Town Of Warwick

Town of Warwick Phone: 978-544-6315 Selectboard:

12 Athol Road FAX: 978-544-6499 Lawrence Pruyne, chair
Warwick, MA coordinator@town.warwick.ma.us Todd Dexter
01378 www.town.warwick.ma.us Brian Snell

February 10, 2021

To: Kristen Gonzalez, Chair PVRSD School Committee
Jon Scagel, Superintendent PVRSD

From: Warwick Finance Committee

The meeting held by the Pioneer Valley Regional School District (PVRSD) at 7pm Tuesday
2/9/2021 was posted as a Public Hearing on the 2021/2022 (FY 22) Proposed Operating &
Capital Budgets.

Public Hearing is defined at https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/public-hearing:

Public hearing means a hearing at which members of the public are provided a reasonable
opportunity to comment on the subject of the hearing.
Public hearing means, unless indicated otherwise, an informal proceeding, similar to that
provided for in § 2.2- 4007.02 of the Administrative Process Act, held to afford persons an
opportunity to submit views and data relative to a matter on which a decision of the board is
pending.

This was not the public hearing required by the PVRSD district agreement as part of the annual
budget process. It was posted at the district website as expected (https://www.pvrsdk12.org/)
with information on how to connect to listen to the Google Meet via streaming at
www.bnctv.net/facebook. (see attached)

The district posting (January 29, 2021) indicated that anyone wishing to speak must register in
advance:
If you’d like to speak at the Public hearing, please email citizenscomments@pvrsdk12.org or call
the Superintendent’s office, 413-498-2911 x603.

In contrast the Chair read some comments posted on Facebook, but not others posted via
Messenger. During the meeting the Chair claimed all town Selectboard members and Finance
Committee chairs were invited. This is not true, at least some of Warwick's representatives did
not receive Google Meet invitations. Another town's Finance Committee Chair received an
invite but was not allowed into the meeting. Attached screen shots illustrate some of the
difficulties and frustrations of district residents.

None of the district leadership on the meeting provided the needed technical assistance. The
diminished ability for attendees to provide comments and ask questions should have been
avoidable; PVRSD adopted virtual meeting technology early, pre-Covid, to support the Finance
Director's move to Florida. The district Technology Director was on the call. The Chair did not
understand the technology but did not seek help.

Committed to educating Warwick students in Warwick since 1738

 We ask that PVRSD hold another public hearing before voting on the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
This hearing and subsequent "public hearings" should provide an avenue to call in and be
recognized or to post comments and questions in real time. Comments and questions posed by
the public should be accessible to everyone engaged in the hearing including the public, town
officials and all PVRSD School Committee members in attendance.

Sincerely,
Digitally signed by Diana

Diana Noble Noble

Date: 2021.02.10
21:27:53 -05'00'

Diana Noble, Chair Warwick Finance Committee

Attached:
Email K.Gonzalez and B.Snell
Meeting Postings
Screen shots from Public Hearing
Excerpt from District Agreement

Committed to educating Warwick students in Warwick since 1738

PIONEER VALLEY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
BERNARDSTON LEYDEN NORTHFIELD WARWICK
97 F. SUMNER TURNER ROAD
NORTHFIELD, MA 01360
Phone (413) 498-2911 Fax (413) 498-0045

Jonathan Scagel Tanya Gaylord

Superintendent of Schools Director of Finance

January 29, 2021

Public Notice
RESCHEDULED DATE

A public hearing on the Pioneer Valley Regional School District (PreK-12)

2021/2022 (FY22) Operating and Capital Budgets will be held Tuesday,
February 9, 2021, 7:00 P.M. via Google Meet. If you’d like to speak at the
Public hearing, please email citizenscomments@pvrsdk12.org or call the
Superintendent’s office, 413-498-2911 x603. Copies of the operating budget
will be available beginning on Friday, February 5, 2021 on the website
www.pvrsdk12.org or at the Office of the Superintendent, 97 F. Sumner
Turner Road, Northfield, MA 01360 (413-498-2911 x603).
 PIONEER VALLEY REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
BERNARDSTON LEYDEN NORTHFIELD WARWICK
97 F. SUMNER TURNER ROAD
NORTHFIELD, MA 01360
Phone (413) 498-2911 Fax (413) 498-0045

