FLORIDA, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire School Union has offered the post of business administrator to North Adams' former food service director.

 

Cory Nicholas was the only applicant for the job, which has been pieced out to district employees and a part-time interim administrator for the past six months.

 

"I've reinvented myself multiple times within different work industries," Nicholas told the committee on Monday night. "I would say I grew up in the restaurant business, working for my brother, went away to school, got out of the restaurant business, went to public health for five years, and then stumbled back into food service, working for North Adams schools ... 

 

"I've always been very interested in business administration, working alongside many business administrators, I always felt like it was something I could support doing one day."

 

Nicholas is currently the school nutrition program manager for the Amherst-Pelham School District, where he oversees a $1.4 million annual budget for its seven schools.

 

He was  presented to the School Committee after a screening interview with co-Chairs Judy Oleson of the town of Florida and Arleigh Cooper of Savoy and three administrators including Superintendent John Franzoni, one of Nicholas' references.

 

Committee members did express concern over Nicholas' lack of business management experience but were convinced by his background in the high-pressure restaurant business, writing and implementing grants, the confidence that he could learn on the job.

 

Nicholas said he'd fallen into public health working part time as an inspector, a job with a broad range of responsibilities and, by necessity, a strong knowledge base.

 

Within five years, he'd gained his certifications and been encouraged to apply for supervisor, but that wasn't a field he wanted to stay in, he said.

 

He shifted to food service and Franzoni recalled how, as principal of Brayton Elementary in North Adams, he and Nicholas had launched the "breakfast in the classroom" program.

 

Nicholas had gotten the grants and Franzoni felt that the program had been integral in the school's turnaround plan. Nicholas had also been able to get Savoy's Emma Miller Elementary School into the North Adams Public School's lunch program.

 

Franzoni said Nicholas has already helped with finding issues in the food service reporting in the union, resulting in Monroe seeing an increase in funds.

 

In response to questions, Nicholas said he'd increased North Adams' food service revenue from $800,000 to $1.4 million and, within the last few months, bumped Amherst's summer revenue by 27 percent.

 

The workers under his supervision would describe him as fair, he thought. "I'm hard working," he said. "I have high expectations for myself and the people I work with."

 

The committee and Franzoni noted the difficulty in keeping a business manager, with five full or interim in the past seven years. Committee member Mary Giron of Clarksburg pointed to the challenges in working with part-time finance departments in the towns and varied software programs.

 

Nicholas said he was used to putting out fires and had a good handle on prioritizing.

 

"I think I have a lot to learn," he said. "But I'm not intimidated by it or concerned that I wont be able to accomplish it."

 

During their discussion later, a few committee members thought his lack business management might be an advantage.

 

"Just listening to his many different backgrounds, the different skill sets he can bring into this position, because we definitely do have a unique situation," said Heather O'Brien of Florida. "We're definitely seeing how we're having challenges of that with the former people who have been in this position. ... maybe we finally found the right mix."

 

The committee voted unanimously to offer him the post dependent on negotiations and to offer a salary of between $80,000 to $90,000 for a one-year contract with the option for a second year dependent upon earning the appropriate licensing and certifications.

 

The district would pay for his education to obtain the licensing, with a potential $10,000 increase upon completion.

 

The committee debated whether to lower the salary range but Franzoni pointed out that hiring a licensed business manager would mean a higher starting point. The district had budgeted for $100,000, although some of that has been used for those doing the work.

 

Nicholas informed the union School Committee that the contract with his current employer has a 30-day notice but he might be able to put in some hours during that time.

 

Clarksburg Select Board members Daniel Haskins and Colton Andrews attended the meeting to express their concerns on how the hiring could affect the budget. Clarksburg is responsible for more than half the union's budget.

 

Administrators said the salary was built into the budget and Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes noted that Clarksburg had received more in Student Opportunity Act funding, "I think that we are counting on to help alleviate some of the other pieces inside the Clarksburg budget, so that it can offset some of that deficit and that business administrator line."

 

"I just want to make sure that we're not going to get surprised," said Haskins. 

 

That said, the committee spent some time debating how the overtime and stipends are being paid out for the current employees who are dealing with the finances. Barnes was approved retroactively for five hours per week above and behind her duties as director of pupils services during the summer and Administrative Assistant Becca Randall at $27.25 per hour for the increased responsibilities, with Cooper (whose motion at $25 and reconsideration during budget talks was rejected) voting no.

 

"We all recognize how much of a team effort it is in the office and where we want people to be able to be compensated for their job duties," said Cooper. "One of the things I want to make note is we have a lot of these taking place after our budgets are being made."

 

Franzoni said these funds were already budgeted and that a new business administrator would be coming in partway through the year at a lower rate, and the need for the interim and Barnes would fall off. The assistant would likely still continue to with heightened responsibilities, he said, describing her as the office financial manager. 

 

In other business, the committee approved the creation of an exploratory committee to look into developing a regionalization study committee and preparing a request for proposals for a consultant to undertake it.

 

The study has $100,000 from the Fair Share Act. North Adams and the Hoosac Valley Regional School District are partnering in the study with the union schools and Mount Greylock Regional School District last week decided to join.

 

The study will look at options for secondary education in Northern Berkshire and provide recommendations for the districts to take back to their communities.