HUNTINGTON – On Saturday, members of the Finance Committees and Select Boards of the seven Gateway district towns gathered at Stanton Hall in Huntington for the third meeting of the Gateway Towns Advisory Committee (GTAC). Also present were Wendy Foxmyn of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC), several school committee representatives, and invited guests Dr. David B. Hopson, Gateway school superintendent, and Stephanie Fisk, Gateway business and finance manager.
The mission of the GTAC committee, which was adopted in their meeting in December, is to provide town and school officials of the Gateway Regional School District (GRSD) with a forum for studying, understanding and collaborating on the GRSD budget and governance issues in a coherent, cohesive, and constructive manner.
After introductions, Dave Cummings, GTAC moderator from Russell, asked Dave Hopson and Stephanie Fisk to speak about this year’s budget proposal for Gateway. The Gateway school committee voted in their meeting in December to prepare a level services for students budget for Gateway, which would mean an approximately $500,000 increase in funding.
Hopson began, saying it is not certain what the state is going to do but increases are not expected in the near future.
“All the low-hanging fruit has been cut off the tree,” he said. “Nothing is left except to cut teachers.”
He said the largest percent of the budget is staffing, then the cost of the building, then insurance.
Hopson also said the biggest impact on the towns is not what the Gateway budget does, but what the state and federal governments do.
“We’ve been asked to look ahead three to five years, but it will be the same as this year,” he said.
Stephanie Fisk, Gateway business and finance manager, said the bulk of the $500,000 increase for a level services budget is due to the end of an Educational Jobs Grant that helped offset health insurance in the amount of $258,000 this year. Another $240,000 is due to a reduction in “Circuit Breaker” funding, which helps to pay for out of area placements for special education students.
“Every year, we end up in town meeting,” said Montgomery Selectman Daniel Jacques. “People say the same thing, ‘you have to cut the budget, Gateway has to cut the budget.’ What are we paying for? Where are opportunities to cut?”
“One of the problems I face is every year over the past five years,” Hopson replied. “Gateway has cut the budget substantially. The other thing that is said is that Gateway should make up the state funds we lost. For five years, Gateway has absorbed every penny (lost) from the state government.”
“Some towns do go up,” Hopson added. “The other thing we hear from Worthington is the state sets the formula, so Worthington does pay substantially more per student, because the state says Worthington is better off.”
Hopson said in order to get substantial savings a cut in staff would be required. He said the administration has been reduced over the last couple of years.
Stephanie Fisk explained that over the last two years, Gateway has saved $139,000 in utilities by installing new energy efficient gym lights, and a sensor system. She said they also do mandatory shutdowns on winter and holiday breaks, and a mandatory four day work week over the summer, except for custodians. She said they have also saved in oil, but have not yet locked in this year’s rate.
Fisk said Gateway has also had companies come in for solar projects to put panels on the roof, but ran into difficulties because the roof warranty would be voided.
“Stephanie is pretty good,” said school committee member Gretchen Eliason from Worthington. “As you can see, all of the low-hanging fruit has been picked off. When we’re looking for additional reductions, it is a harder question, because the fruit has been trimmed.”
Eliason, who serves on the finance sub-committee at Gateway, said they will be doing a line-by-line review at the next meeting on January 23 at 6:30, and invited anyone interested to come.
“Gateway was the fourth lowest in the state for teacher’s salaries,” Eliason added. She said this is not a reason to not keep working with them and asking questions, however.
“You’re confident that they are doing what they can to control costs?” Jacques asked Eliason.
“I don’t believe there is anything obvious that Stephanie has not looked at,” Eliason responded. “The question becomes harder.”
“That isn’t the perception in the towns,” Jacques said. “I see this working group as a way to bridge that gap.”
Jacques added that budget cuts in 2004 “killed us. Before that, every year, Montgomery passed the budget.”
“I do know that government funding is down, and state funding is iffy,” said Blandford Finance Committee Member Andy Montanaro. “The revenue levels for both of us are very soft and slipping. If the money is not there for the schools, for the towns, or both of us, are we prepared to look at what are the least invasive ways to reduce the budgets?”
“The towns and Gateway have already reduced services.” Hopson said. “In 2004, 38 staff were laid off. In my now 19 years (in working with the school committee in various capacities), we have never moved forward a budget that was padded enough so we could take out $500,000 without affecting students.”
“If we move forward, and the towns decide there is a level they’re willing to support, then the administration will make the cuts with the least damage,” Hopson added.
“It looks like the rubber meets the road at the school committee finance sub-committee,” said Russell Finance Committee Member Derrick Mason. “We all have to learn to work together. We have to interact with the individuals in our communities that have a lot of concerns about paying taxes, and want to know where the money goes. We need to know where the mandated funding is, where we have no choices, and where could we make changes.”
“We’d like to have more of a sales pitch from you on quality of education. How do you assess that?” Mason also asked Hopson. “Are we getting a really good bang for our buck? Are we going on to good schools after they graduate? What are we getting for our money?”
“The finance sub-committee is working on a benchmarking program,” Eliason said. “We’ve picked eleven other schools to compare and rank Gateway in that dozen on MCAS, teacher salaries, SAT scores.”
Hopson said that would be a tough job if Gateway is compared to schools other than regional schools. He added that they are trying to discover how important to the community are services other than MCAS scores with a survey that is going out to the public this week. The survey will be electronic, and sent out by email, and also available to take on the Gateway website at www.grsd.org.
Representatives from Worthington, who have voted to withdraw from the Gateway district, and who were largely silent during the meeting, were also asked to share their concerns if not at this meeting, at an upcoming meeting.
“What are your feelings about having state representatives coming to this meeting?” Cummings asked the committee.
After a brief discussion, it was decided to invite Rep. Steve Kulik, who has said he is interested in coming, and other representatives to a meeting in March, to give the group time at the February meeting to prepare specific questions for the legislators. Fisk suggested asking for a recoup of special education transportation costs.
“Sometimes, it cost the same to transport one student as a whole busload,” she said.
Cummings also asked Hopson how to generate more attendance to the public hearing on Gateway’s proposed budget, which will take place on March 6, 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
“That is the opportunity to get public input into the Gateway budget,” Hopson said. “Because the very next week, the school committee votes on a budget. The last day the school committee has to accept a budget in time for town meetings is the third week of March.”
The next meeting of the Gateway Towns Advisory Committee will be held Saturday, 9:30 a.m. at Stanton Hall in Huntington.
