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Chicopee School Committee approves $945,646 in warrants, MOU on PARA training pay and moves to executive session
Summary
The committee approved a warrant of $945,646 (general expenses, grants, transportation), approved a memorandum of agreement with Unit E (paraprofessionals) to correct a compensation miscalculation for off‑hour training, and voted to enter executive session for negotiation strategy under state law; all recorded votes were unanimous.
The Chicopee School Committee approved routine financial and personnel items and then voted to adjourn into executive session to discuss negotiations.
Warrant approval: The committee approved a single warrant totaling $945,646. Jay Dowd read the warrant breakdown into the record: general expenses $37,966; grants $415,544; transportation $492,135. The motion to approve the warrant carried on a roll call vote recorded as 12 yes.
Personnel and MOU: Deb Green, director of human resources, reported the personnel update for the period (October 9–22): 17 new hires, 7 resignations and 40 active job postings; hires include classroom and support positions and several long‑term substitutes. The committee then approved a memorandum of agreement between the district and the Chicopee Education Association Unit E regarding professional development training compensation. Superintendent Ware explained the MOU corrects a miscalculation and compensates paraprofessionals who attended required training outside regular hours. The MOU carried on a roll call of 12 yes.
Executive session: The committee voted to adjourn to executive session under M.G.L. c.30A, s.21(a)(2) (strategy with respect to nonunion personnel negotiations) and s.21(a)(3) (collective bargaining strategy) to prepare for negotiations concerning the assistant superintendent position and multiple bargaining units (Unit A teachers, Unit B administrators, Unit E paraprofessionals, and school nurses represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers). The chair stated the committee would not reconvene in open session. The roll call vote was recorded as 12 yes.
No substantive contract terms were disclosed at the public meeting; executive session was cited as necessary to protect the committee’s bargaining position.
