Adams-Cheshire Postpones School Closure Vote
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The fate of Adams-Cheshire Regional's two elementary schools was put off for another week after the School Committee bowed to pressure to review other options.
School officials had been expected to decide whether to close C.T. Plunkett or Cheshire Elementary on Thursday night and a subdued crowd partially filled the Hoosac Valley High School auditorium, bracing for the outcome.
However, after being presented with six different budget scenarios, residents from both sides of the town line asked the School Committee to hold the vote.
"You're are going to close a school tonight and this is the first time I have seen this list of options which doesn't make any sense. ... I think voting tonight should not happen," Adams Selectman John Duval, a former School Committee member, said. "We as a board need to look at these numbers as does Cheshire and come together as a group of three boards ... and discuss these options ...and see what we can afford as a community."
School Committee Chairman Paul Butler agreed and said his committee should also have time to consider the new information.
"If there is even one member of the School Committee who needs more time to consider their decision, we can postpone that vote," Butler said. "I just want each of us to be informed as possible and have ample time to consider the impact of our decision."
Emotions have run high in the towns of Adams and Cheshire over the past weeks as the School Committee prepared to close a school in the face of rising budgets and declining enrollment. Officials in both towns have argued that their school remain open, citing reasons ranging from building conditions to educational programs.
Superintendent Robert Putnam and Business Manager Erika Snyder calculated budget scenarios that reflected closing either school and adding five positions that a recent study said would initially cost the district but would save money in the long run.
• If both schools were to kept open and the district added the five recommended positions, the district would be faced with a fiscal 2018 budget of $19,817,692. This would contain a 9.63 percent increase to Adams of $524,723 and a 9.98 percent increase to Cheshire of $247,638.
It would mean almost a $1 million increase over this year's budget of $18,995,000
• If the district were to close Cheshire and hire additional staff, the budget would be $19,549,738. This would mean a 6.65 percent increase in the Adams Assessment and a 5.38 percent for Cheshire. The Adams assessment would increase $362,299 and the Cheshire assessment, $142,208.
• If the district were to close Plunkett, the budget would be $19,499,588 with a 5.13 percent increase to Adams of $279,432 and a 6.62 percent increase to Cheshire of $174,825.
• If both schools were to stay open and the district did not hire the five positions, the budget would be $19,497,692. This would mean a 5.33 percent increase to Adams of $290,039 and a 6.15 percent increase to Cheshire of $162,322.
• If current staff is maintained and Cheshire were to close the budget would be $19,229,738. This would mean a 2.34 percent increase to Adams of $127,615 and a 6.15 increase to Cheshire of $56,792.
• If the district maintained current staffing and closed Plunkett the budget would be $19,179,588 with a 0.82 percent increase to Adams of $44,748 and a 3.39 percent increase to Cheshire of $89,510.
Putnam reiterated that while Plunkett provided ample and better space, Cheshire allows the district to pull in $116,000 in new revenue through transportation reimbursement.
Instead of continued bitterness, residents from both towns saw opportunities.
Cheshire resident Jason Mendonca asked if there was a way to keep both schools open and stagger when the district implemented these five recommended positions.
Putnam said the interventionist positions are truly needed if the district wants raise its levels.
"We have the making of a great district and there are things here we can really do but we don't have the positions that would enable us to do it," he said. "We want to have these things but we can't go cutting year after and year and expect to provide them ... I think that we can really make this place fly but I think we need to invest in it."
Putnam, however, did agree that there is a spectrum of options that can be looked at.
Cheshire resident Peter Traub suggested that there may be a willingness from the towns to provide more funds if both schools can be kept open.
But some on the School Committee firmly stated that a school will need to go.
Committee member Darlene Rodowicz said the district has worked with the towns to implement funding plans but these plans usually freeze as budgets become tighter. Also, keeping both schools open will only take money out of the classroom.
"No one wants to close a building but what we want to do is improve the educational outcome of the students. Neither building is ideal, they both have issues but our children will learn in either building," she said. "What is important is what resources we can bring to the students and what solution will bring in the most resources."
School Committee member Edmund St. John IV said the committee has to keep open the building that would provide the most revenue.
"For me, this is less about closing a school but choosing a budget that not only provides the opportunity for children this coming year but in the years to come," he said. "One option provides more savings and more opportunities for increased revenue ... with the additional revenue, we stand a fighting chance of digging out of a level three district and we can vastly improve the education."
Rodowicz also asked that Putnam get a solid estimate on the Plunkett boiler room roof. Adams has put up $130,000 for its repair but the initial estimate came in at $300,000. If the project costs more than $130,000, it could be a deal breaker for Plunkett.
The committee is expected to vote on Thursday, March 9.
The entire School Committee agreed that no matter what is decided, both communities need to work together.
"I urge all of you to think about what positive things this change can bring to our school, students in communities because if we start down the road of ... reacting in a knee-jerk manner it will only serve to undermine the education of all of our students and erode out communities even further," Butler said.
"We are not simply two towns joined by education," St. John. "We are much larger community joined by family, athletics, the arts and our desire to return what once was. We are Hurricanes."
Tags: ACRSD, school closures,
