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. 

Got Wood?

Wood On The Plaza

No, aliens have not landed on the plaza near the Fine Arts Center.

Just a cool combination of Art and Education designed to draw attention to the nifty new UMass Design Building going up nearby, using the same old fashioned but updated wood construction method.

 Design Building:  built with wood on what was once a parking lot

Both Art project and Design Building blend in well to their surroundings

Design Building scheduled for completion Spring, 2017

Let's go down to the Sunset Grill

Sunset Grill & Pizza , ye old creamery building 150 Fearing Street

Just in time for today's UMass graduation the completely transformed Sunset Grill debuts with a new menu, sit down service and cleanliness that would rival a NASA laboratory.

Long time area resident Rebecca Casagrande is fulfilling her lifelong dream.  And who doesn't like burgers, pizza and deli sandwiches?

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, providing over half the jobs in our state.  Even more vital in Amherst where residential property provides 90% of the tax base and commercial land like this a pathetic 10%.

Running a small business is epically hard -- especially a restaurant.  But the rewards can outweigh the risks: being your own boss, while providing a product that makes people smile.

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

A Generational Divide

Maria Capriola

After over two hours of tedious discussion, where our five member Select Board (called Selectmen in every other municipality in Massachusetts) tried to keep the analysis of the two candidates positive, they voted 3-2 in favor of the best fit for Amherst ... who just happens to be a woman.

Maria Capriola, at age 36, is neither a "millennial" (although  pretty close) and certainly not a "baby boomer" but she has the vital experience of living and legislating in a University Town where UConn casts a shadow as enormous as the one UMass does over Amherst.

 UMass Amherst is our #1 industry, err, employer

At the proposed salary of $155,000 she will be, like her predecessor John Musante,  the second highest paid employee behind School Superintendent Maria Geryk.

And will probably interact most often with the Select Board Chair, Alisa Brewer.  Maybe have lunch with the President of Amherst College, Biddy Martin; or Business Improvement District Director Sarah la Cour; or the Donald Trump of North Amherst developers, Cinda Jones.

Amherst has a strong team of upper management already in place and the Select Board made it clear from the get go the new Town Manager is not expected to "clean house."

We need someone with enough experience to carry out a vision with vigor.

And I think we found her.

"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?