Jonathan Scagel Tanya Gaylord

Superintendent of Schools Director of Finance

2021/2022 (FY 22) PROPOSED OPERATING & CAPITAL BUDGETS

PUBLIC HEARING
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
7:00 p.m.
PIONEER VALLEY REGIONAL SCHOOL
GOOGLE MEET

Streaming at www.bnctv.net/facebook

Pioneer Valley Regional School District Committee Members:

Bernardston Leyden
Michael Townsley Karen O'Neil
Jeanne Milton Michele Giarusso
Robin Neipp
James Bell
Northfield Warwick
Kristen Gonzalez , Chair David Young
Julie Burke Nathan Schwartz
Reina Dastous Alan Genovese, Vice-Chair

BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS:

David Young Warwick

Michele Giarusso Leyden
James Bell Bernardston
Michael Townsley Northfield
Kristen Gonzalez Ex Officio Northfield
2/10/2021 Yahoo Mail - Fwd: Comments and Invites

Fwd: Comments and Invites

From: brian snell (hwilliamsnell@gmail.com)

To: dianainwarwick@yahoo.com

Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2021, 09:37 PM EST

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Gonzalez, Kristen <gonzalezk@pvrsdk12.org>
Date: Tue, Feb 9, 2021, 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: Comments and Invites
To: Brian Snell, Selectman, Warwick <hwilliamsnell@gmail.com>
Cc: Jonathan Scagel <scagelj@pvrsdk12.org>

Hello Brian,

Thank you for your email and feedback. On the posting for this evenings hearing, the instructions were posted on how to
be able to speak or pose questions. I’m sorry if that was not clear to you. I do understand that Google is a platform some
are not familiar with, but it is the platform that the district is required to use.

If in the future, you continue to not be able to access the meetings, please feel free to contact me and I will do my best
to assist you or connect you with the appropriate person, to ensure that you are able to connect and gain access.

Thank you again for your time and feedback.

Respectfully,

Kristen González

On Tue, Feb 9, 2021 at 8:41 PM Brian Snell, Selectman, Warwick <hwilliamsnell@gmail.com> wrote:

Did not hear any feedback from the community that didn’t agree with your decision. I submitted real time feedback
during the meeting. Many concerns about your process, procedure, long term planning and use of biased research.
The national research DOES NOT support moving 6 up for either emotional or academic growth. Dr. G is right, the
research does not support this move – DESE has a preference for these moves because it saves money. The majority
of high scoring 6th graders at Massachusetts schools are either in k-6 or k-8 schools.

And no, as a select board member in Warwick I did not receive an invite. Canceled out of another commitment to join.
I know another board member is just as concerned about access, communication and postings as I am.

We have a serious concern as a town what agreement you are working under – it seems there are many issues with
what agreement you use. The new agreement was never voted on by the participating towns. The local towns have
had no input in this process. As a taxpayer and educator I can see you (as a group) appear to have no interest in the
town’s input only want us to pay the bills. You will need to work with parents and local leaders if you want continued
support for the District.

So, this is a follow up to my other “real time” inquiries during tonight’s meeting. As a char and as a group you have to
do a better job of opening up this process to the public.

1/2
2/10/2021 Yahoo Mail - Fwd: Comments and Invites

Please include our select board members to your meetings and hearings. Despite your statement, myself and another
member have struggled to find these meetings AND have found it impossible to add our comments. The portals you
are using are very wonky for anyone that is not very savvy. When all you get are comments and questions in support,
you must assume something isn’t working.

Please respond.

Brian Snell

Town of Warwick

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

2/2
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Special School Committee
Meeting 2/9/2021
Budget Public Hearing 2021. Audio will be mute,
until the meeting begins.
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( Jane Dutcher
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caitlin Sheridan
Will there be a technology class

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for the sixth grade?
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PVRSD District Agreement