Williamstown-Lanesborough Schools Not Filling Curriculum Director Position
 The union voted to delay hiring a curriculum coordinator. |
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Superintendency Union 71 opted again not to fill a curriculum coordinator position.
The position was created in 2010 to align curriculum in all three schools with the forming of SU71. Mary McDonald last held the position prior to this school year, when she become principal of Mount Greylock Regional School.
Then it was too late in the year to do a search for a replacement so the union held off but kept the position on the books for the future. On Monday, the union voted to again put off hiring for the position.
"We did well without it," said Superintendent Rose Ellis on Monday. "We're doing well and our curriculum alignment is working as we hoped."
To save some $83,000 in salary, the union will again delay filling the position but will keep it on the books in case there is a need for it later.
"This will be the second year we decided not to fill the position. We're not eliminating it, we're just not filling it this year," SU71 Chairwoman Regina DiLego said.
Not filling the position will help offset a 9.5 percent increase in health insurance benefits for the next budget. The preliminary budget is still eyed to be up $6,174 in health insurance. That is before contract negotiations with Director of Pupil Services Kim Grady and Business Manager Lynn Bassett.
SU71 voted in favor of entering contract negotiations with those two — a one-year contract for the business manager and three years for director of pupil services. On Tuesday night, the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee revoted to reduce the business manager's contract to one year because of SU71's decision, and approved a three-year contract with Grady, both pending negotiations.
Lanesborough Elementary will be responsible for 20 percent of the union budget — down by 1 percent because last year enrollment dropped from 225 to 205. Williamstown Elementary will be responsible for 35 percent — up 1 percent — and Mount Greylock will pay 45 percent.
"Lanesborough is down a little bit this year because there was a dramatic change in enrollment between this year and last year," Ellis said. "That impacted the enrollment piece [of the formula] for Lanesborough."
The percentages are based on a five-year average of enrollment and staff numbers.
Tags: administrator, contract negotiations, MGRHS, SU71,
