By AMY PORTER
Correspondent
The Gateway Regional School Committee began its meeting on Wednesday with public input, after introducing Tara Balboni as the new member from Russell following the town election.
Tony van Werkhooven, member of the Finance Committee from Blandford, said despite public perception, he did not believe that the Gateway budget was passed at his annual town meeting. The Finance Committee offered a budget at the town meeting that contained an assessment for Blandford that was less than what was in the Gateway budget passed by the school committee.
Later in the meeting, Ruth Kennedy of Russell said that she went to the Middlefield, Blandford and Russell town meetings. Kennedy said that she has done some research, and according to state law, the budget in Blandford didn’t pass. She said people were confused because they thought the school committee had voted on new figures.
“The school committee did not authorize that amount,” Kennedy said. Middlefield passed the budget, and Russell voted it down, according to Stacy Stewart, Secretary, following the meeting.
“Technically speaking, they (Blandford) did not pass the budget because they did not pass the whole amount,” said David B. Hopson, Gateway superintendent.
Hopson also said that if the district receives the $630,000 in mitigation funds for Worthington’s withdrawal, which the school committee had earlier voted to give back to the towns, and the new assessment for Blandford is less than what was voted on, the budget may still pass.
“By law, if whatever amount the school asks for doesn’t pass, the budget doesn’t pass,” he said.
Another question raised in the process involved whether four or five towns are required to pass the school budget this year.
“We are still a seven-town district until July 1,” said Kennedy.
Previously, five towns were needed to pass the Gateway budget.
Hopson said that Gateway has received Chapter 70 funding from the Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) based upon being a six-town district, and Worthington received Chapter 70 funding based on being a one-town district. Worthington will not be voting on the Gateway budget for next year. Therefore a (yes) vote from four out of six towns is needed to pass the school budget.
Darlene McVeigh, Huntington finance committee member, expressed concern that the current district regional agreement states that five towns must vote in favor to pass the budget. McVeigh asked for legal clarification from the school committee.
Noreen Suriner, school committee member from Middlefield, asked if the question could be covered by the school’s attorney at the next meeting on May 27.
“I was just curious if the four-town vs. five-town question could be taken to the district attorney. This is a matter that’s beyond the towns. If the DESE is not supposed to be making decision and they are, then we should ask the district attorney,” said Jeff Wyand of Huntington.
In other business, the school committee heard a presentation from Todd Bard about joining a solar project underway for net metering credits, which is located in Deerfield. The initial contract is for twenty years, and Bard anticipates a savings of more than $29,000 per year to Gateway on its electric bill from Eversource. Bard said thirteen members have joined the project, include Worcester State University, which saved $190,000 in its electric bill last year.
Previously, the school committee voted in favor of participating in a solar power net metering project. School Committee Chair Michele Crane of Blandford asked for a motion to suspend the two meeting rule and allow a vote. After a brief discussion, the motion failed. The committee asked Bard for a written proposal to vote on at the next meeting.
The school committee also heard a request from Gateway senior Casey Pease to sign on to a Western MA Education Leaders Coalition (WMELC) Position Statement regarding the impact on school districts of the amount, pace and cost of unfunded mandates; the validity, reliability and implementation of the PARCC exam; and the amount, frequency and cost of standardized testing. Pease said some of the towns which have already signed on include Ludlow, Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hadley and West Springfield.
A motion was made to suspend the two meeting rule for voting, which passed unanimously. A motion was then made to accept the WMELC Position Statement, which also passed unanimously.
Also passed was the regional transportation bid of Lecrenski Bros. of Russell, despite a 37-percent increase in the cost of the contract which is for three years, plus two one-year renewal options. Hopson said 12 bid packages were picked up, but only the one from Lecrenski Bros. came back. He said Gateway Business Manager Stephanie Fisk, who was not present at Wednesday’s meeting, was up in the air whether the school should go forward. Hopson said there was no guarantee that if they went out to bid again, the cost might not go up.
Anne-Marie Buikus, member from Montgomery, made a motion to videotape all school committee meetings. The motion was made following the review and correction of several school committee meeting minutes. After a brief discussion concerning legality, the motion was moved to new business, with the attorney to come to the next meeting for an opinion.
Crane then read a resignation letter by request from Amy Fouracre, assistant principal of the Middle School and Elementary School. Fouracre said in the letter that she was “keenly aware” of what a dedicated group of teachers work at Gateway. She noted the “chronic discord” among school committee members, and said she believed that “the agenda of some committee members is to dismantle the Gateway district.”
Shirley Winer, member from Chester pointed to the unusual job of reviewing a number of weeks of minutes at the same time.
“This discord showed up on these minutes big time,” said Winer.
Winer said it seemed to her that a lot was based on perception, and asked the school committee.
“How many of you have actually gone in and talked with the Superintendent and Stephanie (Fisk)?” she said.
Alice Taverna, Pupil Services Director, commented, “If you sit in the cheap seats, the discord and disharmony is disheartening. The school and students are prospering in spite of the school committee, not because of it.”
“I’m sure a lot of this is aimed at me. There are a lot of us that have opinions, ask questions, and do research. If our voices get raised, that’s okay, because we’re human. We should not be a yes committee for one person’s idea. We got a right to voice our opinions.” said Kennedy
