MONTAGUE — The Gill-Montague Regional School District is working to restructure its staffing before the start of fiscal year 2027, following the approval of a $25.8 million budget on Tuesday evening.
The budget features changes to 12 full-time positions, including the reduction of five full-time teaching positions and a hiring freeze for seven roles that are currently vacant, through which six existing positions will be funded.
The five cuts include one related arts teacher (responsible for art, music, physical education, STEM and the library), one counselor, one English language teacher and two middle school teachers, interim Superintendent Tari Thomas clarified on Friday.
The seven vacant positions that will go unfilled for the 2026-2027 school year include all three elementary school math interventionists, whose positions will be restructured and staff retained; a preschool teacher; a Hillcrest Elementary School reading interventionist; a Sheffield Elementary School teacher; and one maintenance supervisor, Thomas also clarified on Friday. The decision serves as a protective measure for existing staff.
“Our first line of defense is a vacancy freeze and managing personnel requests,” she said at Tuesday’s meeting. “By not filling every open door, we’ve created a buffer that protects as many of our current employees as possible.”
The budget states that the five reduced positions will decrease expenses by $349,825. Business and Operations Director Joanne Blier explained this will allow the district to “absorb the impact” of losing pandemic-era Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grants and Title I grants that have supported staffing.
Thomas explained that this restructuring is part of the larger goal of transitioning into the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) recommended Multi-Tiered System of Supports model. She said this restructuring is a “layered approach” and there will be collaboration with staff as plans move forward.
The plan is for administrators to meet with members of the teachers union, the Gill-Montague Education Association (GMEA), and other building leaders to finalize the restructuring and reductions in early May.
Restructuring
The Multi-Tiered System of Supports model is defined by DESE as “a framework for how school districts can build the necessary systems to ensure that each and every student receives a high-quality educational experience.” The 32-page framework document states there are five priority areas that include “high-quality instruction, data-driven decisions, team-driven leadership, evidence-based tiered supports and strategic resource alignment.”
The district is aiming to prioritize Tier 1 of the three-tier system, described as “Universal,” for all students to get “high-quality, inclusive and universally designed” instruction at their grade level. The upper tiers, Tier 2 and Tier 3, described as “Targeted” and “Intensive” interventions, respectively, require more individualized support for students to meet grade-level expectations.
Thomas said that in looking at Gill-Montague’s current performance data, “It’s really clear that our system isn’t reaching enough of our students. Being classified as requiring assistance and intervention isn’t just a label; it’s a mandate, and we can no longer afford to do what we’ve always done and hope for different results.”
Both Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School are listed as requiring assistance or intervention, with the high school falling into the eighth performance percentile and the middle school in the ninth percentile. This means both schools are performing at a low level compared to others in the state, according to DESE data for 2025.
The six positions added to support this Tier 1 prioritization include an inclusion coach (someone who works with staff to make sure students with diverse needs are successful within the Tier 1 framework), two instructional coaches/curriculum coordinators, the returning school resource officer, a secondary-level librarian and a human resources clerk. These leadership positions are described as “high-impact roles” that will support teachers and improve Tier 1 instruction. Thomas said these positions are expected to be filled by existing staff, rather than hiring from outside the district.
“This is a net-neutral evolution of our leadership, and we’re shifting our weight away from outdated models and toward specific levers that move the needle on student growth,” Thomas said.
As this transition continues, Thomas said her priority will be people. She plans to meet with anyone whose position may be shifted or eliminated before public discussion is had. Thomas clarified on Friday that the formal deadline for the reduction in force is June 15, but she hopes to have the final notifications of the staffing changes before then to give staff time to plan.
Union and committee reaction
Before the FY27 budget presentation, teachers union members and parents spoke about their concerns, with one such concern being the loss of the math and reading interventionists. Jenay Hall, a first grade teacher at Gill Elementary School, said she worries that without these positions, students will struggle. She worries students requiring Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels of support will “fall through the cracks” and that cutting directed support will shift the burden to smaller teams of teachers.
“The district claims that decisions on restructuring and reallocation of resources will consider factors of lowering enrollment and caseload analysis, and will continue to be data-based,” she said. “Yet our student achievement data clearly demonstrate a need for multiple tiers of instruction, including targeted and sometimes intensive intervention, and we are leaving our schools with severely reduced support, or even zero interventionists to support this work.”
GMEA President Heidi Schmidt also spoke about the “alarm and concern” that elementary school teachers feel for their students. She argued that the plan was not created in consultation with teachers and staff, and that those who work with children didn’t have a chance to share how the reduction of targeted intervention may impact them.
“The GMEA is actively engaged in advocating for the funding of rural schools on the state level, and we ask you to advocate for funding the positions, which directly support our students’ academic and personal growth,” she said.
School Committee members asked about this restructure, with Wendy Thompson highlighting the emphasis on Tier 1 instruction and how to mitigate the impact on Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction. Thomas said there are still staff members who can offer that support, but the goal is to have a teacher handle all three levels within a general classroom.
“I think it’s really hard for one teacher to do all of that, personally. I get what you’re trying to say, but I would’ve liked to see a little something that was a little more balanced,” member Carol Jacobs said about the emphasis on Tier 1.
A helpful boost
Outside of the restructuring discussion, a point of budgetary relief is Montague agreeing to have a special article for $163,748 for some financial supports, including $80,000 for instructional materials for the middle and high school, $70,000 to continue Sheffield’s after-school program and $13,748 for the two Montague elementary schools.
This article, if passed by Montague voters at Annual Town Meeting, would allow for a one-time purchase of these items rather than having them be included in the general operating budget, which would stand to increase the town assessments for both Montague and Gill, although the materials are specified for Montague.
“Gill’s assessment in this budget is 7.7%. Now, had this dollar amount been part of our budget,” Blier said, “Gill would’ve paid an extra $24,000, which would’ve increased Gill’s assessment to a 9.5% increase.”
Under the approved $25.8 million budget, Montague is contributing $13.1 million and Gill will pay $2.15 million.
“I really appreciate their support,” School Committee Chair Jane Oakes said, “and the town of Montague for sure.”