CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee has elected Robert Tetlow to represent the town of Cheshire for the next few months. 

 

Tetlow was the only candidate interested in replacing Bethany DeMarco, who resigned a couple months ago when she moved out of the district. He has been reguarly attending School Committee meetings, so much that one member recalled how a few months ago he called Tetlow not one of the public but "one of us."  "You'll be able to jump right in and I appreciate it," he said.

 

A retired Berkshire Gas supervisor, Tetlow grew up in Cheshire and graduated in 1969 from the former Adams Memorial High School. He said he was from the "old school" has now been "learning what it takes to learn" in a modern school system.

 

"I'm sorry to say there is a lack of appreciation that people give people that make this thing work," he said. "I grasp a lot and every time I come I learn even more. I find it interesting and now that I'm retired I have more time to devote to different areas."

 

One of Tetlow's concerns in joining the committee is high absenteeism within the district and encouraging students to remain at Hoosac for their high school studies. 

 

He will is completing DeMarco's three-year term that ends May. The post will be up for election in the annual town election. Tetlow said he hasn't decided if he will run for the post yet. 

 

In other business, Superintendent Aaron Dean told the committee that work has started on the fiscal 2025 budget. 

 

"We're kind of looking at costs associated with the carrying the current budget over, prioritizing programs, taking a look at our data ... we're just really looking at different pathways forward," he said. "I feel pretty good about what I've seen so far. I can see the path no matter what."

 

Dean said some cuts could be done through attrition and that they are looking into funding sources that can help the district advance.

 

"It's always a balancing act but I feel good about the process," he said. "Prior to last year, Chapter 70 funding was flat for I would say at least 15 years. I mean it didn't move more than $30,000 a year [up or down].

 

"Last year we finally made made the threshold to receive the Student Opportunity Act funds and that really helped us bolster our programming and get things into our operating budget that should have been there all along."

 

He said both towns want a preliminary conversation about budgeting and noted that the enrollment splits "have changed quite a bit." This will put more of an assessment burden on Adams this coming year. 

 

Chair Michael Mucci asked if this will include the School Committee and Dean said yes if they wish and that he would firm up a date and format with town officials. 

 

The superintendent said school officials are waiting for the governor to submit the House 1 budget, which will give them some idea of Chapter 70 and other funding. He anticipated a couple of meetings with finance in February and March with the expectation of adopting the budget on March 25.

 

The committee also discussed creating an ad hoc committee to review the two-town agreement. Mucci said Cheshire has already put forward people to serve and Adams was expected to do so next week. One element they would like to explore is changing the enrollment apportionment to reduce big swings, such as a rolling average. Dean said the apportionment is set by statute but it may be able to be changed.