Another Major School Shake Up

Rob Detweiler, former Director of Finance & Operations

UPDATE 8:00 PM  Kathy Mazur, Human Relations chief, is taking over the Budget Office with the part-time consulting assistance of former long-time Director Paul Carlson (who has come out of retirement); and Sean Mangano has been appointed Assistant Finance Director.


ORIGINAL POST:

Director of Finance & Operations for the $50+ million ARPS school bureaucracy has become persona non grata and nobody seems to want to explain why.  Rob Detweiler, at $101,305, was in the top-ten for highest paid employees in a system chock full of highly paid employees. 

The Regional School Committee went into Executive Session Tuesday night and since it's, you know, an Executive Session, we have no idea what they talked about.  The agenda said "To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel ..." (Which, coincidentally enough, the position of Director of Finance & Operations happens to be).

What I found fascinating is the original meeting, scheduled for January 21, was hastily posted with "EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE SESSION" screaming off the page, but then was cancelled due to bad weather.  If the Executive Session was a routine bargaining session, why the EMERGENCY?  

Detweiler came aboard the good ship ARPS in 2005 to replace Paul Carlson, who retired after holding the important position for 26 years.  At the time Amherst Regional school Committee Chair Marianne Jorgensen said, "We're very pleased with that pick.  Rob has the vision that will fit in with the school system."

Apparently one of them -- Detweiler or the school system -- have gone blind.

This vacancy at the top comes at a time when Superintendent Maria Geryk is under tremendous stress.  The controversial nut "ban" in the schools last fall is taking up more time (over an hour at Tuesday's Regional School Committee meeting) than the beleaguered budget discussion, which now proposes laying off a dozen full-time employees.

And of course the incident on Monday where because of an alleged "threat" of a kid carrying a gun to school to ward off bullying the High School was closed. Which some folks view as an overreaction. 


From: Larry Kelley
To: Gerykm
Sent: Wed, Jan 29, 2014 7:05 pm
Subject: Rob Detweiler

Hey Maria

Is Rob Detweiler no longer employed at the schools?  He was not at the BCG meeting on Monday morning, and also not at the Regional School Committee meeting last night.

An Anon posted on my blog earlier that he was no longer Finance Director (which by itself would not mean much, but when combined with the other two things ...)

Larry

The Cost of Mistakes?

Rob Detweiler: Still on Administrative Leave

The schools are the largest employer in Amherst town government so it's not surprising that a tiny number of employees come and go under somewhat mysterious circumstances.

In the private sector, taxpayers in general --or even customers in particular -- have no right to know why a popular employee suddenly disappears.

Although in most cases, where the reasons are somewhat benign, the business may be forthcoming when you ask what happened to your favorite aerobics instructor, barista or convenience store clerk.

But a public entity using public money owes the general public an explanation. 

   Rob Detweiler Case

Public Documants czar to ARPS attorney Giny Tate 3 years ago (which they ignored):

Rob Detweiler still shows up on ARPS website as Director of Finance and Operations

Amherst Bulletin reports

Don't bother the Juggernaut!

Trailer for sale or rent. Mark's Meadow abandoned classrooms.

So as I've mentioned many times before, Umass generates over 50 school-age children from their tax-exempt housing (including Chancellor Holub's ornate house) impacting the Amherst Public School System at a per head cost of over $16,000 with zero remuneration.

Yet, according to the 5-year Town/Gown "strategic agreement" signed four years ago:

“If, in the future, the Town builds a new elementary school and vacates the Mark’s Meadow facility, the Town, AES, ARPS and the University will negotiate a new agreement in which the University may reimburse the Town for a portion of the net costs of educating students living in University tax-exempt housing. "

Well, last I looked not only has Mark's Meadow been vacated and returned to Umass, but we also left behind never-really-been-used modular classrooms that cost Amherst taxpayers $215,000 only a few years ago.

