[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6073553,"mediaKeyId","2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06","parentId",2991616,"title","Votes at a glance: Chicopee School Committee approves calendar, MOA with teachers, two warrants; postpones food-service contract","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3792000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06&start=3792&end=3792","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06/thumbnail_3792000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6073553/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Chicopee-School-Committee-approves-calendar-MOA-with-teachers-two-warrants-postpones-food-service-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073553-7168cca944aaf8889534d2511239f506/orig.mp4?Expires=1770584353&Signature=Ibj3vyFIL0sLTdcW4m1b-V5Virej6W-37gpWUVPt-YHK6ydiz4rP2eXTM8sAwW6nDxRstqBqhzOXlLl5J7Wyl1OyOVMi2pHg00Ulxgst535uBti1au1fnXi4rPpfhvERSlAOUviUeHDe2bIAI7plF9jKcZSzQQgDAdd4AGMUIUYltN0wP1tj78G-WYU~As8h7HvW73GfC5MxKRf3Ft9coB1CFMfRFJzoHpwcz2h1UebomfpM4vHYT5cJYbvLeK946smpFsQhoPZzkzkhQ0YqKej8pRWZRDDjliAU9Ssrg2cDVIG0bS0Fa8F9jT46KEGfV5GDF630cwPNftroQq2sjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chicopee Public Schools, MA","date","2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","article","The Chicopee School Committee on March 5 took a series of routine and administrative votes including approval of meeting minutes, two warrants, a memorandum of agreement with the Chicopee Education Association and the 2025–26 school calendar. The committee postponed a collective bargaining agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers until lawyers finalize language.

Votes and motions at a glance

- Approval of minutes (regular meeting 02/19/2025): Motion to approve carried by roll call; the committee recorded 10 yes votes and the motion carried.

- Warrant S 02/21/25 (total $738,605.70): Motion to approve read into the record. Committee member Jay Dowd stated he would abstain because his employer appears in the warrant. The roll call recorded Mr. Dowd as abstaining; the transcript did not provide a complete final tally for this warrant in every roll-call line and the precise yes/no counts beyond the recorded abstention are not specified in the transcript.

- Warrant S 02/28/25 (combined totals reported; grand total for two warrants $1,538,693): Motion to approve carried; the roll call recorded one abstention (Mr. Dowd) and later the clerk recorded the result as \"9 yes, 1 abstained.\" The warrants included purchases and capital items the committee discussed on the record: two new wooden doors at DuPont Middle School ($990), two indoor scoreboards ($22,835 each), jackets for automotive students ($1,516), desktop lathes and mills for CTE ($31,929 and $30,728) and other routine purchases that were identified during the meeting.

- Collective bargaining agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers (craftsman): A motion by Vice Chair Don Lamothe to postpone passed by roll call; Lamothe said the agreement had been reached in principle but required final language review by attorneys.

- Memorandum of agreement with the Chicopee Education Association for the 2025–26 school year: Motion to approve carried by roll call (10 yes recorded).

- Approval of 2025–26 school calendar: With an MOA in place, the committee approved the calendar by roll call (10 yes recorded).

- Programs of study (Chicopee Academy, Chicopee Comprehensive High School, Chicopee High School): Motion to approve carried by roll call (10 yes recorded). New courses listed during discussion included Human Disease and Prevention, Air Force JROTC Leadership, Introduction to Health Careers, Advanced Screen Printing, Art History, World Drumming, Architectural CAD and barbering courses at Chicopee Academy.

- Personnel report and retirements: Christina Messier, Administrative Assistant in Human Resources, reported 11 new hires between Feb. 13 and Feb. 26, 50 active postings (19 teachers, 16 paraprofessionals, 13 special-education postings) and three substitute postings on PowerSchool. The meeting recorded two retirements: Mary Couture, assistant cook at Chicopee High School (28 years, 9 months of service), and Michael DuVille, welding teacher at Chicopee Comprehensive High School (16 years, 10 months of service).

- Adjournment: Motion to adjourn carried by roll call (10 yes recorded).

Several votes recorded named votes on the record; where the transcript omitted a full numeric roll-call tally, this summary reports the votes that were recorded in the transcript (for example, Mr. Dowd's abstentions) and notes where exact counts were not specified.

