Cheshire Hesitant on School Restructuring, Preparing for Budget
 The Selectmen expressed some trepidation about proposed restructuring in the Adams-Cheshire elementary schools and how it would affect assessments. |
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen are hesitant to embrace the school models being considered by the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District.
Chairwoman Carol Francesconi reported back to the rest of the board on Tuesday night her findings from Monday night's School Committee meeting at which Cheshire residents, parents, and teachers learned about a possible restructuring.
The proposed plan would turn Cheshire Elementary into an early education school with C.T. Plunkett educating the higher elementary grades.
Francesconi said it is still unknown if moving students around will affect Cheshire's district agreement that determines how much it pays depending on the number of its students.
"Something like that is going to happen, and I would hope that they would make it equal because I don't think that Cheshire or Adams can receive more of a cost," Selectman Paul Astorino said.
Francesconi said she was told the restructuring could save the district $368,000, which will be used to hire more reading coaches and math coaches that are specific to the schools and grades.
She questioned if all these extra services were actually needed and what benefits the students that don't need these services will receive.
The board also met with the advisory board and went over the budget process.
"We will do what we did in previous years, and we will talk to those with significant account changes or significant accounts period," said Advisory Board Chairman William Craig.
Francesconi said they must also discuss inspector salaries and fees and come up with a policy because the current model is inconsistent. She said the inspectors often ask for fee or salary increases and without a set policy it is hard to track.
Craig said the advisory board agreed that a standard policy needs to be created.
"As a group we decided it would be good if we were consistent across the board, and we need to be absolutely sure that when we nail this thing down that we have covered everybody," Craig said.
 The Advisory Board is recommending informational meetings on the budget prior to town meeting. |
Town Administrator Mark Webber said the way the town handles inspector salaries and fees is "inconsistent and a little sloppy" and it's hard to reach out to other communities for examples because everyone does it differently.
Craig also advocated for informational meetings on the budget before town meeting so more people are informed on the process.
"We can tell peoples what's up there if they want to look at it," he said. "We can get more information out there if they want to understand what is going on and what we are going to go in and vote on because it is a tough year."
Selectman Robert Ciskowski advocated for moving the proposed Kinder Morgan gas pipeline informational meeting for Cheshire from April to an earlier time because of the quickening pace of the pipeline process.
"I'd agree that this is heating up a little," he said. "It's not overheating but it is picking up speed."
The board wants to have a nonbinding referendum on the ballot in May to see what the town's position is. Originally, the Selectmen wanted to have an informational meeting in April with Kinder Morgan representatives and opposing organizations.
Resident Eileen Quinn said it may be beneficial for the town to get the ball moving now so it can ensure a scheduled meeting with Kinder Morgan.
Tags: ACRSD, fiscal 2016, gas pipeline, inspections office,
