E DUCATIONAL C OLLABORATION, C ENTRAL O FFICE C ONSOLIDATION, AND D ISTRICT R EGIONALIZATION Combining school systems for the benefit of all Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting 1 March 2, 2011

Introduction – purpose of tonight’s meeting Welcome – glad you all could be here We know that you’re here because you’re interested in maintaining the quality of all of the schools that the children of Orange attend We’re here – To share information with you, the community of parents and teachers and taxpayers To bring you up to date on what’s happened and what’s planned for collaboration, consolidation and regionalization To clarify the process by which things happen To give you sufficient time to ask questions about all of this March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

Tonight’s agenda My presentation will be about 30 minutes We’ll then have time for questions and answers We’ll invite the three sitting superintendents of Petersham, Orange and Mahar, as well as the Chair of the Regional Planning Committee up on stage, to help provide information and answer questions We have, in attendance, members of the Orange Selectboard, the fincom, and the school committee, as well as your able Town Administrator March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

O UR APPROACH TO REGIONALIZATION Balancing the need for local control with educational effectiveness and efficiency Taking the time to work out agreements that are in the best interests of all (towns, schools, children, taxpayers) Making sure that one thing is working before moving on to the next Recognizing that consolidation and regionalization are done to improve education Working to make sure that your students are getting the best possible education for the educational resources that are available. Recognition of the importance of local control, local decision-making, local interests 4 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

E DUCATIONAL C OLLABORATION National Institute for School Leadership Response to Intervention Tools of the Mind Learning Walks March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

C ENTRAL O FFICE C ONSOLIDATION This year: Shared Special Education Administrative team Next year (beginning July 1 st ): Shared Superintendent of Schools Shared Assistant Superintendent for Teaching Learning and Accountability (0.3 FTE) Shared Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

C ENTRAL OFFICE CONSOLIDATION AND E DUCATIONAL COLLABORATION : B ENEFITS TO THE SCHOOLS Elementary Economies of shared central office Maintaining a strong elementary focus Shared professional development (all 4 schools) Strengthened horizontal alignment and sharing Secondary Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Accountability (0.3 FTE) Strengthened vertical alignment of curriculum, professional development and assessment, preK-12 Ability to look at a child’s educational career from kindergarten to graduation from high school 7 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

S CHOOL D ISTRICT R EGIONALIZATION Shared health insurance negotiations Regional Planning Committee has been meeting very regularly Regional Agreement is being amended to create a ‘hybrid’ Mahar K-12 Regional School District Petersham and Orange will be full K-12 members Wendell and New Salem will continue to be 7-12 members March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

H OW DOES CONSOLIDATION DIFFER FROM REGIONALIZATION ? With a Consolidated Central Office: Each school committee will have full authority over its own schools The central office team will report separately to each school committee Costs for shared positions will be allocated through contracts and shared cost agreements When full regionalization occurs: There will be one common Mahar K-12 school committee Costs will be shared according to the amended Regional Agreement The district will receive Regional Transportation Reimbursement. March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

D ETAILS OF NEW ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting 10 March 2, 2011

W HERE WE WERE (J ANUARY 2010): T HREE SEPARATE DISTRICT OFFICES 11 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

W HERE WE WILL BE (J ULY 1, 2011): O NE CONSOLIDATED CENTRAL OFFICE 12 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

P RINCIPLES OF C OST A LLOCATION P LAN Cost sharing Based on enrollment, number of schools and good- faith estimates of time and duties Subject to review for following year Cost-neutral for all three districts 13 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

Existing administrative positions and costs – FY11 14 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

Consolidated central office positions and costs – FY12 15 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

N EW C ENTRAL O FFICE CONFIGURATION AND HIRING PROCESS CHART 16 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

M OVING TOWARDS GREATER COLLABORATION Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting 17 March 2, 2011

I NTERESTS TO BE BALANCED IN THE NEW REGIONAL AGREEMENT Constructing a new School Committee that represents all towns and all schools Maintaining a reasonable degree of local control regarding both budget and education Balancing the needs and resources of one large town and three smaller towns Allowing for a significant difference between towns in historical and current levels of per pupil expenditures Allowing for School Choice funding streams to continue to flow to specific schools Maintaining a strong emphasis on elementary education March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

K EY PROVISIONS IN THE CURRENT DRAFT OF THE AMENDED R EGIONAL A GREEMENT : G OVERNANCE The Mahar K-12 Regional District School Committee will consist of 12 members, elected biennially. Orange five members Petersham three members Wendell two members New Salem two members Members will be elected at large, with a residency requirement. Only Orange and Petersham members will vote on matters affecting elementary schools. There will be eight members only voting on elementary matters 19 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

K EY PROVISIONS IN THE CURRENT DRAFT OF THE AMENDED R EGIONAL A GREEMENT : F INANCES Budgets must be approved by the School Committee by a 2/3 margin (eight votes). Intra-district choice may be made available. Towns will have the option to direct additional funding to their town elementary school(s). School Choice dollars will continue to flow to individual schools. S CHOOLS Only a town can decide whether or not to close a school. Only a town can decide whether or not to move a grade level from an elementary school to the Mahar building. 20 Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting March 2, 2011

P ROCESS FOR AMENDING THE R EGIONAL A GREEMENT The Regional Planning Committee must first agree on an amended Regional Agreement. All four Mahar member towns must then approve the agreement at annual or special town meetings. The Commissioner of Education must then approve the agreement (by December 1 st ) in order for the agreement to take effect the following July 1 st. We’re working directly with DESE as we draft the amended agreement, to ensure that the final draft will be approved. March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting

For further information… Questions about Central Office Consolidation: website/ website/ Questions to Superintendent Burnim: Questions to Superintendent Baldassarre: Questions to Superintendent Martin: Questions to the Mahar Regional Planning Committee: Questions to Ken Rocke: March 2, Presentation to the Orange Community Meeting