CHESHIRE, Mass. — The School Committee is still one member short after no one ran for a vacant seat in the last election. 

 

On Monday, the Adams- Cheshire Regional School Committee reorganized to elect Adam Emerson as a new chairman and Michael Mucci as a vice chairman but it will have to advertise for the seat left by former Chairman and longtime member Paul Butler.

 

"I would just like to get that seat filled as soon as we can," member Regina Hill said.

 

Not one Adams resident pulled papers for the vacant position and there was not a conclusive write-in campaign during the election earlier this month.

 

There was a similar issue in Cheshire when member Peter Tatro decided not to seek re-election. No one in Cheshire decided to run so Tatro launched a write-in campaign that he won.

 

The district will reach out to Massachusetts Association of School Committee and how it can go about advertising the position to solicit interest from the public. 

 

After reorganizing the committee heard from members of Adams-Cheshire Teachers Association and its President Cheryl Ryan read a prepared statement about the proposed 1 percent wage increase. 

 

"As a staff, we have made difficult financial decisions in past contract cycles in order to preserve services and maintain staffing levels often at a significant cost to ourselves," Ryan read. "This year we are presented with a take it or leave it 1 percent wage offer that feels unconscionable given the demands that we are under as well as in comparison to our municipal counterparts."

 

She added that if wages continue to stagnate, the standards the communities expects will fall and many teachers will go to other districts.

 

The School Committee did not respond but does plan to hold a meeting with the negotiations subcommittee and ACTA in the near future.

 

In other business, Superintendent John Vosburgh said he recently discussed changing the status of the district from the turnaround plan to a district improvement plan with the state. The turnaround plan was put into place a few years ago in response to low performance on the state's standardized testing and in conjunction with state Department of Education requirements.

 

Vosburgh said the DOE was hesitant to make any changes because the turnaround plan has been quite successful in the school district.

 

"They thought it was good stuff and they did not want to see us scrap those plans since it had produced some positive results and growth," he said.

 

Vosburgh said he told the education officials the school district still wants to adhere to the plan but simply change the district's status. He said the district will begin forming a district improvement plan that will contain elements of the turnaround plan.