Furthermore, last week our School Superintendent informed (after the fact) the School Committee that she had authorized donating $96,000 to Umass for a "training partnership." I'm still trying to find out what we are actually getting for our money?
###############################
amherstac@aol.com> 11/19/2010 1:44 PM >>>
Hey Rob,
Could I please get the document showing how/where Umass spent the $96,000 for a training partnership using ARRA funds given to them by Amherst schools?

Thanks,
Larry Kelley

From: Rob Detweiler
To: amherstac@aol.com
Cc: Maria Geryk
Sent: Mon, Nov 22, 2010 7:54 am

Hello Larry,I have forwarded your request to the attention of the Superintendent. Hope you enjoy your day.

Rob Detweiler,
Director of Finance and Operations


Thanks Kathy, correction made. Now not to be a complete pain in the butt on a Friday afternoon, but could I also get the number of teachers in the Amherst School System who took advantage of the "free" education courses at Umass School of Education last Fiscal Year? Maria said at the most recent SC meeting the $96,000 we donate annually to Umass School of Ed goes towards grant writing and education/training courses for Amherst public school teachers.
Larry


From: Kathy Mazur
To: amherstac@aol.com
Sent: Fri, Nov 19, 2010 12:54 pm
Subject: Re: Public Document Request

I will ask Maria about the "in kind" services you are referring to. One thing though, this was a one-time payment of 96K for a training partnership using ARRA funds. It's not donated annually.

Kathy


From: amherstac@aol.com
To: cmccormick@educ.umass.edu
Sent: Fri, Nov 19, 2010 1:02 pm
Subject: Public Documents Request

Hi Christine,
Sorry to bother you on a Friday afternoon but could I please get a breakdown (rough is fine) of how the School of Ed spent the $96,000 the Amherst Public Spends expended for the "partnership to support teaching and learning"?

Thanks,

Larry Kelley

From: Christine McCormick
To: amherstac@aol.com
Sent: Mon, Nov 22, 2010 3:01 pm
Dear Mr. Kelley,

Thank you for your interest in our partnership. We are very excited about this collaboration. Last Friday when you sent your email inquiry, the School of Education was focused on ensuring the success of the major event described in the notice below. I am only in today for some key meetings and will be traveling tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with family. In the meantime, I would encourage you to contact Dr. Rebecca Woodland, who will be glad to fill you in on the accomplishments of this partnership.

Christine B. McCormick
Dean, School of Education

The Cost Of Education (In a College Town)

Amherst School Committee: in the hot seat

Town Meeting went pretty much as planned Wednesday night.  The Elementary and Regional School budgets all passed rather handily after a fair amount of discussion, but not a whole lot centered on cost -- as reflected in the (not so)average cost per student.

The Elementary Budget of $21,490,563 represents an average cost per child of $19,136 and the Regional Middle and High School budget of $29,618,478 represents $20,328 per student.  State average is dramatically lower at $13,636 per student.

Or another way of looking at it is Amherst spends at the Regional level $6,692 more per pupil than state average.   Thus the 1,457 students projected next year cost almost TEN MILLION DOLLARS ($9,750,244 to be exact) over state average.

One reason for the high cost (which are fast approaching private school price points) is "administration cost"  is 66% over state average.   And even though an overhead showed a slight increase in the percentage of the elementary budget eaten up by administration, it generated no discussion from the floor.

Overhead used at Town Meeting

Mass Dept of Education data base

Early in the Elementary School budget discussion Town Meeting member Walter Wolnik read a statement praising the financial prowess and presentation skills of Rob Detweiler, the Schools Director of Finance who mysteriously disappeared three months ago.

Wolnik wished to know if and when he would return to his duties? 

 

School Superintendent Maria Geryk and Sean Mangano (Dettweiler's replacement) listen to Walter Wolnik's statement

Detweiler was on paid Administrative Leave for six weeks (costing taxpayers $15,000) and is still on unpaid Administrative Leave.  School Superintendent Maria Geryk confirmed that he, "will not return in his role ... I appreciate your support of Mr. Detweiler, however I will not be speaking further about the reasons why he is no longer in this role."

