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School Committee Chairman Paul Butler and Superintendent of Schools Robert Putnam tell the Finance Committee that the $19.2 million budget that failed Monday will be taken up again on Wednesday.

Adams Warns Regional School District No Support for Budget Increase

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — School officials arrived empty-handed to Tuesday's Finance Committee meeting because Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee's spending plan for fiscal 2018 is up in the air.

And town officials are warning that they won't be coughing up an estimated $380,000 more if the school district tries for a bigger budget.

The Finance Committee had penciled in the assessment for Adams based on a $19.2 million budget that should have been approved on Monday. Instead, the School Committee's three Cheshire representatives balked at a plan that would mean the closure of Cheshire Elementary School.

"I was a little dismayed by the vote last night but three members didn't want it to go that way," School Committee Chairman Paul Butler said. "There isn't one of us that is happy about having to close a building. We know it rips at the hearts of the community but at the same time, we see the fiscal realities and it leaves us with little choice."

Butler and Superintendent of Schools Robert Putnam explained that the School Committee would be presented with the proposed $19.2 million plan again at an emergency meeting Wednesday — along with the consequences of adopting other budget scenarios.

A 5-2 vote of the seven-member committee is required to pass a budget; the proposed spending plans includes closing Cheshire School, cutting some staff and programming, and hiring interventionists and a special education coordinator. The new posts are considered critical in aiding younger students who struggling academically.

"We are trying to figure out how to maintain the additions we put in this year," Putnam said. "The budget I suggested last [Monday] night, I will reiterate tomorrow night. This budget is not the best of all worlds but it balances our educational needs with the financial realities."

Butler said he supported the budget because it contained positive steps that will help move the district forward.

Butler noted that School Committee member Darlene Rodowicz motioned Monday to pass a budget that keeps both elementary schools open and adds all recommended positions. Without accurate numbers for such a budget, the School Committee planned to reconvene Wednesday.

Butler said the estimated increase for the towns would be 10 percent, instead of 3 percent requested by Adams, and he guessed that this motion was made to truly put the issue in the towns' hands.

He said this could create challenges because overrides are dependent on the two towns agreeing and even if they do agree, it pushes out the budget approval later into the summer.

"I think it opens up a whole range of difficulties that I only started to think about last night," Butler said. "It puts time tables out there that make it more difficult to consolidate buildings and it makes it more difficult with staffing because we would have to give out pink slips without an approved budget."

He said district's attorney will be at Wednesday's meeting to point out the legal consequences of delaying the process and the committee will also go over the educational ramifications.  



"We have to make some positive arguments and point out the specific steps we would have to take on specific budgets," he said. "Also, how it jeopardizes the school ... in a perfect world, we want to keep all the buildings open but we have to make changes."

Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco suggested that school officials approve the $19.2 million budget and if they want to ask for more money, add an override to the town meeting warrants. He said this way, if the vote fails, it won't disrupt the district.

"On one of these you can shoot for the moon and if you miss you miss," he said. "The other one could drag you into the year and I don't think that would be good."

Mazzucco said all municipal spending is within the town's state aid increase and any tax increase is from education. He said the town is at its levy capacity and a 10 percent increase would likely be a $380,000 increase in the town's assessment.

He said without a Proposition 2 1/2 override, this would most likely mean closing the Council on Aging and the library, which he believes the Selectmen have no intention of supporting.

"The board has insinuated that they don't want to cut more services and more staff," he said. "I don't think if the school district asked for another $100,000 or $200,000 on a whim they would close down the Council on Aging or the library because those would be the next steps we would have to take."

Finance Committee member Craig Corrigan concurred and said with the added maintenance projects the town plans to take on at C.T. Plunkett School, the town has done its part.

"When you go back to your committee, reiterate that in addition to the money that we are putting into the budget we are putting over $100,000 into one of your schools. We are paying our fair share," he said. "We can't afford to give anymore if they OK that figure. Then it's up to you guys to work around it because this is all the money we got and you got it all."

The Finance Committee tabled the discussion until a budget is approved.

The School Committee has until the end of April to pass a budget but Butler said it would prefer to have the budget set sooner than later.

"There is a little time but we still have a lot to get through," he said.


Tags: ACRSD_budget,   Finance Committee,   fiscal 2018,   

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Adams Sees No Races So Far

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — With less than a week left before nomination papers are due, there are currently no contested seats.
 
Only selectman incumbent John Duval has returned papers. Selectman Howard Rosenberg has decided not to seek re-election. 
 
Rosenberg, who was elected in 2021, said he has chosen not to run again to make room for younger candidates.
 
"I feel strongly, we need younger people running for public office,  as the future of our town lies within the younger  generation. The world is so fundamentally different today and rapidly changing to become even more so. I believe we need people who are less interested in trying to bring back the past, then in paving the way for a promising future. The younger generation can know that they can stay here and have a voice without having to leave for opportunities elsewhere," he said.
 
The only person to return papers so far is former member the board Donald Sommer. Sommer served as a selectman from 2007 to 2010 and before that was a member of the School Committee and the Redevelopment Authority. He ran unsuccessfully for selectman in 2019 and again in 2021 but dropped out of before the election.
 
Incumbent Moderator Myra Wilk and Town Clerk Haley Meczywor have returned papers for their respective positions.
 
Assessor Paula Wheeler has returned papers and incumbents James Loughman and Eugene Michalenko have returned papers for library trustees.
 
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