Voters reject second override request
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Area students gather on Main Street in Westminster to try to encourage voters to support the override, which would provide additional funding for the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional Schoool District, on Tuesday. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

Voters in Ashburnham and Westminster Tuesday rejected the second attempt to obtain additional funding for the Regional School District through a Proposition 2 1/2 override.

Voters rejected the more than $850,000 request from the Ashburnham Westminster Regional School Committee. The money would have restored 32 positions that were eliminated after a failed $1.2 million override in June.

"It's a blow," said School Committee member Leonard Beaton, who heard the voting results in Westminster. "It's a serious blow."

Beaton said he thought the committee and the superintendent did a good job of publicizing the need for the override. He said he isn't sure why the vote failed, but speculated the state of the economy played a role. "It was certainly more than seniors who voted against this," he said.

Kelly and Marisa Dunn, both 14-year-old Westminster residents, and Jacob Allen, 18, of Westminster, stood holding signs during a large portion of Tuesday afternoon. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

Westminster residents rejected the override by a vote of 1,002 to 799 (56 percent opposed). The town was being asked for an additional $492,459.

In Ashburnham the opposition was an overwhelming 63 percent, the measure failing to pass by a vote of 923 to 548. The town's share of the override would have been $313,687.

"I am tremendously disappointed," said Committee Chairman David Christianson. "I am surprised by the margin."

He said the committee will now have to work to "minimize the effect on the individual child."

"The real issue today is how is this going to effect the kids," Christianson said.

"School will open. The buses will roll. There will be 32 fewer staff members and it is up to the school committee to decide what to do about athletic fees," said Superintendent Michael Zapantis.

After the failed override in June, the school committee supported Zapantis' move to lay off 32 staff members, including teachers, secretaries, paraprofessionals and custodians.

The committee has also discussed the possibility of establishing fees for co-curricular and athletics, limiting the hours the school buildings are open and other cost-saving measures. The committee was scheduled to hold a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss remaining cuts that would have to be made.

Both towns had relatively high turnout for a single-question local election. In Westminster, 35 percent of registered voters came to the polls, and in Ashburnham the number was 38 percent.

"Unbelievable turnout," said Zapantis, who was disappointed by the results but pleased with the number of residents who cast votes.

School Committee member Gwen Farley said there is rarely that level of participation at an election, especially one held in August. Results of the Special Election

Shall the Town of Westminster be allowed to assess $492,459 in real estate and property taxes for the operating budget of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007?

Yes - 799 No - 1002

Shall the Town of Ashburnham be allowed to assess an additional $313,687 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of adding such sum to line 18 of Article 3 for the operating budget approved for the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007?

Yes - 548 No - 923