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Date: 1/11/2023
HAMPDEN-WILBRAHAM – The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) has a busy year ahead, with an equity audit, budget issues and navigating the district’s Master Plan. Superintendent John Provost said he is focusing on serving the district and meeting students where they learn.
Evidence-based support
The district has embraced a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), which has three parts. The first level is universal support. Any student can benefit from these tools, and they include the reading and English language arts curricula that were implemented in 2022. The second level, evidence-based interventions, are made to support students with math, reading and social-emotional interventions for students who may be struggling.
“We know that just having strong universal support isn’t enough for everyone,” Provost said.
The third level addresses students who need customized support, such as special education services.
“It’s really a medical model,” Provost said. He compared the three layers of MTSS to the use of vaccines to control illness in the general populace, antiviral medicines when someone gets sick despite the vaccines and hospitalization for patients who are most in need.
Equity audit
A vote by the School Committee in late 2022 selected the consultation firm Mass Insight Education & Research to perform an equity audit. An equity audit examines policies, procedures and the experiences of people in the district to ensure there is equitable access to education for all learners and equitable experiences for all students, teachers, staff, administrators and the wider HWRSD community.
The district’s Master Plan called for the audit to be completed by June 30. “I imagine there will be [a] plan that comes out of the equity audit,” Provost said, just as the Master Plan itself was created.
Planning Committee
The district’s Master Plan called for the creation of the Planning Committee. The committee’s purpose is to consider overarching issues, such as changes to the regional agreement, how to reconfigure the use of school buildings and how financial support of the district could be modified if needed. The Planning Committee consists of a member of the School Committee from each town and a member of each town’s Board of Selectmen. This committee will begin the bulk of their work in 2023.
Changes
As a living document, the Master Plan is flexible and can be adjusted to respond to various circumstances. Provost said he thought the medical emergency response plan would be a priority for 2023, but the current plan does not expire until 2024, and therefore the need is not as urgent.
On the other hand, Provost said, there has been a great deal of community interest in vocational education opportunities. The district is examining how that area can be addressed sooner than originally planned. In addition to making sure students have access to the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), Provost also expressed in interest in adopting Innovation Pathways, a hybrid program that allows students to pursue vocational training and industrial credentials, as well as a diploma and preparation for college. The program facilitates a partnership between the district, local businesses and institutions of higher learning.
Despite the adjustments to the Master Plan that have been made based on feedback, Provost said his “core approach” to running the district is still “providing servant leadership.”
Budget
HWRSD Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations and Human Resources Aaron Osborne explained that the district will face specific challenges as it builds its budget for the next fiscal year. Among those challenges is a 14 percent increase in placement costs for students whose educational needs require them to learn at facilities outside of the district.
In a typical year, the cost of out-of-district (OOD) placements will rise by 2 to 3 percent, year over year. The dramatic surge in costs this year was unexpected. Osborne estimated it will cost the district $500,000 or more.
“We’re going to try” to shoulder the costs, Osborne said, but he noted that the cost of utilities, health insurance, wages and the costs of one-to-one technology are also expected to rise in the fiscal year ahead. Provost said, “We need to see where other things line up,” such as Chapter 70 state aid.
The superintendent has sought relief by contacting legislators to intercede with the state’s Operation Services Division, which sets the tuition prices for OOD private schools. He said he understands their costs have increased due to inflation.
“I just hope the Legislature understands that public schools need increased funding too,” Provost said.
Additionally, Osborne said there are more students that require OOD placements in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic-related school disruptions.
Osborne said “hopefully” inflation will slow down, and the increase will return to 3 percent in future years.