Typical layout of classrooms at Wildwood. "Temporary walls" (going on 25 years now) don't go all the way to the ceiling

Article 17 was also an expensive school item, a $1 million Feasibility Study of Wildwood Elementary School (built 1970)  with 60% of that picked up by the state.   As usual some folks had sticker shock over the $1 million price tag even though it's really only $400,000 of town money.

But the motion passed with a solid two-thirds majority, solid enough that no standing or tally vote was required.  And the very next article, to rescind a $400,000 appropriation from last year for new boilers for Wildwood School, passed after a long discussion, thus covering the town's share of the feasibility study.

Since that study will eventually lead to a new school or major renovation (with the state picking up 60%) it doesn't make sense to replace the boilers now at 100% town cost.

 Amherst Elementary Enrollment Trends (going down, down, down)

Costly Conflict

  

In case you thought the Amherst Pelham Region School Committee is a rubber-stamping flock of sheep, ponder this snippet from their 2/12 meeting where Rob Detweiler gave a budget update for the half-way point of the Fiscal Year.

So he tells the committee that with the year only half over ARPS has already paid out $200,000 in legal claims putting that part of the Special Education Budget over by $330,000.  Yikes!

And what is their response?  Nothing, nada, zip.  No questions, no observations, no nothing.

Anyone else concerned over why the taxpayers are out over $200,000 in legal settlements?

Live from Town Hall: It's BCG Wednesday morning!

10:36 AM
Well, this will pretty much decide the amount of the Override and structure.

10:38 AM Stephanie starts (without the Town Manager). John Musante on cell phone, presumably calling the town manager.

10:45 AM John Musante Updated Cut list. Let's hear from the heads of those budgets. Streetlights put back on list if addition funds come in. Grand total for town budget is $537,252. If state aid is only cut 5% then Pubic Safety (including Police Animal Welfare Officer) are safe. (the Governor's budget actually calls for 0% cut)

10:48 AM Elementary Schools: (Rob Detweiler Business Agent) $400,000 is our request from an Override. SC voted 5-0 for that.

Regional Schools: Asking for $950,000 from the Override. Amherst taxpayers will pay almost $750,000 of that (since we are three quarters of the Region.) Region vote was 8-0-1 (one abstention)

Library: met last night reconsidered the Override and went back to an amount of $88,994 from an Override.

Stephanie: Did they make any strong statement on the Override?

Pat Holland: "No"

Gerry Weiss: Trustees voted for this amount ($89,000) but they are not asking for an Override???

Holland: They are not taking a position on the Override. (Gerry looks a tad pissed)

11:05 AM The Town Manager has entered the room! (who needs Elvis?)

John Musante: $1,765,000 is the new (and improved) grand total for the Override.

11:10 AM Stephanie: Priorities are good--but they are inexact. Doing the best we can. We do not have strong Ra Ra support from all the boards. Looking at $1.8 million Override and $2.5 million in cuts. What is our best way to go forward? With a goal of getting some restorations would a Menu Override have a better chance of getting something passed or would a lump sum work better? Had this discussion before but it's now a "fever pitch" point with the general public. Do we want some rather than none?

11:15 AM Irv Rhodes: our 5-0 vote was NOT to support an Override, it was simply to put the $400,000 into the mix but not an official vote on the overall Override. If we had more time we would have come up with a different number. Very, very imperfect number (the $400K.)

Stephanie: "It's clear the School Committee is not vociferously supporting this."

11:20 AM Gerry Weiss reads the entire SC statement. Stephanie: "Again, not strong support for the Override." So how do we get them (schools, town, library) the extra money? Some of this is not "sexy". Library has a serious PR problem with its request (I assume she's talking about the recent six digit gift the Jones Library received)

Catherine Sanderson told Regional School Committee she strongly supported a Menu Override. Andy Churchill on the other hand strongly supported one lump sum (we all rise or fall together.)

11:25 AM Stephanie parses the written report of the FCC. They said to "consider" a menu override and that is what we are now doing. (Hmm...but they were a tad more definitive than that Princess Stephanie--and they also said an Override would be necessary in the next FIVE years.)

Gerry Weiss: Why did FCC recommend Menu?

