicated to them and recommended that all stakeholders clearly informed. The report went on to say that a clear vision for the future of the district needs to be created and shared with the communities, families and students.
It also touched on the significant differences in governance between regional school committee representing two towns and a city school committee whose chairman is the mayor.
"While these differences in governance structures cause additional complexity and a challenge to address, shared superintendents have been in place for decades often including three or more different school committees and governing structures in New England," the report states, using the North Berkshire School Union as an example.
In the school union, Superintendent Jonathan Lev reports to four elementary school committees and a supervisory union committee. However, the makeup of those schools and committee are very similar and very small. Williamstown-Lanesborough schools, on the other hand, ran into difficulties when the regional high school and its two sending schools began sharing administrative staff. They are currently transitioning to a K-12 regional district in part to smooth out those governance problems.
Stakeholders did raise a "pervasive" concern that a shared superintendent would not be able to give both districts the required attention, and that Adams-Cheshire would be most likely to be short-changed. Building trust and setting clear expectations would help to mitigate those concerns, the report states.
"Significant benefits have been identified and thoughtful concerns have been raised," the report's summary reads. "It appears that all of the concerns, however, can be mitigated by thoughtful planning and setting of clear expectations."
Chairman Paul Butler said that he wished the report had more information and did not feel comfortable immediately making a decision.
"I guess I was a little underwhelmed with the contents of the report to be coy," he said. "I think the amount of time we had to look at this has been substantially limited."
A representative from the teachers' association said the union does not have a formal statement on the issue at this time but that teachers have felt out of the loop and that things were moving too quickly.
School Committee member Stephen Vigna agreed and suggested the committee solicit input from teachers, administrators, and community members.
"I think we are limiting this to the School Committee and I think it would be beneficial to get some quick input from the stakeholders," he said. "We want to make sure their concerns are heard."
Butler asked the association president to provide some input before the meeting with North Adams.
Vigna said he thought the School Committee should take the time to look at other options and possibly consider sharing a superintendent with the Berkshire Arts & Technology Public Charter School in Adams. (Vigna says he misspoke and meant North Adams Public Schools.)
The superintendent search committee has already conducted five interviews. Vigna said the plan is to bring final applicants for the School Committee to interview. He said he feared if they move too quickly into an agreement with North Adams, they could miss some good candidates.
School Committee member Darlene Rodowicz agreed but suggested they make a decision before conducting these final interviews.
Butler said a conversation with North Adams officials may reveal some of their concerns and allow an opportunity to look at other ways the two could possibly collaborate.
"At the very least, I think we owe it to ourselves and the city of North Adams to sit down with them in public session and see if, in fact, this will work and that both parties are comfortable," he said.
He added that if the two school districts decide to not share the superintendent this year, it does not mean they have abandoned the idea.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Adams Clerk, Treasurer & Assessor Request Raises
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen has begun a deep review of the fiscal 2026 budget of $19,548,441, up $717,916, or 3.7 percent over this year.
The annual budget workshops started with a preliminary review and presentation of the budget books last week and continued on Tuesday with the Executive, Finance and Technology and General Government sections.
That included the elected town clerk, assessor and treasurer/collector who all asked for a 5 percent raise to start bringing their salaries closer to other department heads and citing increased responsibilities and workloads in their offices.
Each began with reading a statement that they had emailed interim Town Administrator Kenneth Walto, Chair John Duval and Finance Director Ashley Satko on Feb. 27 requesting the raises that would amount to $7,000 total in the budget.
"This 5 percent increase would help to align these three positions with the salaries of the other department heads throughout the town of Adams. The average of these other department positions is approximately $89,000," said Assessor Paula Grover. "It would bring our salaries to $81,933, which is still well below the average salary."
Town Clerk Haley Meczywor said, "this disparity raises questions about fairness and equally, the allocation of resources."
Treasurer Kelly F. Rice noted that raises of between 4 and 10 percent had been given to other departments and positions, above the regular 2 percent cost of living.
The spending plan is up $654,917, or 2.9 percent, over this year. Out-of-district special education tuitions and a 16 percent hike in health insurance are major drivers of the increase.
click for more
Incumbent Joseph J. Nowak will face off against Jay T. Meczywor and Jerome S. Socolof for the two seats up for election on the board. Both seats are for three-year terms.
click for more
The pub was last open in 2018 and there were hopes of finding a potential buyer but none came through and the building hasn't been open since.
click for more
Ashlyn Lesure scored 18 points, and Regan Shea and Emma Meczywor added 15 and 11, respectively, as the Hurricanes successfully defended their 2024 state crown and won the program’s fourth state title in a run that has seen Hoosac Valley go to the state final nine times since 2014. click for more