Sheffield — During the Southern Berkshire Regional School District Committee’s meeting on Thursday, March 5, member Carl Stewart announced after an executive session at the start of the meeting that Chair Arthur Batacchi and Vice Chair Kimberly Alcantara had announced their resignations verbally—though not in writing, as required by state law.
Both Batacchi and Alcantara left the meeting before the announcement was made, and their names were removed from the list of committee members on the school district’s website.
At the March 5 meeting, the committee elected member Julie Hannum of Sheffield as its chair and member Amy Bainbridge-Jordan of Ashley Falls as its vice chair.
When asked for comment for a story on the meeting, Alcantara wrote via email to The Berkshire Edge that she in fact did not resign.
At the committee’s meeting on Thursday, March 12, both Batacchi and Alcantara returned to their seats serving as committee members, while Hannum and Bainbridge-Jordan continued to serve as chair and vice-chair.
During the March 12 meeting, there was no discussion or reference to the March 5 meeting. However, Hannum read a statement at the beginning of the meeting. “We’re going to take a pause, folks, and just remember what the norms and beliefs were that we approved just about a year ago,” she said. “We’re representing the needs and interests of all of our students in the districts and the towns we represent. We’re prioritizing their well-being and success in every decision. There are multiple points here: how we govern, how we treat each other, how we communicate in our collective agreement, and I’m not reading through everything this evening.”
While not directly mentioning the events of the March 5 meeting, Hannum said, “What has happened is water under the bridge,” adding: “I just want us moving forward in the best interest of our kids, our school district, staff, families, everybody.”
In her statement, Hannum referenced a quote placed at the top of the meeting’s agenda: “We strive to build a culture of kindness where all members of our school community feel safe, and one that reflects the values of the Southern Berkshire Regional School District.”
“We’re going to revisit [this statement] on a regular basis, just so that we can remember how we want to behave and how we want to help hold each other accountable,” Hannum said. “So, if you see something and you want to say something, [remember] we’re all human beings. Nobody’s perfect. We all have tempers. We all get upset, but we can try to be our best, and that’s all I’m going to ask of us, is that we just try to be our best to each other.”
Previous reporting: Southern Berkshire Regional School District in turmoil: Committee chair and vice chair apparently resign during meeting
