North Adams Getting Back in Line for MSBA Project
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The School Committee on Tuesday approved beginning the process toward renovating Greylock School.
A statement of interest detailing structural deficiencies of the nearly 60-year-old school and their impact on educational program will be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority if the City Council also approves the action next week.
School officials were quick to point out that the application does not mean a school project anytime soon — nor does it obligate either the city or MSBA to anything.
"Greylock was potentially one of our projects," said Mayor Richard Alcombright, referring to Greylock having been a possible option in the last school project that resulted in the $30 million renovation of Colegrove Park Elementary.
The city had put forward a dual project of renovating both Greylock and what was then Conte Middle School, but MSBA rejected the proposal. Only Conte continued forward as renovation into an elementary school.
"We also talked at the time that when we finally picked the Colegrove project, we said we'd get back in line," Alcombright, chairman of the School Committee, said. "This is getting it on MSBA's radar ... letting people know over there that Greylock is on our mind."
Superintendent Barbara Malkas noted that the initial application on Conte was submitted in 2007 - and that project is just about to go through its final audit 10 years later.
School Committee member John Hockridge said his preference would be to wait until fiscal 2018, after the recommendations of the Berkshire County Education Task Force are released, but felt he could vote for it because it nonbinding to the city.
"There are so many things that are structurally wrong with the building and, from an educational viewpoint, it's not adequate," said School Committee member Tara Jacobs, adding "we need to go back into the pipeline."
The submission requires approved meeting minutes for both the School Committee and City Council showing votes of approval; the deadline for applications is April.
The committee also got an expanded presentation on a proposal to shift the grade configuration to prekindergarten-Grade 6 and Grade 7-12. The Finance & Facilities subcommittee had recommended the change at its meeting two weeks ago.
The idea is to consolidate resources by moving prekindergarten into the three elementary schools, which would allow that program to expand, and move Grade 7 to Drury High School to create a middle school within a school with the eighth grade. The reconfiguration would reduce one school building transition for students and, say school officials, create a more of school community within each school.
Tim Callahan, interim principal at Drury, said Grade 7 would be housed in the same section as Grade 8, along a hallway that can accommodate 200. The two grades would be largely separated from the high school except in areas such as the gym, nurse and cafeteria, although they would have a separate lunch.
"We have enough space to take another 107 students. Right now have about 425 at Drury," he said. "We wouldn't be on top of each other ... there is space for this, it just requires some shuffling around."
School officials believe bringing Grade 7 and 8 together would provide a better transition and high school readiness, and give students some exposure to college and career readiness. It would also better align seventh-graders to move up to Grade 8 by having all of them in the same building with teachers working side by side.
"We feel it's been a struggle to coordinate that because it's been in three separate buildings," Callahan said.
Malkas said the transition plan would have input from faculty and staff, and parents would be expected to weigh in.
A public forum to discuss the possible relocation of the seventh grade and prekindegarten will be held on Thursday, March 2, at 6 p.m. in the Drury High School auditorium. The community is invited to attend to ask questions and share thoughts.
No changes can take place until the MSBA signs off on the plan because the agency had agreed to the city's switch to a K-7 structure that resulted in the Colegrove Park project. Malkas expected an answer before the next School Committee meeting.
In other business,
• Next year's school calendar will include two full days of professional development on Aug. 29 & 30, with the first day of school on Aug. 31. Another two full days of professional development are proposed for Nov. 7 and March 19 and three early release days, two for professional development on Oct. 5 and June 7 and one for parent-teacher conferences on Nov. 14 at Drury and Nov. 16 at the elementary schools.
Malkas said the goal was to reduce the number of half-days. Feedback from families was that it was easier to schedule a full day of care than two half-days and the full day also works better for staff in immersing in professional development. She said the union had reviewed and approved the changes.
• The school district has received $1,944,006.52 in grants. Malkas noted they can only be used in specific ways and can supplement, not supplant, program monies.
• Hockridge, chairman of the Berkshire County Education Task Force, reported that the task force has hired District Management Group of Boston for Phase 2 of its study. Phase 2 will take about six months and include interviews and meetings with parents and students. Actionable recommendations for school districts are expected by June.
