NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — School officials are keeping an eye on enrollment figures that could have a devastating effect on the budget's bottome line.
Superintendent Barbara Malkas told the School Committee last week that the school district was still working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on the final numbers but the news isn't good.
"But as we look at our enrollments we have seen a very precipitous decline," she said. "We are down, approximately 87 students from last year at this time. A good portion of those students have elected home education. We've seen an increase in home education, and we've seen an increase in out migration to private, parochial schools."
This is going to create a "significant challenge" going into the budget season, Malkas continued, based on the Chapter 70 education aid impact a drop of 23 students had last year.
Once the data is validated by the state, she will bring a report to the School Committee. The budget will also be affected by state aid and whether there is potential for another stimulus package.
"We would be better served to start to look at those impacts sooner than later and maybe move our budget calendar up," Malkas said. "This year, knowing that there will be a lot of flux, but that we are in fact going to be facing from some pretty significant challenges."
The committee approved a memorandum of agreement with Dufour Tours that provides some adaptibility should the school district have to switch back to remote. Malkas described it as a continuation of the letter signed with the bus company in the spring.
"Basically, it provides for the contractual requirements for transportation, and then allows for us to engage with Dufour in the event that the district needed to return to fully remote learning on very similarly to what we had in the spring," she said. "And allows them to maintain enough revenue to remain solvent."
It also offers an option two transport a cafeteria manager to deliver grab-and-go food service into the neighborhoods if the schools go remote. This will be used on Wednesdays, which are all remote, and will keep the manager protected from the elements during the winter.
New routes have also been added this year because of the hybrid model of education, two school vans did not pass inspection and a number of van drivers did not renew their contracts.
"This year, they've picked up some additional service for us in those ways without additional cost," Malkas said.
The committee also approved a change in title for the director of curriculum instruction and assessment to assistant superintendent of schools. There is no additional compensation associated with the title change.
"In these in these days of COVID-19, I think many organizations are thinking about succession plans and thinking about what happens when leadership becomes incapacitated in any way," Malkas explained. "And therefore, having a clear line of succession in the event that the superintendent is not capable of meeting his or her duties."
She had reached out to other school districts that had assistant superintendents with the same or similar responsibilities related to curriculum and assessment currently overseen by Kimberly Roberts-Morandi.
"This would be a clear signal to the district and to the community that as the assistant superintendent, she is in fact the designee to the role of superintendent," Malkas said. "So this this change in job title is purely that."
Mayor Thomas Bernard pointed to the city's department organization, saying he knows who's in charge if the police chief or the fire chief is away.
"I think this change is incredibly important for the school district to have a clear line if we need to know who's in charge and the superintendent isn't available," he said. "Looking at the role that the director plays already, so this just formalizes something, it doesn't create another another position."
In other business, the school building committee for the proposed Greylock School renovation will hold its first meeting on Oct. 20. The school district had been invited into the Massachusetts School Building Authority's eligibility phase but any work toward developing a feasibility study was put off because of the pandemic. The final document for the feasibility study is due in May 2021.
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Colegrove Park Recognized as Top 10 School Statewide in Attendance
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Superintendent Barbara Malkas, left, Colegrove Principal Amy Meehan, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Dean of Students Jonathan Slocum pose with the Celtics basketball award on Friday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year.
Tim Connor, assistant director for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's west and central district, arrived with a gold basketball signed by the champion team to reward the students for their achievement.
"An award like this doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of work from all of you, the students, the parents, and especially Ms. Meehan and her wonderful staff, so a big round of applause," said Mayor Jennifer Macksey, after leading the assembly in the gym to chants of "Colegrove rocks!" "I am so proud of this school and the community that all of you have built. So everyone should be really excited about today, and this is an excellent way to start your school."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas asked last year's fifth-graders at Colegrove to join her at the front of the gym for a special applause.
"When we track attendance of all the students in the whole district, these students have the highest attendance rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the entire district," Malkas said. "While all Colegrove students have been recognized as attendance all-stars, these students led the way in being attendance all-stars, so let's give them one more round of applause."
Colegrove switched this year to house Grades 3 to 6, so some of the younger students who helped earn the award are now at Brayton Elementary. However, all three elementary schools open last year saw improvement in attendance.
Schools statewide have been working to reduce chronic absenteeism — the percentage of students missing 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days — which peaked during the pandemic.
Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.
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The Boston Celtics gave gold to Colegrove Park Elementary School on Friday for scoring in the top 10 schools for attendance statewide. The school saw its chronic absenteeism numbers drop by 11 percent last year. click for more