GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK
BOSTON – Governor Deval L. Patrick signed a bill this week enabling the Town of Worthington to withdraw from the Gateway Regional School District.
Worthington can now leave the district pending approval of the education plans of the remaining GRSD communities and Worthington by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), provisions written into the bill through amendments made by State Senators Benjamin B. Downing (D-Pittsfield) and Don Humason, Jr. (R-Westfield).
Derrick Mason of the Gateway Towns Advisory Committee (GTAC) said the committee is still deciding what to make of the decision.
“They (Humason’s Office) suggested calling DESE to see what they may be trying to do about the amendments and protocol that will be put into effect,” he said. “One thing they told me was that, just because the Governor signs the bill doesn’t mean it’s law. It can be as many as 90 days before it’s enacted, so we may have some breathing room.”
STATE SENATOR DONALD HUMASON JR.
Mason said he’s hopeful GTAC will have a clearer focus going into it’s next meeting.
“I’m still trying to get a grip on the in’s and out’s of this,” he said. “Hopefully by Saturday, we’ll have some idea of what is going to be happening going forward.”
“I would very much like to find out when DESE’s timetable for the educational plans would start,” he said. “I understand that theres a 60-day window for the towns to submit their educational plans.”
Mason added that he thinks the district’s plan going forward will be to “continue what they’re doing already.”
Humason was confident that his amendments would help impede the bill.
“It came as a bit of a surprise to me,” he said yesterday. “I had hoped the Governor and his education team would look at the issue of Worthington withdrawing with some concern, just as we did. The fact that he signed the bill leads me to believe that ultimately the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education is going to be OK with what happens,” meaning he thinks DESE will approve the education plans of Gateway and Worthington.
“We’ve already heard from other communities that are looking at withdrawing from their school districts by using the home rule method of not getting approval from the other towns in their district,” he said. “It’s precedent-setting and it’s going to begin the unravelling of the tapestry of regional school districts in our state.”
Humason said that the Commonwealth has long underserved it’s regional districts.
“The state could have done more to support regional districts by providing full funding for regional transportation – which we promised and haven’t done – and done more to help small towns,” he said. “There are no regional districts that encompass big cities. They’re all small towns.”
“I’m still optimistic that the towns can make a case to DESE, who can report back and say ‘in the end, we in fact disapprove of the withdrawal, and encourage the seven towns to work together again.'” Humason said. “I’d like to be optimistic, but I’m not hopeful.”
GTAC and Huntington Finance Committee member Darlene McVeigh believes there are still questions to be answered.
“The two individuals who brought this bill forward need to sit down and meet with the six towns and explain the process,” she said of Downing and Rep. Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington).
Kulik, the Vice Chair of the House and Joint Ways and Means Committees, filed the original Worthington home rule petition that passed the House during informal session last December, and McVeigh believes he has forced other towns to consider withdrawal.
“From my perspective, Huntington needs to explore all options,” she said of her own town’s possible Gateway withdrawal. “When we talk about doing our due dilligence, we’re talking about the financial impact and the impact on students. This is a sad day for students at Gateway.”
McVeigh had hoped that the towns could reach an agreement without state intervention.
“When (Jeff) Wulfson (of DESE) was here, folks said his comments were that there were three parties that needed to be involved: the school committee, the Administration, and the towns, and the legislation has trumped that.” she said.
“I’m very proud of the people of Gateway Regional, who called the Governor’s Office and their legislators,” McVeigh said. “We did what we thought was right and we’ll continue to work hard to ensure that we provide our children with the quality of education they deserve.”
Calls to DESE, Downing, and Kulik were not returned. The Governor’s Press Office also declined comment on the bill.
