HUNTINGTON – Despite six towns passing the Gateway School District budget version 3, and the administration being acknowledged for its flexibility and willingness to listen to the towns this year, the School Committee voted five to seven on Wednesday not to approve Superintendent David B. Hopson’s evaluation summary and not to extend his six-year contract for another year. That means next year will be the second year on Hopson’s contract with five years remaining.
Worthington was the only town in the Gateway District not to pass the school budget at its annual town meeting.
The vote on the evaluation summary followed an objection voiced by Anne Marie Buikas of Montgomery regarding two paragraphs in the evaluation summary that commented on the lack of response by the School Committee to surveys that were sent out.
“Our opinions were asked, but not used in the score. Why do we bother,” Buikas asked.
“I’d like to see the results of the School Committee survey,” said School Committee member from Worthington, Gretchen Eliason. “If it’s part of the public record, there’s no reason why all of us can’t see those surveys.”
“I think the simple answer is to share the minutes from both the Finance and Evaluation Committees with the entire School Committee,” said Hopson, adding that this is the last year of the current evaluation process, if the School Committee votes to move forward with a new state evaluation process.
A motion was made to table the vote on approval of the Superintendent’s evaluation summary until the next meeting on June 27, so that the information could be distributed. The vote to table did not pass. A vote was then taken on approval of the executive summary. The vote failed five to seven.
Following that vote, a motion to table the Superintendent’s contract extension until the next meeting did not pass.
“It’s kind of hard to extend the Superintendent’s contract when the evaluation did not pass,” said School Committee Moderator Beth Brett, from Chester
“I do have a problem with the way we renew the contract for the Superintendent every year,” said Eliason. “I think we’re thwarting the purpose of the six-year law by making it a never-ending contract.”
Six years is the longest term allowed for a contract.
“I’ve had some concerns over the last year,” Eliason continued. “Last year, we had a difficult budget season. This year’s has gone much easier because the administration has been flexible and willing to listen to the communities.”
Eliason also mentioned her concerns about the turnover of administrators in the Gateway District, and also the Central Office’s dismissive comments regarding MCAS tests while the tenth grade scores have been slipping.
“Since 2007, we’ve had a notable decline in tenth grade scores,” Eliason said.
“As to the turnover of administrators,” said Michele Crane. “There are many things out of Dr. Hopson’s control. I think we ought to take stock of where we are now and move forward. I’ve watched Dr. Hopson do searches for administrators in the district. He is very collaborative, and does not make the decision by himself.”
“If I don’t get a six-year contract,” said Hopson. “I will have to start looking. I’m in my late fifties. I don’t plan to stop working in five years.”
“I don’t think we’re saying we want you to go somewhere else,” School Committee member from Worthington, Sue Levreault, responded. “At least, I don’t.”
Levreault said communication was important. “When people don’t feel like their opinions are valued, people tend to get defensive.”
Levreault also said, looking at the past decision to consolidate the schools, “I know you believe it would have been political suicide to keep Worthington open, but you alienated a whole town.”
If we don’t extend his contract, he’s not here to fix those things. Are we suggesting that we don’t extend the contract,” Chester School Committee member Shirley Winer asked. Winer also served on the Superintendent’s Evaluation Committee.
“It’s a little sideways that you’re saying if we don’t approve this contract (extension), you’re going to go somewhere else,” Huntington School Committee member, Shelley Wilton, said to Hopson. “I’m not saying you’re not doing a good job, or that your contract should not be renewed.”
“I’m not saying that I would leave in a year or two years,” Hopson responded. “I personally roll over all my administrators’ contracts when they’re doing a good job, because when we can’t award them with salary increases, the best I can do is award them another year.”
“The reality is these days you can’t run a school with forty kids in it,” Hopson added, referring to attendance at the R. H Conwell Elementary School in Worthington when it was closed by the Gateway District in 2009. Worthington now runs the R. H. Conwell Community Education Center as a private school.
“I do not have a problem with the rolling contract,” Crane added. “It’s a vote of confidence in your Superintendent.”
“If we don’t extend the contract this year, you still have five years in your contract, and we can always extend the contract next year,” Sue Levreault said to Hopson. “I think we have to be careful not to get defensive.”
“My head is kind of spinning, because we’re still stuck in the past, we’re still stuck in two years ago,” Russell School Committee member, Ellen Hirtle, said. “If we don’t as a committee start to let it go, then every single committee meeting we’re going to do this. My school was closed, too, but it’s not his fault. It was the population; it was the state.”
Eliason then moved the question to vote on the one-year contract extension, which failed five to seven.
Following this vote, the one-year extension on Business Manager Stephanie Fisk’s six-year contract passed with little discussion, with ten members voting for the extension, and two abstentions.
“How do you expect me not to take that personally?” Hopson asked the School Committee.
The School Committee then voted to have Gateway’s legal counsel draft two amendments of the Gateway regional agreement: one for One Man, One Vote, and one for Worthington’s request to withdraw from the Gateway District.
“I know you all understand that basically Worthington is saying they would like to support their own kids in their own school,” said Eliason.
“I think there are various reasons that people voted that way,” Hopson said after the meeting. “We’ll see what happens in future years.”
When asked if the school closures and Worthington’s vote to withdraw from Gateway were the main reasons, Hopson said, “I would say that would appear to be the reason. But given everything that’s happened, it was the right thing to do for the kids, and the right thing to do for the school system.”
