AMHERST – Representatives for the Amherst-Pelham Regional and the Pelham school committees met in executive session for more than three hours Wednesday night, but there is not yet a resolution to the topic being discussed.
For the second week in a row, the committees adjourned to an executive session with attorney Thomas Colomb of the Boston and Springfield law firm Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane “to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel.”
Combined, the two sessions have lasted about six hours.
While most members of the committees were present, Superintendent Maria Geryk and other school administrators were not.
In an email Thursday, Regional School Committee Chairwoman Laura Kent said the nature of the current situation, and protections provided by executive session, make it challenging to communicate details and outcomes.
“I am really hoping to have this resolved by the end of next week and the committee will share a statement then,” Kent said.
The committees have not yet issued an evaluation of Geryk, which had been scheduled to happen Monday before that meeting was canceled.
That meeting was also to have served as a retreat for the school committees, but Kent said that will be held in August and done in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
“It’s purpose will be to focus on member roles, committee responsibilities and ways to foster collaboration, community engagement and create communication protocols,” Kent said, adding that it’s an opportunity to begin the next school year off on the right foot.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
