School Ban Battle Escalates

Aisha Hiza (overcoming obstacles)

It has now been 10 weeks since a stay away order was summarily imposed on Aisha Hiza after she repeatedly demanded Pelham School officials find a way to keep her young daughter safe from bullying.

Last month, after media inquiries, Superintendent Maria Geryk stated she would not release any information unless Aisha Hiza signed a release, which her attorney advised her not to do.

And thus far she has not signed such a release.

But on Friday, Amherst Regional Public School officials broke their silence on this sad affair ... and it did not take long for Aisha to respond (scroll down Scribd document for her response).

   School Ban War of Words

Click headline "School Ban War of Words" to go to Scribd to better read documents

Amherst Regional Public Schools Superintendent Maria Geryk

The Shunning Continues

Black Scholars Rising Celebration

Last night's Black Scholars Rising celebration in the Amherst Regional Middle School auditorium was better attended than the most recent Town Meeting sessions held there as hundreds of friends, families, students, civic leaders and school officials came together to celebrate the miracle of education.

Notably absent, however, was a proud black single mother trying to do her best for a young daughter.

The stay away order issued against Aisha Hiza on March 15 is still in effect, although apparently some school officials were not overly concerned that she would turn into a ninja/zombie with an AK47.

Either way, Superintendent Maria Geryk didn't go out of her way to make Aisha comfortable ... and an opportunity for healing was lost.

"It's just one more thing," said Aisha.

Aisha Hiza Emails to ARPS

Support For Aisha Grows

Aisha Hiza (left), Vira Douangmany Cage (right)

Amherst School Committee member and candidate for Ellen Story's 3rd Hampshire District state legislature seat Vira Douangmany Cage has come out in full public support for Aisha Hiza, the single mom summarily banned from ALL Amherst Regional PUBLIC School property by Superintendent Maria Geryk for actively advocating on behalf of her bullied child.

 Click to enlarge/read

Ironically, and even more tellingly, Vira Douangmany Cage is Chair of the School Equity Task Force subcommittee.

And one thing for sure lacking in this deleterious debacle is "equity."

One is the Loneliest Number

Fort River Elementary School 

The revolving door for principals in the Amherst Public School System is certainly not slowing down any.  Two more announced their departures just in the past six weeks, each with only two years at the helm.

And some parents were not overly happy with the process to replace Bobbie Finocchio at Fort River School.

Out of three finalists only one remained (Doreen Cunningham) as Patty Bode, one of the finalists, was just assigned interim Principal of the Regional Middle School to replace Marisa Mendonsa.

   Fort River Principal Finalist Letter

Update:  They changed their minds

The Select  Board hired Bernie Lynch, a professional headhunter, who instituted a nationwide search for our new Town Manager.  Out of 45 good resumes a committee whittled it down to three and even though one dropped out at the last minute the Select Board still had two excellent candidates to chose from.

Although if they don't make an announcement tonight at Town Meeting about their chosen candidate, Maria Capriola, people are going to start wondering if she changed her mind.

Unlike the Town Manager search this school principal search has thus far involved far less public input.  Anointing the only remaining candidate could breed even more mistrust, making an already challenging job untenable.

The administration figured that out.  According to HR Director Kathy Mazur they are going to do a do over:

 Click to enlarge/read

Fallout Continues

Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee last night

The Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee went into executive session at the start of their regularly scheduled 6:00 PM meeting last night, presumably to discuss the situation surrounding embattled School Superintendent Maria Geryk who was present, as was an attorney from Gini Tate's law firm, Tom Colomb.

 Former Select Board member and retired teacher Judy Brooks asks about bullying programs

The agenda called for only one hour but the committee stayed in seclusion for twice that, coming back into open session at 8:14 PM.

The agenda also called for a discussion of "stay away orders" but that was put off to a later date.

 Patient audience who waited out the 2 hour executive session

The current controversy started when Maria Geryk issued a stay away order to single mom Aisha Hiza, banning her from all Regional school property for advocating on behalf of her bullied child who attends Pelham Elementary School.

