MRSD Agreement Working Group: Enrollment Is A Major Issue

CHATHAM – Members of the Monomoy Joint Regional Agreement Formula Working Group from Chatham and Harwich conducted their first session on Aug. 20, agreeing in a very cooperative manner to work together to address issues such as the district’s financial assessment formula and enrollment declines facing the 15-year-old school system.

 “We have some enrollment challenges in both towns, more acute in Chatham, but we have challenges in all our schools,” said Chatham Select Board Chair Jeff Dykens. “We must brainstorm ways to increase enrollment. We’re trying with affordable housing in Chatham, [Harwich is] also making major investments.”

 Harwich Town Administrator Jay McGrail said the location and ownership of school buildings and the fate of elementary school education over the next couple of decades are issues in need of addressing. 

 Members of the working group said that retaining excellence in education is their primary goal, with an emphasis from Harwich members on maintaining taxpayer needs and services.

 The working group came together to review the current regional school district agreement which requires the two towns to review and make necessary adjustments every five years. The working group consists of four voting members from each community as well as one non-voting community member and student representative from each town.

Representatives from Chatham are Town Manager Jill Goldsmith, Dykens, Monomoy Regional School Committee Chair Brad Schiff, finance committee Chair Stephen Daniel, citizen representative Melissa Bohannon and student representative Dan Morgan.

Representatives from Harwich are Town Administrator Jay McGrail, select board Chair Peter Piekarski, finance committee member Peter Hughes, MRSC member Ryan Edwards, citizen representatives Charles Gruszka and student representative Nico Silvester. In the group’s inaugural meeting, Schiff was unanimously elected chair and Edwards, who was not present, was elected vice chair. 

Enrollment drew a great deal of discussion at the initial session. Dykens addressed the need to retain students, citing an eighth grade class in Chatham when regionalization was getting underway that had 58 students, 30 of whom went to the Nauset school district, leaving 28 students to enter the ninth grade.

 “I know you want to talk about assessments, and we’ll get there, but enrollment is a larger issue, and that’s why I’m here,” said Dykens. “I’m for maintaining the excellence we’ve achieved and the wonderful asset we have for both towns.” 

Morgan said when he was in Chatham Elementary School a decade ago, there were three classes for each grade and now there is only one class per grade.

 “That’s a big drop, so I think there should be discussions regarding the elementary school, and possible consolidation of the elementary schools,” Morgan said.

Gruszka said there is a lot of talk about housing in both towns, and the group needs to get a handle on what’s on the drawing board over the next five to 10 years and how it will impact school enrollment, he said. 

 “This is really between the two towns, as you know, but we really want to keep a focus on the students and the focus on the value of the education that the two towns are providing for their students,” School Superintendent Robin Millen said. “So you know everything that you will consider and think about, we will be keeping on the lens of what will affect our programming and the outcome of our students.

 “If we are not providing that programming excellence, it could have an impact on exit flight,” said Millen.

 “Once you start losing students it’s hard to stem the tide,” added Daniel. 

 “Taxpayer needs and services must maintain themselves while we strive to maintain excellence in education,” said Gruszka. “I can feel some of that in my town.”

Gruszka said projections are needed five to 10 years out on fixed and capital costs and school district and town needs. The group agreed there will be a need to accumulate a lot of data. Dykens praised Harwich for the work done on the financial contributions made by each of the towns.

While the group has an even number of voting members, they discussed and agreed decisions would be confirmed by a majority vote. There was discussion about adding Millen as the ninth voting member of the group to avoid split votes, which would defeat a motion. Millen said she would have to do research to see if there would be a conflict of interest as a voting member.

The group agreed to begin by meeting once a month. As for future agenda topics, Dyken suggested enrollment, mission, vision and values. Given that the five-year review is scheduled for 2027, the group is looking to conclude its efforts in that timeframe.