ERVING – Roughly 20 interested citizens attended Thursday’s Erving School Committee meeting to learn more about the fiscal and educational feasibility of merging the Gill-Montague and Pioneer Valley regional school districts.

Alan Genovese and Greg Snedeker, the chair and vice chair of the Six Town Regionalization Planning Board, delivered a presentation at Erving Elementary School to share information gleaned from their board’s research as well as community forums and a survey conducted in November and December of 2021. Erving contracts with the Gill-Montague Regional School District to send students to Turners Falls High School. A merger would not affect Erving Elementary School.

Genovese explained the board is comprised of administration, educators, parents and people with finance backgrounds in Montague, Bernardston, Gill, Leyden, Northfield and Warwick. He said the idea of a merger was proposed when both regional school districts saw declining enrollment and the elimination of programs. He mentioned some Pioneer Valley students visited Gill-Montague schools, and vice-versa, to learn more about what the other institution could offer.

“Out of that came some amazing information,” Genovese said, comparing it to the layers of an onion.

Some of the specific educational opportunities include a more flexible daily schedule and expanded course offerings, including Advanced Placement classes, robust visual and performing arts, and health education, wellness, life coaching and mindfulness. Following the presentation, Katie Lavin stood up to say she has two pre-K students enrolled in the school and was thrilled to hear business education classes could return to the curriculum, as those courses inspired her to major in marketing in college.

“So hear, hear,” she said to applause.

According to the presentation, a merger would increase flexibility in scheduling because more students would allow for second and third sections of required courses, which in turn would create opportunity to schedule more classes. Flexibility in a schedule allows the school administration to implement a more robust program of studies. The research also indicates school-to-career programs would benefit, in addition to internships and the dual-enrollment program with Greenfield Community College.

A merger would also reportedly enhance and expand sports programs and allow for dedicated middle school athletics teams.

Snedeker said the Regionalization Planning Board looked for a comparable community to examine and found Clinton, which he said is a similar size to what Gill-Montague and Pioneer Valley would be if the regional school districts were combined. He told the attendees both school buildings appear to be in good structural shape and this exploration is not meant to find a more suitable home for students. He also said the looming discussion has nothing to due with the quality of instruction in either local regional school district.

Genovese mentioned a merger would result in an annual savings of $275,000, primarily in the central office because there would not be two superintendents’ offices.

The full presentation is available on the Regionalization Planning Board’s website, at bit.ly/44gpKgo.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.

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