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Adams-Cheshire OK's $18M Budget, Middle School ClosureBy Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
12:55AM / Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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The dozen or so attendees at Monday's School Committee meeting had few questions. Top, committee members Carol C. Corrigan, left, John E. Duval, Superintendent Alfred W. Skrocki, Paul K. Butler, Darlene Rodowicz, Mary Ellen Baker, Lynn T.Clairmont and Jill Pompi.
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee unanimously approved a lean budget on Monday that includes staffing cuts and the closure of Adams Memorial Middle School this spring.
The nearly $18 million school budget is down $752,451, or 4 percent, from last year, which sacrifices some two dozen positions in an effort to close a $1.4 million shortfall for the coming year.
Adams will see its total assessment rise $108,424 to $3.66 million, or 3 percent; Cheshire's assessment will drop $16,517 to $2,063,994, less than one percent.
"It's been a tough year. It's certainly not the direction we like to be taking but given the economic realities ...," said committee Chairman Paul K. Butler afterward in the Hoosac Valley High School library, adding the administration had done a "suberb job" in crafting a budget that still maintained educational programming.
Seven teachers are among the staffing cuts, which also includes paraprofessionals, counselors, custodians, a school nurse and the middle school principal (who will be reassigned). The total savings is about a $1 million in wages and benefits, although unemployment compensation will increase by $244,000. Wages have been frozen for administrative staff and cuts made in line items throughout the budget.
Superintendent of Schools Alfred W. Skrocki said the teaching positions to be cut would be announced over the next couple of days. The closure of the middle school had limited impact on the job loss, he said, "[they are] calculated to get us to the bottom line."
Some jobs may be saved through the influx of federal stimulus funding — the district is in line for an estiamted $460,652 in special education and Title 1 funding for fiscal 2010 — but it's not guaranteed. The numbers are "still in flux" because the Legislature may take a look at the how they amounts are calculated, said Skrocki.
That review may include the miniscule $30 in stimulus funds Adams-Cheshire is listed to receive to achieve "foundation level" education spending. Any stimulus money also would received as grants, said Skrocki. "We deal with them outside of the budget, the budget is set at this point."
Feasibility Study for Middle School
The closure of the middle school isn't the end of the concept, or the building for that matter. The school district will be hiring a project manager next month to oversee a study to determine whether the building, formerly an elementary school, on Columbia Street should be shuttered forever or repaired. The survey should take about a year. The statement of interest to the state School Building Authority detailing repairs and other issues at the school can be found here.
 In the short term, the closure will save at least $240,000; about $30,000 will be needed to prepare the high school to received the seventh and eighth grades for the fall. The sixth grade will be placed at C.T. Plunkett Elementary School.
The district is in talks with the town and its fuel vendor on how the school's gym, which is used as a polling place, might be left open for community events.
Senior Shaun Jennings, a reporter for the high school's paper, Eye of the Hurricane, asked what the students' role would be in the relocation.
"We have a tremondous amount of work has to be done and we don't have a plan in place yet," said Skrocki, who added students would be part of the conversation. "We would have a number of meetings for input and information from not only parents and students but other stakeholders [in the community]."
The idea of turning Hoosac Valley back into a Grade 7-12 school has been under discussion for several years as a possible option to renovating the middle school. Butler said closing this year was a necessary but "not kneejerk" reaction.
The committee approved the several motions required to close the school and retain the middle school concept. Committee member John E. Duval, while agreeing with the board on the closure, voted against the two motions relating to the middle school structure.
Instead, he'd like to see Grades 7 and 8 more academically integrated into the high school to create a 7-12 structure that would open up more options for the middle school students, such as taking higher-level courses.
