Interim School Superintendent Refuses to Share Info on Budget Cuts

At the April 24 meeting of the Amherst Regional School Committee, Interim Superintendent Douglas Slaughter stonewalled School Committee members, silencing those who asked about positions that will be impacted by possible budget cuts. By doing so, Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA) members observed, that Slaughter implied that School Committee members, who supervise the superintendent, can’t tell him what to do, and that he does not need to explain to them what he is going to do with public money. In the meeting in which no one expected a budget vote (none was on the agenda), the school committee reluctantly agreed to a 6% budget increase, a figure that would not fully restore all student-facing positions in the secondary schools.

On March 12, the School Committee voted 8-1 to direct Slaughter to work up a budget retaining all student-facing educator positions. After the School Committee worked so hard to prevent cuts that would be devastating for students, staff, and the community, Slaughter even refused to tell the school committee which staff would be impacted by the cuts that would. be necessitated by the 6% increase.

Previous budget cut information presented by Slaughter has included the reduction or elimination of Middle and High School positions in World Language, Dance, Special Education, Counseling, and Restorative Justice.

For more information, contact: executiveboard@amherstpelhamed.org