Student presents petition asking for definition of ‘inappropriate display of affection’

WARE SCHOOL COMMITTEE NOTEBOOK

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

Ware High School sophomore Karoline Delisle brought a petition signed by 200 students to the Sept. 28 School Committee meeting, asking for clarification as to what constitutes an “inappropriate display of affection” and what the district’s policy is on the issue. Delisle said she had been reprimanded several times at the school for “inappropriate display of affection” when teachers and administrators witnessed her and her boyfriend holding hands or hugging. Delisle said she couldn’t recall this type of rule ever being in place before, but said it was being strictly enforced this year by Principal Marlene DiLeo. “We students would like to know why hugging and hand-holding is inappropriate,” Delisle said. “It seems ridiculous to all of us.”
Delisle went on to say that the school bus she rides on picks up some younger students that attend St. Mary’s School. She said those younger students are often holding hands with their parents at the bus stop and give their parents a good-bye hug. “Is that inappropriate?” Delisle asked.
Policy subcommittee chair Danielle Souza invited Delisle to the subcommittee’s next meeting on Oct. 12 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss the matter. “We want to hear what you have to say,” Souza said, adding that she was “very impressed” with the way Delisle was addressing her concerns. Souza also noted that the subcommittee would seek input from DiLeo. DiLeo said she would be at the subcommittee meeting, and called Delisle’s bringing the matter forward “a great display of democracy.”
Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach said she didn’t think there was a specific policy in place regarding “inappropriate display of affection,” but stated that principals have jurisdiction to stop behavior that is not conducive to education.
Committee member Aaron Sawabi thanked Delisle for bringing the issue forward. “We encourage any comments and concerns from citizens and students,” he said.

Committee updated on AP program at Ware High School

John A. Smolenski, Regional Director of the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative (MMSI) gave the board an update on the Advanced Placement (AP) program at Ware High School.
The MMSI is an effort to get more high school students to take high-level courses, particularly in math and science, in order to prepare them for college success and ultimately, for careers in those fields. AP courses are college freshman-level classes offered in high school. Students can earn college credits for AP courses if they score well enough on the final exam. The MMSI is currently funded by grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Exxon/Mobil, among others.
Ware High School has offered AP courses for three years, and has been associated with the MMSI for the last two years. “Your kids here in Ware are challenging themselves,” Smolenski said, stating that not only had the number of students enrolled in AP courses increased since the MMSI partnered with Ware High School, but the number of AP courses offered and the number of students earning high scores on the AP test have also increased.
The MMSI assists schools with AP courses by offering professional development and mentoring for teachers and extra training for students.
Smolenski told the committee about the academic pep rally he led Sept. 14 at the school to get students excited about taking AP courses. Smolenski stated that colleges want to see students challenging themselves by taking AP classes and suggested that Ware High School consider adding an AP math class such as calculus or statistics. “They you’d have math, science and English; the big three,” he said.
Additionally, Smolenski said the MMSI would like to see more of the district’s low-income students taking AP classes. “Our goal is for the demographics of your high school to match the demographics of the AP classroom,” he said.
Since the funding for the MMSI is based on grants, Smolenski encouraged the committee members to contact their local and state representatives and ask them to support funding for the future of the MMSI program. “For us to continue to stay in Ware, we’re going to need some combination of state, federal and private funds,” said Smolenski.

WARE SCHOOL COMMITTEE NOTEBOOK

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

Policy allows bus drivers’ children to ride on school bus

At the Sept. 14 School Committee meeting, Chairman Christopher Desjardins shared that a concerned parent had contacted him with concerns about a First Student school bus driver who had three of her own children on the bus with her. The parent questioned whether the presence of the three children would be distracting to the driver and whether or not the bus was already overcrowded with students. Desjardins said Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach had brought up the concern with a First Student representative, who explained that their company policy allows their school bus drivers to have up to three of their own children riding with them. Additionally, the bus in question is not at its total capacity for students, so the driver’s children are not causing an overcrowding situation. Beach added that there are five First Student bus drivers in Ware who have their own children riding with them, for a total of seven children. Committee member Aaron Sawabi explained that it is a common practice across the state for bus drivers’ children to ride with them.

Policy Subcommittee working on a set of operating norms for the committee

One of the goals the committee set for itself for the 2011-2012 school year is to create a set of operating norms, stating how the committee will conduct its meetings, how the members will relate to one another, and how the members will communicate with each other, the public, and the media. “We want ownership of this,” said Policy Subcommittee Chair Danielle Souza. To help get the committee started on the list of norms, the Policy Subcommittee presented some operating norms established by another Massachusetts school committee to use as a guideline. The committee will discuss the use of operating norms with a representative of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees at their training session scheduled for Sept. 19. They will also discuss the norms at their next regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 28.

Beach plans for anticipated expenses

Beach said she and her leadership team met recently to identify some of the challenges the district will be facing this school year. One concern is the loss of seven computers from school computer labs. Another is the boiler at Ware Junior Senior High School, which is in need of repair. Beach said the repairs will cost approximately $20,000 and will be funded with the insurance money the district will be receiving for winter storm damage.

