HUNTINGTON – It took two votes for the Gateway School Committee to pass FY17 Budget Version 1.0 at Wednesday’s meeting.
During the discussion, it was noted that Blandford, Chester, Huntington and Middlefield had sent identical letters requesting that town assessments be kept at last year’s levels.
Currently, the assessments overall are 2.1 percent above last year’s, although they vary widely from town to town, based on the student population at Gateway from each town as of March 1. The changes in the assessments to the towns range from a reduction of 6.61 percent to Montgomery, to an increase of 5.42 percent to Huntington, for a total increase of $189,671. The overall Gateway budget has been reduced by over $400,000 from last year.
Town officials have also stated at recent meetings that they do not want teachers or student services to be cut, but rather revenue found from other sources to make up the difference.
“We’re asking you to look at other revenue streams,” Huntington Finance Committee chair Darlene McVeigh said at the public hearing on the budget one week ago.
During the discussion Wednesday, Gateway superintendent Dr. David B. Hopson said it was too soon to make any cuts until the state budget comes out.
“Historically, the governor’s budget is the lowest,” Hopson said. “I’m fairly confident those assessments will go down.” Hopson said he spoke to 16 legislators at a meeting last week, who said that it is likely Chapter 70 funding levels will be increased, which offset assessments to the towns.
“We know the House will give us more money, they always do,” Hopson said in reference to the House budget that comes out in three weeks.
“How many of the towns are in the same shape they’ve always been, but they’ve just had a change of attitude?” asked Chester member Shirley Winer.
She added that she couldn’t tell if this was a political movement on the part of the towns, or a fiscal movement.
Gateway Business Manager Stephanie Fisk repeated the call to School Committee members to lobby the legislature for an 85 percent reimbursement to regional transportation, which she said would solve the budget impasse.
“I think that’s really key between now and June 30,” Fisk said.
The first vote on the budget failed by one vote, with ten needed to pass it. William Hathaway of Huntington and Diane Dunn of Chester voted against it, and Ruth Kennedy abstained.
Dunn apologized for voting against it, but said she was basing her vote on conversations she has had in town.
Hopson said that the School Committee had to reconsider the vote or hold a special meeting next week for another vote, adding that nothing would change between now and then. He said a no vote next week would mean Gateway would be the first School Committee in the Commonwealth not to vote on a budget, and would have to let the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education set it.
Dunn asked if a second vote were to be made next week, could some cuts be made between now and then.
“If you want to move reductions, then move and see if you can get everyone to agree,” Hopson said.
“For the new people around the table, it’s not unusual for us not to have the revenue side,” said chair Michele Crane.
She said if more revenue comes in, the assessments may be amended at the town meetings.
“Something that might help, you could possibly have a second meeting the fourth week in April,” said Fisk, allowing the School Committee to adjust the assessments at that time.
“It’s not really the towns asking for this, it’s the Select Boards and the Finance Committees. It should go to the townspeople,” said Huntington member Jeff Wyand.
“This is the first slice, so to speak, at the budget,” Hopson said. “If the towns vote it down, it comes right back to the School Committee to take another whack at it.”
He said the School Committee could vote to adopt the budget with an amendment to reconsider assessments once the House budget is out.
“On a motion to reconsider, it must be made by one who voted with the prevailing side,” said Russell member Ruth Kennedy.
In this situation, the prevailing side was a no vote, leaving Crane, Hathaway, Kennedy and Martha Otterbeck of Chester, who came in to the meeting after the vote, the only ones who could make the motion.
Dunn made the motion to pass the budget with the amendment. A vote was taken to pass the amendment, then the budget as amended. Hathaway cast the sole no vote, with Kennedy abstaining.