The committee meeting then adjourned after completing the evening's agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chicopee School Committee 3-5-25 ","oneSentenceSummary","At its March 5 meeting the Chicopee School Committee approved the 2025–26 calendar, a memorandum with the Chicopee Education Association, programs of study and two warrants; it postponed final approval of a collective-bargaining agreement pending legal language cleanup.","taxTitle","Chicopee Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",53269,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073559,"Superintendent Marcus Ware outlines midyear priorities, seeks uniform metrics before formal evaluation",2355,1421000,3776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06&start=1421&end=3776","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06/thumbnail_1421000.jpg","/articles/6073559/Massachusetts/Superintendent-Marcus-Ware-outlines-midyear-priorities-seeks-uniform-metrics-before-formal-evaluation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073559-390db281e3c7ef5421b08268132e89e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770584353&Signature=Zgodi6Gn~8erj~wR6ycF9opuYYJk1XjUOu65iAdPXuAcnsiOwSTTkUAZNVp5tVc6T5hVzrTa4JI8X11JRRTd8aYuPFIL1DpLDrwHbbqKhSQNK2JxQevmDvEbadU7baomMJhi2cjDNr9eUV4XTrzG~lZit5ijTSIe9YXaF~ud1DOGNcWdKFxNrWLaAORgdJRxevbl-Yvd9XvMhsnN4PfKo89EuxboIsR6YlAT0yP-YP18pqicSKzC8EFwTGm~~ztjjJotr3dZhXIISxJwSjsLxs2eJ8vzLuz62zNshvjdX07dUGSeTd9M3MhUkl3jFkDswZA7wkH8yXYJEG82fWDvew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Marcus Ware presented a midyear check-in to the Chicopee School Committee on March 5 at Chicopee City Hall, calling for consistent district systems and shared benchmarks before a formal evaluation of his first-year initiatives.

Ware told the committee he was focusing on five initial priorities — English language arts, mathematics, attendance, student conduct and mental health — with two additional priorities tied to management and operations, specifically human resources and budget/finance. He said the district needs aligned procedures and data systems before setting district-wide performance targets and asked for more time to present evidence-backed metrics at a later evaluation.

On curriculum, Ware said Chicopee remains in year three of the CCal Amplify English-language-arts curriculum and will not change the program this year so leaders can evaluate implementation fidelity. He said the district is developing benchmarking tools that correlate with MCAS expectations so the district need not wait for fall state results to measure progress.

On mathematics, Ware said the district will keep current curriculum materials in place for one more year to ensure consistent implementation and gather teacher and paraprofessional feedback about fidelity and effectiveness.

On attendance, Ware said attendance teams have been rolled out in all 15 schools with administrators, unit A and other members reviewing data on weekly to monthly cycles to identify causes of chronic absence and design incentives and interventions. “If students are not in the seat, we can't get their education,” Ware said, explaining teams are monitoring attendance patterns and performing home visits when needed.

On student conduct and discipline reporting, Ware said the district digitized conduct reporting to collect consistent data across schools and is piloting a rethinking-discipline module in three schools to document alternatives to suspension. He said the district is working with legal counsel and counseling staff to ensure the approach follows law and collects evidence that alternatives were tried prior to suspension.

Ware described mental-health work centered on Panorama student and staff surveys and a mental-health task force led by district counseling leadership. He said participation in the survey is not as high as desired and the district will take steps to increase participation so results become an accurate measure of need.

On management and operations, Ware described HR system upgrades — including use of Frontline for time/attendance, expanded Munis usage, position-control numbers (PCNs) rollout and the platform Droplet for hiring and professional-development sign-ups. He said PCNs will assign a unique identifier to each city position and support needs-based staffing decisions tied to budgeting.

Ware said the district is working with CES on a strategic plan and will continue stakeholder engagement through surveys and forums. He told the committee he will return in late spring or early summer with evidence to support specific, SMART goals that the committee can use for a formal evaluation.

Committee members commented and asked questions. School Committee member Dr. McCarthy, a literacy educator, commended the decision to maintain the current ELA curriculum and asked whether pre-K attendance is included in the district's attendance metric; Ware replied that pre-K is included in local attendance efforts even though it is not a required state metric. Jay Dowd asked about staff and teacher job-satisfaction data; Ware said HR collects exit and satisfaction data and the district is exploring ways to improve confidentiality and HR visibility by increasing school-based HR contact.

