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Date: 10/18/2023
HUNTINGTON — Following negotiations over the last two months, the Gateway Regional School Committee voted unanimously to offer Superintendent Kristen Smidy a six-year contract covering July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2030. Smidy’s current contract, which had been extended for one year, ends June 30, 2024.
The new contract pays an annual salary of $164,788. Each year, the salary will increase by 2.5% from the previous year’s base salary, subject to the annual evaluation. Part of the negotiations discussed at the last meeting included shifting vacation buy back to the salary line.
Stephanie Fisk, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, said that Smidy will have an annual option to extend the contract for one more year.
“I’m so appreciative of the School Committee’s confidence in my leadership. Gateway is an incredible place to be, and I am excited to continue the work we’ve been engaged in,” Smidy said after the meeting.
Smidy reviewed Gateway’s MCAS scores, which were just received from the state. She said while there has been growth in all grades, the scores were largely below 2019’s scores, before coronavirus pandemic interruptions. She said targets had been set based on the prior year scores, and an overall comparison given for the last four years.
An area of concern were English scores at Littleville Elementary School, which dipped below 1995 scores, Smidy said. One bright spot noted was Chester Elementary School’s double-digit improvement in math, which exceeded its target.
Smidy said teachers in the district would be taking the time during the next professional development day to study the data from the test scores.
“Using MCAS as a data point to reflect on our strengths and areas of growth as a district is an important practice to engage in. The MCAS results do not define us exclusively, but it is one factor for us to consider as we move forward and focus on how to continue to build and offer opportunities for students to engage in the best possible education that we can provide,” she said.
In other business, the School Committee considered the fairness of Advanced Placement courses, following concerns raised at the last meeting by senior Reeghan Morawiec. In particular, Morawiec objected to students having to pay to take AP tests, without which they don’t get AP credit for the courses.
Over the last few weeks, teachers at the school were surveyed as to how many AP classes are administered at Gateway, how much the College Board is charging for the tests and how much it would be for Gateway to assume the costs of the test.
Smidy said Gateway is a Title I district because of the percentage of students who are considered low-income.
Tara Balboni of Russell said very few colleges are now accepting AP scores.
“It does nothing for them in college,” she said, explaining that while it is valuable for students to take the courses, they are not getting college waivers for them. She said AP students that take the course but not the test, won’t necessarily get extra high school credit.
“I think we should pay for everyone,” said Jason Forgue. He said some students wouldn’t ask for help to pay for them. Fisk said she also endorsed the idea of paying for the tests.
“I want to see those kids taking those tests and classes. I want our scores to go up,” said School Committee Chair Sarah Page.
Alex Seid, the new committee representative from Middlefield, said he is the AP coordinator in the district where he works, which pays for the tests for students. He also recommended paying for the tests. He said his district spent $14,000 last year on 1,621 exams.
“If the district is going to pay, it’s not a discussion any more. We have 400 students in grades 9 to 12. Kids show up for the exam,” Seid said. He said if it’s in the budget, and feasible to make that happen, it’s positive for the students and for the school.
Seid said in his district, students who take the course and not the test will receive honors credit for the class, at best. He said once a student signs up for a course, a test is automatically generated. He also said Gateway has to make sure it registers by November, due to College Board deadlines.
Smidy said she felt uncomfortable changing the requirement this year to mandate the test. She said she would like to have the test remain an option this year, and change the requirements for next year.
The committee applauded Morawiec for raising the issue. Morawiec said she did know students who didn’t take the test for financial reasons.