HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional Superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson, who attended the town of Chester’s special town meeting on Monday night, said they did not pass the budget.
Town assessments in the FY16 budget had been reduced by $630,000 due to the release of mitigation funds to lessen the impact of Worthington’s withdrawal from the district. Seventeen residents attended the meeting, with a quorum of ten required. The vote on the Gateway assessment was eight yes, nine no.
One more town is needed to pass the budget, which has passed in Middlefield, Montgomery, and Huntington. Russell will hold its special town meeting on Wednesday evening and Blandford on Thursday evening. If neither town passes the budget, then the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will set a one-twelfth budget on December 1.
According to Hopson, Chester selectmen did not recommend passage in order to send a message to the state that Gateway needs help beyond this fiscal year. Hopson said they plan to write a letter to DESE containing that message.
Currently, Gateway is operating under a one-twelfth budget based on the original budget recommended by the School Committee back in March.
“I would think it unlikely that the commissioner is going to change his mind,” Hopson said, “considering the assessments were lowered by $630,000.”
Hopson said the only difference between the current lowered budget and the one the commissioner will likely recommend, is that going forward the state would control transfers within the budget.
“In other words, the towns would be giving up local control to the state,” Hopson said.
Hopson added that Gateway has never been in this situation before.
“It will be a learning experience for everyone,” he said.
Gateway is in the process of working on its 2017 budget, and is waiting for direction from the School Committee on four options presented to them. One option is to reduce the current budget by $630,000. Another is to reduce it by that amount, and add 2.5 percent for cost of living and other anticipated increases. Another would be to level fund the budget that was passed in March before the mitigation funds were received. Another would be to add 2.5 percent to that budget. This discussion will be taken up at Wednesday’s School Committee meeting.
The teachers and the School Committee are also still in mediation on this year’s contract, which contains a cost of living increase, among other items.
No word has yet been received from Judge Bertha D. Josephson on the hearing held October 22 to dismiss the suit which was filed by Gateway, the town of Huntington, and pro se by Derrick Mason and Ruth Kennedy as plaintiffs against the Commonwealth and the town of Worthington. The motion to dismiss claimed that the plaintiffs had no legal standing.
Hopson said the judge could return her ruling “at any time.”
