Barre seeks state aid to recoup cost of dealing with Stetson School issues
By Bradford L. Miner, Correspondent
Posted Dec 6, 2017 at 9:53 AM
Updated Dec 8, 2017 at 8:52 AM
BARRE – Selectmen are asking for help from state legislators in recouping the cost of providing town services to Stetson School.
In a discussion at the Dec. 4 board meeting, selectmen voted to ask state Sen. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, and state Rep. Donald R. Berthiuame Jr., R-Spencer for special legislation or other assistance in having the Department of Children and Families cover the expense of providing town services, especially policing.
Since 2013, the Worcester-based Seven Hills Foundation has operated the program at Stetson for boys ages 9 to 22 with a variety of behavioral and developmental disorders.
Currently 90 students are enrolled on the 200-acre campus of which 80 percent are from Massachusetts, the balance from the Northeast, according to Joseph A. Allred, Seven Hills vice president of Stetson School.
Charles R. Chase, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, in revisiting an ongoing discussion about Stetson, cited a lack of cooperation from the school, and the cost to the town of frequent police response.
No one from Stetson School was present at the meeting.
Mr. Allred said he had viewed the video recording of the meeting and was dismayed by the comments from board members, believing there is a proven record of collaboration with the Police Department and other town boards and organizations.
According to Town Administrator Andrew Golas, a total of 96 calls for service to Stetson School were logged the past year at the Rutland Regional Emergency Communication Center.
Mr. Allred said there had been only half the number of calls for police response this year as there were in 2016. Of 39 incidents the school tallied, 17 were for mental health services where a student needed to be sent to a hospital.
Much of the 20-minute discussion Monday concerned response time for reporting runaways.
Selectman Greg O’Sullivan said Stetson should be calling police within 15 minutes, not two hours as was the case with a recent incident.
Mr. O’Sullivan said Stetson bore the responsibility for students in its charge and if need be should have cameras, alarmed doors and whatever security measures necessary to account for a student’s whereabouts.
“If they can’t control these kids, they should be penalized. Stetson is not a good neighbor, not an asset to the town. If they can’t do what they claim, then they should be shut down,” Mr. O’Sullivan said.
Mr. Allred said DCF policy sets the protocol for response to missing students.
He said students considered “high risk,” such as those who are legally blind or have hearing problems are reported to police immediately when missing.
Low-risk students who are likely to return, are only reported as missing if they fail to turn up within a two-hour window.
“Stetson is not a locked facility,” Mr. Allred said. “We have
strategic cameras on campus and protocols in place for training our
staff. We are a therapeutic school for children. There’s a misconception
that we house a bunch of delinquent children and that’s simply
incorrect.”
At the Monday meeting, Kathleen Howard, a former Barre dispatcher, told the board of an instance Nov. 25 where there had been nine 911 hang-up calls made from the school to the regional dispatch center over a period of three hours.
Selectmen were concerned that these calls could have been made by students from either cellphones or from school offices.
Additionally, he said the school this year had paid $72,930 for town water.
“Stetson’s total economic impact on Barre and the surrounding region is $35 million,” he said.
Mr. Allred said Stetson staff have worked with the Police Department
in coordinating police training for dealing with programs similar to
Stetson.
“We are currently working with the Barre Historical Commission on the preservation of the clock tower that once was atop the old Stetson administration building,” he said.
Mr. Chase, at the end of the Stetson discussion, directed Mr. Golas to contact the two legislators and by whatever means necessary find a way to cover the town’s costs at the school.
He said the board would revisit issues related to Stetson at future selectmen’s meetings as needed.
This is an updated version of a story that was originally posted on www.telegram.com on Wednesday. The story was removed from the website for further reporting.
In a discussion at the Dec. 4 board meeting, selectmen voted to ask state Sen. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, and state Rep. Donald R. Berthiuame Jr., R-Spencer for special legislation or other assistance in having the Department of Children and Families cover the expense of providing town services, especially policing.
Since 2013, the Worcester-based Seven Hills Foundation has operated the program at Stetson for boys ages 9 to 22 with a variety of behavioral and developmental disorders.
Currently 90 students are enrolled on the 200-acre campus of which 80 percent are from Massachusetts, the balance from the Northeast, according to Joseph A. Allred, Seven Hills vice president of Stetson School.
Charles R. Chase, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, in revisiting an ongoing discussion about Stetson, cited a lack of cooperation from the school, and the cost to the town of frequent police response.
No one from Stetson School was present at the meeting.
Mr. Allred said he had viewed the video recording of the meeting and was dismayed by the comments from board members, believing there is a proven record of collaboration with the Police Department and other town boards and organizations.
According to Town Administrator Andrew Golas, a total of 96 calls for service to Stetson School were logged the past year at the Rutland Regional Emergency Communication Center.
Mr. Allred said there had been only half the number of calls for police response this year as there were in 2016. Of 39 incidents the school tallied, 17 were for mental health services where a student needed to be sent to a hospital.
Selectman Greg O’Sullivan said Stetson should be calling police within 15 minutes, not two hours as was the case with a recent incident.
Mr. O’Sullivan said Stetson bore the responsibility for students in its charge and if need be should have cameras, alarmed doors and whatever security measures necessary to account for a student’s whereabouts.
“If they can’t control these kids, they should be penalized. Stetson is not a good neighbor, not an asset to the town. If they can’t do what they claim, then they should be shut down,” Mr. O’Sullivan said.
Mr. Allred said DCF policy sets the protocol for response to missing students.
He said students considered “high risk,” such as those who are legally blind or have hearing problems are reported to police immediately when missing.
Low-risk students who are likely to return, are only reported as missing if they fail to turn up within a two-hour window.
At the Monday meeting, Kathleen Howard, a former Barre dispatcher, told the board of an instance Nov. 25 where there had been nine 911 hang-up calls made from the school to the regional dispatch center over a period of three hours.
Selectmen were concerned that these calls could have been made by students from either cellphones or from school offices.
Mr.
Allred said the school’s IT department found that the calls were placed
from several locations on campus. He said the IT department concluded
there was a glitch in the school phone system.
With
respect to the school’s financial contribution to the community, Mr.
Allred said a 30-year PILOT agreement executed July 1, 2015, provided
the four acres at no cost on South Street for the Stephen M. Brewer
Public Safety Building.
“Stetson’s total economic impact on Barre and the surrounding region is $35 million,” he said.
“We are currently working with the Barre Historical Commission on the preservation of the clock tower that once was atop the old Stetson administration building,” he said.
Mr. Chase, at the end of the Stetson discussion, directed Mr. Golas to contact the two legislators and by whatever means necessary find a way to cover the town’s costs at the school.
He said the board would revisit issues related to Stetson at future selectmen’s meetings as needed.
This is an updated version of a story that was originally posted on www.telegram.com on Wednesday. The story was removed from the website for further reporting.
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