Cheshire Sees Adams-Cheshire Draft Budget for Fiscal 2019

CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District is proposing a $19,557,372 budget that represents a 1.46 percent increase over this year.

The district unveiled its proposed budget Tuesday at the Cheshire Selectmen's meeting and said the town's allocation will increase 3.340 percent to continue the current trajectory of the district.

"An effective district budget is based on a vision of what the stakeholders hope to see in that district in the future," Superintendent of Schools Robert Putnam told the board. "The fiscal year 2019 budget is a continuation of that vision first set out by the fiscal year 2018 budget."

Putnam said no positions that were added last year will be cut and that by repurposing funds, the school district plans to hire a high school STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) teacher to expand programming and a school psychologist.

"I don't know when the last time the district had a school psychologist, but it is an essential position," he said.

Business Manager Erika Snyder said the foundation budget has increased 1.3 percent to $17,673,956 and the transportation budget increased 2.8 percent to $922,329.

Cheshire's projected assessment is $2,811,124. Snyder said Cheshire's minimum foundation assessment increased 19.971 percent to $2,380,847. She said this $396,330 increase is calculated by the state because Cheshire is considered the wealthier community.

Snyder said the over-minimum foundation assessment has decreased 93.050 percent, bringing the total foundation assessment to $240,2589, which is a 4.582 increase.

Although Chapter 70 education aid stayed mostly flat, health insurance costs will also remain flat. She added that transportation reimbursement should also increase because more students are being bused because of the consolidation of the schools.

Snyder also pointed to the 4.1 percent capital line item increase bringing the proposed amount to $961,087.

She said this amount is needed to continue to pay debt and to fix a leak in the Hoosac Valley High School roof.

Putnam said the roof has been surveyed and he wanted to have funds available if a repair needed to be made that was not covered under the warranty.

Snyder said the budget is still subject to change and the School Committee has yet to vote on it.

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