CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire School Union Committee approved three-year contracts for two administrators and made plans for the departure of a third. 

 

The committee at its Thursday meeting, held virtually, voted the contracts for Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes and Director of Information Technology Josh Arico. 

 

Business Administrator Lisa Blackmer gave her 90-day notice two weeks ago with final date of March 14. Her two-year contract was approved in December 2023.

 

Both Arico and Barnes were applauded for their work and given everything they requested. 

 

Barnes will receive a 3 percent raise in each of the next three years, have her transportation stipend rolled into her salary, a longevity clause and allowed up to four days for remote work for family reasons.

 

She noted she has brought in nearly $1 million in competitive grants and manages the federal entitlement grants. Superintendent John Franzoni supported her requests, which they had discussed prior to the meeting.

 

"One of our goals was to go to each school each week, and I think that she does fulfill that," he said. "So the request about the remote work really, she does do it as needed, but it doesn't impact her schedule to make sure she's at all the schools, each week, and really, she goes above and beyond."

 

Teachers have built-in step and cost of living increases but administrator contracts "just get what they get," Franzoni said, in support of a longevity clause. His was rolled into his contract during negotiations for his final three years. 

 

"I've never worked with somebody who works as hard and as diligently, both for kids and for teachers, in a respectful and forward thinking and yet making sure we're held accountable fashion," said William Knittle, principal of Rowe Elementary. "I enjoy working with Tara, but I also find her to be terribly effective."

 

Arleigh Cooper, chair of the Savoy School Committee, thanked her for what she's brought to the schools. 

 

"I do think you do a wonderful job, and you do go above and beyond. I feel that what you're asking for is completely reasonable," she said, making the motion to approve. 

 

Arico has been working solo as the technology director for seven years and said his proactive solutions have saved the district tens of thousands over the years.

 

He is currently at just below $85,000 and requested a bump to $96,575, converting five vacation days to salary, and adding in his $1,200 travel stipend to bring his total salary to $100,000 in the first year, then 3 percent in each of the next two years. 

 

This would align with the lower end of the spectrum on the IT directors in Berkshire County, he said. "I'm part of the Berkshire IT directors' group, and the feedback that I got is definitely that right now I'm under the lowest but I'm hoping to come to just around the low end of that scope."

 

"You are a one-man show. A lot of these other districts have helpers, have other people working beneath them to help divide and conquer," said Cooper. "You're a such a strong role that we needed to see the comparable figures around the area. You definitely deserve what you're asking for."

 

Mary Giron of the Clarksburg School Committee described as a "life saver" when she was working at the school. "I know his duties have doubled, tripled since I've gone from Clarksburg, and for the other schools. So I think that this is more than in line with what he deserves.

 

Arico said he appreciated the support and joked that he'd told Franzoni "if you guys totally shot me down, I really still had no plans of going anywhere."

 

In other business, Blackmer said the end-of-the-year reports for Savoy and the town of Florida have been submitted and she has requested extensions for Clarksburg and Rowe. She spoke at an earlier meeting on the difficulties in getting the reports done because of changes in staffing and accounting systems, and other issues between the four towns. 

 

"Tara saw where the reports were just out of whack," she said, referring to a conversation in Rowe about the problems. "Actually it was nice for Tara to look because I would walk into John's office and say, 'this happened,' but for Tara and someone else to actually see the differences and the concerns and the issues, and that I wasn't actually losing my mind, that things were not where they were supposed to be, was a little helpful."

 

Barnes had stepped in to help with the Rowe report the last couple of weeks, Franzoni said, and the plan was to keep things in-house for the next months as it was challenging to obtain a good pool of applicants and to transition people in during the budget season. 

 

"We could use the remainder part of Lisa's salary to potentially utilize an experienced business administrator to help us with some of the things that we have to work on in terms of budgeting for this year, in terms of getting the reports up to date," he said. 

 

Blackmer said her plan was to have the Savoy and Rowe budgets "pretty much set" by her departure and Florida should be in the second draft. Clarksburg has been down to the edge because it has been so tight, she said, adding "we have to make the decision sooner, rather than later, going forward, and so that we're not trying to do budgets in May anyway, regardless of who's in this position."

 

Barnes said they have been working together to things done and that she was up for taking on more financial responsibility.

 

"I think it would be good experience for me, just selfishly, because I'd like to learn more about, you know, the business side of things in this office," she said.

 

"Thank you for the work that you've been putting in. I'm glad to hear that as a team, we're going to finish strong," said Cooper, asking the schools continue to be updated. "I am in full support of doing things in house for that last quarter."

 

Committee member Judy Oleson of Florida said she appreciated the team willing to jump in and pick up the loose ends.

 

"Those are the people you are. And I'm sure Lisa has appreciated you coming in and and helping out. She seemed overwhelmed," Oleson said. "We hope we can take that load off your shoulders, Lisa, because you're a good person."

 

The committee also discussed digitally signing warrants as a way to streamline the process since the five towns in the district have different operational hours and a mix of full and part-time workers. Franzoni said one school has authorized the chair to sign documents as way to be more efficient. 

 

Cooper said it was a topic to bring back to their respective school committees to discuss.