WARE SCHOOL COMMITTEE NOTEBOOK

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

Committee discusses additional budget expenses

At the Oct. 26 meeting of the Ware School Committee, Andy Paquette of the Management Solution advised the committee about two items that will need to be incorporated into the district’s budget.
The first is a potential increase in special education tuition. Paquette said the amount of the increase has yet to be determined by the state, but he is anticipating an amount between $102,000 and $150,000.
The second is a $20,000 tuition charge for four youths who live in Ware but are School Choice students of the Virtual Academy at Greenfield, an online school operated by the Greenfield School District.
Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach noted that three of the four virtual high school students have never attended a Ware Public School and she regretted that the district didn’t have the opportunity to show those students what it could offer them.
Beach added that Ware is still in the process of pursuing its own virtual school options, including possible collaborations with other school districts.
Committee member Aaron Sawabi asked if there were any plans on how to fund these increases. Paquette said the $20,000 will likely come out of the district’s Chapter 70 money. He suggested that the district continue to be “judicious” with its spending and said the district will have to wait to see if the state will offer any circuit breaker financial relief to help address a potential deficit.

Committee approves two articles for November STM warrant

Paquette submitted two proposed warrant articles for the upcoming Special Town Meeting scheduled for Nov. 29.
The first one asks the town to reimburse the district the $34,600 the town received in insurance money for damage that occurred to the Ware Middle School roof and gutters last winter. That amount represents the amount the town has been reimbursed by the insurance company, minus the deductible.
The second article asks the town to raise and appropriate or transfer $63,216 to pay for two additional vans needed for in-district special education transportation. Paquette said the need for more vans is due to additional students requiring special education transportation. The committee unanimously approved presenting the articles to the town for inclusion on the warrant.

District looking into web-controlled energy system

Paquette said the district is in talks with a company regarding the possibility of having a web-controlled energy system installed that would save the district money in energy costs. “We’re in a process to use Ware as a test case,” he said. Paquette said the company would first need to do an assessment to see where on campus the controls could be installed and how much the district might save.
Beach said the district is looking into a lot of its current expenses. One aspect they are reviewing is whether or not it is cost-effective to open the school on weekends at all when energy and heating costs are factored in. Beach also noted that it costs $200 to light the football field for night games. Committee Chair Christopher Desjardins said that the revenue from the admission fees to the games might help cover the district’s operating costs. He suggested determining whether more spectators come to afternoon games or evening games and then adjusting the schedule accordingly. “It might be more beneficial to have the games at night,” Desjardins said.

WJSHS to pursue future JROTC program

Beach said the district is considering offering a Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program at Ware Junior Senior High School next year or the year after. While there are different branches of JROTC programs available, Beach said the district is leaning towards offering an Army program due to the proximity of the National Guard base on West Street.

Payment must accompany use of facility form

Beach announced that the district will no longer accept use of facility forms unless the form is accompanied by the use of facility fee. Beach said there have been too many instances where the forms were turned in without payment, meaning staff has to spend time tracking the fee down.

WARE TOWN HALL NOTEBOOK

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

Special Town Meeting set for Tuesday, Nov. 29

At the recommendation of acting Town Manager Tracy Meehan, the Special Town Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Ware Junior Senior High School auditorium. The board opened up the warrant for the STM at their Oct. 18 meeting and will be accepting articles from the public until the warrant is closed at noon on Monday, Oct. 31. Talbot reminded citizens that petition articles need to have 100 signatures in order to be included on the warrant.
The selectmen will hold a joint meeting with the Town Moderator, Finance Committee and the department heads on Nov. 15 to review the warrant and prepare their recommendations.

Public hearing on CDBG fy2012 application set for Nov. 22

Director of Planning and Community Development Karen Cullen asked the board to set a public hearing regarding the town’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) fy2012 application. The hearing will be held Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 7:10 p.m. Cullen said the changes in the way the CDBG will be awarded will affect the way the town structures its applications. Given those changes, Cullen said the top priorities for the fy2012 application will be continuing the housing rehabilitation program and continuing to support the social services that have received funding in the past.

Holiday Flair in Ware to be held Friday, Nov. 25

Members of the Holiday Flair in Ware Committee appeared before the Board of Selectmen to discuss their plans for the event which will be held Friday, Nov. 25.
Committee member Peter Harder asked the board to approve the use of the town’s bucket truck to put up the decorations on Main Street on Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20. Harder said he had already received the o.k. from DPW Director Thom Martens to use the truck. Harder also asked for permission to hold a toll road to raise money to pay for the decorations from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on both of those days. The selectmen unanimously approved the requests.
Harder also asked the board to approve shutting down Main Street during the Holiday Flair in Ware event as in previous years. Harder said he hadn’t had the chance to speak to Police Chief Dennis M. Healey about it but that he would. The board unanimously approved the request, pending Healey’s o.k., as well as the use of the Great Hall at Town Hall for the event.
Board of Selectmen Chair Nancy J. Talbot thanked the committee for all their hard work to make the town look nice for the holidays. “I know it takes a lot of effort to bring this together,” she said. “It is very much appreciated.” Harder said the committee was grateful for the help the townspeople have given them over the years.

