Budget details discussed again
School Committee holds off on budget certification
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Committee delayed certifying an operating budget until a special meeting next week, after a nearly two hour-long discussion of three proposals that dealt with athletics, the curriculum renewal cycle and staffing.

The committee is required by the regional agreement to certify a budget 45 days before the first town meeting - March 15 this year - but town officials have agreed to allow a delay until March 18.

Superintendent Michael Zapantis proposed the three budget options requested by the committee. They are: a balanced budget, a budget that would require a $300,000 override, and one that would require a $500,000 override. The second two options also add the approximately $89,000 to the budget Westminster may appropriate as part of their tax levy but is not matched by Ashburnham because of populations shifts.

"In a balanced budget in this scenario, the curriculum renewal cycle doesn't make the cut," Zapantis said.

School committee members asked to see a further explanation of the partial funding of the cycle in a $300,000 shortfall budget, and $500,000 shortfall budget. The cycle is a plan to review, change, revise and evaluate the supplies, professional development and the material in specific subject matters over the course of seven years.

"There is the investment we put into it," School Committee Chairman David Christianson said. "What is the bare minimum we need to keep this thing alive."

The cycle went unfunded this year because of budget cuts.

The administrative team recommended a budget with more staffing positions added.

"I think it's a little bit of a tug of war," Zapantis said.

All three budget proposals eliminate the activity fees for clubs.

"We learned as an administrative team that it is just best to leave the clubs alone," Zapantis said.

In all three cases the athletic budget is the same. Athletic Director David LaRoche explained his proposal based on the committee's request last week to return all of the sports programs. He said he brought back all programs except wrestling and suggested increasing the athletic fees from $100 to $160, and add a $170 fee for hockey team players for ice time.

Many committee members objected to the extra hockey fee. Based on LaRoche's estimate, 900 participants in school athletics would have $7 added to their fees if the cost of ice time is paid for by the athletic program.

"I'd still like to see a flat fee across the board to be fair to everybody," said committee member James Rheult.

LaRoche also has suggested increasing the gate fee and the number of games with gate fees.

Christianson and other members also expressed concerns about bringing back academic programs in another tough budget year.

"We had a balanced solution last year because one area didn't take cuts when another didn't," Christianson said. "I'm still troubled by the kid that can't take French."

In other business:

• The committee discussed the $300,000 capital plan which includes fixing the road and the parking lot area near Overlook Middle School. The committee has discussed using $300,000 from the Excess and Deficiency account to fund the capital budget for FY09.

• Westminster resident Dennis Cassie asked school committee members to consider reimbursing parents for the user fees from the money that is in the Excess and Deficiency account.

• The committee voted to authorize Christianson and Zapantis to sign the Initial Compliance Certificate with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Zapantis said this agreement isn't committing the town or the district to spend any money but lays out the relationship between the parties as a new or renovated John R. Briggs Elementary School is being considered.

The agreement also needs the signature of the town's chief executive officer.

Voters in Ashburnham will be asked to appropriate $400,000 for a feasibility study for the project at the annual town meeting. The MSBA will reimburse the town 53.537 percent of that cost.