CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Advisory Board has asked if the town could file an injunction with the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District to stop the closing of the elementary school.
During the joint Advisory Board and Selectmen's meeting Tuesday, the Advisory Board asked that the town try to delay the closing of the school so a more thorough study can be conducted to look at other educational models and possibly merging with other districts.
"There is a sizable group in town that would like to see some sort of injunction not only considered but put forward with an appropriate attorney with an appropriate judge so that we could at least stop some of this so it can be analyzed," E. Richard Scholz, a member of the town's financial panel, said.
Advisory Board member Justin Kruszyna said it would give the town a chance to form a committee to find hard numbers on running a school district independently or merging with another district.
"We have been talking about being more proactive instead of reactive with the school thing ... right now is there anything we can do … to get this process to halt until we can do a full study with other districts and see if they would merge with us," he said.
The Selectmen said they never considered it but will have to discuss it.
"As a board, I don't think we have really talked about going that avenue," Chairman Robert Ciskowski said. "This is the first I have thought about it and we can talk about it but right now we are unprepared."
The Advisory Board also went over some final budget numbers and Town Administrator Mark Webber said the town will be left with a $60,000 levy limit buffer.
"We aren't hundreds of thousands of dollars under but $60,000 is comfortable," Webber said.
The Advisory Board had more long-term concerns and wanted to see a more consistent salary schedule.
Ciskowski said the town typically sets a blanket salary increase for town appointments and employees, but prior to this year's budget process they underwent a salary study to bring increases in line with surrounding communities.
He said even then it's a shot in the dark.
"It is a stab at it and we are not the private sector and it is hard to put a handle on it," he said. "It even varies throughout the county and each town is kind of unique ... it is all relative and difficult to do a salary study."
The Advisory Board's main concerns were that if an employee leaves the town will not be able to hire new employees under the skewed scale.
"It may become very difficult to fill some of these positions if someone leaves," Scholz said. "People may look at the position and think it's a lot of work for not a lot of money."
Scholz added that it may be beneficial in the future to have more than a part-time town administrator.
Webber said he would always advocate for a town administrator to spend more time in the office and added when he leaves they will not be able to hire someone for what the town pays him.
"I will never disagree that the town deserves more than one day a week out of an administrator and I think that is absolute," Webber said. "That will have to change going forward and circling back to what we discussed earlier when I leave you aren't going to find a qualified person to work for $20,000."
Before closing the meeting, the Advisory Board said it planned to attach recommendations to each warrant article.
There will be a "baby" informational town meeting Monday, June 5, at the Community/Senior Center at 6:30 p.m. Town meeting is Monday, June 12, at 7 p.m. at Cheshire Elementary School.
