Cheshire Bracing For School Closure Vote
CHESHIRE, Mass. — With the decision to close an elementary school days away, the Selectmen are wishing they had more time to look at other arrangements.
"I almost wish that someone would have told us that they were going to close a school and told us we had a year to figure it out," Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said at Tuesday's meeting. "We don't have time to investigate."
The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District began floating the idea more than a year ago but the fact that a painful decision would have to be made became apparent this past fall. The process has moved faster than many probably expected, with the decision expected this week ahead of the fiscal 2018 budget.
Both Adams and Cheshire residents and officials went head to head Monday night at a well-attended forum making cases for their elementary schools. One school must close to help balance the fiscal 2018 budget.
Selectman Robert Ciskowski said the town does have the option to break from the district but it would take years to dissolve the 50-year-old regional agreement. He said it is too late to really look at any other options.
"All of the sudden it feels liked it fast tracked and picked up speed," he said. "Last year, it was at the bottom of the list, now it is at the top."
Selectman Paul Astorino said the School Committee will vote on closing either Cheshire School or C.T. Plunkett this Thursday.
"They have a tough decision ahead of them," Astorino said.
In other business, the board re-posted the position of director of Department of Public Works after declining one applicant and having two others back out.
"One said he was interested but he wanted far more money and the other person withdrew for reasons we don't know," Astorino said.
Applications are due by Tuesday, March 14.
• Francesconi said she was concerned the Sand Mill Road Bridge project has not begun yet.
"What is taking them so long," she said. "It's been two weeks ... there is no excuse now there is no snow."
DPW Director Peter LeFebvre said the contractor was waiting for all the snow on the bridge to melt and the engineer had to make a few plan changes.
• Astorino said the town should put an article on the town meeting warrant to eliminate health insurance for new elected officials. If the town increases the board from three to five members and the two new members take a family health insurance plan, it could be an extraneous expense.
Tags: ACRSD, DPW, school closures,
