Adams-Cheshire District Pledges Better Communication With Cheshire

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Adams-Cheshire school officials promised stronger lines of communication with town officials in Cheshire.

CHESHIRE, Mass. – The School Committee is promising stronger communications with Cheshire during the upcoming and likely challenging budget cycle.

The Selectmen met Tuesday with Advisory Board and Cheshire representatives from the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District School Committee to discuss the upcoming budget and challenges facing the district and town Tuesday.

Selectmen Chairwoman Carol Francesconi said she wished there were stronger communications in regards to the budget and the decision to attempt to bring Lanesborough into the district. She said the conversation always seemed to start with Adams and Cheshire only brought in when the decision was made.

"It was just misunderstandings, wrong information along the line, and we seemed to get on the back end of everything," Francesconi said. "I think that put a damper on the whole budget process, and it was just confusing this year."

School Committee member Darlene Rodowicz said the committee often felt like it had to "appease two masters" and was caught between the towns. She added that the committee often was fighting against a timeline and it was hard to keep a strong line of communication open. She said in regards to Lanesborough, the town administrators were leading the discussion, not the school district.

The School Committee agreed to make sure Cheshire is kept in the loop at all times and will "do better" during the upcoming budget season.

"We have two responsibilities and one is providing the highest level of education that we can ... but we also have to do it in a fiscally responsible way so there is a balance," School Committee member Edmund St. John IV said. "Whatever comes out, we are open to."

St. John said the budget process will begin soon, and he does not anticipate an easier cycle, noting an influx of out-of-state special needs students that will cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Advisory Board Chairman William Craig said the town is "up against a wall" financially, but felt the budget that was passed was educationally still a step in the wrong direction. The fiscal 2016 spending plan was cut by nearly $300,000, costing nearly dozen positions.

"That is going to be tough because I think we all agree that the budget moved backwards. I am really concerned about what we are going to do," Craig said. "We put ourselves tight against the wall and now we look ahead and we are in worse shape than we were before."

He added that the Advisory Board will do anything they can to help the school committee.

Craig also asked that the committee provide them with a more detailed budget as it develops.

Rodowicz said the budget is too large to email, but the district may put it on a network so advisory board members can check in as they build the town's budget.

Craig also asked that the School Committee's Audit and Evaluation subcommittee meet with the Advisory Board to go over details of the budget process. This would not be an attempt to micromanage, he said but to provide some board members with context so they can leave with a "warm and fuzzy" feeling.

"We can just have a conversion about the details before we get into the budget and maybe get some of the members to get back on the right side of the fence and calm down a little so we can really focus on supporting what you are doing and doing the right thing for the town," Craig said.

He said some board members have issues with the salaries of administration and do not understand that many line items are contractual and are fixed costs.

Committee member Brian Astorino said this is a misconception that a lot of people have and the committee should do a better job at educating people.

"Sometimes the salaries to some may seem low, sometimes they may seem high," he said. "Compared to other districts across the board to mid-range to lower ... Individuals looking at it and just seeing the number get no other context and that’s how rumors start getting spread."

Craig also asked about the retirement of district Business Manager David Hinkell and the process for replacing him. He urged the committee to hire someone from outside of the area.

"My feeling is I think it would be good to have someone come in with a clean slate to take a fresh look at all of our routines and procedures," he said.

Rodowicz added it may be difficult to hire someone outside of the area because the salary offered is quite low compared to other districts.

She said Hinkell wore many hats in the business office and because of his history in construction was able to take on the additional role of maintenance manager. He also was in charge of food service and human resources. She said the committee has to take inventory off all the things Hinkell oversaw.

"There was a lot of work that was happening that was benefiting the district that isn't necessarily pure business manager," she said. "This information has only been available to us for the last few weeks and we are trying to figure out what skills we need and how to best match them."

She said it will be difficult to find someone that can do everything Hinkell did and that district may have to find other people to pick up his responsibilities.

Rodowicz also said the district will look at ways to share business office services with the towns and other districts if at all practical.

She added Hinkell plans to finish out this upcoming budget cycle in March in hopes the cycle does not extend with another override. 


Tags: ACRSD,   communications,   fiscal 2016,   

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