North Adams School Committee Looks at Lunch Delinquencies

Superintendent James Montepare, center, explained a new federal school lunch program.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Delinquent school lunch bills may land some parents in small claims court.

The School Committee has been struggling with how to deal with unpaid lunch bills for two years.

Last year, the school disctrict was $20,460 in debt because of parents who refused to pay. That number has been lowered to $5,011; however, 75 percent of the debt comes from 15 student cases.

School Committee members on Monday night suggested providing a one-time reduced price in the payment in attempt to get parents to pay. They also suggested hiring a collection agency but ultimately decided on bringing the cases to small claims court.

"As a district, as a system, and as an administration we are in the business of education," Mayor Richard Alcombright, committee chairman, said. "We are not in the business of collections, and unfortunately it has to happen, but you [administration] have enough to do without chasing that sort of stuff around."

Superintendent James Montepare explained a federal pilot, the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, offered to schools for universal lunch programs that allows all students to receive free lunch. Federal reimbursements are based on how many families are receiving assistance, rather than how many apply; the school districts pick up the balance. The program is new and has been working in larger areas such as Boston, but may not be financially feasible for North Adams because of the number of eligible students.

"It has to work financially, and if our numbers are correct, with the number of eligible students we have, we would be losing $8,000 a month," Montepare said.

The committee will receive more information on the program later this month and will make a decision whether or not to participate.

"We will proceed cautiously just to make sure all of our ducks are in a row and we make the right decision because it is a big decision," Montepare said.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.