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Date: 9/29/2021
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM – The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) received updates on COVID-19 precatuions, the strategic plan and curriculum during its Sept. 23 meeting.
COVID-19
Since the first day of school on Aug. 31, 30 students have tested positive for the virus, said Nurse Leader Kiara Fryer. A total of 67 students were identified as in-school close contacts, though 14 of them were vaccinated and therefore did not need to quarantine. The total number of students that have been isolated or quarantined since the beginning of school was 158, but Fryer pointed out 91 of them had exposure outside of school.
Superintendent Albert Ganem told the committee that the “test and stay” kits had been delivered to the district and the program would be in place within two weeks. Test and stay is a program in which close contacts of coronavirus-positive students can avoid quarantine by being tested every day for seven days. If they test negative and have no symptoms, they can remain in school. The program requires parent or caregiver consent before testing. All nurses and monitors will need to be trained on the program. Though the kits were of no cost to the district, HWRSD is still sourcing hazardous material disposal receptacles.
For those students who do need to quarantine, Ganem said that there is a synchronous learning option that has been rolled out to the district. “It looks a little different from last year’s synchronous learning,” Ganem said, because it has been updated using lesson learned during the 2020-2021 school year. Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning Lisa Curtain said those lessons include using devices wisely, using Google Classroom to make content easy to find, making sure remote students can be heard by the whole class and are given opportunity to speak and making sure teachers have time to train on the technology. Ganem added that the administration has also learned lessons to help support and guide teachers.
When discussing the status of COVID-19 in the district, Fryer said that the portion of students who have been vaccinated at Minnechaug Regional High School (MRHS) runs from 51 percent to 55 percent, depending on the grade. School Committee member Patrick Kiernan pointed out that 275 more students need to be vaccinated for the school to reach the 80 percent threshold and be eligible to lift the mask mandate. Middle school vaccination levels fluctuate dramatically between grades and school.
The number of staff that have been vaccinated varies by school. MRHS has 77 percent of staff vaccinated, while 85 percent of Wilbraham Middle School staff have had the jab. The elementary schools range from 40 percent to 62 percent and Green Meadows, which educates K-8, has a total of 55 percent of staff vaccinated, Fryer said.
The committee decided to extend the mask mandate in the district through the end of 2022. While Kiernan and School Committee member Bill Bontempi were proponents of extending the mandate only to Oct. 31, fellow School Committee member Sean Kennedy pushed for the end of the year. When asked for his opinion, Ganem said the data suggested the Dec. 31 deadline with an option to adjust as schools reach the 80 percent threshold was most prudent.
Ganem stated that he did not want to wait on a decision from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Since the meeting, DESE has extended the state-wide mask mandate through November. Schools with more than 80 percent of their populations vaccinated can apply to allow vaccinated persons to unmask after Oct. 15.
Director of Student Services Gina Roy added that very few special education students have exceptions that require them not to wear a mask.
Strategic Plan
Director of Safe Schools/Healthy Students Gina Kahn, who is working to set up the strategic plan infrastructure, announced several meetings to discuss the district’s SWOT, (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). The SWOT meetings were recommended by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools, which is spearheading the strategic plan. The first SWOT meeting is Oct. 20 at Thornton W. Burgess School.
“These are the places where the data will be generated,” Kahn said. From there, the strategic plan support team will go over the data to determine the district’s needs.
So far, the team consists of the superintendent, two principals, two School Committee members, a member from each town’s boards of selectmen, and one student. Kahn said that the team needs parents, one more student and teachers. Maura Ryan volunteered as the school committee member from Hampden. Three members from Wilbraham volunteered, and of the three, Bontempi’s name was pulled from a hat by a member of the audience.
Homework
Curtain fielded questions about the amount of homework that is assigned at the elementary level. Despite rumors to the contrary, she said, K-5 teachers are assigning homework based on time-limit guidelines this year. Outside of placing a cap on the amount of time students in various grades could spend on homework, the assignments were largely up to the teachers.
Ryan asked how there is equity in homework given between different classrooms in the same grade if the teachers have discretion.
