How would this merger benefit students?

Although elementary students would continue to receive their education in their respective schools, increased enrollment in the middle/high schools would potentially create more and new opportunities in academics, clubs, athletics and services.  Increasingly, as the populations at both school districts have shrunk, all areas of academics and student programming have been affected.  Increasing student numbers would strengthen, stabilize and enrich services, like sports teams and all arts programming (music, band/chorus, theater) that rely on population for sustainability.  Building confidence in the stability of the schools to offer a full roster of academics, including AP classes, seasonal sports teams designed for developing athletes’ abilities, and a strong visual and performing arts programming throughout middle/high school would be key.  Having a population stable middle and high school could inspire the individual town elementary schools in a larger regional district to more energetically invest in art, music/band, and town supported recreational sports leagues for their younger students.

Academically, a merger of these two districts could benefit both student learning and staff teaching.  Currently, for example, at Pioneer middle and high school, for example, teachers have had to teach classes at both levels in some subject areas.  With a separate middle and high school, teachers would be focused on specific student populations which would increase competency in developmental learning styles and abilities.  Teachers would be hired to teach in their subject area of expertise rather than multiple fields.  Teachers would be able to collaborate with their subject area peers to share knowledge, deepen expertise and enrich pedagogy.  An increase in staff would create more connections and opportunities for support and greater sense of stability.  These benefits might help support and retain staff over time.

More academic opportunities (course offerings) for students would be possible with fewer course conflicts in scheduling would be obvious benefits.  More staff and students would more adequately support or develop more programming for students both in out and outside of academic hours. For example, student services, like guidance, school to career, college exploration, mental health/counseling, would also stabilize and increase potentially.  Students would have a wider range of teachers/staff to develop relationships with and more opportunities to find ways or outlets to help them grow and achieve.  Students would have a wider range of peers to meet and develop friendships with across a larger area of Franklin County.   These outcomes might keep students from matriculating elsewhere and improve graduation numbers.

Would the elementary programs be unified in approach? Would they lose their autonomy?

The Planning Board believes that it will be important to have a unified approach in curriculum and other programs that develop knowledge and skills that flow smoothly as students progress through the system. This would be an exciting opportunity for the staff to collectively re-imagine a district with the best researched based models for programs and services that benefit students. However, it is anticipated that each elementary school would continue to have the flexibility to tailor their curricula to the resources and opportunities that are unique to their school. It is expected that a transition team would help in the creation of a five year curriculum renewal cycle.

Would students be heterogeneously grouped or tracked?

Gill-Montague and Pioneer districts could use both heterogeneous (students of mixed abilities and backgrounds) and homogeneous (students “grouped” by ability, often by others) learning models. The two districts currently emphasize one or the other. For instance, Pioneer AP courses are open to selection by any student. In speaking with staff from both districts, they believe it is in the best interests of students to have the opportunity to sign up for courses that are of interest to them and will help to advance them to their next experience after high school.

Would students lose the benefits of small class sizes and personal attention in a larger school district?

Although this district would be larger, relatively speaking, it will remain a small district in the eyes of the State, with a total enrollment of approximately 1600 students. At the high school level there would be approximately 335 students, with the middle school at 400+ students. High school classes will likely have class sizes of approximately 12 to 14 students, which are still small, but allows room for more student perspectives and voices. Most teachers agree that classes in many subject areas can be too small (i.e., 4 to 6 students) and not offer as vibrant and engaging student experience as a class with 10 to 15 students.

How does a Middle School become a state-of-the-art school?

This would be accomplished through professional development, visitations, research and with guidance from an experienced middle school consultant. These activities would solidify the staff, build congeniality and professional working relationships as best models and practices are explored together. They may research the criteria standard of a “Blue Ribbon” School. The districts, as they exist now, do not have the enrollment and staff levels to support a designated middle school model. As a possible future goal for a designated middle school, for example, the campus in Northfield could focus on experiential learning with an outdoor learning curriculum that utilizes the 94 acres that surrounds Pioneer.

What are the benefits for Middle School students?

