WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A series of budget priorities discussed with the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee could add up to half a million dollars to the operating budget if all are implemented in the fiscal 2023 spending plan, the committee learned on Thursday.

 

The district's business administrator called the number "sobering" but indicated that the FY23 budget is still in development and there are factors that could lessen the impact of seven new full-time positions and three shifts from part-time to full-time positions that are sought by the district's principals and superintendent.

 

For example, Joe Bergeron told the School Committee that some of the new positions, if added to the budget, could involve reallocating existing teachers, as indicated this winter by the principal at Williamstown Elementary School.

 

And the district is anticipating $431,000 more in state aid based on the budget Gov. Charlie Baker sent to the Legislature last month.

 

On the other hand, irrespective of new budget requests, the district already is anticipating a $450,000 cost increase for labor based on a level staffing model, Bergeron said.

 

That means that if it adds the new and increased positions as proposed, the current year's operating budget of $24 million would go up by $950,000 if all the positions were added/adjusted.

 

Assuming the $431,000 in additional state aid survives the Legislature, that would increase the total asks to the district's member towns by about $519,000, or about a 3 percent increase just for faculty and staff costs.

 

Bergeron stressed in his presentation to the School Committee that the budget is still preliminary.

 

But the numbers he presented likely were the last ones the full committee will see before it gives its annual budget presentation to taxpayers on March 10 and, if custom holds, votes to send the budget to the member towns. The School Committee has no other meetings scheduled between now and March 10 and did not discuss scheduling a special meeting at Thursday's session.

 

Based on the town meeting calendars in Lanesborough and Williamstown and the need for review by the towns' Finance Committees, the School Committee has a March 30 deadline to send a budget to the towns.

 

Lanesborough Elementary Principal Nolan Pratt, Williamstown Elementary Principal Cindy Shehy and Mount Greylock Regional School Principal Jake Schutz presented their FY23 spending priorities to the School Committee at its December and January meetings.

 

LES is hoping to add a full-time classroom teacher and move a part-time occupational therapy position to full time. WES is seeking a new social worker, a reading specialist and an academic support paraprofessional and looking to move an occupational therapist and a special education teacher from part time to full time. The middle-high school is looking to add a full-time math interventionist and a full-time reading interventionist.

 

The principals' funding requests are the result of deliberations by the school councils in each of the three buildings.

 

On Thursday, Superintendent Jake McCandless formally presented his proposal for a long-discussed new districtwide position, a director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

 

The need for the administrative post is supported by work the district has done over the last two years to assess equity issues in the district, including the Mount Greylock Listening and Learning Project directed by DEI consultant Cortney King Tunis.

 

"Our seeking of a person with lived experience as a member of a historically marginalized community whose sole focus professionally is to work to increase empathy, understanding and connectedness among our students, families, staff and the communities we serve is vital on many levels," McCandless told the School Committee.

 

"Our investment in this position says we can close our 'belonging gap' and make the Mount Greylock Regional School District a place where everyone who calls our communities home has a home here – and the comfort and sense of security embedded in that word."

 

Prior to hearing McCandless' proposal, the School Committee heard a letter from the district's DEIB Parent and Caregiver Action Network that was co-signed by 60 individuals, most identifying as parents of one or more child in the district.

 

"Over the past 11 months the School Committee has repeatedly voiced support for DEIB initiatives, and funded multiple projects, including the Mount Greylock Listening and Learning Project led by Cortney Tunis, and ongoing professional development for educators led by Dr. Khyati Joshi," the letter read. "We appreciate your investments so far, and as the Listening and Learning Project report highlighted, clearly there is still much to do. Creating a dedicated position to lead and sustain this work is the next critical step.

 

"While the position description is still evolving, we ask you to encourage district leaders to engage students and each of our school communities to thoughtfully craft a role that centers our most urgent student needs."