Stephanie: Because it allows many different people speak to aspects of an Override. The problem is it gives people the right to say NO to certain parts, and it's only a tiny statement. "We give choice too much credit" (Hmm..why am I reminded of President Reagan's observation that the scariest line ever is, "I'm here from the government and I'm here to help".)

11:30 AM Gerry Weiss: "I think a lump sum Override will sink. As a lump sum we're holding each other hostage."

Bonnie Isman (Library) The voters are going to be skeptical. If schools are not ready now, why not go to Town Meeting and have them vote a budget contingent on an Override.

11:45 AM Irv Rhodes: I would welcome a delay. Otherwise, a Menu Override.

11:47 AM Stephanie: Extraordinary amount of discussion with unions (Police and Fire) giving up COLA's. Not fair to now NOT have the Override on 3/23. Contingent Override via Town Meeting is still a "safety net" if the 3/23 Override fails.

11: 52 AM Stephanie: BCG sent preliminary report to Select Board Monday night suggesting "lump sum". Do we now (BCG) still support that?

Gerry Weiss: Yeah, MOST people at this table still supports that (Lump Sum with Allocations)
###################################

HERE IT IS FOLKS:

Shall the Town of Amherst be allowed to assess an additional $1,765,441 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of funding the following expenses: Town Operation Budget ($537,252) Elementary Schools Budget ($400,000), Regional schools district Budget ($739,195) and Library Operating Budget ($88,994) for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2010?

####################################

Musante: Explain it to the community this way. Extra state aid would be a "Great problem" to grapple with. We can then not levy to the limit as the town in 2004 when that $2 million Override passed. We got an extra $650,000 from the state and the town did reduce the levy of the Override amount that year. (Yes John, but what about the following year and the following year. Amherst has only had two general operation Overrides over the past 30 years and they are still both to this day generating extra revenues.)

Heated discussion between Musante and Rhodes (voices raised), Stephanie acts as ref.

12:08 PM GOTTA GO. If I had to guess they will put the above lump sum Override on the ballot for this coming 3/23. But as Bill O'Reilly would say, "I could be wrong."

Legal Sunshine Needed

Shawn Williams, Director
Public Records Division
One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor
Boston, MA 02108

Dear Mr. Williams,

I wish to once again appeal the decision of the Amherst Regional Public Schools to stonewall my public documents request for legal settlements that have cost Amherst taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As you may remember your office sided with me last year on a previous complaint regarding ARPS settlement agreements with terminated employees totaling over $200,000.  The schools continue to refuse releasing those documents.

Now I wish to appeal the 2/26/13 decision of Rob Detweiler, Director of Finance and Operations, to withhold settlement agreements totalling $229,300 from recent "Special Education" legal cases.

Obviously I understand certain information -- names of students for instance -- should be redacted to protect privacy, but certainly with that much settlement money involved the taxpayers have a right to know how many cases it represents and the details of those cases.

Even if the money was paid by an insurance carrier a Hampshire Superior Court judge found the settlement agreement between the Phoebe Prince family and South Hadley Schools were still a pubic document even though the $225,000 payout came from liability insurance. 

Your office has also repeatedly stuck down the concept of "non disclosure agreements" citing Washington Post ., 690 F. 2d at 263 ( a government agency cannot circumvent the Federal Freedom of Information Act with a private agreement).

Please remind the Amherst Regional Public Schools that the general public has a right to know.

Sincerly,

Larry J. Kelley

   Amherst Schools legal Bills FY13 by  

What Other Admins Make

Maria Geryk, Sean Mangano, Mike Morris

Just so I'm not accused of being an Irish sexist bully picking on a female CEO by publishing Maria Geryk's five (5) year taxpayer funded contract, here's the other two contracts for recently promoted males. 

   Mike Morris ARPS Contract

Interestingly Mr. Morris gets three (3) years as Assistant Superintendent and Mr.Mangano only gets two (2) as Finance Director.  

   Sean Mangano Contract ARPS

Not that I would accuse anybody of sexism because of that.

