Adams-Cheshire OKs Letter to Lanesborough; Discusses Eliminating Class Rank
 The School Committee affirmed a formal tuition proposal to Lanesborough. |
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The School Committee has presented Lanesborough a formal proposal for an educational partnership.
After Lanesborough requested an official letter of proposal by Oct. 1, the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District's Audit and Evaluation Subcommittee penned a letter approved Monday night.
The district has been in communications with Lanesborough over the past month about dissolving the Williamstown- Lanesborough district and sending Lanesborough middle and high school students to Hoosac Valley.
The agreement could save the town and the district around $1 million each.
Superintendent Kristen Gordon read the letter and pointed out some of the highlights such as the tuition amount, which would be $9,200 per student for Hoosac Valley High School and $16,500 for special education.
She said this number would remain the same for five years and on the sixth year, the tuition would increase to be equal to the aggregate increase of the membership towns' foundation assessments.
The amount does not include capital expenses or transportation; however, the district would be willing to add a late bus for Lanesborough students.
The letter outlined programs and staff that will be added and Gordon read that the district would be willing to phase in students so Lanesborough students can finish out their high school careers at Mount Greylock.
The letter was sent to the Adams town administrator, and then sent to Lanesborough.
In other business, Hoosac Valley Principal Jerimah discussed the possibility of eliminating class rank this year.
He said the graduating class would still have a valedictorian and a salutatorian but the school would not publish class rank to the student body.
"I don't think in a school as small as we are it is a very healthy thing. I am not saying it is terrible that we do that, I am just not sure if it fosters the community we want to foster," Ames said. "Kids can work toward valedictorian and a salutatorian, but I am not sure it is important who's third in the class and who is fourth and how that might shift."
Ames said through his research, he found many Berkshire County schools have abandoned class rank or are in the process of eliminating it.
He added that rank hurts students in both large and small schools. Hoosac Valley has 70 students in its current graduating class so the eighth-ranked student who may have great grades will be kicked out of the top 10 percent. He added that is true with a class of 400: a student ranked 41 may also have great grades but is knocked out of the top 10.
In his opinion, the only time class rank helps a student is if they are applying to an incredibly competitive college or are applying for a national merit scholarship. He said in these cases students will be provided with their rank.
Some committee members felt class rank may inspire kids to work harder. Ames said in his opinion this is not the case.
"More often than not in a community our size where expel are as close as they are the third place person probably knows the fourth place person pretty well," he said. "They probably have studied for tests together, and I don't like to think of kids in those terms, especially when they need the support of one another."
He added that rank is determined throughout a student's four years in high school and it is unlikely that much will shift by senior year.
Committee member Regina Hill Agreed and said class rank is not an accurate indicator of a whole student.
"I don't think it is a good measure for students' abilities and when they get to college there is a whole bunch of other factors that play in," Hill said. "Even in high school, there are a whole bunch of other factors like community participation and service."
He added the School Committee could always reverse and re-adopt class rank.
The committee decided to vote once it has has filled its vacant seat.
Ames also explained the memorandum of understanding between Hoosac Valley and the Adams Police Department.
He said Hoosac Valley straddles the Adams-Cheshire town line although most of the building sits in Cheshire. If police ever have to respond to the school, the Cheshire Police get the first call. If it cannot provide full support because of its small staff, Cheshire will contact Adams.
"I just cannot say enough about how cooperative they have been, and I suspect it can be challenging sometimes when there is another law enforcement department right next to you," Ames said. "But they have always been very professional and helpful and never let anything like that get in the way when students are involved."
The School Committee approved the appointment of new member James Ryan to fill on open Adams representative seat left vacant by former committee member Joshua Demarsico-Birkland. Ryan will hold the seat until elections in the spring.
Tags: ACRSD, class rank, LES,