The dedicated middle school staff will be able to focus on the educational, social and emotional needs of students in the courses they develop and collectively share the responsibility ensuring every student succeeds.The staff and department meetings will have more perspectives on sharing ideas on best practices which will directly benefit students. The classroom engagement of students will be more robust as they would benefit from more educational resources (teachers and staff) and the collaboration and sharing of ideas within the teaching/learning process. The Middle School would be able to have more control and flexibility over scheduling classes and time management. It is anticipated that new courses would be developed, focused on the interest of students, but still contain the criteria of what students at this age level need to know and be able to do.

The quality and quantity of student participation in the arts, such as band, music, theater will also add a new dimension to this experience. Middle School children will also benefit in extracurricular activities such as athletics as they are able to have more playing time to develop their skills and compete at their level.

What kind of special education programs would exist?

All children benefit when students with some learning challenges are integrated into the “regular” classroom and student activities. This requires proper support, such as Learning Centers. A comprehensive school district provides therapeutic, adult life skills, social and emotional support, and guidance services to mention a few. Although out of the scope of the Planning Board, we believe our educators in both districts are well-versed on what is best for students and will continue to advocate for these support systems.

How will parents know their kids are safe if they go to a school in a community they don’t know?

An essential facet of this process is to create opportunities for families/parents to engage in activities with and without their children. Example: a game night for families and students, a pot luck supper, ice breaking activities led by a professional speaker, forums for parents to express concerns and offer ideas.  Exposure to new environments and a potentially more diverse community are important opportunities for students to learn about people and the wider world. Ultimately, families/parents need to take an active role in their child’s education, and work collaboratively with their schools and school committees to address safety concerns within their school communities.  School safety will always be a primary concern for any administration.  Having best practices in protocols and consistent and fulsome communication between families and schools should allay concerns.

When is the vote on the District Regional Agreement?

The agreement is currently in development. After the District Regional Agreement has been approved by the District Regional Agreement Subcommittee (DRAS), a special town meeting will be scheduled in each of the member towns. Each town will vote individually to approve or not approve the agreement. All six towns must approve the agreement in order for the new regional district to be created. 

If the decision is to be made at Town Meetings regarding the approval of the Regional Agreement, does this require a majority vote or a 2/3 vote?

For a six town district to form, there would need to be an affirmative (majority) vote in all six towns to join the new district.

What would the decision timeline look like?

After the regional agreement is drafted, it would be reviewed by the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Next, a vote will take place in each of the towns in 2025 or 2026. If the agreement is approved at the respective six Town Meetings, there would be a transition process that would likely take two years.

Why was the Planning Board formed?

Declining enrollments over almost three decades have threatened the ability of the Gill-Montague and Pioneer Valley Regional School Districts to offer comprehensive educational experiences to their students. Concurrently, the financial pressures to support the districts, with these diminished learning opportunities for students, sparked an interest in the six towns of Bernardston, Gill, Leyden, Montague, Northfield and Warwick to establish a Planning Board to research the feasibility and sustainability of merging the two districts to form a new regional school district. Each town appointed three members to represent them.

Would the transition be gradual or all at once?

The transition would be gradual. A school committee for the new district would be formed to set policy and negotiate contracts. This committee would operate for one year while the other two districts are still in operation and then replace the other committees after that year is complete. During this transition, there would be opportunities for public input and community building. This could include opportunities for students to come together for learning (shared classes using technology), visitations, intramural sports, clubs, social events etc. This might include working groups of students on things like exploring potential mascots for middle and high school.

Would there be “At Large” elections for School Committee Members?

How school committee members are elected is a subject of the Regional Agreement. The District Regional Agreement Subcommittee will review the various options allowed under Massachusetts state law.

Who would oversee the governance and decision making process?

The governance and decision making process would first be drafted and contained in the Regional Agreement. The next governance structure would be developed by the School Committee, with guidance from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS), The Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools (MARS), and others. This would be followed or in consort with an administrative team and working groups of educators, parents and in some cases, students. The above is a general response which will likely be expanded and enhanced. It would make sense to hire a consultant to provide assistance in the early stages of this process.