"I'd like to have a lot more students be able to take a foreign language course because we don't have that in [the middle] school," he said. "It may work out in the end that they're able to do that. We'll see." |
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary. Comments are closed for this article. If you would like to contribute information on this article, e-mail us at info@iBerkshires.com |
WHO EVER THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA NEEDS THEIR
HEAD CHECK. I WAS A STUDENT WHEN IT WAS IT WAS 7 & 8 AND THE HIGHSCHOOLERS WERE MEAN AND ROTTEN THEN AND NOW YOU EXPECT MY DAUGHTER WHO HAS SPEICAL NEEDS TO GO UP AND DEAL THE THAT PLUS WHAT EVER ELSE THEY DO NOW TO PICK ON THE KIDS. ONE PERSON SAID THEY SHOULD INTEGRATE 7&8 WITH THE HIGHSCHOOLERS ARE YOU KIDDING YOU WANT MY DAUGHTER WHO IS ONLY 54 INCHES AND 68LBS AND YOU WANT HER TO GO UP THERE AND BE MIX WITH 12 GRADES YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND I WILL HOME SCHOOL MY CHILD FIRST BEFORE I LET HER UP THERE. I AM SURE I AM NOT THE ONLY PARENT WHO FEELS THIS WAY. I DO UNDERSTAND ABOUT BUDGETS I DEAL WITH THAT AT MY JOB BUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS TOTALLY WRONG YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE MORE PROBLEMS THEN IT WILL BE WORTH. I AM TELLING YOU NOW BY ANY CHANCE SHE DOES GO UP THERE AND SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HER OR IF I FIND OUT PEOPLE ARE PICKING ON HER BECAUSE OF HER DISABLITES THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY CAUSE I AM NOT PUTTING UP WITH THE THAT. THIS SHOULD ONLY BE A TEMP THING WE NEED TO EITHER RELOCATED THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE OR GET THE SCHOOL FIX. | | from: A FORMER STUDENT | on: 03-24-2009 12:00AM
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In reply to the comment made by the parent with the special needs child in the middle school already, it sounds as though your projecting your own fears and memories of what happened to you, onto your daughter, which is fine, but there is a strong support system within this school system, and I'm sure she'll do well.
As for Mr. Duval, and his idea to integrate 7th and 8th graders with the 9th to 12th graders...I'm going to figure that you don't have a young,impressionable,self-conscious,not knowing whether they are coming or going pre-teen, do you? They are having a hard enough time finding out who they are, never mind having them take classes with 16 to 18 year olds so that they can learn another language? Most of these kids are going to have a hard enough time adjusting to a new environment, never mind upper classmen. A few select may be able to handle an algebra class, foreign language....but the majority of them still need the guidance they were receiving at the middle school level. Not to mention, they know ENOUGH about sex, drugs, and other of lifes realities without the enhancement of the older kids. | | from: AMMS PARENT | on: 03-24-2009 12:00AM
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| I was just wondering what was the reason why they move the 7 & 8 graders out of the high School in the frist place? I do remember when they were up there but I moved away when it all change back to the way it is now. Now I have a child that will be going up there in 2 yrs and he also has some special needs and with losing jobs I want to make sure that my child get all the support he will still need at that time. My child has 2 paras now I really dont see that changing any time soon. So they will cut jobs make the children suffer and make what teachers that we do have work twice has hard as they work now. With the MCAS grades being what I've seen I really dont see how they can justife losing teachers. I know a lot of teachers and they work really hard making sure our children learn what they need to and to put more pressure on them is totally wrong. | | from: Just Wondering | on: 03-24-2009 12:00AM
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While I appreciate the concerns of parents of childern in 7th & 8th grade being placed in a position of interacting with much older childern, I believe the BIG point is being missed.
Where are the "teachers" in all of this. Just droning through the 180 day (+ or -) school year collecting their salaries is where they are. You will not see them in the halls monitoring the kids ... you will see them run into class at the very last minute.
I see the administrative staff has frozen salaries ... where is the teaching staff? They too should share the pain.
What happened to the PARENTS helping at the schools? Easier to complain than to do I guess.
I have no childern in the school system but have given hunderds of hours of my time to help make sure the kids have a chance to learn, grow and more.
My experience with much of the teaching staff is that they are working on "private" projects or simply looking to get the kids to the next grade.