The Pelham School Committee also went into executive session last week to discuss the matter.

Real Money

Amherst School Committee in front of Town Meeting

Once again Amherst Town Meeting spent relatively little time on the BIG ticket item -- the town's share of a $31 million Regional School Budget -- and too much time on a $20,000 item to hire a consultant to rewrite our zoning bylaw governing signage, something the business community would welcome.

The #1 problem faced by the Region (grades 7-12) is pretty much the same as the Elementary Schools:  those darn competing Charter Schools attracting away our students at a penalty cost of around $18,000 per student.

For the upcoming year that's 103 students to Charters and 57 to Vocational Schools, or an eventual cost of almost $3 million.

Total enrollment in the Region is projected to be 1,382 students, which is down 495 from ten years ago.  And the majority of that loss in not simply due to declining school age population since a total of 299 of our students have chosen to opt out of our public schools: Choice, Charter, Private, Vocation, Home Schooled.

In response to a suggestion from Town Meeting member Julie Rueschemeyer School Superintendent Maria Geryk said she would be happy to create a committee to discuss the impact of Charter Schools and how to better compete with them.

She candidly admitted, "It's a struggle.  We are losing a substantial number of students.  And if the state lifts the cap on Charters, it will get worse."

After a total of only 45 minutes Town Meeting overwhelmingly passed the $31 million Regional Budget.

Amherst Town Meeting is not overly fond of consultants and has never been known for being pro business.   So it was hardly surprising the $20,000 line item for a consultant to rewrite the sign bylaw stimulated a half hour discussion leading to its defeat -- probably the only cut we will see in a $86.6 million budget.

Ironically enough the #1 rule of business is the answer to the great challenge our public schools face from Charter and Vocational competition:  Customer satisfaction. 

A Growing Storm

Maria Geryk at 3/31 Finance Committee meeting with Mike Morris, Sean Mangano

Embattled School Superintendent Maria Geryk is apparently on the agenda for an executive session with the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee next week, presumably to discuss a charge lodged against her by single-mom parent Aisha Hiza who was trespassed from all Regional School property by the Superintendent on March 15th after advocating for her bullied child.

 Click to enlarge/read

Last night the Pelham School Committee went into executive session to discuss the matter.  Maria Geryk did show up for that but only after the Committee had gone into the protective cocoon of an executives session.

 Pelham School Committee went into executive session.  Chair Tara Luce recused herself

The last time Maria Geryk appeared in a public meeting was back on March 31st at the Finance Committee meeting with Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris and Finance Director Sean Mangano to speak against Article 38.

That citizens petition article requests $40K to fund cost estimates for renovating two elementary schools rather than blindly supporting one new mega school.

Two weeks later the Finance Committee continued discussion of Article 38 with Morris and Mangano present, but not Geryk.

And on Wednesday night for the first time in her five-year tenure as Superintendent she was MIA on the floor of Town Meeting when the Elementary School budget was presented and voted on.

   Maria Geryk ARPS Superintendent contract by Larry Kelley

"Narcissistic and Self-aggrandizing"?

Regional School Committee Chair Trevor Baptiste (rt) Maria Geryk (left)

The past 25 years of requesting Public Documents has illuminated some interesting written exchanges, but none quite compare to this one, which takes the cake -- icing, candles and all.

Did Superintendent Maria Geryk overreact by banning single-mom Aisha Hiza from all Regional School property back in March for advocating for her bullied elementary school aged child?   Well, yes.

Is it wise to threaten the Regional School Committee Chair for allowing public comment to take place during the "public comment" period?  Probably not.

As my Chinese friends would say with a tinge of snark:  "May you live in interesting times."

   Legal Threat to RSC Chair

The Little Things

Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris presented to Town Meeting for Superintendent Maria Geryk who was sick

Amherst Town Meeting spent over an hour discussing the $22 million Elementary School Budget before overwhelmingly approving it, which is better attention than usual.  But a little over half that time was spent on a last minute motion adding $30,000 (.00136%) for three library paraprofessionals. 

