Regional School Committee last night
Unlike the strong skepticism expressed at their meeting two weeks ago, perhaps brought on by the mad rush to seek approval in time for this year's Town Meeting season, last night the Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee expressed optimism over the prospect of regionalizing the current grades 7-12 all the way down to preK through 6th grade.
Amherst School Committee member Rick Hood started off the one-hour discussion saying they should "keep working" on the project (after more than three years of committee work culminating with the Regional Agreement Working Group final report) especially if it allows a future "on ramp" for any town, like Shutesbury, who is not yet ready to make the leap.
In order for the educational expansion to happen all four towns via their Town Meeting must approve amending the current 60-year-old Regional Agreement but then one or two could vote not to join at the current time.
RAWG member Kip Fronsh appeared at Public Comment period to lobby for Regionalization
Mr. Hood cited the $600,000 savings figure saying, "It's a big deal, if it's real." A sentiment echoed later by other committee members. Although Shutesbury member Steve Sullivan pointed out that financial projection "was old" and a study should be done for fresher figures.
Governance is still a major stumbling block with members expressing skepticism over a 13 member supersized Regional School Committee (7 from Amherst and 2 from each of the hilltowns). Rick Hood suggested a RSC of seven member, four from Amherst and one each from Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury.
But other members thought that would be too much work and pressure on a lone town representative to the powerful new committee.
RSC Chair from Pelham Trevor Baptiste said bringing financial sustainability to the Pelham Elementary School was his main objective but it was "debatable" if the money savings was worth it. He liked the idea of district wide elections to the new super-committee because it would "reduce factionalism."
Amilcar Shabazz attending his final meeting via "remote participation" said confidently from Rick Hood's Mac computer: "This can be done."
Committee Chair Baptiste then suggested for RSC meetings over the next year a major bullet point from the Regional Agreement Working Group report be put on the agenda for a 20 minute or so discussion.
And in the near future all three hilltown School Committees be invited in for a discussion.
Marylou Theilman pointed out from the audience that it had been a good, long-overdue discussion but it was shame Amherst Media was not there to cover it, especially since a major criticism of the project has been the lack of public outreach.
The Chair, who has previously touted his respect for "transparency", responded that maybe the reason the conversation/discussion went so well is because officials felt more comfortable without the cameras running.
Hmm ...
13 comments:
The Regional School Committee (SC) meeting wasn't recorded last night?
If that is the case, it is a real disappointment. Many people aren't able to attend SC meetings even if they are interested in the discussion & at least if it's recorded, they can watch them after the fact.
& with regionalization, I am sure that the proponents would like people to be able to see/hear about the benefits. The discussion certainly sounds like it was less positive at the last Regional SC meeting.
Mr. Baptiste is going to have to be the one to speak up for district-wide voting because the conventional wisdom now is that at-large voting is yet another method to disenfranchise minorities.
Now, of course, that may be true or it may not.
The ditch we can drive into runs right along the side of the road, all the way through the process.
Watching recorded school committee meetings is kind of like watching paint dry. The main difference is that in watching paint dry you're not subjected to all the egocentric, pseudo-intellectual bullshit spewed forth from the mouths of committee members who profess to know what's best for everyone but are really the most self-serving bunch of elitist jerks. Me? I'd rather watch the paint dry.
Anon 2:05, best description of Amherst brass, committee members, town meeting members, and the like I've seen!
Yes! Yes! let's have another study! Or 2 or 3. Sheesh!
There does seem to be more bullshit being spewed about in School Committee meetings than in the other boards combined.
Why is that? Could it be that the members are more afraid of each other and of what they don't know about what is actually going on?
Conventional wisdom? There's some plan to disenfranchise minorities? From where does this wisdom come? Why do we continue to pre-judge on the basis of race?
I wouldn't blame the dysfunction of SC meetings completely on the SC members. The administration contributes as well.
Anon 6:45 am,
I'm sorry, bro, but it's already been said in a public forum here! At-large voting disenfranchises minorities, they claim. It may have worked that way in urban areas like Springfield, but who knows about here? But it's been brought up already.
I'm just giving you fair warning: the race issue pops up where you least expect it.
Don't blame me, I'm just the messenger.
No educational benefits for Amherst students and more costs to the Amherst taxpayers to carry the hilltown elementary schools….why are we still talking about this?
Anon 10:30PM Although I agree with your sentiment, you are inaccurate in your syllable count.
Town wide elections (all 4 towns voting together for SC members) sounds great. All Amherst has to do is find one person in each of those towns who will push an Amherst agenda and vote for that person. Then we will have full control over the SC and close or re-organize schools to our hearts content.
Lol 3 syllables, Mario.
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