Cost-cutting measures discussed

Souza asked whether the district might consider imposing a limit of one student handbook per family due to the cost of printing the booklets. “If you have three or four students in school, you’re getting three or four of these,” Souza explained. “We’re trying to pinch pennies, here.” Desjardins said having the handbook available for download would be an even better option since there would be no cost. The committee discussed the possible use of electronic versions, although parents would still be required to sign a paper stating that they have received it. Sawabi said he considered the expense of printing paper handbooks “a legitimate cost of doing business.” Beach offered to run the numbers to see how much of a savings the district would generate if each family with children in the district received only one handbook. She will report her findings back to the committee.

Town manager’s tenure filled with ups and downs

Two years of service focused heavily on financial overhaul

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

WARE – In the two years that Town Manager Mary T. Tzambazakis has been at the helm before tendering her resignation last week, she has made many changes. While not all of her decisions have been popular, she has certainly left her mark on the town and made some positive changes for Ware’s future.

Tzambazakis took over at Town Hall on the heels of the town’s first Town Manager Steven C. Boudreau whose contract was not renewed at the end of June 2009. Tzambazakis, the former chief financial officer for the city of Springfield, was hired first as an interim town manager with a three-month contract beginning July 1, 2009, only to have her interim contract extended for an additional three months. Ultimately she was offered the job on a permanent basis in December 2009.
One of Tzambazakis’s most controversial issues was a lingering legal battle with ABC&D Recycling over a special permit and a zoning dispute. After spending thousands in court costs, the town ultimately lost the case in Hampshire Superior Court at the end of 2010. Although the battle became somewhat personal at times, with Tzambazakis singled out as the target for pointed political messages displayed on the company’s sign at its 198 East St. location, to a great extent, Tzambazakis inherited the problem. The town and ABC&D first butted heads in 2008 when the Board of Health denied owner Richard C. Riley’s application to allow Municipal Solid Waste at the site.

Another inherited problem for Tzambazakis was the Casino Theater, directly across from Town Hall on Main Street. The issues with the Casino first surfaced under Boudreau’s tenure when the first buckle in the exterior wall was discovered. Previous owners Western Mass Theaters already owed the town approximately $10,000 in back taxes when Tzambazakis was hired and the garish safety fence that surrounded the historic building, blocking much of Veterans Park and the parking lot behind it had already been up for several months.

When Western Mass Theaters sold the Casino to Fred T. McLennan, Tzambazakis first tried to work with him, then began bringing him to court in an effort to raze the building or make it sound, claiming that the building was already a public safety hazard and deteriorating rapidly. Tzambazakis took flak from some who thought she should do more to help save the building. “The town should not be using public money for private property,” said Tzambazakis on more than one occasion. Others lamented the court costs involved, not to mention the cost of demolishing the structure. The town will hold a lien on the now vacant property at 121 Main St. Whether or not the town ever recoups its money to demolish the Casino, for some residents, Tzambazkis’ legacy will always be tied to the loss of the formerly grand structure on Main Street.

Tzambazakis’ financial background paid off when she found several sources of revenue the town had been missing out on. She discovered that hundreds of building permits had never been fully processed, causing the town to miss out on additional tax revenue. She also determined that when the town’s sealer of weights and measures left in 2003 and an outside contractor was hired for the job, the town never collected the fees from the businesses for the service.

Other changes Tzambazkis imposed included establishing personnel policies for department heads where none had existed. She created an Insurance Advisory Committee that worked to successfully negotiate better rates for the town and has put a Capital Planning Committee in place to help the town plan for its future capital expenses.

Perhaps one of Tzambazakis’s biggest accomplishments is the placement of several key town employees. After declining to renew former Municipal Finance Director Paul Nowicki’s contract at the end of June 2010, Tzambazakis reorganized the town’s financial administration structure and eventually hired Leigh Deveneau-Martinelli as a Treasurer/Collector. Two months after long-time DPW Superintendent Gilbert St.George-Sorel retired in Sept. 2010, Tzambazakis hired Thom Martens for the job, citing his experience with water and wastewater treatment plants as being a particularly good fit for Ware.

In terms of her lasting impact on Ware, the town will certainly benefit from Tzambazakis’ insistence on hiring a town planner. From the start, Tzambazakis touted the need for a town planner to update the town’s master plan, coordinate the work of various boards and consider some long-term goals. On town meeting floor, Tzambazakis fought for the money to hire a town planner as mandated by the Charter. Voters approved the expenditure in May of 2010 and Tzambazakis began interviews but didn’t hire anyone. “I’m not going to hire somebody just to hire somebody,” she said. “I’m going to hire the right person for the job.” When long-time Executive Director of Community Development Paul E. Hills retired in June 2011, Tzambazakis was able to creatively combine parts of the community development position with that of a town planner in order to save the town money while being able to hire a well-qualified candidate. Karen Cullen took over in July 2011. “This puts the town in a good position to move forward,” said Tzambazakis at the time.

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