Adams-Cheshire District Faces $500K Budget Gap For 2018
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District is looking at a $370,000 gap going into fiscal 2018, with the likelihood of adding another $150,000 on top of that for capital costs.
Interim Superintendent Robert Putnam told the School Committee on Monday that he feels there isn't much that can be cut without reducing services.
"There are no other positions that can be cut without eliminating programs or reducing services to students," he said. "Given the current configuration of the school, the district is already operating without positions that are commonly found in other districts."
The district does not have a curriculum director, a full-time psychologist, a technology director, facility director or a special education coordinator at Hoosac Valley.
Putnam said they will have to add some personnel to meet special education programming requirements.
"The district must add two programs in the fiscal year 2018 in order to adhere to the law," he said. "They will be for an exceptional program for middle school students and an autism program that we are going to have to add for the middle school as well."
Putnam said he estimates this will cost $130,000.
Contractually obligated step increases among staff will also bump the budget up $120,000. The district is also in negotiations with six units so there is still an unclear picture if salaries will go above the step increases, he said.
Although the district's insurance through the Berkshire Health Group will change to a purely deductible plan, Putnam still expects to see a $100,000 increase in health insurance.
Putnam said there are hopes to make some capital repairs in the buildings, which he estimates will be near $150,000. However, if these aren't completed within this fiscal year, they also will have to be tacked onto the $370,000 budget increase for fiscal 2018.
These repairs include a new handicapped lift in Cheshire School for $68,000 and a lift in C.T. Plunkett for $38,000. Also, the Plunkett boiler room roof needs to be replaced.
Putnam added that he expects revenue streams in fiscal 2018 to come in similar to this year's.
The School Committee' Audit and Evaluation subcommittee plans weekly budget meetings beginning next week.
Putnam anticipated that the School Committee will vote on a budget in March.
In other business, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation awarded the district a $10,000 grant to develop a wraparound dentistry program at C.T. Plunkett.
Tags: ACRSD_budget, fiscal 2018,
