The Gateway Regional School Committee has announced that it will again hold meetings in all seven district towns during this school year, so that town officials and area residents will have greater access to those meetings. But discussion on the issue focused on the lack of attendance at those meetings, and the committee will consider whether or not to continue this practice for next year.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27th, 2007, at Russell Elementary School. The School Committee meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, with meetings beginning at 7:30 p.m. The first item at every meeting is for public input on items not already on the agenda.

According to School Committee Chairperson Linda Ray, “It is important to move the meetings around the district to make it easier for community members to attend. It also allows School Committee members to get into all the district buildings and see both the condition of the building and the student work on display. The committee also hopes it will encourage people from our Gateway towns to come out, meet the people that represent them and become involved in the educational system that serves our youth.”

Additional town meetings are scheduled for:

March 14 at Littleville Elementary School

April 11 at Montgomery Town Hall

May 9 at Chester Elementary School

June 13 at Middlefield Town Hall

October 25 at R. H. Conwell Elementary School

December 13 at Blandford Elementary School

The remaining meetings will take place in the cafeteria of the Gateway MS/HS complex. The schedule of school committee meetings for the year is posted on the district website.