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Date: 1/3/2024
HUNTINGTON — To start this year’s budget process, Gateway School Superintendent Kristen Smidy and Assistant Superintendent and Business Manager Stephanie Fisk presented a report on the financial state of the district to the School Committee at its Dec. 13 meeting.
According to the report, the goal of the Gateway’s budget process is to produce a result that is both responsible and realistic. A responsible budget addresses the various needs of students based on data and individual school and district goals. In order to work with the towns on affordability, a realistic budget would meet student needs through the most efficient use of existing and, as necessary, additional resources.
“We strive to achieve both of these goals with the budget proposal,” Smidy said.
Gateway’s current budget is $17.3 million, with 748 students enrolled as of November, down from 778 last year. Nearly half, 48%, of students come from low-income households, compared to the state average of 42%. A quarter are students with disabilities, compared to 19.4% statewide. High-needs students account for 58% of the Gateway population, compared to 55% statewide.
The only need category that is lower at Gateway than the state average is English language learners, who make up 1.7% of the student body at Gateway, compared to 12% statewide. Fisk said a number of federal entitlement grants are based on this data.
Currently, there are 185 staff in the school. Staff added this year included a kindergarten teacher due to increased enrollment at Littleville Elementary School, funded by state rural school aid payments in fiscal year 2023, and paraprofessionals for various special education needs.
Smidy talked about the need to attract and maintain high quality teachers, as the needs of the students who are enrolled are significant, which she said is the same across the state.
The report shows every town down in enrollment except Middlefield, which added three additional students, a significant percentage increase that will have a large impact on assessments.
Homeschool students in the six towns that make up the district increased from 54 last year to 65 this year. Charter school numbers are also up, while the number of vocational school students going to Smith Vocational and Westfield Technical remained about the same. These numbers will not be finalized until January.
The district has been working on taking a close look at providing specialized transportation for students who qualify as part of their disability. The goal is in 3-5 years to be able to provide specialized transportation with district-owned vehicles.
Currently, the district owns one 14-passenger mini-activity bus; one eight-passenger van, and two six-passenger vans, with one new six-passenger van and one new mini-activity bus on the way.
Competitive grants received this year exceeded $1 million. Not known is the impact of a Barr Foundation grant, how much it will be and how it will impact the budget.
“They want us to use the money for innovation and learning,” Smidy said.
The last payment of $222,000 was made to the Massachusetts School Building Authority in November as payback for closing the elementary schools, and there are two more annual payments of approximately half a million for Gateway’s share of the debt remaining on the school building project.
Future financial needs at Gateway include a new roof for the main campus. Smidy said the district is looking at options on how to finance that expense, which is estimated to be $3 million for a full replacement. She said the district cannot move forward with a request to the MSBA for funding for a new roof, because the roof needs to be 25 years old to qualify, which it won’t be until 2027.
Smidy said something to consider is to ask the towns to take some of the money saved from the MSBA payout and roll it into a capital stabilization account. She said she wants it to be a conversation with the towns.
In planning for the budget, the report listed several areas of focus and concern, such as the need to budget for capital stabilization, the uncertainty of rural school aid and state revenue, the significant increase in out-placed and out-of-district special education tuition, and the last of the federal ESSER funding scheduled to end in September of 2024.
“To keep our budget to only 2.5% [increase] is going to be really hard,” Smidy said.
Fisk said as in the past, the district will use 50%, $421,000, of its excess and deficiencies balance to offset the budget this year. The excess and deficiencies account is like a savings account for the school district.
The administration from each school has begun meeting on the budget. A joint budget and information meeting is scheduled for Feb. 7. On March 6 will be the public hearing on the FY25 budget. A School Committee vote on adoption of the budget will take place on March 13, in time to go to the towns for the Town Meetings in May and June.