AGAWAM – After serving 16 years on the Agawam School Committee, Anthony C. Bonavita announced that he will not seek re-election to the School Committee or any other seats in the next election.

Bonavita made comments about the decision during the committee’s April 13 meeting.

“For me it was a very difficult decision. What really convinced me to do it was when I moved my office into my home, I looked at the pile of work that I have to do in the next year or two and I thought about it very seriously and said that there is no way I can do justice to my clients and the School Committee at the same time, it’s going to be very difficult to do. So that was the basis of my reasoning, but I just want to say in the 16 years of the school committee and four years on the council, I have met people in campaigns on committees I have served in the council that have become my friends,” he said.

Bonavita will be working for the rest of the year then will focus on his practice of law on Main Street in Springfield. He is a criminal defense attorney that handles mostly Superior Court criminal cases or criminal cases in District Court,

The reason he announced this decision early is in hopes that it will incline someone to run for his vacant seat, he said. “I really appreciate serving the town of Agawam to the capacity I had. I’m not disappearing, I’ll be around, and I might pop up in the future.”

Superintendent Sheila Hoffman stated that 10 seventh grade students participated in the Wright Flight educational program that introduces middle school students to the history of aviation, its future, the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math. The programs’ goal is to inspire students to become pilots or to work in aviation related industries. The seventh graders will cumulate their yearlong program “In the Air” during Wright Flight Day which will be held at Barnes Airport in Westfield on April 28 with a rain date of May 5.

Hoffman also discussed the redistricting of elementary schools and preparing to integrate students in K-4.

“Our goal is to better distribute this population and have each school be closer in number thus leaving them in a better position to accept future preschool students.”

Weekly meetings have taken place since mid-March with central office administrators working toward the redistricting goal. Letters have also been sent to families with incoming kindergarten students.

Additionally, Hoffman explained the fiscal year 2022 (FY22) budget and some of its concerns, in regard to COVID-19. Whether masks would be mandated or if additional teaching spaces would continue to be required and those associated costs were among the issues.

The Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Funds covered some of these additional costs.

Hoffman also said she anticipated using the relief funds to continue to support improved hardware and software purchases.

“Please be advised that once approved and the coronavirus health guidelines have been relaxed the FY22 school budget will be available for public viewing at the Agawam Public Library, the Town Clerks office at Town Hall, the central office, and the website. In the meantime, it can be viewed on public channel 15.”

The FY21 total approved budget was $47 million and the FY22 requested budget is $47.8 million.

The public hearing on the FY22 budget will take place April 27 at 6:30 p.m. prior to the next School Committee meeting at 7 p.m. that evening.