GREENFIELD — When the new school year starts in fall, the Math & Science Academy will no longer be housed in an independent building, but rather will be a part of Greenfield Middle School.
At a Wednesday afternoon transition advisory meeting at the middle school, Principal Gary Tashjian met with about a dozen parents and teachers about the logistics of the move. The group worked on a survey to send to parents at the two schools about questions they may have regarding the process.
“People are coming together and talking about it,” Tashjian said. “They’re airing their concerns and thoughts.”
The move, transferring grades 5, 6 and 7 from the Math & Science Academy to the Greenfield Middle School to form a “school within a school” was formally announced in 2015, but because of logistics issues, it was delayed.
The proposed fiscal budget for 2018 recognizes the Math & Science Academy as a part of the middle school. Tashjian is slotted to earn the same amount, $87,031,as he currently does. The same is true for the current principal of the academy, who will continue to make $75,000 although functioning as an associate principal.
The plan is currently that Greenfield Middle School will absorb the student body of Math & Science Academy, a school that specializes in the math and sciences. The move will bring the academy’s student body into a larger building.
This move will also raise questions as to which grades from the academy will take the allotted additional science course. This, according to Tashjian, is still unclear at this time and is a point that will be worked on further.
Additionally, Greenfield Middle School students may be eligible to take classes via the academy. This, too, he said, is unclear at this point.
What is clear is that students transitioning to middle school building will have access to all available extracurriculars.
“We’re trying to make it so that every child can transition into this school and be successful,” Tashjian said.
Hoping to clarify these points and to address questions that parents at large have, a survey was created by those in attendance at this meeting.
Some questions included in the proposed survey included whether parents were aware of this move, how transportation could work, when would parents feel welcomed to come in for events, and whether Math & Science Academy should go back to its original model, specializing in sixth and seventh grades.
“We can say we know but we don’t know until we ask,” Tashjian said about parents’ concerns.
The principal hopes to present the invested parties with options when it comes to how the move will work. Although these options are not clear yet, he is confident that the situation will work out well for all parties involved.
“I think we’re going to come away with a great couple of options for all families to consider,” Tashjian said.
You can reach Joshua Solomon at:
jsolomon@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 264