Also have to wonder in his contract what is meant by "good cause" under the termination heading?  Since his predecessor Rob Detweiler simply disappeared, aka was fired, back in January for what may have been "good cause".

But since the Schools refuse to talk about it, we will never know.

Public Documents Runaround

(click to enlarge/read)      Public Records appeal response:  late and stingy

Well that only took four months, relatively quick by Public Documents standards -- at least when dealing with the Amherst Public Schools.  And as usual the grudging response is pretty anemic.  Downside for the taxpayers of having a $225/hour school attorney is they have an economic incentive to be obstinate with these simple requests. 

Attorney Regina W. Tate

From: Larry Kelley
To: pre <pre@sec.state.ma.us>; donald.white <donald.white@state.ma.us>
Sent: Sat, Mar 2, 2013 10:20 am
Subject: Public Records Appeal of Amherst Schools

Shawn Williams, Director

Public Records Division

One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor

Boston, MA 02108

Dear Mr. Williams,

I wish to once again appeal the decision of the Amherst Regional Public Schools to stonewall my public documents request for legal settlements that have cost Amherst/Regional taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As you may remember, your office sided with me last year on a previous complaint regarding ARPS settlement agreements with terminated employees totaling over $200,000.  The schools obstinately continue refusing to release those documents.

Now I wish to appeal the 2/26/13 decision of Rob Detweiler, Director of Finance and Operations, to withhold settlement agreements totaling $229,300, from recent "Special Education" legal cases. 

Obviously I understand certain information -- names of students for instance -- should be redacted to protect privacy, but certainly with that much settlement money involved the taxpayers have a right to know how many cases it represents and the details of those cases.

Even if the money was paid by an insurance carrier a Hampshire Superior Court judge found the settlement agreement between the Phoebe Prince family and South Hadley Schools were still a pubic document even though the $225,000 payout came from liability insurance. 

Your office has also repeatedly struck down the concept of "non disclosure agreements" citing Washington Post ., 690 F. 2d at 263 ( a government agency cannot circumvent the Federal Freedom of Information Act with a private agreement).

Please remind the Amherst Regional Public Schools that the general public has a right to know.

Sincerely,

Larry J. Kelley

Sharing The Burden

 John Musante bottom left, School Superintendent Maria Geryk right, Sean  Mangano standing (Rob Detweiler's, err, replacement)

Amherst Town Manager John Musante made it perfectly clear which method of financing he prefers to fund the Regional Schools next Fiscal Year at the Four Town Meeting of the Regional Schools Saturday morning.

The four member towns -- Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury -- use their own modified system (more complicated than the IRS tax code) based on a rolling average, called the Regional Agreement Method.

And every year -- because of a "five year rolling average" -- one of the four towns seems to pay a little more.  This year it's Shutesbury's turn.

The state recommends their own Statutory Method, also very complicated, but with less of a variation every few years.  Using the Regional Agreement Method, next year Amherst would pay $14,541,118 of the total $18,834,753 Regional budget (77%), an increase of $382,288 or 2.7% over last year.

If however the Region switches to the Statutory Method of funding, Amherst would pay $14,682,553 of the total $18,834,753 Regional Budget.   An increase of $523,723 or 4.1% over last year.  Musante pointed out the difference between those two dollar amounts is $141,435, but as a percentage is a whopping 33% increase. 

The problem is Shutesbury is complaining (as they often do) about their 6.3% increase under the usual Regional Agreement Method.  Should their Town Meeting reject the appropriation that would scuttle the entire Regional Budget.  In other words it requires a unanimous vote of all four towns.

Whereas if the four town Region uses the state approved Statutory Method one town can vote no and the budget still passes.  In other words the vote does not have to be unanimous.

Shutesbury has already played the spoiler by pulling out of the proposed expansion of the Region all the way down to kindergarten from the current 7-12 Region.  Shutesbury voted not to join the proposed expanded Region but wishes to stay in the grades 7-12 Region but possibly share the same Superintendent for their elementary school.

Although at the four town meeting yesterday one Amherst official voiced the opinion "you are either in or out" of the new Region, and no special allowances should be made for non believers.