In summary, it is time for both the PARENTS and TEACHERS to get in line with the current economic times. It is TIME to teach these kids so they can READ - WRITE and do more than puch a register to know what change to give back ( and even that is crap shoot ). It is time for the VOTERS to hold the schools and town leaders accountable for all of these failures and place individuals with no agenda in these positions. | | from: Cash Cow No More | on: 03-24-2009 12:00AM
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I DO KNOW THE TEACHERS WORK VERY HARD FOR LITTLE PAY AND I DO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE WORLD IS IN THIS TIME OF CRISES BUT BUT I STILL FEEL THAT PUTTING THE 7 & 8 UP AT HOOSAC IS NOT THE BEST IDEA. I DO THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR TIME AND I HAVE TO GIVING UP MY TIME AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE ALOT TO HANDLE FOR KIDS WHO WILL BE 13 14 YRS OLD ITS HARD ENOUGH TO BE AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THE PEER PRESURE AND NOW YOU WANT TO PUT MORE ON THEM UP WITH 16 TO 18 YRS THEY LEARN SOMETHINGS TO FAST AS IT IS. I GUESS TIME WILL TELL ON WHO IS RIGHT
Editor: We welcome your comments but please don't write all in caps; no yelling please. | | from: | on: 03-25-2009 12:00AM
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While we can debate teacher pay till the cows come home, it has no relevance to this discussion.
What does is the fact that the children are going to be placed in this environment and as the schools and town fathers do not have the foresight to mitigate all these issues it falls to US as residents and parents to step up fill the voids, demand solutions and hold those accountable for the decisions accountable for the issues and results.
I have yet to see any union contract that does not have a clause that no matter how it is phrased indicated "other assigned duties". If this is not in our school district contracts, SHAME ON US. It is just this type of provision that should be used to get the school employees, teachers, administrators and staff to be present in the halls, closets and open rooms. Security is every employee’s responsibility and it is not just violence that we need to secure our children from. We need to make sure these children are not exposed to language, ideas and pressures. That is the security this school district has to provide to serve the public good.
I encourage all to contact / write the town fathers to let them know what is expected.
Contact the school principals and board to see what plans are in place PRIOR to this event and get in front of the problems rather than be controlled by fear and the eruption of issues.
| | from: Cash Cow No More | on: 03-26-2009 12:00AM
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| It is just amazing to me that people think that this is a bad idea..........in my opinion the 7th and 8th grades should have stayed up at Hoosac the last time this happened and then this would not even be an issue......... | | from: | on: 03-27-2009 12:00AM
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I have alot of concerns with the 7&8grades going tyo the HS, especially since they are also cutting the staff at the same time.
Another note- what a loss that Kim Morandi will no longer be the principle. She is great and truelly loves the kids! | | from: afams mom | on: 03-27-2009 12:00AM
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I understand the economic times we are in. Everyone needs to cut corners and save money. The issue at hand is young, impressionable kids. The kids coming from C.T. Plunkett (which was K-5th Grade) had to adjust to a middle school, grades 6th-8th. The 6th graders just got adjusted and now are being thrown into a high school atmosphere. I use the word thrown because as quoted from the words of Mr. Skrocki "We have a tremendous amount of work has to be done and we don't have a plan in place yet.”
So, they have this great idea and NO plan as to how it’s going to work! Don’t you think a set plan should have been in place before making this move? There is about 6 months before the start of the new fall classes. That doesn’t give them much time to get their act together. I have heard everything from expanding the school to they are filling in the pool and making a classroom out of that.
Yes, money maybe be saved by cutting the teachers and combining the schools but how is it going to effect the education and well being of the children? I am sorry but I am not convinced by this haphazard arrangement!
| | from: Middle School Mom | on: 03-31-2009 12:00AM
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First of all, I was one of the first 8th graders the first time they made this move. We were in our own section the high school, and had very little interaction with the high schoolers. And we all turned out okay.
Second as far as peer pressure goes, how about teaching your kids right from wrong at home. I have a 14 year old who doesnt do drugs, have sex, or drink. I let her do activities that she enjoys doing, outside of school and it keeps her busy and off the streets. And yet she has time for her friends, movies, and sleep overs.
Third, if you people want extra help for the kids with learning disabilities, maybe they need to make this move in order to have the money.
| | from: former student | on: 04-04-2009 12:00AM
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7th and 8th graders do not belong with high schoolers. The last time they were up at the high school we ended up with some pregnant 8th graders.
They are just not ready to handle the influence of the older kids. | | from: Geoman | on: 04-06-2009 12:00AM
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