SOUTHWICK – During a school committee meeting this week, Superintendent Jen Willard informed the committee about aid that the district is receiving from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
On October 17, the Baker-Polito Administration sent a letter to Willard to tell her the district would be receiving $52,292 as part of Rural School aid from the Fiscal Year 2019 General Appropriations Act. On July 26, Baker signed the act into law, which will provide $1.5 million of Rural School Aid to districts throughout the commonwealth.
Districts can be eligible for Rural School Aid based on student density and per capita income. If districts have a per capita income of $38,069 or less, they’re eligible for the aid. The requirements of the General Appropriations Act also breaks the districts that are eligible into two groups. Priority 1 is for school districts that have less than 11 students per square mile and those districts have a total of $1 million available to them. Priority 2 is for districts with more than 11 students but less than 21 students per square mile. Priority 2 schools have a total of $500,000 in aid. It was determined by DESE that the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District falls in the Priority 2 category.
School District Business Manager Stephen Presnal. (WNG File Photo)
On October 23 Robert O’Donnell, Director of School Finance for DESE, told Willard that they were in the process of issuing the first payment of the $52,292 to the district. The next payment is expected to be issued in April.
DESE suggests to Southwick and all other districts that receive the Rural School Aid, that they use the money to increase regional collaboration, consolidation, or other efficiencies over the next three fiscal years. DESE also added that the districts aren’t required to use the money towards those exact activities. Despite that, DESE does require the districts to submit a plan to them on how they would be able to use the money towards those initiatives.
According to Steve Presnal, the Business Manager for the school district, they took part in regional collaboration when they added Granville to the school district in 2012. The district is also a member of the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaboration.
“I don’t know what the intentions are for how we would put those funds to use,” said Presnal.
Although, he’s certain the district will be getting together in the near future and discussing the options.
“We’ll find something good to do with it,” said Presnal. “Hopefully it’s kind of in the same vein as how they (DESE) intend us to use it even though are no restrictions.”
