CBRSD Member Towns Will See Higher Assessments
DALTON, Mass. — Despite budget cuts made by Central Berkshire Regional School District, its seven member towns can still anticipate higher assessments.
The district has decreased its initial operating projections from nearly 10 percent down to 4.9 percent. However, the town assessments range from increases of 7.3 percent to 15 percent.
Preliminary projections had the full budget at $40,284,107, however, it is now eyeing a significantly lower budget of $38,459,202.
Of the total $38.5 million budget, town assessments would cover 54.07 percent at $20,794,393; state aid would contribute $10,238,937, 26.62 percent; grant funds $2,353,097; revolving funds $2,338,645; state aid for transportation $1,246,797; an excess and deficiency appropriation $1,227,333, and local funds $260,000.
The project net town assessments are:
- Becket for $2,948,432, an increase of 8.78 percent
- Cummington for 684,628, an increase of 7.36 percent
- Dalton for $10,702,857, an increase of 12.11 percent
- Hinsdale for $3,412,948, an increase of 15.10 percent
- Peru for $1,148,177, an increase of 12.42 percent
- Washington for $861,996, an increase of 11.19 percent
- Windsor for $1,035,355, an increase of 13.76 percent
The district is seeing the same decline in enrollment happening across the state, which is resulting in a decrease in Chapter 70 state aid.
That is somewhat stabilized as the district is now in the "held harmless" category, so for the first time the state is saying the district's need in aid for its students is less than what it got last year.
With the number of costs outside the district's control, even a zero percent increase would still result in higher town assessments.
"In all the times that we've been talking, we've made a commitment to come down, and the Finance Committee is really looking at what options that we have that we can still provide a sound education for students and also do the work of making sure we're doing reductions," Superintendent Michael Henault.
"I feel good about where we're ultimately going to land. We're going to make some sacrifices."
At the next district Finance Committee meeting, School Committee member Paul Farella will present the positions the district is looking to reduce to reach a budget draft that's more manageable for towns, he said.
"It's been a lot of work that's taken us a better part of the month to get through, but we've looked at every line in our budget over and over again, and have had a lot of conversations with administrators about what work we can do with less and where those cuts need to happen," Henault said.
More than half of the budget is made up of salaries at $20,979,144, or 54 percent, and nearly a quarter of it contributes to benefits, $7,612,696, or 20 percent.
The remaining 26 percent is for special education out-of-district tuition for $2,271,268 or 6 percent, and other operational costs, $7,596,094 or 20 percent.
Driving increases include health insurance, which rose 8.75 percent, and an anticipated 10 percent increase in property insurance; the charter school assessment, which is set by the state, rose by $50,000, and increases in special education costs by $253,916.
Transportation has a 3 percent increase as the district moves into year five of the five-year contract.
The district also set aside an additional $250,000 for its Chromebook and computer renewals, which is less than it was hoping for; however, it is still able to meet a large chunk of its renewal, said Gregory Boino, the district's director of finance and operations.
To mitigate costs, there will be Chromebook carts in each classroom for the kindergarteners and first graders to share rather than each child getting one.
"Our elementary paraprofessionals have Chromebooks that are one to one. There will also be Chromebook carts at the schools for those as well," Boino said.
Going from the initial to tentative budgets there was a reduction of $1.8 million, he said.
Several decreases were made in a number of areas including reducing funding the district's Other Post Employment Benefits to $50,000, cutting the four proposed certified positions and three classified positions, and removing three new capital projects that were going to brought forward in this budget cycle.
Additionally, the district lowered its curriculum line item by $270,000 because of some of the quotes they were seeing, Boino said.
State Sen. Paul Mark has communicated that he is cautiously optimistic the district will receive an earmark of $250,000 that the district hopes to put towards curriculum, he said.
"We do have some backup plans, though, if we do not receive that next year. Many of these curriculum contracts carry us through next year. So the FY28 year is really going to be where it hits us," Boino said.
Tags: CBRSD_budget, fiscal 2027,
