On February 2, a joint session of the Mt. Greylock School Committee and the Superintendency Union 71 (SU-71) panel voted to approve the Assistant Superintendent contract for Kim Grady. The contract is effective July 1, 2016. At a meeting on January 19, the school committee and the SU-71 panel voted to approve the creation of the position as a replacement for the current Tri-District Director of Pupil Personnel Services. The Tri-District shares the administrators between the middle school, high school, and SU-71, a collaboration of the Williamstown and Lanesborough elementary schools. The SU-71 is overseen by a panel on which members of the Williamstown and Lanesborough school committees serve.

The current Director of Pupil Personnel Services focuses mostly on students with special needs. The Assistant Superintendent will still focus on special education, however, the position also has a heightened responsibility. According to the newly approved job description, the Assistant Superintendent acts “as the official designee in the Superintendent’s absence.” The job also incorporates more long-term planning for special needs programs and students. “An Assistant Superintendent is right here, working with me,” commented Dias. “They will help to create and implement a vision for all three schools, not just Greylock or any one school individually.”

Although the Director of Pupil Personnel Services was a Tri-District position, the Assistant Superintendent will lead all three schools in the district in their student support program. The new position will not drastically affect the Tri-District hierarchy already in place within the administration. Dias proposed the change to incorporate duties that the current Director of Pupil Personnel Services Grady was already performing. Said Dias of the change, “I’ve worked in systems with Assistant Superintendents, and it was very clear that what she [Grady] was doing lined up very precisely.” Students will not see a change in the day to day operation of the schools as a result of this change. The budget for the district will also be largely unaffected by the changes. Dias elaborated on this, “There will be some budgetary impact, not a drastic one overall. Remember we’re talking about multi-million dollar budgets and you’re talking about a few thousand dollars.”

At the meeting on January 19, Dias proposed several other changes to the current administration. The currently unfilled Curriculum Director’s duties will be expanded as the search for a new director continues. Dias proposed that the title of Compliance Monitoring Assistant change to Student Services Coordinator, also a Facilities Coordinator position would be created for all three schools. These changes are not necessarily indicative of more changes to come, however. Dias said, “I was trying to look at it holistically and make it fit what it really is, so we can stand on that to move forward.”