‘I’m hoping it will have a life of its own’:Village Neighbors restarts Small Repairs Program
The handrail on the right was installed by members of Village Neighbors’ Small Repairs Program. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Some of these boards were installed by members of Village Neighbors’ Small Repairs Program. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
This grab bar was installed by members of Village Neighbors’ Small Repairs Program. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The handrail on the left was installed by members of Village Neighbors’ Small Repairs Program. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Village Neighbors volunteer Bert Fernandez cleaning out a house’s gutters as part of VN’s Small Repairs Program. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Parents, students denounce school budget cuts in Amherst
Children board buses at Wildwood School in Amherst. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Published: 4/11/2021 11:29:34 AM
AMHERST Rather than cutting nearly 15 positions from the secondary schools, town officials should reduce Amherst’s public safety budget and compel higher education institutions to assist with funding the public schools, according to residents who spoke to the Town Council last week.
At a budget hearing on the $31.9 million proposed fiscal year 2022 budget for the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, councilors were informed about concerns with a budget proposal that is $1.2 million below providing level services at the high school and middle school.
Amherst school committees instruct superintendent to plan in-person learning
FILE PHOTO
AMHERST Students throughout the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools should have an opportunity to attend school in person starting in April.
The three school committees voted unanimously on March 3 to instruct Superintendent Michael Morris to develop a plan in which “all students who want it” will be able to finish the school year with instruction at the elementary schools, the middle school and the high school.
Just two days later, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved emergency regulations Friday giving Commissioner Jeff Riley the authority to decide when full and partial remote schooling will no longer count toward student learning time requirements. The following Tuesday, DESE decreed that all public elementary schools in Massachusetts will be required to open for full-time, in-person learning by April 5, while middle schools will be required
Amherst school committees instruct superintendent to plan in-person learning
FILE PHOTO
Published: 3/4/2021 7:35:46 PM
AMHERST Students throughout the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional schools should have an opportunity to attend school in person starting in April.
The three school committees Wednesday voted unanimously to instruct Superintendent Michael Morris to develop a plan in which “all students who want it” will be able to finish the school year with instruction at the elementary schools, the middle school and the high school.
Allison McDonald, chairwoman of the Amherst and Regional school committees, said the votes restate a commitment to provide the right education for all students and to give parents and guardians the choice of continuing remote instruction, which has been the main method of learning for most students for about a year, or to have their children return to classrooms for the first time since March 2020.
Amherst Regional High School, middle school will have later start time
Amherst-Pelham Regional High School
Published: 3/3/2021 8:43:31 PM
AMHERST Students at Amherst Regional middle and high schools will begin their school days later in the mornings when the next school year begins in the fall, when most of them will return for in-person education for the first time since last March.
A unanimous vote by the Amherst, Pelham and Amherst-Pelham Regional school committees Tuesday adopts a plan that essentially flips the schedules for the elementary and secondary schools from when buildings were fully open during the 2019-20 school year.
“This shift to a later start time for our secondary students will have a tremendous positive impact on their overall wellness and academic performance, and after this challenging school year is even more important,” said Allison McDonald, chairwoman of the Amherst and regional committees.