Gill-Montague School Committee Votes 6-2 to Cancel April Break

GILL — April 9, 2020 — Gill-Montague Regional School District School Committee voted 6-2 to cancel April break and continue remote learning through the week of April 13. Meeting virtually on April 9, the eight-member board sided with a clear majority of the 91 parents surveyed by Superintendent Michael Vachula, 58 of whom favored maintaining the newly launched distance learning schedule; teachers polled by staff were split roughly 50-50. The decision moves the end of the school year four days earlier, to June 12. Two members voted no: Tommy Pieczyński, who argued staff needed a respite after three weeks of disruption since the March 13 closure, and Bill, who said he wanted more information on teacher readiness before committing. The committee noted that MCAS has been waived for the year and said it does not expect students to return to school buildings on the state's May 4 target date, with a broader discussion of post-COVID education planning set for Tuesday, April 14.