Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 3/9/2023
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM — At a Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) budget roundtable on March 2, leadership from both towns listened as Assistant Superintendent for Finance Operations and Human Resources Aaron Osborne went over the proposed fiscal year 2024 (FY24) budget. The budget had been cut down somewhat from when was introduced at the previous roundtable, and Osborne fleshed out details for the officials.
The total proposed budget for FY24 is $53.29 million, 4.54 percent — or $2.31 million — more than in FY23. Osborne had originally expected a 6 percent increase but was able to narrow it down through offsets, including the circuit breaker account, which contains money the state has reimbursed for previous special education expenses.
“Anything we would do outside of this would be taking away from services,” Osborne said.
Osborne cited several “major” factors that require a budget increase. Among the largest increases the district is facing is a 14 percent increase in out-of-district (OOD) special education placements totaling $488,650. Tuition rates generally go up by 1 or 2 percent each year.
Wilbraham Finance Committee member Joseph Lawless asked if OOD costs can be controlled. Osborne explained that tuition rates are set by the state’s Operational Services Division, and by law, districts must meet the needs of students. One way to reduce OOD placements is to increase the number of in-district special education programs. A total of $127,000 was added to the FY24 budget to do just that, but noted it is an investment that will impact future students, not lower OOD placements this year.
HWRSD has also seen an increase in the number of days substitutes are needed. Osborne said the coronavirus pandemic changed behaviors around illness, resulting in people not working while sick. The $161,000 was added to the budget to cover this “new normal.”
The district has included $100,000 in the budget to address items identified in the Strategic Plan, a guiding document designed to steer the district over the next five years. The district included $50,000 to implement the outcomes of the ongoing equity audit, $25,000 to update the HWRSD website and another $25,000 to fund school level curriculum councils.
Lawless asked about cutting these items, but Osborne told him that “a whole year” was spent designing the Strategic Plan and the district is not likely to “throw it out the window.” Superintendent John Provost said some costs may come in lower than expected and the numbers in the budget are largely placeholders.
The district estimates that the dramatic increases to utility costs will result in 10 percent, or $200,000, more in energy bills. A relatively small increase of 2 percent in the health insurance costs from Scantic Valley Health Trust translates to $104,000 in the budget. Transportation will cost an estimated $129,000 more in FY24, while retirement costs are up $93,000.
One potential offset that did not pan out as hoped is Chapter 70 state aid. Generally, the amount of aid is based on need, but Osborne shared that the “big winners” in the governor’s proposed budget are not the “usual suspects.” He pointed out that three of the top 30 districts on the Chapter 70 list are located on Martha’s Vineyard, a high-income county. He said the calculations are “broken.”
Hampden Advisory Board Co-Chair Doug Boyd agreed, saying, “Something’s clearly out of whack.”
Under the proposed budget, Wilbraham’s assessment is $29.63 million, 6.52 percent more than last year. Hampden has an assessment of $8.69 million, 5.35 percent higher than in FY23.
A separate expense is the capital projects. While elementary and middle school projects are the responsibility of the town in which they are located, projects at the high school are split between the towns according to the regional agreement. Minnechaug Regional High School (MRHS) has five projects proposed for FY24, totaling $428,000. These include classroom projects, updates to network access points for the school’s internet service, camera and security upgrades, replacement railings for the second floor and mini-split air conditioning units for some classrooms. The mini-splits are used to satisfy the individualized education plan of students that require controlled temperatures or humidity levels.
Wilbraham Finance Committee member Michael Tirabassi said the district is “dribbling away” money by installing the air conditioning units instead of upgrading the entire school’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Osborne agreed that the units are a Band-Aid, but said the system upgrade is financially out of reach. Mike Messier, facilities director for HWRSD, said, “It’s not as efficient as we might like,” but it meets the need.
A discussion ensued over the purpose of the MRHS Stabilization Fund, which contains $426,000. The fund was created when the school was built in 2012 as a method of making sure the building did not deteriorate as the previous high school had. Wilbraham Finance Committee member Marc Ducey said the fund was designed to tackle “significant system issues,” such as roofs, doors and computer systems. Boyd said the fund can be used to cover design costs and studies for larger projects, which the district could then ask the district to fund.
The School Committee also talked about the closure of Thornton W. Burgess School, which currently houses some school department offices, and the transitional program for 18- to 22-year-old special education students. While the HWRSD must maintain a working building with utilities until 2035, as per the district’s lease with Hampden, moving the offices and program from the building would save an estimated $175,000 per year. Classrooms at the high school would be renovated into offices. School Committee member Bill Bontempi expressed hesitation regarding renovating rooms that may be needed to educate students in the future, should the district reconfiguration move more students into MRHS in the future.