As a result of last year’s vote, the Pittsfield School District will be conducting this year’s annual meeting under the rules of the Official Ballot Law, commonly called SB2. As a result, the annual meeting will take a different form from past meetings, and the calendar of events will also be different:
- Wed Jan 10: Budget Committee Hearing – 7:00 p.m., PMHS Lecture Hall
- The Budget Committee will hear comments and suggestions regarding the proposed school district budget
- Snow date for Budget Committee hearing: Thurs Jan 11
- Thurs Feb 8: First Session, Deliberative – 7:00 p.m., PES Gym
- All warrant articles will be considered
- Voters will have the opportunity to hear explanations of articles, to discuss articles, and to amend articles
- Each warrant article will be voted on to determine the final language of the article
- Voters will not be voting on whether to pass or not pass warrant articles
- Snow Date for First Session – Deliberative: Fri Feb 9
- Tue Mar 13: Second Session, Voting by Ballot – 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Town Hall
- Voters will mark yes or no on each warrant article in voting booths
- Voters will not have the opportunity to ask questions about the warrant articles
- Voters who cannot cast their ballots in person may request an absentee ballot
- Final outcomes of warrant articles will be decided by secret ballots cast during the voting hours
Pittsfield voters are encouraged to participate in these important events. Two key issues on this year’s school district warrant will be the (1) district’s operating budget for the 2018-2019 school year and (2) a proposed collective bargaining agreement between the district and the district’s teacher union.