HUNTINGTON – Following the ruling earlier this week from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approving the town of Worthington’s unilateral withdrawal from the Gateway Regional School District effective July 1, a hilltown counter to that decision is now moving forward.
Ruth Kennedy, a Gateway School Committee member from Russell, has filed a lawsuit with the help of Russell Dupere, GRSD’s legal counsel, attempting to halt Worthington’s withdrawal, listing the town as a defendant along with the DESE.
At a meeting last night, the School Committee formally joined Kennedy in the suit, and plaintiffs currently include five of the six remaining towns in the district, with the town of Russell still weighing whether or not to jump into the fray.
“We’re looking at the towns to come on board and my Select Board in Russell… they just want answers to questions that just aren’t available” said Kennedy. “‘How long is it going to take? How much is it going to be?’ I don’t know.”
Kennedy said that she received a response from Worthington and that she has nine days to respond, while the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey has contacted her, as well asking for an extension until the end of January.
“It’s still going forward and active,” said Kennedy, adding that she spoke with state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing and that the Pittsfield Democrat agreed with her assessment of the situation.
“He doesn’t understand how DESE can make a legal ruling on whether (Worthington) can withdraw when they are a defendant in a lawsuit,” said Kennedy. “Those are the questions but it is still going forward. Attorney Dupere and I are working together on this and on strategy and it is going to go real well.”
Following Kennedy’s update, the school committee voted to move to a six-town budget, with 11 members in support and two abstaining from the vote.
“It’s going to be easier to go with a six-town budget, because there would only be a relatively small number of line items that would need to be changed,” said GRSD Superintendent Dr. David Hopson prior to the vote.
Kennedy then played devil’s advocate and asked what would happen if her lawsuit halted Worthington’s withdrawal.
“We should have a contingency – a seven-town budget with a backup six-town. I can’t see concentrating on one,” she said. “If we’re down to six towns, yes, we’ve got to do a six-town. But within the next 30 days, we’re going to know whether there is an injunction which stops it.”
Committee member Noreen Siriner of Middlefield made the motion to proceed with the vote.
“Holding ourselves hostage to not making a decision is much worse,” she said. “We should vote for a six-town budget and if there are changes to be made – fine. But at this point, let’s get going moving forward.”
