Daily Hampshire Gazette Article Published Jan. 2, 2009

Amherst school reorganization group plots its course By Scott Merzbach Published 01/02/2009 AMHERST - A group established to begin the process of possibly reorganizing the four elementary schools began its work this week with an understanding that its findings will lead to presentations to the School Committee and PTOs. School Committee Chairman Andy Churchill said Wednesday that Monday's study committee meeting, which included Interim Co-Superintendent Helen Vivian, all four principals, and several staff, parent and School Committee representatives, plotted a timeline for getting staff to begin crunching the financial numbers for what reorganizations might look like and listed objectives it wanted to achieve. "The goal of the group is to frame options that are clear and transparent," Churchill said. The committee formed as a way of exploring reorganizations to cut costs in the face of a projected $1.2 million elementary schools budget shortfall. Vivian has said she believes it is time to pursue one of several reorganization scenarios discussed in recent years. The idea of pairing the four elementary schools by splitting the higher and lower grades appeared to be the most viable plan. Vivian suggested Fort River might be paired with Crocker Farm and Mark's Meadow with Wildwood, a move that could save up to $400,000, because the number of classes could be reduced. Churchill said the study committee will be responsible for voting a budget this spring. The full committee will hold its next working meeting during the week of Jan. 12, but will not be looking for public input until later in the process, when it has solid financial numbers to compare and an understanding of how each reorganization would impact schoolchildren, parents, teachers and staff. The committee will also consider options that include not reorganizing the schools, closing Mark's Meadow and creating three kindergarten through fourth-grade schools and one intermediate school for fifth- and sixth-graders. Churchill and fellow School Committee member Catherine Sanderson, as well as school principals, teachers, parents and former Superintendent Jere Hochman served on a committee last year that weighed reorganization options. An executive summary of its report can be seen at www.arps.org/node/70 [1].