Lanesborough Wants Lower Mount Greylock Assessments
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Lanesborough will recommend a town contribution for Mount Greylock Regional High School that is $30,000 less than the School Committee set.Williamstown voters have already approved their portion and the School Committee is not planning to budge. Committee members said Tuesday that they will take it all the way to a joint town meeting to force Lanesborough to pay its full assessment.
"I don't believe them," committee member David Langston said in response to arguments that Lanesborough cannot afford to pay the full amount. "I think they have a lot of money [that they can use]."
In a letter dated last month, Lanesborough Town Administrator Paul Boudreau informed the school district of the decision — similar to last year when Lanesborough voters approved a budget $60,000 shy of its assessment. Following that vote, the School Committee reached a deal to fund a portion of that with unrestricted funds.
Since the assessments are based on an agreement between the towns, a $30,000 reduction in Lanesborough's assessment would in turn lead to a decrease in Williamstown's assessment by about $60,000, creating a budget that is $90,000 less than anticipated, committee members said.
"The budget we offered them is 1 percent less than last year," said Heather Williams, who heads the school's finance subcommittee.
During the budget process this year, the committee reduced the assessment by about $25,000 after conceding to Williamstown's request for a level-funded budget, which — via the cost-sharing agreement — also lowered Lanesborough's assessment.
This year, Lanesborough's assessment was $2,532,839; next year, the town's Finance Committee is asking for an assessment of $2,477,299.
The School Committee is drafting a letter to send back to Lanesborough officials informing them that the school will not cut any more out of the budget. Members considered starting a public relations campaign to encourage Lanesborough voters to approve the budget.
If the town does not approve the full amount, a joint meeting consisting of registered voters in both towns could be called to finalize the assessments. Williamstown has about four times the population as Lanesborough.
Williams also reported that tuition for Hancock and New Ashford students will drop by 2.75 percent next year.
Regarding the school's budget for this year, committee Chairman Robert Ericson said he and Williams suspect the athletic account is overrun but have not seen the athletic department's accounting.
The account was found in the red earlier this year because it was being misread by officials for years. The committee transferred enough from other accounts to fill a $11,688 deficit and pay outstanding bills. The committee still needs to pay for spring sports but is withholding that until the athletic department shows the accounting.
Ericson asked for the accounting as early as next week but the committee torpedoed the request because it does not give the administration enough time to gather the information and the committee will not be prepared to discuss it then.