How do you overcome the resistance from some community members?

The position of the Planning Board has not been to eliminate resistance to this idea but rather to listen to their concerns and then research possible answers. Not all concerns can be addressed because some concerns are “what if” questions that the Board cannot anticipate the outcome. Perhaps a better understanding of our work will influence some peoples’ thinking. Our focus is looking at the research and determining if this merger will be in the best educational interest of students moving forward. In the end, if our work ends up on Town Meetings warrants, the people will decide. However, regardless of the outcome of the vote, we will have important data to author a “white paper” for our state legislators and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to study and take under advisement.

What about push-back from parents/community who attended schools and have nostalgic feelings that interfere with forward growth?

This is a real concern and is part of the reason that a change such as this is challenging. Our personal feelings and loyal connections run deep and there would definitely be a grieving process for many. This reality must be incorporated into any transition plan developed. One example might be that a certain number of basketball games are scheduled in each facility. Additionally, a transition plan must include approaches to build new bridges for community, families and students.

What is the impact on towns regarding their assessments?

On November 14th, 2023, our consultants, the Abrahams Group, presented ten example assessment methodologies and the resulting assessment for each member town. It is the job of the District Regional Agreement Subcommittee and the MARS consulting group to determine which assessment methodology will be used in the final regionalization agreement. Read more about finances on the reports page.

How would any central office savings be utilized?

The Planning Board believes these savings would best be utilized by redirecting the funds to support educational programs and services for students and adding some essential services to support the emotional and social health of students.

If a new district was formed, where would students attend school?

The present plan is to have elementary students remain in their present buildings while the Pioneer Valley Regional High School/Junior High School facility would be dedicated to a true Middle School Model housing grades 6 – 8 and the Turners Falls High School would educate students in grades 9-12.

Would elementary schools be adequately maintained?

All regional school districts are responsible for the general maintenance of the schools under their jurisdiction and should provide adequate funding and personnel for this to happen on a daily/monthly and yearly basis. Deferred maintenance is no excuse for towns to absorb unnecessary capital expenses.

It is the expectation of the Planning Board that all schools will have a safe and inviting environment/atmosphere for students and staff and a routine maintenance schedule will be adhered to.

What would be the effect of a merger on elementary capital/construction projects?

Even with rigorous maintenance and routine repairs of infrastructure, the age and general wear and tear makes it necessary for continual capital investment when needed. The new Regional School District Agreement would govern who would be responsible for capital improvements and town officials may wish to explore options for the use of existing facilities.

Some regional agreements have all the towns paying a predetermined assessed portion of capital improvements/construction projects while others give this responsibility to the towns. For example, if the Pioneer Valley Regional School District wished to consolidate one or two of the elementary schools through a renovation/construction project at the existing regional school district facility, the funding source of that project could be through the School Building Authority (pending approval) with the difference to be paid by the respective towns through Town Meetings. However, for this to happen, it would need to be in the language of the Regional Agreement, which must be approved at Town Meetings. The same would be true for the Gill-Montague School District. Districts might want to continue to pursue any capital projects they deem necessary.

Would staff members lose their jobs?

The Planning Board believes this merger would result in minimal, if any, job losses for staff supporting students’ education and services. The strength of our schools are the teachers and support staff. These are the familiar faces for students and this will create a level of trust, confidence and comfort that will help students during this merger. It has been determined that significant savings would be achieved by eliminating the duplication of personnel in the Central Office, and unfortunately, some of these positions would be eliminated.

Will negotiating a joint contract be an arduous project?

Contract negotiations can also be challenging. However, this would be an exciting time. The positive energy might serve as a catalyst for collaborative best interest bargaining. With a collective focus, bargaining can move forward toward a timely resolution. Ultimately, the newly elected School Committee and the consolidated unions would work together toward the best outcome.

Even though this is not within the scope of the Planning Board, the board wanted to at least acknowledge this question because this would be part of the process in forming a new school district. It is important to note that no employee can earn a lower salary. For the sole purpose of generating a budget it was necessary to generate a theoretical salary schedule to calculate town assessments.

