Windfall for West Brookfield could be short-lived
By J.P. Ellery CORRESPONDENT
WEST BROOKFIELD — Good financial news from local school officials came with a caution at Tuesday night's selectmen's meeting.
West Brookfield and Warren, the two towns in the Quaboag Regional School District, are expected to receive a combined $272,000 in extra school transportation funding from the state, according to Camie Lamica, director of finance and operations for the school district. That total breaks down to $165,000 for Warren and $107,000 for West Brookfield, which sends fewer students to district schools.
This additional funding is made possible because the state Legislature plans to provide cities and towns with 90 percent of their school transportation funding instead of the 58 percent that the local school department projected in preparing the fiscal 2015 school budget.
"I don't expect the state will keep that funding level" for next fiscal year, Ms. Lamica told West Brookfield selectmen, warning them not to consider this a windfall that they can get used to.
She also told local officials that additional state funding in fiscal 2014 has resulted in $58,000 coming back to West Brookfield and $48,000 to Warren.
But school Superintendent Brett M. Kustigian, who was at the meeting, said he does not predict that all this good news will continue into fiscal 2016.
"Next year's budget is going to be difficult," he said. "Stay tuned."
Why aren't the towns of Templeton and Phillipston receiving any money back from the Narragansett Regional School District?
It makes you wonder what these towns did to make them qualify ? Maybe our school district is richer, and does not show a need. There has to be a reason. Reading the paper, it seems the wood boiler may happen this year, so what was the pressing issue to the "I have to have a answer now !" pressure we got at town meeting ?? If the time line was so close, I would have thought the wood burner would have been in by now. I hope the powers that be do not get rid of the oil burner, so we do not have to hunt for one when the price of oil drops in the future. If the parking is a problem now, wait until the pellet burner is in. I hope there is a sign to show the landscapers in town where they can drop off the wood that is left over from the jobs they do, because Ms. Miller is counting on them to contribute. As Pauly would say, Hee Hee! Bev.
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