Clarksburg School Hopes Town Will Help Ease Budget Cuts

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

Superintendent Jonathan Lev points out some of the budget issues to School Committee members Jeffrey Levanos and David Woods on Monday hight.
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The School Committee may have to cut up to $32,000 from next year's budget, depending on how much money the town is willing to let it keep from this year.

The committee had been asked to cut $16,000 from its $2,414,000 budget after the Finance Committee found the town was still $20,000 over its levy capacity two weeks ago. Town officials had been preparing for cuts up $52,000 until the House Ways and Means Committee budget added another $31,000 to its cherry sheets.

"Since then, our budget has risen to $2,430,280, so there is an increase of about $16,000," said Superintendent Jonathan Lev, because of a residential placement. "With this residential placement, it's really $32,000 we'd have to cut."

The student had been attending an outside treatment facility at a cost of $40,000 and $7,000 in transportation; the residential placement doubles the cost to $80,000.

However, Lev said Selectmen Chairman Carl McKinney had indicated he would recommend the school be allowed to keep any monies left over from this year's budget. Normally, those unexpended funds are returned to town coffers.

The superintendent estimated that could come to about $15,000; McKinney also had held out hope that the town would approve kicking in $5,000 in free cash from this year's budget, if the Finance Committee also agreed.

"The big variable is town meeting," said School Committee member Jeffrey Levanos. "Historically, they've always been with us."

Lev, however, cautioned that the town election would occur before town meeting and that could change the outcome.

Other potential cuts include:

• Cutting the paraprofessional hours
• Reducing or eliminating the Spanish teacher
• Eliminating a kitchen aide position
• Cutting music (now two days a week) or art (1 1/2 days a week)
"What scares me is do we vote on a budget that's say, $15,000 less than what we really need, and hoping on that money being returned?" asked Lev, since it would require a town vote to keep the funds.

Even if that scenario played out, the school would still have to cut about $12,000. Some $7,000 could come from the no-longer-needed transportation funds, the rest from the possible retirement of a paraprofessional.

A number of employees will get pink slips, as required by law, on Tuesday to give the school options on where cuts can occur. Lev said decisions will have to be made by July 1 or those employees will be eligible for unemployment.

School Committee members Levanos and David Woods both were against the idea of cutting Spanish or music and arts. They agreed to wait until the Finance Committee and Selectmen meet on Wednesday night to discuss the situation with them.

"They're not always good options but we do have some options," said Woods.

Lev said the budget is "bare bones" considering insurance, fuel and wages have increased. The school has also run out of stimulus funding and will be down at least two school-choice students over last year, although there is a possibility that more can be enrolled.

"We've lost money," said Lev. "Increasing our budget over $45,000 is really a cut."

Tags: school budget,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.

The defendant is being arraigned for:

  • Domestic Assault and Battery
  • Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
  • Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
  • Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
  • Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)

According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.

She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.

Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.

Officers believed that Parker was armed.

To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.

Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.

Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.

Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.

Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.

A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.

During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.

"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said.  "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."

View Full Story

More North Adams Stories