Adams-Cheshire To Make Official Proposal To Lanesborough
 An Adams-Cheshire subcommittee is looking into hard figures to give Lanesborough. |
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Adams and Cheshire will pen a formal request to enter into discussions with Lanesborough about dissolving its affiliations with Williamstown.
The Adams-Cheshire Regional School District's Audit and Evaluation subcommittee met Monday with administration and town officials from Cheshire and Adams to discuss a recent letter from Williamstown and Lanesborough requesting a proposal for educational partnership by Oct 1.
"I think they want to see our numbers in writing and a written explanation of how we would go forward and how it would happen form our end," Adams Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco said. "Just so they would have a working document to go with."
In the last few months, Adams-Cheshire has been in communication with Lanesborough about possibly tuitioning high school and middle school students from Lanesborough to Hoosac Valley to save both towns more than $1 million each.
Lanesborough has been in a regional agreement with Williamstown to send its upper grade students to Mount Greylock Regional School; that district is currently in the renovation process for the high and middle school. It is also in a supervisory union with Williamstown Elementary, and both Mount Greylock and SU 71 share a superintendent and other administrators.
Mazzucco said he thinks Lanesborough wants the letter before winter and when it will have to commit to building a new Mount Greylock. He said this will give Lanesborough time to gauge what the community wants.
Business Manager David Hinkle said the tuition cost would most likely be similar to what the district charges Savoy — nearly $9,000 a student. He said this cost is taken directly from the state foundation budget and does not include over-foundation, capital or transportation costs.
He added Lanesborough would pay for its own transportation and it is yet to be decided if that would be included in the tuition cost.
Subcommittee member Darlene Rodowicz suggested calculating a number that would be less antiquated and maybe include some of the over-foundation items. She said the contract negotiated with Savoy was created when the state foundation budget was more substantial.
"It is not the environment we live in today and even if we pass along our full cost of education it would still be far less than what they pay to Mount Greylock," she said. "I think we are looking for a bargain for them, but a bargain for us."
Superintendent Kristen Gordon suggested creating a working group to research how many new students would enter each grade level and what new faculty and facility needs the school would require before providing a number.
Rodowicz agreed.
"We don't know what we will need, and we are kind of stabbing in the dark," Rodowicz said. "Instead of saying what the number would be, we could develop a framework and goals we are trying to accomplish and they would share equally the costs of providing an education."
Mazzucco said it is important to make sure the number remains enticing to Lanesborough. He said much of the costs such as administration and utilities will remain fixed at Hoosac Valley because it has the capacity for the extra 190 students.
Rodowicz agreed but said she wanted to make sure they understand the numbers and impacts of more students.
"I want to be able to say to the whole community that we are all winners in this, and I think there is a lot of opportunity," she said. "We can strengthen the education in the communities and cover overhead better, and I just want to make sure we understand it."
Muzzucco added that the tuition amount and what Lanesborough pays for would be up for negotiation between the school committees anyways.
Muzzucco said the Lanesborough School Committee chairman asked if superintendent responsibilities would change in Lanesborough. He said the original plan was to leave everything as is, however the proposal should mention it and Adams-Cheshire would be open to changes if Lanesborough wished.
He added they may want to include an implementation plan in the proposal. He said if Lanesborough desired certain classes they could be phased into Hoosac Valley in a six-year period so students are not changing schools. He said this would be an easier transition for both towns.
Mazzucco said the proposal could include flexible options such as an "all in" scenario in which all Lanesborough high school and middle school students go to Hoosac Valley or partial tuition in which a certain amount of space is kept open for Lanesborough students
Subcommittee member Paul Butler inquired about school committee membership and how Lanesborough should have representation.
The subcommittee agreed that a nonvoting member may be the best option but with the opportunity to become a full member of the district if the town wanted to in the future.
"It’s almost like buying a car versus leasing a car," Butler said. "Leasing is cheaper but you don't get to keep it in the end."
Tags: ACRSD, MGRHS, tuition,
