Just days after the Six Town Regionalization Planning Board voted to postpone the Special Town Meeting votes and Montague ballot question on a regional agreement to form a Great River Regional School District, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee voted Thursday not to recommend regionalization.
On Tuesday, Regionalization Planning Board members shared their support for the vote delay based on a recommendation from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the need to continue public outreach and information sharing. Chair Alan Genovese said the vote on the regional agreement could be taken in the spring instead.
Genovese read the communication he received from Michelle Griffin of DESE’s Regional Governance Office. Griffin recommended that the votes be delayed based on the complexities of merging two regional school districts and one municipal school district — a “unique proposal” that is “unlike other school district regionalization,” the DESE letter states.
“As a result, complex legal and practical matters have arisen that need to be addressed, and recent discussions and feedback have given rise to the need for changes in the proposed regional agreement,” DESE’s letter reads. “Given these considerations, we respectfully suggest that you consider delaying the vote on the proposed regional agreement currently scheduled for November Town Meetings.”
Genovese said that through feedback from public information sessions that has been provided to DESE, and concerns raised by himself and Vice Chair Greg Snedeker, some data needs to be adjusted before a vote is called. This includes recalculating town assessment projections by The Abrahams Group, reviewing school transportation data and adjusting the warrant article language to account for liabilities, as recommended by DESE and the board’s attorney.
The original plan by the board was to go to the towns of Bernardston, Gill, Leyden, Northfield and Warwick for Special Town Meetings, and Montague for a ballot question to approve the regional agreement, which would help establish the Great River Regional School District. The new merged district would combine the two regional districts, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District and the Gill-Montague Regional School District, while also incorporating the independent Warwick School District that educates elementary-age students.
Genovese and other board members shared their observations about possible confusion from the public regarding this regionalization process, as well as online misinformation being disseminated.
Genovese noted the public perception as it stands makes him feel more motivated to delay the vote, “so that we can make sure that we address any information that is not accurate and that we do our due diligence on those issues.”
Gill board member Debbie Loomer asked the board how members would be able to respond to misinformation about regionalization, adding that they have limited mechanisms to correct information. Northfield board member Deborah Potee shared her perspective that in-person talks are preferred to engaging online, as it helps humanize the discussion.
“I want to be able to hear their perspective, I really do,” Potee said of residents. “But I also want them to understand that we’ve spent countless hours on this and we care passionately about doing the right thing by the students.”
Montague board member Dorinda Bell-Upp shared a similar sentiment about in-person conversation, and Genovese said this is a subject he wants to revisit in a future meeting.
After the discussion, each member of the board voted to approve the delay, with the exception of Northfield board member Reina Dastous, who abstained. Although the vote has been postponed, information sessions will continue as scheduled.
For towns in the Pioneer district, the next information session is set for Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. at Dickinson Memorial Library.
For Gill-Montague, the next information session will be in the Turners Falls High School auditorium on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The following Tuesday, Oct. 28, the board plans to present to the Gill-Montague School Committee.
Pioneer votes against regionalization
The Pioneer School Committee discussed the postponement at its Thursday meeting, with members noting that some misinformation had been shared about the improved programming that regionalization could offer students.
Chair Melissa Gerry said she attended Tuesday’s meeting, where, in addition to postponing the vote, the Regionalization Planning Board reviewed informational pamphlets that would be sent out to voters. The pamphlet said that regionalization could allow for new outdoor-based education — something that has been in practice at Pioneer for years.
“I did notice on their pamphlet some things that just didn’t sit right with me from Pioneer,” Gerry said. “One of the things they said was potential new programming. … This may be something new for Gill-Montague, but potential new programs highlighting outdoor learning curriculums utilizing nearby acreage is exactly what our district is doing. That is not a new program for Pioneer.”
After further discussion, committee members voted 5-1 not to recommend the regionalization proposal. Gerry said that while the committee believes regionalization is not in the best interest of students, ultimately, the decision will be made by town voters.
“The Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee does not believe the school district merger proposed by the Six Town Regionalization Planning Board is in the best interest of Pioneer students,” Gerry said. “The School Committee therefore does not recommend the approval of the proposed district agreement to create a super-regional school district.”
The Warwick Community School also signaled its opposition to regionalization in a 4-1 vote, not recommending regionalization during its meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
The Gill-Montague School Committee has not taken a vote on whether to recommend regionalization at this time. During its Tuesday, Oct. 14, meeting, the committee briefly discussed the postponed vote on the regional agreement, with members signaling that they were OK with the idea of a delay, so the public can get more information about the plans.