Town will apply for FEMA grant funding for Hazard Mitigation Plan update

Cullen asked the board to approve Ware’s participation in a grant application for funding to cover the costs of updating the town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. She explained that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering grants for towns to update their plans. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is working on a grant application for funds for the towns of Ware, Agawam, Easthampton and Hampden to update their plans. Cullen said the town’s plan was approved in 2009 and is set to expire in 2014. “It is early, but this is an opportunity where we can extend our plan with a very small expenditure of town resources,” Cullen said. If the town receives the grant, it will be required to match $800, but Cullen said that can match can be done through in-kind services. The Board unanimously approved the town’s participation in the grant.

Vacancy on Council on Aging

The board accepted the resignation of Judy Aversa from the Council on Aging with regret. Aversa’s resignation leaves a vacancy on the council. There is also a need for someone to serve as an alternate member. Anyone interested in serving in these roles should send a letter of interest to the Board of Selectmen at Town Hall. The deadline for letters of interest is noon on December 4.

Student addresses officials on definition of inappropriate display of affection

Student addresses officials on definition
of inappropriate display of affection

200 students sign petition asking for clarification

By Melissa Fales
Reporter

WARE – Sophomore student Karoline Delisle and her parents, David and Janine Bertrand, met with Ware Junior Senior High Principal Marlene DiLeo and the Policy Subcommittee of the Ware School Committee Oct. 12. Delisle was invited to the subcommittee’s meeting after she presented a petition to the School Committee signed by 200 students asking for clarification on the district’s policy regarding “inappropriate displays of affection.”
Delisle said she and her boyfriend had been reprimanded at school several times for holding hands and hugging, but couldn’t find any definitions of “inappropriate displays of affection” in the handbook. “It should be in there,” said Delisle. “You’re expecting us to follow something that’s not in there.”
DiLeo said when the topic had been discussed at a faculty meeting, staff said they found it difficult to determine what sorts of student displays of affection were appropriate and which weren’t. “It’s very hard to draw that line,” DiLeo said. She said that no students have received detentions or been suspended for inappropriate displays of affection, but they have been asked to abstain from that type of behavior. She suggested that instead of trying to pinpoint what types of affectionate touching such as hand holding and hugging are allowed, it might be easier to not allow any. “Then there aren’t any issues,” she said. “In elementary school and middle school, students are taught to keep your hands to yourself.”
DiLeo said her job was to prepare students for their future. “I’m trying to teach students about being successful in the workplace or in institutions of higher education,” she said. “It comes down to what goes on in the real world. Can you be successful with that type of behavior in the workplace?”
According to DiLeo, several parents have come forward to say their children are relieved that the school is trying to curtail this type of behavior because it makes them uncomfortable. “There’s a silent voice here that doesn’t get heard,” DiLeo said. “Some kids are afraid to say they don’t like it because it’s not cool to speak out against it.” DiLeo said one parent told her that their daughter admitted that she signed Delisle’s petition because her friend asked her to. DiLeo also said she recently learned that last year, some students put up signs on their lockers saying they were against inappropriate display of affection. She said that the school’s small hallways make it difficult for students to pass when students are holding hands and some students have trouble getting to their lockers when others are hugging in between classes.
Another concern for DiLeo is that those students who don’t have somebody to hold hands with might feel excluded. She also mentioned the complex issues that could arise when a young couple breaks up and one of them starts dating another and is then seen holding hands and hugging that person.
DiLeo also said she was concerned about the wide range of age groups of students in the school and the ramifications of that. “We have some students that are 19 and some freshmen that are 14,”she said, adding that she wondered whether allowing this type of affectionate behavior would put the school in an awkward situation should something inappropriate happen between those students outside of school. DiLeo also stated that whether or not teens are allowed to be affectionate with each other should be a parental decision. “To me, that’s a family thing,” she said. “As a parent, I want to be able to have that control.”
David Bertrand said he thought whatever the school’s policy was on the issue that it should be clearly spelled out in the handbook, adding that even adults often need to refer to their workplace handbooks for guidance on their behavior.
Subcommittee member Aaron Sawabi said he had done some research to see how other schools handle the issue of PDA (public display of affection) and found a mix of approaches. “Nobody really knows how to address this,” he said. He asked Delisle to put herself in the shoes of someone who was uncomfortable with PDA and how she would feel if she still had to face it every day at school. Sawabi also noted that the purpose of being in school is to learn and asked Delisle if she thought she would get less of an education if she was not allowed to hold hands with her boyfriend. Delisle admitted that not being able to hold hands with her boyfriend would not affect her ability to do her schoolwork.
Subcommittee member Danielle Souza said she thought it was important to take the feelings of all students and even staff into account. She suggested a survey of the student body to determine their opinions, similar to the student survey taken two years ago when the school’s dress code policy was established. “We had some really good responses, including some you wouldn’t expect to come from students,” Souza said. “The feedback was amazing.” Souza said making sure that students had input into the policy would help with enforcing it. “I want them to own it,” she said.
Souza told Delisle she was very impressed with her willingness to come forward with her concerns. “This (policy handbook) is a living document and something we need feedback on,” Souza said. “When something’s not working, we need to know.”
At the School Committee meeting later that evening, Sawabi and Souza updated the full committee on the meeting. Superintendent Mary-Elizabeth Beach said she felt that the issue could be handled by the junior/senior high school administration. She asked DiLeo and her administrative team to review and clarify the school’s policy on student displays of affection.