• Quabbin school board cuts $1 million from $34M budget

• By Bradford L. Miner
  Correspondent

  
  Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 10:49 PM
  
  

  BARRE – The Quabbin Regional Regional School Committee cut its fiscal 2017 budget of $34 million by $1 million Thursday night and revised assessments reflecting that change will be sent to Hubbardston, Hardwick, Oakham and New Braintree.

  According to Cheryl Duval, Quabbin’s director of administrative services, Barre voters at the June annual town meeting approved an assessment that covers the current level of services.

  Based on a budget of $33,058,485, Hubbardston will be asked to approve $27,892 more than approved at town meeting, at which Proposition 2½ override request failed.

  Hardwick voters will be looking at $95,162 more than already approved. The figures for New Braintree and Oakham are $74,491 and $152,562, respectively.

  The Quabbin district is currently operating on a one-twelfth monthly extension of fiscal 2016 spending and the four towns will have 45 days in which to schedule a special town meeting to vote on the new assessments.

  Mrs. Duval said because the Quabbin district used $982,000 from reserves a year ago to offset the impact of assessments, the current budget reflects a .2 percent decrease from the previous budget.

  Superintendent Maureen M. Marshall said all programs remain intact to some extent, but class sizes will increase, and there will be wings at Ruggles Lane School, Oakham Center School and Quabbin Regional High School close to achieve savings.

  “Currently we have about 57 percent utilization of our buildings,” the superintendent said.

  Mrs. Marshall said the $1 million cut that leaves elementary art, music, physical education and media/technology intact are the result of not filling vacant positions, health insurance savings and full use of staff across the district.

  The superintendent said the instructional intervention program that includes two literacy coaches and a math coach working with elementary teachers to improve student comprehension will remain intact, despite discussion among school committee members of the value of the positions.

  She suggested that those parents present for the meeting need to reach out to selectmen in their respective communities and encourage parents to attend the upcoming town meetings when the assessments will be considered.

  Mrs. Marshall said that to reach a point where all towns would have already approved school assessments would mean an additional $1.3 million beyond what had already been done.

  “I will not do that,” she told the committee.

  Steve Labarre, Oakham representative, was the only one of the 15-member committee to vote against the budget.

  The superintendent said if there is no compromise before Dec. 1 the commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will set the budget and issue assessments as occurred here in 2012.