Frequently Asked Questions
It is clear from the following interview quotes and summary, much of what works well in the Tri-Town School Union is the current superintendent:
- The current superintendent—he has credibility and confidence.
- He has relationships in all the constituencies, everyone is heard and goals are enumerated and clear.
- He knows how to achieve a goal and has a strong central staff.
- Serving three communities, he is the historian, knows all the facts, he keeps the school committees abreast of all progress of the other school committees.
- Sharing information, talent and best practices; he understands financial constraints.
- Works well with the Masconomet superintendent.
- Is great with planning, led elementary school to expand, it was a seamless transition fostering a sense of community, fostering talent from within.
- Validates what is coming down the pike, has vision.
- He is not confrontational; he is an influencer, listener and navigates well through the towns.
- Balances needs of all stakeholders, has sense of control, perceived as having a say in education of children.
Beyond the superintendent, each town benefits from the shared service as they are looked at separately and have control over resources. The general feeling is that students are more or less on the same path by seventh grade and the triplicate amount of work does not impair the transition to the Middle School, as viewed by Masconomet. Overall curriculum alignment and performance expectations are uniform, the collaboration has worked well. Finally, Tri-Town does a great job in special education and works a year in advance to place students.
Inherent to the current structure and “what works well” within the school union also demonstrates its challenges.
The interview data suggests there are good relationships between the towns, particularly now that the apportionment has been restructured to a unique five-place decimal point formula for each central office position. The member towns seem to feel they are getting a full-time central office position for a part-time cost. However, there are some lingering concerns between the towns that some receive a greater proportion of service than others, e.g. foreign language, kindergarten.
Local power and control, individual decision-making, and a very active parent base at the elementary level can become a double-edged sword. It supports the local school, but does not always allow the innovation and flexibility necessary for educating students today.
Governance is one of the biggest issues, as it is cumbersome to have four committees, with multiple meetings, multiple budget presentations, and several contract negotiations with its accompanying administration.
With the current arrangement of shared services and administration, the School Union is close to being a regional school district, only much less efficient. The challenge is balancing the efficiencies with a structural re-organization that is reflective of “what works well,” while enhancing effectiveness and having the political will to drive the change.
The next step in this process is to understand what services are shared and what are not, then to contrast the differences of a superintendency union and a regional school district.
What is shared in the current School Union?
The Tri-Town School Union has committed to these shared initiatives, as outlined in the 2009 Tri-Town School Union Shared Service Document:
- K-8 curriculum and program articulation with Masconomet Regional School District
- Professional development
- Special education services, pre-K through 6
- English-language learners
- Department of Education and Secondary Education; Early Learning and Care Grants
- DOE Management Information Initiatives and required reports (such as SIMS, EPIMS, and coordinated program reviews)
- Coordination with other town departments includes ground maintenance, cooperative purchasing, CENTREX telephone service, etc.
- Policy development
- Substitute teacher management; legal services for labor and special education
- Human resource and personnel management
- Transportation services
- Payroll and Accounts Payable
- Insurance of all types: Health, Property, Liability and Workmen’s Compensation are all provided by individual Towns
- Unemployment Compensation
- Annual Reports are completed for each Town
- Required DESE and USED Reports
- Exterior grounds maintenance and snow removal
- No Child Left Behind (NCLB) accountability and MCAS Reporting are by individual Town
The key areas for additional shared services sited for 2010 may include, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, Director of Pupil Services and the development of a gifted and talented program. In addition to the Special Education and Facilities Management, Technology, network management, ISP and Web Hosting are other areas sited for possible consolidation. While some of these areas may be able to be consolidated, it is likely that they will drive additional cost and will need to be carefully negotiated with each town on an ability-to-pay basis. At this point, it will be useful to look at the differences between a union and a regional school district.
