CHESHIRE, Mass. — Adams-Cheshire Regional School District administration reported that the school year started successfully.

 

Superintendent Robert Putnam told the School Committee on Monday that the transition to a two-school district was a success and that the school year so far is running smoothly.

 

"Everyone that works for the district successfully managed a major physical and educational reconfiguration through their dedication, hard work and commitment to families of our district," Putnam said. "I have done this before…and I have to say this one went well."

 

He said both teachers and other employees are adapting to the new buildings and new positions and students have reacted positively to new STEM intensive courses.

 

Putnam acknowledged that the district is still working out the kinks in the new bus routes. 

 

"New bus routes were created over the summer and they are improving each day but there are still some issues," Putnam said. "We have been in school eight days and the busing in the morning works but in the afternoon most things work." 

 

He said the major issue is with the St. Stanislaus School and the prekindergarten bus routes. The district is working with Dufour bus company to fix the problem.

 

The closure of Cheshire Elementary School at the end of last year lead to the reconfiguration: all children in prekindergarten through Grade 3 were moved to Hoosac Valley Elementary (formerly Plunkett), and the middle school at Hoosac Valley High School was expanded to include Grades 4 and 5. 

 

Putnam noted that a threat to Hoosac Valley posted via Facebook added a few hiccups to the first week of school however with the help of local law enforcement, a safety plan was implemented and school opened as scheduled.

 

"The police presence continued through Friday when word was received that the individual who made the threat was taken into custody in another state where he remains there to this very day," Putnam said. "The school district is deeply thankful for the guidance and support provided by the Adams, Cheshire and State Police Departments." 

 

The individual has been identified as Troy Goodermote-Klein, 20, a former Hoosac Valley student who was arrested in Texas.

 

Later in the meeting, the School Committee added a provision to the substitute nurse salary that would allow nurses who stay on the job for 10 days to get a bump in salary from $25 an hour to $33.65 an hour.

 

Putnam said the district has a hard time finding substitute nurses and with a nurse out on maternity leave, the district is in need. 

 

"Our rate is higher than all our neighbors and it is only surpassed by Martha's Vineyard and Wellesley," Putnam said. "Yet despite that, we have a difficult time attracting substitute nurses."

 

Putnam went over some preliminary enrollment numbers and said currently the district is down 71 students from 1,317 to 1,246. Forty-six of those students moved out of the district to other communities. 

 

The committee asked for a more detailed breakdown of where the students went and what grade level they are in.

 

Toward the end of the meeting, Putnam unrolled the district turnaround plan that he hopes will improve the district test scores and instruction.

 

He said the plan will create leadership teams within each school, improve instruction, increase student supports and improve school culture.

 

"My hope is that this helps us go further with many of the things we are already doing," he said. 

 

Before adjourning, the School Committee voted to accept a $4,000 donation from General Dynamics. $2,000 was used at the elementary school for a wild life sanctuary program and $2,000 will be used at the middle and high school level for science, technology, engineering and math programming.