Pioneer teachers were migrated onto the Gill-Montague Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) salary schedule which has higher compensation than Pioneer’s, and then additional steps were added to accommodate all teachers. Again, for the purposes of generating assessments active and retired employees remained in their respective insurance plans for assessment purposes. This methodology was utilized to be as realistic as possible.

What is the impact on transportation for the number of buses and ridership time?

This issue has been researched twice. It was concluded that roughly the same number of buses will be needed, however, there is a possibility for the need of one additional bus. The elementary routes would remain as they are currently. Middle School students in Gill and Montague, depending on where they live, might have slightly longer or shorter times riding the bus. High School students, living in Bernardston, Leyden, Northfield and Warwick might experience bus ride times that vary depending on where they live but it was projected that some student’s rides might be extended by as much as 20 minutes, other students might experience less time on the bus. Download the transportation study.

Does change address long-term systemic issues of enrollment decline?

Presently, both districts’ have ample space in their middle and high school buildings to accommodate additional students, as was the case in the early nineties before the decline. Recent NESDEC data suggests there may be slight increases in enrollment at the elementary level. If this becomes a trend and the merger is approved, this action might result in an increase of enrollment projections at the secondary level. Enrollment has a direct impact on what educational and extracurricular opportunities are available for students, therefore a secondary school with more students (i.e. a high school with 340 students vs. 150 students) is likely to retain and attract new students.

On the other hand, if the population, including children, in Western Massachusetts continues to decline, then it is possible to have a larger district with the same issues of declining enrollment, say 10 years from now. The board feels it is important to address the issue now rather than wait, since our current students in each district would benefit from the increase in educational opportunities.

Would Gill sixth graders still have a choice to stay at their school or go to the new Middle School?

This question is outside the scope of the Planning Board’s work because a number of people/public entities would be involved in such a decision. However, as a matter of general practice and principle, decisions such as this usually include a grandfather provision. It is the expectation of the Planning Board that parents, teachers and students, as well as the school committee, would be intimately involved in such a decision..

Would students still be able to “School Choice” into Gill?

This is also outside of the scope of the Planning Board. Intra-School Choice and School Choice would be determined by the number of seats declared available. However, because the goal is to maintain and attract students and families to this new school district, it seems logical that this would be a goal of the district at all levels of K-12, but especially at the middle and high school level.

Is it possible that some students/families may choose to Choice Out if the districts combine?

All three options of staying in the district, choosing to Choice-out or choosing to Choice-in, are family decisions based on what parents believe is in the best interest of their child. The Planning Board has received feedback from all three perspectives. Some families have choiced their child because they feel their child is not getting an adequate education, or their child has other interests, or transportation to another school is more convenient.

Some families/parents also choice-out their child to Franklin Technical School because of what it has to offer, while others feel their child is receiving a better education where they are. The Planning Board has noted these concerns but has no insight on how this might impact the future enrollment of a new school district.

If a district currently co-ops with another district for sports, will they lose that opportunity?

It should be noted that this decision would involve multiple parties, including the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). Depending on the interest of our communities, it is possible, and perhaps likely, that the new school district will have enough students to offer junior and varsity sports and therefore choose to field teams internally, but this would be a decision made by the new school committee with discussion and cooperation of its member towns and MIAA.

How will this affect Erving?

Presently Erving tuitions grades 7 through 12th graders into the Gill-Montague Regional School District. Erving has options available, such as, tuitioning students into the new school district, and researching the possibility of becoming a member of the new district or some other district.

What happens to Warwick?

Warwick did not intend to leave the Pioneer Valley Regional School District, and in fact explored ways to continue being a member with its school remaining open. These efforts unfortunately failed so Warwick formed an independent new school district. However, it may have the same options as Erving: tuitioning 7th through 12 grade students into the new district or becoming a member with assurances its school will not be closed unless the town decides to do so.

What about other communities that may want to be a part of the newly formed district?

Once a new district is formed, other communities could work with the new School Committee to explore membership opportunities and amendments could be made to the Regional Agreement accordingly. A comprehensive process would need to be established with input from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.