School Committee plans busy meeting Oct. 20

Date: 10/13/2010

Oct. 13, 2010

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

CHICOPEE -- Ward Nine School Committee member MaryBeth Pniak-Costello will be asking a lot of questions at the Oct. 20 meeting of the School Committee.

Pniak-Costello placed a number of items on that meeting's agenda at the Oct. 6 School Committee meeting.

She asked for a discussion of the city's bullying policy, and a clarification from the City Council of the city's Planning Department on the proposed senior overlay zone. She would like to know what impact that could have on the city's schools, since a significant number of grandparents are raising their grandchildren.

Pniak-Costello also placed on the agenda a discussion on fundraising in public schools. She noted that other school systems allows for paid advertising in bulletins and newsletters and while she is not specifically advocating for that effort, she does believe the School Committee should develop new ways to pay for programs in the city's schools.

One new feature, which she is interested in learning if it is now feasible, is a lacrosse program.

Also at the Oct. 20 meeting will be a discussion on Mayor Michael Bissonnette's on-going efforts to consolidate various aspects of city government to save money and promote efficiency. Ward Three School Committee member Marjorie Wojcik had requested that discussion for the Oct. 6 meeting, but asked for the item to be placed on the Oct. 20 agenda due to the absence of Bissonnette because of illness.

School Superintendent Richard Rege announced the move to the former St. Patrick's School for the staff and students of the Belcher School has been pushed back to Oct. 23 from the Columbus Day weekend to allow all of the work by sub-contractors to be completed. Rege explained the students and teachers, though, would take a field trip to the school in order for the young children to become familiar with it. He added that many of the children have never ridden a school bus and this would be an opportunity to teach them procedures.

There had been at a previous meeting a suggestion to consider changing the name of the Belcher School by either keeping the name "St. Patrick's" or seeking a new name. School Committee member Michael Pise had asked for that discussion and Ward Five School Committee member Deborah Styckiewicz made a motion to call the school "the New Belcher School."

A newspaper column written on the history of the Belcher School and the Belcher family by Stephen Jendrysik caused members of the committee to re-consider changing the name of the school. Rege reminded them that a name change would trigger involvement at the state level.

Pise said none of his constituents called him to question renaming the school and the committee voted to maintain the name.

School Committee At-Large member Chester Szetela suggested the committee look into establishing an academic and achievement a hall of fame for the district that would be similar to the athletic hall of fame.