WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield School Committee voted to suspend the superintendent search point superintendent Tim Connor to the permanent post at its meeting on April 7.

“I think our interim superintendent is doing an excellent job,” Mayor William Reichelt said before the appointment.

Various members of the school committee expressed their admiration for the job Connor has done during the COVID-19 outbreak, despite having just taken the reins in February. School Committee member Nancy Farrell expressed “complete support” for Connor, fellow committee member Colleen Marcus said, “he's looking out for what is in the best interest for every student, family and staff member in West Springfield.”

Connor responded to the appointment by saying, “this opportunity to work with a committee like this one, a town like the one we have and the leadership above the superintendency has just been awesome for me.”

A public hearing was had to discuss the FY21 budget, after which the $48,696,603 price tag was approved by the committee.

“I think it's the right thing to do - until we get more information from the state and local governments about revenue,” Farrell said. School Committee Member William Garvey agreed.

“Yes, there probably will be changes, but I think it's premature to do it at this time,” Garvey said.
Another public budget hearing was conducted on school choice. The committee approved the recommendation of Connor and assistant superintendent Kevin McQuillan to freeze accepting school-choice participants for the third year running.

McQuillan said there are currently 55 school choice students, 33 of whom attend the high school. Eight school choice students are expected to graduate in June.

Program enrollment will decline significantly in the coming years if the district continues to freeze new school choice entries, McQuillan said.

The school choice budget for the current year is $292,254, but McQuillan said, “our expenditures from the account this year exceed our income into the account by about $500,000.” He added that “for quite some time the revolving fund has not been replenishing itself.”

A two-tenths salary increase was approved for the reading interventionist at Mittineague Elementary School.

“You'll see, as we go forward, the need to bring on more and more reading interventionist to move the needle more for our kids,” Connor said.

During the superintendent's report, Connor said “we continue to build the plane at 30,000-feet,” though he noted that the experience of remote learning has brought the community together. The elementary schools began remote learning on April 6 while the middle and high school students started April 13.

Connor said quarter three had been extended so students could turn in back-work and their grades would not suffer due to the break. April vacation has been canceled to make up the lost time.