Rutland seeks state money to patch budget

Rutland seeks state money to patch budget

By Sandy Meindersma CORRESPONDENT

RUTLAND — After five years of increasing school assessments, the town is seeking relief from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The state has 2 million in a so-called "pothole" fund that is meant to cushion the costs of education. Both municipalities and school districts may apply for the money. How it will be awarded depends on how many applications the department receives by the deadline Friday.


Selectman Joseph Becker said Rutland has applied for a one-time grant that may be used for any municipal purpose. Mr. Becker said that without any indication of how much money the town might receive, if it receives an award at all, it was premature to discuss how the money might be spent.

In the application, the town notes that Rutland's minimum local contribution to the Wachusett Regional School District for fiscal 2014 is more than 40 percent of the town's budget, and that during the last five years increases in the minimum local contribution have consumed 76 percent of the town's' new revenues (new growth and tax increases).

In addition to the minimum local contribution, the town pays an assessment, as well as transportation costs, which are partially reimbursed by the state.

"Rutland's total WRSD assessment equates to 54 percent of our total general operating budget," Mr. Becker said. "Outside of the assessment, we have the debt service on the three Rutland school buildings. This annual debt payment is just over $2 million, which means that just over 66 percent of the total operating budget is associated with non-vocational school education."

Rutland's enrollment in the 7,500-student Wachusett district has risen from 1,566 students in fiscal 2010 to 1,641 students in fiscal 2014.

The town's financial difficulties began in fiscal 2010, when the town was required to increase its contribution to the school district about 15 percent, from $4.97 million to $5.7 million. The $720,000 increase amounted to almost double the town's new revenues that year, and forced the town to reduce municipal services significantly.

Since fiscal 2010, the town's minimum local contribution has continued to increase at a significant rate when compared with new revenues. From fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2014, the town's new revenues have totaled $1,867,333 and the increases in school assessments have totaled $1,002,510, nearly 54 percent of the total.

Cuts to town services have included reducing or eliminating clerical positions for police, fire and public works departments; leaving two public works positions unfilled; cutting the library budget 37 percent; reducign wages for Fire Department training and the treasurer and collector; and cutting as much as 80 percent from supplies and purchase accounts.

Lauren Greene, a spokeswoman for the state education department, said it typically takes about a month to review all the applications for the "pothole" fund and make the awards.

Mr. Becker was optimistic about the town's chances of receiving something.

"Many people across all levels of local and state government have worked very hard over the last several months making various state officials aware of Rutland's MLC (minimum local contribution) challenges over the last several years," he said. "This application represents the necessary step in the process to officially ask for a piece of the budgeted pothole funds. I believe it is our responsibility to ask for this assistance, in order to help fund some of the much needed one-time items our town needs to operate, but has not been able to purchase for several years, due to consistently significant increases in MLC spending."