The 2016-17 Gateway School Committee. (Photo by Amy Porter)
HUNTINGTON – The Gateway Regional School Committee voted to pass the school budget for FY18 at its meeting on Wednesday, after pushing the vote later in the agenda while waiting an hour for a quorum. The budget had to be passed either this week or in a special meeting next week, in order to meet the 45-day requirement before the first annual town meeting of the six district towns. An affirmative vote by four of the six towns is needed to pass the budget.
The total proposed budget is $16,095,514, which is an overall increase of less than 1% over the current year’s budget of $15,936,128.
The assessment to the towns is $9,314,084, a 2.71% increase, or $245,688 over FY17. Not all towns are affected equally, however. Three of the six towns are paying less than last year, and three are seeing increases, based primarily on the percentage of student population in each town as of the March 1, 2017 census.
The biggest increase is to Russell, which has a $196,570 or 9.60% increase. Next is Huntington, with a $141,684 or 5.67% increase. Both towns have 266 students in the Gateway district, each of which represents 29.5% of the total school-aged population of 901.
Included in that number are out of district special needs students, students opting to go to another district through school choice and charter school students. Russell has 4 out of district special needs students; 26 students in school choice, and one going to a charter school. Huntington has 4 out of district special needs students; 39 in school choice, and 4 in charter schools.
Not included in those numbers are vocational students, of which Russell has 15 total; 8 attending Westfield Technical Academy and 7 attending Smith Vocational. Huntington has 25 total; 4 attending Westfield, and 21 attending Smith. The cost of vocational education is separate for the towns from the Gateway Regional School District budget.
Chester is the other town with an increase over last year’s assessment of $14,406, or less than 1%. Assessments to Blandford, Middlefield and Montgomery decreased.
Chester has 145 students attending Gateway; 5 in school choice, and 7 going to the two vocational schools (1 in Westfield and 6 at Smith Vocational). Middlefield has 31 students in Gateway; 5 in school choice, and 4 at Smith Vocational. Montgomery has 63 students at Gateway, 7 in school choice, and 6 vocational students, split evenly between the two schools.
Altogether, there are 93 students choicing out to other schools, 5 attending charter schools, and 8 in out-of-district special education programs. On the other side, there are 47 students currently attending Gateway from outside the district through school choice.
The total number of students attending vocational schools is 63, with 18 at Westfield Technical Academy and 45 at Smith Vocational. Again, the vocational budget is a separate line item for the towns.
During the vote on the budget, Russell School Committee member Lyndsey Papillon recused herself from voting on several salary line items, due to several family members employed at Gateway. Superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson said the district’s lawyer had advised them on the proper way to proceed in such a circumstance. Upon Papillon’s return, the vote was taken to pass the budget as a whole, which was a unanimous 10-0 vote.
School Committee chair Michele Crane of Russell encouraged Middlefield and Montgomery representatives Sarah Foley and Madelyn Austin to seek another member for each of their towns, following the resignation of long-time Montgomery School Committee member Anne-Marie Buikus, which left the committee with two vacancies.
All three of the Huntington representatives were absent from Wednesday’s vote.