Committee members thanked Ware for the presentation and for following the entry plan he presented last year. Ware said he would return with more specific benchmarks and evidence to support ratings at the annual evaluation.

No formal committee action was taken during the presentation; the item was a report and Q&A.","Superintendent Marcus Ware presented a midyear check-in to the Chicopee School Committee on March 5, reviewing seven priorities — including English language arts, math, attendance, student conduct, mental health, HR and finance — and said the district needs more time to align measurement systems before setting uniform metrics.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6073563,"Crossroads participants tell Chicopee School Committee the program builds job and community skills",776,663000,1439000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06&start=663&end=1439","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2991616-9ba32f94d1f09468c6b193301aeccb06/thumbnail_663000.jpg","/articles/6073563/Massachusetts/Crossroads-participants-tell-Chicopee-School-Committee-the-program-builds-job-and-community-skills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6073563-aa1fd454ce71b40fb78ae0edc7071922/orig.mp4?Expires=1770584353&Signature=ipuLVyP9vmyVyT1qwwFDIQgd3XMyr5eTnQ0dldL1L3-DE6WT-jCZtt3~zyXc6~kSkd8QVQME3BNCtOOxTdgEP9ULKliI2PmO9A4Tg8JC1jivHPkrYonnY0Dq~qN2NM2BgwjieAReHCzJvEMG3dA8WkmiaZ35HkDfPoAbU3tNkUX1nkSlIQ5A26BFihpn2spUNv0qwqISm5AaWVyfQKEw0muGCBsANzkQkk6CW0WsJWXr1KDHeQvQbUqIguylJjCsZeYzj7yZXbxtlOqlYyt8-Wo7STWIbReMlmdKfjeAiSbx4f4T~a4lWjf~suttICWk7JgetDJwo6KrDbBwn3HfFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Good evening. My name is Eric Dahl. I'm the transition specialist for the 18 to 22 transition program also known as Crossroads, I'm here again this evening with three of my extraordinary young adults, that have prepared some statements about their favorite aspects of our program. So you can hear directly from the participants of the program.

The Crossroads 18-to-22 transition program presentation at the March 5 Chicopee School Committee meeting included short statements from three program participants and a summary by program specialist Eric Dahl about the program's focus on employment readiness and community inclusion.

The visitors introduced themselves and described specific activities and goals. Emily “Em” Collins, 21, said she attends Crossroads at Fairview Elementary School and is working toward driving and paid employment; she volunteers once a week at ZuperZoo, where she helps feed and care for animals. “I have more self confidence, independence, and I'm ready for a real job at the mall,” Collins said, adding she plans to apply for positions at the Holyoke Mall when hiring opens.

Aiden Rafterty, 19, described daily routines the program supports: kitchen duties, making breakfast as part of a shared responsibility system, and volunteering in classrooms and at community events. He also told the committee the Crossroads team entered the Chicopee family chili cook-off and placed third.

Andrew “Drew” Pope, 21, said Crossroads helped him learn to self-advocate. He credited that skill with getting a new treadmill for the program and with regular paid work at Goodwill, where he does floor work for up to an hour and a half a day and joins community outings such as bowling and museum visits. “I learned how to advocate for myself and the program,” Pope said.

Eric Dahl framed those remarks for the committee, describing the program as an 18-to-22 transition program that provides vocational training, volunteer placements and community outings to help young adults move from school to employment and independent routines.

The school committee applauded the students and thanked Crossroads staff for the presentation before moving on to the superintendent's midyear evaluation presentation.

The Crossroads program is run by the Chicopee Public Schools and operates at Fairview Elementary School; participants described volunteer placements, paid work at Goodwill, and weekly program routines.","Students from the Chicopee Public Schools 18-to-22 Crossroads transition program described volunteering, paid work and life-skills training and told the School Committee how the program has increased confidence and independence.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Chicopee School Committee approves calendar, MOA with teachers, two warrants; postpones food-service contract

Superintendent Marcus Ware outlines midyear priorities, seeks uniform metrics before formal evaluation

Crossroads participants tell Chicopee School Committee the program builds job and community skills