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Date: 3/28/2023
GRANBY — The Granby Selectboard had two visitors during its March 20 meeting, hearing updates at the state level and from within the town’s own district.
The first visitor was state Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow), who was in attendance to catch up with the board and update members on what his work will entail in the upcoming session. Oliveira started discussions noting that he, along with state Reps. Dan Carey (D-Easthampton) and Mindy Domb (D-Amherst), are “looking forward to being open with elected boards in the community.”
Oliveira noted for the state budget the state house is currently working through it now before the state Senate looks into it further in May. He added he hopes the budget is resolved by July 1.
The committees Oliveira is sitting on this session include being chair of the Municipalities in Regional Government Committee, vice chair of the Tourism Arts and Culture Committee which is chaired by Domb, and vice chair of the Public Health Committee.
“Many of my 57 bills are geared to help local communities and districts working with larger costs,” Oliveira said.
Oliveira noted that one of the greatest drivers for a school districts budget is special education costs and with rising costs he is currently working on a bill to raise the special education circuit breaker funding which would help cover these “extraordinary” costs for the district.
According to Oliveira, his goal with this bill is to help communities like Granby in the same way the Student Opportunity Act did for a lot of urban school districts. He added this raised up the foundation floor and pumped greater state dollars into Chapter 70 for school districts like Springfield, Holyoke or Chicopee.
“That was all based on a bill passed in legislature called the foundation budget review commission that was established that came up with the commission report that reported back to legislature and said listen, school districts have been chronically underfunded by the state and the state needs to put in x amount of dollars over time,” Oliveira explained.
He added the bill he has filed is going to do the same thing for special education costs. The bill would create a commission similar to what the foundation budget review commission did and would report back to the legislature to take the next steps in helping out with the district with the major cost drivers from special education funding.
Along with this effort from Oliveira, he told the Selectboard he was also working very closely to make sure rural school districts were represented better in the state budget.
“I am working closely with my colleagues in the rural schools caucus to ensure we fully fund out rural schools, so gaps don’t fall on taxpayers,” Oliveira said.
Oliveira added many provisions in the rural district bill that came out of the commission report would pump in greater dollars into rural schools that have been underfunded over time as well as facing a decline in student population and lack of funding flowing from the state.
Overall, Oliveira reiterated that his efforts were to represent Western Massachusetts and that his other bills focused on in this session are looking to “tame cost drivers and provide regional equity for Western Mass.”
“Far too long our area of the commonwealth is usually a little bit forgotten in a lot of areas. So, working with the other members of the Western Mass. legislative delegation, other reps and senators, to speak as one voice for regional equity when it comes to funding for education, transportation costs, Chapter 70 and 90 which are the lifeblood for a lot of municipal finances, we want to make sure Western Mass. gets our fair share,” Oliveira said. “I look at everything from a regional equity lens for our region.”
Selectboard Chair Glenn Sexton thanked the senator for his visit and updates. Sexton added that the town had a good relationship with previous state Sen. Eric Lesser and there was no reason to believe that relationship would not carry over with Oliveira.
“Just listening to the few things you’re talking about now shows you do care about the small communities and really that’s what Granby is, a small community,” Sexton said.
Schools to submit statement of interest to MSBA
Superintendent Stephen Sullivan visited the Selectboard as well and informed them the district was looking to, once again, submit a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to keep the line open for a school renovation or new school building project.
The board had no issue and agreed to continue this effort by end of the discussion. Sullivan explained that annually the MSBA takes statements of interests from interested school districts and potentially can lead to a partnership which provides some reimbursement for school building projects.
“My intention is to continue to submit a statement of interest, so it keeps the conversation open. It keeps an opportunity open should the town decide to move forward with a project at the Junior-Senior High School,” Sullivan said.
The statement of interest being sent this year is 99 percent the same as last year according to Sullivan. He noted the main changes added more specific details to their needs including general repairs, boilers, HVAC and windows.
The statement of interest also has no specific request from the district on if the project would be just a renovation project or a new school building project. If this is pursued further, the MSBA would work with the district in coming up with a feasibility study to identify the best options for either renovating the current building or building a new school as a whole.
“I don’t know if some of it is semantics – I feel like it is – but I think some of the conversations we’ve had between boards, I get the impression that some people may have the opinion that we’re looking for a knock down rebuild. That’s not necessarily what we are looking for,” Sullivan said. “The process with the MSBA starts with a feasibility study that would provide some options.”
In the SOI is also a section where a district submits specific priorities they are looking to resolve through working with the MSBA. Sullivan said the scope of what is in the mind of the district has not changed.
“We feel the building has good bones, but there’s certain areas that are just in need of attention,” Sullivan added.
Sexton agreed with submitting another statement of interest and did not see any reason the town wouldn’t continue this pursuit.
“It keeps us in the game I would say. It’s important that its there if we need it or if we can figure out a way somehow someday,” Sexton said. “Whether its repairs or renovations or a new school, adding out, whatever it may take, it’s good to keep the interest and communication there.”