Almost makes you wonder if the School Committee and administration does that on purpose as kind of a false flag operation to distract Town Meeting from talking about the real problems with our schools:  declining enrollments due to Charter Schools and one of the highest average costs per student in the region.

Not to mention the Holy Grail issue of expanding the four-town Region all the way down to K-6th grade and the not terribly bright prospects of a $66 million new mega school replacing two aging elementary schools and majorly impacting a third.

Wag the dog anyone?

The High Cost Of Education

Wildwood Elementary School, built 1972, 108,000 square feet

The first of four major building projects will come up for a vote this fall where a debt exclusion override will require a two-thirds vote of support from Town Meeting and then ballot approval by town voters at the  November 8th Presidential election, which always has a huge turnout.

School officials and concerned parents will get a preliminary glimpse, however, of how those votes will go by watching the fate of Article 38 coming up on the Annual Town Meeting that starts May 2nd.

 Click to enlarge/read

Fort River School, built 1973, 108,000 square feet

If Town Meeting approves the $40,000 to go back and restudy the costs of renovating Fort River and Wildwood Elementary schools rather than simply supporting the new $66 million mega school it will certainly send a message of distrust about the way the building project has been handled thus far.

 Crocker Farm School, built 1974 but renovated 2002 to a total of 90,800 square feet

And if you don't trust officials trying to sell you a $33 million building Override by raising your taxes for the next 30 years, that alone becomes reason to vote no.

   Amherst School Renovations Costs?

School Consolidation? Park it

Kathy Mazur tells RSC it's back to the drawing board on school consolidation

The Amherst Regional School Committee heard a defeatist update from HR Director Kathy Mazur, who was charged with scoping out the merging of Middle School students into the High School building, which represented a complete turn around from her optimistic presentation back in late January projecting annual cost savings of $800,000.

The High School was expanded/renovated 20 years ago and has a current capacity of 1,700 while the projected population of both High School and Middle School grades 7-12 this coming September is only 1,340.

But Ms. Mazur said after viewing comments from over 960 individuals she has changed her mind:

"There are very few grades 7-12 schools in Mass with over 1,000 kids.   It's a LOT of students.  Our cafeteria is challenged now."

Mazur said there was "great interest" from a variety of groups in reusing the building, but the Region cannot make a profit by renting out space.

The Middle School is currently used by Greenfield Community College after regular school hours and the town's Leisure Services and Supplemental Education recently moved into an unused portion of the building.

Mega School Update

New school footprint would shift to the rear of current Wildwood location

A couple dozen concerned parents/guardians showed up last night to the Regional Middle School for a public forum on the Wildwood School Building project, which of course now includes Fort River School under the same roof.

 30 people total at the forum, about one-third of them town officials

Although proponents are quick to point out the footprint of the new two story mega school will actually be smaller than the current footprint of Wildwood alone.

Wildwood Building Committee

The Wildwood Building Committee had convened a couple hours earlier to hear the same presentation from the consultants, although only 12 of the 22 members were in attendance.  

Both newly elected School Committee members were in attendance, Laura Kent as a participating member of the Building Committee and Anastasia Ordonez in the audience.

Although when Ms. Ordonez tried to interact she was shushed by School Committee Chair Katherine Appy because her presence constituted a Committee quorum and it had not been posted as a public meeting.

The consultants confirmed the project was still on track for an Massachusetts School Building Authority September meeting to approve the schematic design and their May meeting for an overall approval which garners a 55% or so reimbursement rate on the $64.4 million overall costs.

 Wildwood Building current cost estimates

Amherst officials will then bring a Debt Exclusion Override to Town Meeting in November for approval of the $30.6 million town share of the costs.  That requires a two-thirds vote of Town Meeting, and then a majority of the Select Board must agree to place it on the local election ballot for town wide approval.

At Monday night's Select Board meeting Chair Alisa Brewer skewered Doug Slaughter over his final report of the Joint Capital Planning Committee to Town Meeting for showing a Debt Exclusion Override on the immediate horizon to fund Wildwood while also showing both Jones Library expansion and new DPW building, but not even mentioning the South Fire Station.

