NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The School Committee unanimously voted on Tuesday to appoint Timothy Callahan as superintendent and approve his contract.

 

School committee member Richard Alcombright expressed his strong support during Tuesday's vote.

 

Timothy Callahan, currently assistant superintendent, will succeed Barbara Malkas upon her retirement at the end of the school year. The committee discussed his contract in a closed executive session before approving it. His contract will run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028.

 

Callan will receive an annual salary of $160,000 in the first year, and $164,800 and $169,744, respectively, in the next two, subject to negotiation and performance evaluations. He gets 25 days vacation, cumulative up to 35, along with general benefits including mileage, sick time, insurance, an annuity plan and educational reimbursements.

 

The committee then discussed the 2025-2026 school year calendar, with some members expressing reservations about the proposed two-week Christmas break.

 

School Committee member Tara Jacobs expressed concern that the extended break would negatively impact students who rely on school for structure, safety, food, and support.

 

"This is just concerning to me," she said. "And it will go where it goes, but I don't think I can support this."

 

Malkas reported that the North Adams Teachers Association presented two calendar options. Option A, which included the two-week Christmas break, was overwhelmingly supported by the teachers. This option had teachers starting the school year on Aug. 25 and students on Aug. 28-29. Option B, with teachers returning Aug. 27 and students Sept. 2-3, featured a shorter, split Christmas break. Malkas explained that Christmas falling on a Thursday complicated the scheduling.

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey supported Jacobs' concerns, suggesting shortening the break and spreading the remaining days off throughout the year. Other members suggested adding half-days, but Malkas noted that these can be more challenging for parents.

 

Malkas stated that teachers felt "chopping up" the Christmas break would be disruptive. She also anticipated high absenteeism because of family travel if the break were to start or end mid-week. Re-submitting the calendar to NATA would delay approval until May, impacting their own summer vacation plans. She reiterated that 80 percent of NATA supported Option A, and a change in direction was uncertain.

 

School Committee member Cody Chamberlain inquired about providing meals for students during the break. Malkas acknowledged the funding and staffing challenges but offered to explore community resources. She also mentioned the district's plan to conduct a deep cleaning of the schools during the break, citing high rates of illness this year.

 

The calendar was approved 4-3 with Jacobs, Macksey, and Chamberlain voting no. 

 

The School Committee also went through a complete review of the proposed fiscal 2026 budget, which was recommended by the Finance and Facilities Committee, and voted to set a public hearing to approve the budget on May 6.

 

Alcombright, who recalled being involved in 31 school budget cycles, said he was impressed by the budget and how much it supports with so few resources.

 

"I don't recall a budget that was so short on funding, and I have certainly never seen one with so little question of what might be cut. There is nothing here," he said. "I want to commend you all who helped build this. In some respects, as ugly as it may seem, it is still out there, and it provides for our kids."

 

The conversation at one point moved to possible federal education cuts. Malkas had no answers, only questions.

 

"Quite frankly, there isn't an answer because it is really hard to figure out what direction it will go," she said. "Both Title 1 and IDEA are funded through Congress. Their funding formulas are written into law, but quite frankly, we don't know if that will matter."

 

She added she did send a letter to district teachers sharing these concerns.

 

Alcombright thought it made the current budget more impressive knowing it properly funds education even amid so much uncertainty.

 

"The large deficit, while scary, the road ahead is very scary … we are going in with blinders and our eyes half shut to what this is going to look like next year because of the political landscape," he said.

 

Earlier in the meeting, the School Committee heard from Brayton Principal Anne Riello and Colgrove Principal Amy Meehan. The two provided updates on the school year.

 

Riello said Brayton worked hard this year to foster a strong community. With the closure of Greylock and the grade reconfiguration, she said Brayton is essentially a new school now as it is now educating only Grades PreK through 2.

 

"We are introducing three groups of students together, three groups of parents together, and three groups of teachers together, and we have been working on building our community," she said.

 

She said during this process it was important to eliminate school-specific language.

 

"At the beginning of the year, people would say, 'that is the Brayton way, that is the Greylock way,'" she said. "No. That is not a thing. This is our new Brayton, and we are building this together. The staff has worked very hard to eliminate that language."

 

She concluded that 62 potential new students attended the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten screenings. She said this is one of the larger groups the district has seen in years.

 

Meehan reported a reduction in disciplinary issues, absenteeism and tardiness.

 

"I really take that as a positive given all of the change," she said, of the 3 to Grade 6 school. "It was very difficult on students leaving the building that they love, teachers that they love and the classmates they were with."

 

The School Committee approved two proprietary specifications in regard to the Greylock School building project. Jesse Saylor, project manager at TSKP Studio, noted that per Massachusetts General Law, an elected body can vote to close open bidding to specific items if there is a clear benefit with a specific product or service that cannot be replicated by another company.

 

Andover Controls was selected as the lone building controls contractor. Saylor said it made sense to award the project to Andover Controls because the rest of the school buildings are under its service.

 

Secondly, Audio Enhancement was awarded the communications contract. Saylor said Audio is the only company that integrates public address and sound reinforcement with added security features.