WILLIAMSTOWN — If Mount Greylock Regional High School’s budget is level funded at $8.2 million this coming fiscal year, the school could lose 13 teachers, resulting in larger class sizes, the elimination of some electives and possibly even the elimination of programs, according to Superintendent Mark Piechota.
And looming over all budget deliberations is the prospect of overrides of Proposition 2 1/2 levy limits in both Lanesboro and Williamstown.
The school committee heard Piechota outline his level-funded budget Tuesday. Last week, it heard him outline what he termed a “quality budget†for Fiscal 2005, which would mean about a 20 percent increase in cost.
School Committee Chairman Robert Petricca said Wednesday that the sense of the committee is to opt for the quality budget, which he said, despite its name, is “bare bones†and merely restores the school to the Fiscal 2003 level.
“These are difficult times, and we’ll find an answer to preserve the school,†Petricca said. “ Mount Greylock is too wonderful to cut it to shreds now. We’re worried that if we have a deficit and have to cut a lot of teachers, we’d do some substantial damage to Mount Greylock, and we’re doing everything we can to avoid that.â€
The level-funded budget would, Piechota said, restrict the school library to three days a week, eliminate extra labs for science classes and result in class sizes averaging 24 or 25. It would also retain this year’s athletic and activity programs, requiring student participation fees and community fund raising.
Among factors guiding budget cutting, Piechota said, is the need to consider the learning needs of all students in trimming the instructional program. And, he said, the budget must be sustainable over several years.
“We don’t cut something hoping we can reinstate it later,†Piechota said. “Last year, we cut all professional development. We can’t continue to do that. …We keep thinking things will get better but they aren’t.â€
The dual-budget approach was requested by the school committee, which asked him for both “quality†and level-funded versions.
The quality budget, presented Feb. 24, totals $9.39 million, an increase of 1.2 million or nearly 20 percent. That budget assumes the school would absorb the cost of 5.4 positions previously funded by Williams College and the GAP fund. It also reinstates 5.6 teaching positions and adds three special education positions, reinstates mid-level administration and adds senior-project coordination. Class size would average about 20 students.
The quality budget also would absorb the cost of stipends for coaches, officials and advisors — costs previously supported by GAP. And it assumes horizontal and vertical movement on salary schedules, but because negotiations are underway, it does not assume a salary percentage increase or changes in health insurance benefits. Those costs are projected to rise between 8 and 16 percent. Eighty-six percent of the budget is allocated for salaries and benefits.
Petricca said he favors changing the designation of the “quality†budget to eliminate any impression of luxury.
“It’s all basic stuff,†he said. “There are no ‘wish list’ things in there. It gets us back to the 2003 level and restored cuts for items that should really be funded by the school.â€
But, Petricca acknowledged, “A million-two is a huge increase for the towns, and groups in the school need to step forward. We can’t lay that big a deficit on the towns for sure.â€
He added, “I think we’d like to avoid an override. I think an override would be phenomenally difficult. Once we get a better sense of what the constituencies in the school are going to do, we’ll talk to Williams College about what they would consider.â€
The college, he said, “was very generous to us last year.â€
School Committee member Ralph Bradburd of Williamstown noted at the Feb. 24 meeting that if special education costs were removed from the equation, the budget has increased by an annual average of only 3 percent over the past four years. Special education costs are mandated by the state, which does not, however, provide sufficient funding for them, a matter of concern for many local officials.
Piechota stressed, “Everybody’s doing their best. The towns have come forward with fundraising. But the problems are due to factors outside this room, on the state and federal level, and to the national health-care crisis.
A level-funded budget, he said, “will change the character of Mount Greylock.â€
“The implications are still hitting us,†he said. “Mount Greylock is facing a crisis, and it’s in good company. We’re not the only ones. Public education as we know it is being threatened. Stay tuned.â€
On the prospects for an override, Piechota said, “People are feeling stretched. These are tough economic times. I’ve heard people say there’s no chance another override is going to pass in Williamstown.â€
Last year, voters approved a $600,000 override.
Elementary school Superintendent Rose Ellis will present that school’s $2,559,766 budget – $119,000 or about 2.6 percent above this past year’s – on Tuesday, March 9, at 7 p.m. at the school, with a budget hearing on March 16.
“We’re trying to be prudent and at the same time not decimate the quality of education,†said Ellis. “At this point, we’ll be into the core of our instruction. We really can’t go any lower.â€
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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