Regional School Mega-Committee?

RAWG votes unanimously on governance  8:30 PM

Last night the Regional Agreement Working Group (RAWG) voted unanimously to recommend forming a system of representation via committee that significantly shortchanges Amherst, a college town where our #1 industry is education.

Currently Amherst makes up 88% of the population in the Amherst Regional School District, where all four towns participate at the Middle and High School level.  Yet if all four towns should decide to regionalize in the Pre-K to 6th grade level, the new Regional School Committee will consist of 13 members, seven from Amherst and two from each of the three Hilltowns.

Or as percentages go, Amherst with 88% of the population gets only 54% of the vote in governance. The rationale for circumventing proportional representation (one person one vote) is that Amherst voters will get a chance to weigh in on candidates from the other towns (and vice-versa) in a district wide, single ballot election.

Of course that doesn't help much if each of the Hilltowns only has two candidates running for the two open seats.  

And as part of this endeavor our elementary schools will no longer be overseen by the Amherst School Committee, because the Amherst School Committee will no longer exist. Although once rubber stamped by the current Regional School Committee the new arrangement must be approved by all four Town Meetings even if the town does not plan to join the new Region.  

RAWG also discussed at length the budgets and how a Regional Assessment would work.   And clearly it will be more expensive for Amherst -- by as much as $347,901 in the first year of transition.

Amherst Region Public Schools -- at $18,688 -- already have the highest per student cost in the area,  well over the $13,636 state average.

Even though RAWG in one form or another has been meeting for almost three years the sense of urgency in the room last night to get this Leviathan operational was almost palpable.

Andy Steinberg briefly handed off Chair duties to Kip Fonsh so he could speak freely.  Steinberg, who was most recently elected to the Amherst Select Board, acknowledged the controversy over proportional representation for Amherst but spoke in support of the motion as made.

Superintendent Maria Geryk then announced the janitor was leaving the building at 9:00 PM, so the meeting had to be over by then.

The Regional Agreement Working Group soon came to a unanimous vote supporting the 13 member committee, with Amherst getting 7 seats.

But is that any way to lay the groundwork for a $42 million regional entity?

Although, the janitor seemed pleased.

Affordable Housing Celebration

 Tenants will first start moving in July 1 with complete occupancy by first snow

Tents protected about 75 spectators from the drizzle

Federal, state, and local officials converged on a housing construction site near UMass to celebrate the impending occupancy of Olympia Oaks, an affordable 42 unit housing project that has been dreamed about for decades.

And while the weather was a tad dreary this morning, the celebrants were far from it. 

 Rep Jim McGovern (left) HAP Housing CEO Peter Gagliardi (right)

John Musante could not be present, as his mother just passed away.  But Dave Ziomek quoted a recent conversation he had with the Town Manager:  "It's not about the number of units.  It's about people; it's about family; it's about community."

The Assistant Town Manager closed with, "We welcome Olympia Oaks to the community of Amherst."

Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek:  "Amazing site, amazing location."  Also mentioned the birds and frogs he spotted or could hear on site

 

Representative Ellen Story wants to bring her 8-year-old granddaughter here to play someday

Aggressive Pot Perp

  Eli Berman, 25, appearing before Judge Hurley.  May want to dress better for his next appearance

Last week Amherst police arrested Eli Berman, age 25, who was apparently in the middle of a downtown drug deal but tried to distract an officer by calling him a, "Fucking asshole."

Not the best way to deal those vested with the authority to arrest you.  Which in his case, they did.

Another "Incident" @ ARHS?

APD (2 cruisers 1 detective vehicle) on scene Amherst Regional High School 9:45 AM

There's a heavy police presence at Amherst Regional High School at the moment and it probably has something to do with "Dialogue Day,"  although I'm guessing not a prepared, planned presence since they seemed to have parked in a hurry.

Since no students are outside the building, probably not a bomb or weapon threat.   Although an employee out front said administrators, "did not look happy."

UPDATE:  10:30 AM 

School Superintendent Maria Geryk has confirmed the incident has been safely resolved.  It was an, "unrelated student issue."

Don't Do Drugs!

Josh Sampson, age 19, standing before Judge Mary Hurley

Arrested last week in the heart of downtown Amherst 19-year-old Josh Sampson was arraigned in Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday before Judge Mary Hurley.  He was given a pre-trial hearing for August 27 and assigned a public defender for which he will pay $300.

He was released on his personal recognizance but Judge Hurley gave him that cold hard stare while warning him about not screwing up in the meantime: "You have been charged with possession of an alphabet of drugs.  No more!"  To which he sheepishly responded, "Yes your honor."

Click to enlarge/read

Revenge Firing?

Paula, Dylan, Steve Akalis June 6

Bad enough that Amherst Regional High School Principal Mark Jackson forbid Dylan Akalis to march with his classmates at the Mullins Center graduation ceremony last weekend -- but did allow a shrill senior to march who violated Dylan's privacy with a bullying Internet petition.

Or that Dylan essentially lost the last four months of his senior year because school officials favored three black youths who bullied him to the point of making a desperate Facebook threat about "packin" a weapon to school for self defense. 

But now Amherst Regional Public School Superintendent Maria Geryk has gone one better -- or I should say worse -- by firing Dylan's dad, school electrician, Steve Akalis.

As you may remember back in late January when Mr. Akalis was trying to get school officials to do something about his son being bullied, he was suspended without pay for three days for using company time to ever so briefly discuss the scary situation with Dean of Students Mary Custard.

Now he's been fired for using the common electrician (and computer) term "slave unit,"  in the presence of a school employee who happens to be black.

Being an overly polite kind of guy (like most former Marines) Mr. Akalis said to the employee, "No offense, but the slave unit will not work unless the master unit is plugged in."

So yes, I suppose you could interpret that in one of two ways:  either he is invoking the sad history in our country when blacks were enslaved (but somewhat apologizing for it) or he could simply have been saying that she should take no offense ... he was, err, not questioning her intelligence.

Either way, summary execution for an innocent expression used without malicious intent is a tad draconian. 

When it comes to alleged racial issues it seems the public schools have lost sight of the expression, "teachable moment."

Masslive (co) reports

DUI Dishonor Roll

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday before Judge Mary Hurley first time offender Tyler Chambers, age 25, took a standard DUI 24D disposition for his April 26 arrest, which involved leaving the scene of a (potentially fatal) two car motor vehicle crash. 

 Tyler Chambers, age 25 stands before Judge Mary Hurley

Chambers will lose his license for 45 days, pay $600 in fines, $250 bar advocate fee, and $567.22 for drug/alcohol school and be on probation for one year with an additional $65/month probation fee. 

An expensive lesson learned (we hope).

APD "statement of facts"