The town is looking at over $100 million in costs for the four major upcoming building projects -- Wildwood, Jones Library, DPW, and Fire Station -- and so far no BIG picture plan has been formulated to fund them.

If the Wildwood School Building project manages to negotiate the challenging funding gauntlet ahead the plan is to use decommissioned Fort River School property as a location for the new $30 million DPW building.   And the old decommissioned DPW on South Pleasant Street would become the location for the new South Fire Station.

Gray area in front of new building is current footprint of Wildwood.  Hawthorn on far left

The current plan for Wildwood construction is to build half the building behind Wildwood,  move students into it and then demolish the original building.  Phase 2 would be the second half of the new building, with students from Fort River moving in upon completion.

Playing areas for the children are a concern since the topography of Wildwood is hilly and a fair amount of pavement is required to handle the 23 buses needed for transportation.

The current schematic shows use of the Hawthorn property, although that too is hilly and will require expensive landscaping not currently in the $64.4 million school building budget.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris also said a "land use agreement" could be worked out with the Regional School District for use of the adjacent Middle School playing fields.

Two schools will share kitchen and gymnasium

Another Principal Resigns

Fort River could merge into a mega school if a $30+ million Override passes in November

Well today certainly has been a day for high profile resignations, first the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and now the Fort River Elementary School principal.

I've lost count of how many principals have left the Amherst school system over the past six or seven years but suffice it to say, a LOT.

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On A Wing & A Prayer

Wildwood is limping through the winter with only one functional boiler

Yesterday's disclosure by Town/Schools Facilities Director Ron Bonohowicz at the Joint Capital Planning Committee meeting reminded me of those stories you read a generation or two later about how close we came to a major catastrophe and only by shear luck survived.

Three years ago Town Meeting approved spending $400,000 for two new boilers at Wildwood Elementary School that were requiring constant maintenance.  The two boilers were originally installed at time of construction circa 1970.

But the new boilers were never installed because the Mass School Building Authority invited the town to do a $1 million study to help lead to a new or renovated elementary school with 60% state funding.

The town repurposed the $400K boiler expenditure to cover our share of the Wildwood school feasibility study, that has now grown into a $65+ million twin schools under one roof scenario.

Mr. Bohonowicz is requesting $20,000 to repair one of the boilers that is now shut down due to significant problems that has kept it idle all winter.

The dead boiler is somewhat redundant, but was designed to assist the other boiler during a sustained cold stretch, which is certainly not uncommon in New England.

Fortunately the Arctic stretch we had in mid-February that burst pipes all over town occurred over a long weekend when Wildwood only needed minimum heating (55 degrees) rather than operational temperatures (68-72 degrees).

Failure of the second boiler at Wildwood would result in no school for as long as it takes to fix the unit.  And parts are hard to come by.  A complete catastrophic failure would take months to replace.

In the meantime they could bring in a temporary furnace and connect it like a generator, or borrow one of the three heating units at the Middle School.  Although that would require permission of the Regional School Committee.

All of which is disruptive to the education process at Wildwood Elementary School.  So let's hope the town appropriates the $20k in repairs.   And that spring comes early.

A peaceful 4 Town Meeting

Maria Geryk, ARPS Superintendent

Representatives of all fours towns in the Amherst Regional Public School District met this beautiful Saturday morning for not much more than an hour to hear from the administration about the FY17 budget, up 2.6% over last year, and to hear updates about expanding Regionalization all the way down to preK-6th, and consolidating Regional Middle School students into the Regional High School.

 Amherst Assistant and Temp Town Manager Dave Ziomek, Peter Hechenbleikner attended

There was not much to update on those last two items since the Regional School Committee voted on Thursday to delay for a year the expanded Regionalization and last month voted to delay school consolidations.

Mainly because Amherst has so much on their plate at the moment, with the new $65+ million 2-in-1 mega school currently on the fast track.

