A Little Guidance

 Alisa Brewer (right) gives SB update report on Regional School District Planning Board

It's not often you see one bureaucracy asking another much bigger bureaucracy in writing to provide mid-course feedback about whether they are on the correct heading.  Almost a private sector kind of thing, to avoid wasting everyones' valuable time.

But it does kind of indicate how this proposed "hybrid" school region is a last minute development.  The main difference in creating a new region (the old idea) vs simply modifying the current regional agreement (the new idea) is that Amherst -- 88% of the region -- will vote on this at an annual Town Meeting rather than a direct ballot vote of the people.

Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury -- since they do not have a representative Town Meeting -- would vote either concept via their open Town Meetings. 

But in Amherst it makes a BIG difference.  Which is all fine, if you trust Amherst Town Meeting.