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GILL COMMISSION ON EDUCATION

GILL COMMISSION ON EDUCATION. Formed by Selectboard and Finance Committee Began work January 2009. TASKS. Study public educational options for Gill Directed not to make recommendations Draft report for town meeting Identify ramifications of options . DEMOGRAPHICS – COMMUNITY TRENDS.

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GILL COMMISSION ON EDUCATION

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  1. GILL COMMISSION ON EDUCATION • Formed by Selectboard and Finance Committee • Began work January 2009

  2. TASKS • Study public educational options for Gill • Directed not to make recommendations • Draft report for town meeting • Identify ramifications of options

  3. DEMOGRAPHICS – COMMUNITY TRENDS • Town has seen growth since 1960 • However, attendance in GMRSD has been declining since the late 1990’s

  4. DEMOGRAPHICS – CHOICE PATTERNS • Almost 30% attend out-of-District schools • Only 56% of students at Gill Elementary are Gill residents • Choice rates • Where do they choice out to?

  5. BACKDROP • Spiraling educational costs • Flat state aid • Loss of local control • Declining enrollment • Quality concerns • 2007 State labeled GMRSD as underperforming • Troubling drop out rate • Concerning MCAS scores

  6. STATE BACKDROP • Pressure to collaborate, economize, or regionalize • Too many school districts • FC school districts too small • Warning to FC school districts: change or state will mandate change

  7. OPTIONS • Stay in GMRSD • Stay in GMRSD with changes • Join another district • Pull elementary school out of district • Tuition middle school/high school students to area high schools

  8. OPTION 1:STAY WITH GMRSD • Will involve change • State mandate • Towns’ inability to continue to sustain rate of increase • Opportunity to make innovative changes improving education and addressing fiscal concerns

  9. OPTION 2: POSSIBLE CHANGES WITHIN GMRSD • Collaboration • Transportation, SPED, bookkeeping • HEC, Greenfield • Superintendency union • Consolidate with another district or another system

  10. OPTION 2:POSSIBLE CHANGES WITHIN GMRSD • Innovative approaches • Expand role of school community council • Readiness schools • Horace Mann/charter schools • Change current agreement

  11. OPTION 3:GILL JOINS ANOTHER DISTRICT • Pioneer has capacity • Pioneer geographically closest to Gill • 24 Gill students currently choicing into Pioneer

  12. FINANCIAL RAMIFICATIONS OF LEAVING GMRSD • Debt • 17 years remaining on high School/middle School debt • Gill’s share principal + interest = $350,315 • Equity • May negotiate sale of Gill interest in buildings to offset debt • District Agreement silent on division of District’s assets

  13. UNKNOWNS OF LEAVING GMRSD • Division of assets upon dissolution – books to buildings • Contractual obligations • Retirement/ health care obligations • Other contractual obligations

  14. FURTHER STUDYARTICLE 6 • Form study group • Study and propose changes to District Agreement • Apportionment of capital costs • Alternative assessment methodology • Changes to school committee structure and function

  15. FURTHER STUDYARTICLE 7 • Form regional school planning committee • Study options, join other towns to form planning board • Consider adding towns to GMRSD • Consider consolidating GMRSD with another district • Consider Gill withdrawal GMRSD and Gill join Pioneer

  16. FURTHER STUDYARTICLE 8 • Town Meeting request school committee study and draft withdrawal amendment • Only way to quantify costs to withdraw • Not a vote to withdraw – a vote to find out costs associated with withdrawal • If approved, both towns (Gill and Montague) would need to vote to approve proposed amendments and state would have to approve reorganization

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