Thankfully, spring is just around the corner and we can begin to see the signs: buds on trees swelling, maple trees tapped and sugarhouses running, warmer temperatures, melting snow, and upcoming annual town meetings. With a little luck and some help from Mother Nature, we’ll even be able to avoid having students and staff attend school during April vacation.
We’ve also heard that, despite the many travails of budgeting on the local, state, and federal levels, our state representatives and senators are planning on the typical budget timeframe, i.e., we should have a state budget by the beginning of the next fiscal year (July 1). I’ve also heard that there is the possibility of an early resolution on local aid, which would greatly help our towns as they set their budgets for FY’16. Unfortunately the exact numbers are not known as we only have the Governor’s Budget (House I) at this time and, compared to prior years, this gives those schools with decreasing enrollment a lower increase in the so-called ‘hold harmless’ funds. This, coupled with the Governor’s recommendation for no increase for regional transportation reimbursement, puts the district in a situation where estimated revenue is significantly lower than in prior years.
When we look at this information in light of the potential withdrawal of the Town of Worthington from the district, and the possibility of mitigation funds as shared with the district from Representative Kulik and Senator Downing, Gateway is facing significant unknowns as we try and establish an operating budget for next year.
Due to the possibility of so many changes, the district has made a new budget recommendation to the school committee: the ‘transition budget’ that includes revenue of $630,000 from the state in mitigation funding. If the school committee adopts this budget, and the towns approve it, the district will be counting on additional state funding. If that funding doesn’t materialize, it may require additional budget modifications for the upcoming year. If the district does get mitigation funding, then this budget would provide time for staff, the committee, and our communities to look ahead in a careful manner to see what might be done over the next 3 to 5 years to make the district work financially for the towns while maintaining student opportunities and educational excellence. If the school committee does not adopt a budget, at this or future meetings, the district would still move forward and be in operation on July 1 based upon a budget set by the Commissioner of Education and would eventually have a permanent budget for the year by December first, even if the school committee and our communities are unable to reach consensus.
The district continues to provide information on its website and blog regarding the budget process including all of the information shared with the committee (budgets, backup information, links to state information) so that everyone in the community with an interest can remain informed and is able to make decisions based upon fact rather than conjecture. I hope that many people take advantage of this information and that the district and towns can reach an amenable agreement regarding the budget for the upcoming school year.