Ganem explained that the district is “moving away from homework as busy work,” and toward homework detailed to individual student needs. Curtain did tell the committee that the homework structure needs to be “revisited” for the next academic year. She went on to tell them that a survey had been sent out to K-5 educators to get feedback on the curriculum. Curtain and her team will be using the results to evaluate the current curriculum and rate instructional materials. The responses will also be used in professional learning and coaching opportunities to support the English language arts content.
School Committee member Sherrill Caruana suggested including parents in the discussion on curriculum changes.
Public Comment
Four residents spoke during the meeting. Resident Tracy Farnsworth addressed an incident that occurred on Aug. 19 in which the three members of the Curriculum Subcommittee, Caruana, School Committee Chair Michal Boudreau and member Lisa Murray, waited about 40 minutes to leave the building after their meeting ended. Resident Dave Sanders filed paperwork alleging the action constituted an open meeting law violation. The district’s attorney, Sean Sweeney, responded to the filing.
Sweeney explained that, during the subcommittee meeting, Sanders, Farnsworth and resident Joe Lawless asked an array of questions despite being informed that there was no public comment period on the agenda. After the meeting, the subcommittee members did not wish to leave the building until the members the community had left the parking lot, “to avoid a further encounter.”
In Sweeney’s response, he emphasized that the subcommittee members only had “personal and social” conversation during that time, that the door to the conference room was open and that former Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Kate Belsky was in and out of the room.
Farnsworth took issue with the statement in the response that the three officials waited out herself and the two others. “They had no reason to believe that we would approach them further,” she said.
Farnsworth echoed the original complaint, which stated “[I] believe that the goal of an ‘equity audit’ was likely the topic and that they intentionally avoided discussing the topic of an ‘equity audit’ in greater detail during the meeting due to citizens in attendance.”
On the topic of the equity audit, resident Jim Smith stated that the School Committee does not have the authority to instruct the superintendent to take an action and quoted MGL Chapter 71, Section 37, which outlines the duties and powers of the School Committee. He also took issue with language in the motion requiring the district to “integrate the findings” of the audit into the strategic plan. By including an assessment of current equitable student outcomes in the strategic plan, Smith stated, the committee had “ceded its authority” to the as-yet-undecided third-party firm conducting the audit.
Lawless told the committee members he was “highly concerned” with the committee’s actions being “out of the scope” of its purpose. As an example, he said the curriculum subcommittee oversteps Curtain’s authority. Lawless questioned the relevance of the subcommittees under the School Committee’s stated mission.
On the topic of COVID-19 precautions, Resident Adam Kellogg asked the committee to listen to the medical experts available to the district and specifically mentioned HWRSD physician and pediatrician Dr. Amy Kasper. He said when she appeared before the body in August, she presented sound information and reasonable suggestions.
Security
Ganem addressed concerns from the public about signs on school grounds that state the campus is closed to the public. He clarified that campus access is only restricted while school is in session and that the public is welcome on school grounds after classes let out. While he understands that people like to walk on the track or walk their dogs around the campus, he said safety dictates that unknown people not be allowed to walk past classroom windows. “I just want to keep our students safe,” Ganem said.
Bontempi recommended an explicit policy be adopted on the topic, as members of the community have expressed confusion as to why they are not allowed on property paid for by taxes. He also suggested that having people outside the buildings might make the campus safer. “They might be able to spot something that looks suspicious,” he said.
Finances
Director of Finance and Operations Aaron Osborne reported that the district was seeking to refinance a 2011 bond of $7 million at the bank’s recommendation. “Our bond rating remains strong at AA3,” he said.
Osborne also said that the district expects an increase of $135,400 in the excess and deficiency (E&D) account at the end of this financial year. He explained they received approximately $300,000 more in regional transportation funding from the state, while school choice and charter school funding were below expected values.
Another financial boon for the district is the Mental Health Awareness Training grant of $125,000 per year for five years. Kahn, who wrote the grant proposal, said that only 10 school districts received these grants, while the other 30 plus grants went to community organizations. The district will use the money to train educators on recognizing precursors and intervening in mental health emergencies.
Bus Shortage
Committee Member Lisa Murray reported that the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, which provides student transportation for HWRSD, is acquiring 20 new buses by the end of October. Ganem commented that the additions should help ease transportation issues within the district. “We know there’s a bus shortage,” he said, adding that the district has changed routes for added efficiency.