CHESHIRE, Mass. — With lingering uncertainty over the school district's budget and whether Cheshire Elementary School will actually close, the selectmen had questions about what to do next.

 

Selectman Robert Ciskowski provided Town Administrator Mark Webber with a list of thoughts and questions Tuesday about what the town may have to do if Cheshire Elementary School closes.

 

"It's almost staggering," he said. "We have never done anything like this before." 

 

Last month, the Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee voted to close Cheshire School and make C.T. Plunkett School in Adams the primary elementary school to save costs. The vote was split between Adams and Cheshire representatives on the regional School Committee and disagreements among the committee and disgruntled Cheshire parents have made the passage of a district budget difficult.

 

Webber said the town has a lot to do in a short period of time if the school is going to close and even if a late budget decision reopens the school, the town still needs to plan financially for its closure.

 

"There is a lot of concerns and costs along with the building in the budget. It is a moving target," he said. "We need to have this discussion start now in order to be prepared to what to budget for. We have to go in thinking the building will be ours and budget accordingly because we can't wait until after town meeting."  

 

Webber said he did contact the town insurance carrier and scheduled a survey of the building so they could get costs for shutting the building down and insuring it.  

 

He added the town has to decide if it wants to completely shut the building down or open it up for some use.

 

"Are you going to open it up to the kid groups that have traditionally used it? Is the district going to keep their central office there?" Webber said. "We would have to negotiate how we would divide heat costs … I don't know." 

 

Ciskowski said organizations are already requesting field usage. Traditionally the principal handled this and Ciskowski asked what town body would now be responsible.

 

Webber said he asked the district what the current value of the property, building, utilities and fixtures was and was told it is worth $10.5 million. 

 

He said the town also has to figure out what it owns and what is the property of the school district.

 

"Are they going to pull everything out and when they do will they know what is theirs?" Webber said. "Are they going to have a tag sale?" 

 

The School Committee will try again Monday to pass a budget to present to the two towns, which will have final say.