NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The McCann School Committee gave Superintendent James Brosnan high marks in his bi-annual evaluation, commending him for his efforts for the district over the last two years.  

The committee's evaluation graded Brosnan's performance from the start of July 2020 to the end of June 2022. The grading considered two goals Brosnan set for himself, as well as four standards: instructional leadership, management and operations, family and community, and professional culture. In addition to the numerical evaluations, the committee members provided written comments with each section. 

"Noteworthy evidence and data demonstrates that Mr. Brosnan promotes the values, beliefs and behaviors that create an organizational culture devoted to student learning," said Committee Chair Gary Rivers at the committee's meeting on Thursday. Across the four standards, Brosnan scored an average of 3.825 out of a possible four. 

Brosnan's two goals were to increase post-secondary enrollment, which has had an overall increase of eight this year and improve the district's financial position. He scored a 3.8 out of five on the first goal, meaning he met expected progress. 

Several written comments were positive on Brosnan's progress towards the second goal, on which he scored a 4.6 out of five. The comments noted his grant acquisitions, which Rivers said totaled about $1.3 million over the two-year evaluation period, and his management during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"That's $627,000 a year in the last two years that we haven't had to go back and ask our towns for," said Board Member William Craig of the grant funding, which he said helps all the district's member's financially. "... We've expanded and made this a better educational opportunity, and we've done it without going after the towns for an excessive amount of money." 

In other business, Brosnan said he is looking for solutions to expand parking availability at McCann. The committee authorized him to explore potential engineering options.

"The good news, we're bursting at the seams with students. Bad news, we got to find places to park cars. And we're really at the absolute end," he said. "So I want to be able to go out and get the design and get the engineers to come in and say, 'where we can put additional parking.'"  

The committee also authorized Brosnan to look into upgrading the ventilation system in the library, which he said is the only part of the school-wide system not recently upgraded. 

• Principal Justin Kratz said the school's visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges went well. He said the full results should come at a later date, saying the visit went well overall based on initial feedback. 

"They noted our school-wide support of students. They met with a group of students, they did a bunch of observations around the building, and they really felt like it was noteworthy the attention our building pays to our students."

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