NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Superintendent Barbara Malkas intends to stay with the North Adams Public Schools through 2025. 

 

The School Committee last week approved a three-year contract with Malkas that would pay her $147,637 in the year beginning July 1, $149,852 in year two and $152,100 in year three. Years two and three are subject to negotiation and the superintendent's annual evaluation; the first year is about $2,200, or 1.5 percent, higher than this year. 

 

"I just want to say I'm very happy that we're locking you in for another three years and thank you for all you've done for our district in general," said committee member Tara Jacobs.

 

Malkas thanked the committee in turn for the support it had given her over the last few difficult years. 

 

"Even members who were not on the committee at that time, I've known you through other avenues and understood your support for the school district," she said. as I always say during evaluation time and endorsement of me as an endorsement of my team. "So thank you and thank you for your support and your commitment to the North Adams Public Schools."

 

Malkas was hired in 2016 out of 10 potential candidates. At the time, she was superintendent of the Webster school system and had been previously been curriculum coordinator for the Pittsfield Public Schools and then assistant and deputy superintendent for six years. She also had been a teacher and assistant principal at McCann Technical School.

 

The contract also includes 25 vacation days for 12 months, with a rollover of 10 days to be taken or paid out, and 60 percent of the cost of a $10,000 life insurance plan, $1,500 for mileage reimbursement, three personal days and up to 15 sick days. 

 

The committee also approved a new meeting schedule for next year that will have the first meeting of the coming school year on Aug. 30.

 

"We always ended up having our first meeting the first week of September, usually following Labor Day, and it's after school is already started," said Malkas. "So you're actually getting a post-mortem of our opening day."

 

 

After conversations with Mayor Jennifer Macksey, committee chair, the superintendent said it was proposed to have the meeting the last Tuesday in August instead. The first day of school for staff is Aug. 29 and students begin to arrive on Thursday, Sept. 1. Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 5.

 

"[The new date] allows for a notification to the School Committee just prior to our return to school. So we'd be providing you with updates on what our opening day activities are, which would allow School Committee members to participate if they so choose."

 

This schedule will also give the school year a three-day head start and, depending on the weather, an earlier release next spring compared to this year, when school started after Labor Day.

 

Drury graduation was June 14 and the sixth-grade promotion ceremonies are June 22. The last day of school will be a half-day on Thursday, June 23, with, said Malkas, "a collective applause and shout of joy by adult voices around the district."

 

In other business, the School Committee:

 

• Accepted $500 from Exxon-Mobile's Exxon's Educational Alliance for science, technology, engineering and math (science kits for the elementary grades) and $250 from Adams Community Bank for Drury High School's peer mediator group (for lanyards and graduation ropes).

 

• Approved updated sexual harassment and non-discrimination policies and year-end financial transfers. 

 

• Approved the use of up to $800,000 for design and feasibility services for the Brayton/Greylock