 Always colorful Trevor Baptiste, Chair of the Regional School Committee (standing)

But Kathy Mazur did give a brief presentation pointing out the previous high water mark for enrollment at the Middle and High schools was 2,000 total, and September's projected total occupancy is only 1300.  The High School has a capacity of 1,700 or way more room for all the current students in the Region.

Spectators included State Rep & School Committee candidates and that rarest of breeds, a print reporter

Mazur estimated the savings to the Region after consolidation comes to $800,000.

Administrators wish to form working groups from all four towns to discuss the assessment method, merging the Middle School into High School, and what to do with the Middle School after it becomes surplus to the Region's academic needs, plus the enormous capital costs coming up in the not so distant future.

Ms. Mazur pointed out there's great interest in repurposing the Middle School building for the arts as well as space for Amherst Media, Greenfield Community College and the Amherst Boys & Girls Club.

Amherst's recreation department (LSSE) is already moving in to a 3,500 square foot space next month in the rear of the Middle School.

Regional Middle School (bottom center) Amherst Wildwood Elementary (top)

Of course Amherst taxpayers may wonder why they are financing essentially two new elementary schools to replace both Wildwood and Fort River when this building is a Frisbee throw away from Wildwood.

After an hour of mostly cordial discussion Superintendent Maria Geryk came to the key sales closing asking each town, "Will you pay your assessment?"

They all said yes.  Of course now all four Town Meetings also have to approve.

Regional School Expansion Delayed Again

Regional School Committee, 9 members from 4 towns (5 of them Amherst)

The four year slog to expanding the four town regional public school education system from grades 7-12 all the way down to pre-K-6 will just have to wait another year, as the Regional School Committee voted this evening to suspend discussion of the matter until January, 2017.

Katherine Appy, Amherst School Committee Chair and major cheerleader for expanded Regionalization, said Amherst simply has too much going on with a proposed new mega school and consolidation of the Middle School students into the High School.

The vote was 7-2 in favor of the delay with Vira Douangmany Cage and Stephen Sullivan voting no.

Mr. Sullivan, a Shutesbury representative, said this delay was unfair to three other towns who are members of Union 28 -- Wendell, Erving and New Salem -- aligned with Leverett and Shutesbury at grades K-6.  This delay leaves them in limbo for another year.

Furthermore, Sullivan announced Shutesbury public officials (Select Board, Finance and School Committees) will recommend their Town Meeting vote "No" on both questions concerning Regionalization.

The first question asks if voters will approve the Regional Agreement be amended to allow for the expansion of the Region, and the second question asks if you wish your town to join.  All four towns must vote "Yes" to the first question or the entire endeavor fails.

So tonight's School Committee vote to delay is really only a stay of execution.

Regional School Expansion Showdown

Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury make up the Region

After almost four years of behind the scenes discussion that included two sub-committees made up representative from the four towns the Amherst Regional School Committee will vote tonight on expanding the current 7-12 Region (middle and high school) all the way down to pre-K through 6th grade.

And even though Amherst provides over 80% of the students -- and funding -- the five member Amherst School Committee only has 55.5% say in the nine member Regional School Committee.

The agenda only shows 20 minutes for the discussion vote (7:40 PM - 8:00 PM) so it's probably already a done deal.

Taking On Water

Maria Geryk, Sean Mangano, Mike Morris at last night's Finance Committee meeting

Amherst school officials gave the Finance Committee a sneak peak at their fiscal 2017 Elementary and Regional School budgets, both of which are described as "level services," and both of which require sizable cuts simply to attain that treading water status quo:

$428,897 from the elementary schools and  $280,823 from the Region.

 Charter Schools cost as much as employee Step/COLA and projected raises next year on Elementary budget Control Accounts

And in both cases the number one cause of budget strain comes from the competitive drain of students by Charter Schools, mainly Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, which is now a full service grades 1-12 enterprise.

 PVCIC recently added $10 million building addition

For the Region (grades 7-12) this year that includes 90 students and at the elementary level another 86 -- all of them at the high average cost per student, where Amherst is in the top 10% statewide.

