Gill-Montague School Committee Fills Vacant Seat, Raises Sub Pay

GILL — September 14, 2021 — Gill-Montague School Committee unanimously filled a vacant Montague seat and approved a substitute pay raise as Franklin County hit the CDC's highest COVID transmission level. The committee appointed Nicholas Lacata to the open seat and raised hourly substitute pay from $13.50 to $14.25 effective September 27, ahead of a statewide minimum wage increase. Adult meal prices were set at $5 for lunch and $3 for breakfast — the first such prices under the district's universal free student lunch program — and two accounts payable warrants totaling $101,174.52 were approved. The superintendent reported no in-school COVID transmission despite 21 new community cases in Montague in seven days, but warned that state-supplied pool testing coordinators have still not been provided, leaving that program stalled. Jennifer was appointed as the committee's delegate to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees conference in Hyannis in November, and the committee voted to accept the district's annual strategic plan built around four goals: family engagement, student engagement, student growth and achievement, and equity and inclusion.