 Charter School impact on Amherst elementary schools

If a student leaves Amherst via Choice it only costs us $5,000 but if they go to a Charter School or Vocational School it costs us $18,000.

And to make matters worse the state is considering lifting the cap on Charter Schools while reducing dramatically the reimbursement formula to public schools who lose students to Charters.

All in all a lose/lose proposition for an already ailing public school system once the proud flagship of education in the Happy Valley.

PVCIC recently added a $10 million addition to their nearby facility while Amherst is gambling on a two-for-one mega school that could very well be turned down by the voters because of expense, adding significant costs to Amherst's already sky high property tax burden.

School  Library supporters crashed the FinCom meeting

About a half-dozen disgruntled citizens showed up to the Finance Committee meeting last night to complain about the 3 library paraprofessionals facing the budget ax, but Chair Kay Moran told them the Finance Committee has no line item authority and simply votes the bottom line provided by School Administration.

$40,000 was recently shifted from the elementary schools operating budget to capital (paid by the town) so that alone will cover half the cost of the three library paras if approved by Town Meeting.

And the town did recently renew the lousy 3.5 year "Strategic Partnership" with UMass that provided $60,000 this current year and $120,000 next year in reimbursement money for the 56 students in our expensive public schools coming from tax exempt family housing at UMass.

School Committee candidate Vince O'Connor will be filing a "citizens petition" for Town Meeting calling for greater Payment In Lieu Of Taxes from all three institutes of higher education who dominate day-to-day existence in our little "college town."

 Comparison of local public schools losses to Charter Schools (Amherst second from lowest)

Library Lament

Large crowd of parents/guardians/staff/volunteers turned out tonight to protest library cutbacks

The Amherst School Committee didn't need tea leaves to read the consternation caused by the proposed axing of one paraprofessional library assistant at all three elementary schools, leaving each library with only one full time employee, the librarian.

The cost cutting measure will save $75,000 -- yes, full time paras make only $25k per year --and is being instituted as part of a $429,000 overall cut to the elementary school budget to keep level services within Finance Committee guidelines.

During public comment over a dozen speakers implored the school committee not to gut the library programs at all three elementary schools.  Many parents said the library was the favorite part of their child's school day and it provided a "safe space" for learning to take place.

School Committee candidate and long time Town Meeting member Vince O'Connor told the School Committee that a motion would be made on the floor of Town Meeting to increase the budget to cover the three positions.

O'Connor also argued UMass should step up and pay the town significantly more annual revenues to cover all the children (56) coming from their tax exempt housing into our high average cost per student public schools.

The recent "Strategic Partnership" signed with UMass did include $120,000 in new money to help cover  education costs of those children, but the town threw it into one big pot rather then using it in a line item direct sort of way.

Rick Hood suggested the School Committee simply ask the town for an extra $100,000 since the elementary schools did turn back that amount to the town last year and the year before. 

The idea will probably be brought up at the next Budget Coordinating Group meeting at the end of the month.

Mega School W12 It Is

 

The Wildwood School Building Committee voted unanimously (with 2 abstentions) to support the W12 phased in construction plan to replace both Wildwood and Fort River in one fell swoop with the state picking up 53% of the costs.  

 Nick Yaffe made the motion to support W12

The motion to support this one of final four plans was made by current Wildwood principal Nick Yaffe, seconded by Superintendent Maria Geryk and then quickly supported by the vast majority of the large committee via a show of hands.

 Wildwood Building Committee raises their hands for W12

A major attraction of W12 is its phased construction process that does not require "swing space" aka temporary classroom space for children displaced by construction.

A new building is constructed next to the current Wildwood and then all the children are moved into the new building.  Wildwood is then demolished and the other half of the project is completed.

 

Amherst Town Meeting (by a two thirds vote) will need to approve a debt exclusion Override this coming fall to fund the project, then the Select Board has to vote to place it on the 2017 annual ballot where the voters have the final say.