Regional Schools to Vote on Budget March 14

Report on the Meeting of the Regional School Committee, March 11, 2025

This meeting was held in hybrid format and was recorded.

Committee Asks for Budget Increase of at Least 4.6%

The Regional School Committee (RSC) rejected a FY2026 budget that increased funds 4% over FY2025 and resulted not only in a $1.3 million shortfall but a loss of over 30 positions. The Fiscal Sustainability Subcommittee of the RSC recommended an increase of 7%, but the smaller towns in the region felt that their residents would not pass the double-digit increases in assessments that would be required at this spring’s town meetings. As a compromise, they agreed to hold assessment increases to no more than 6.5% for each town, resulting in a budget with at least a 4.6% increase and a shortfall of $997,000. This would permit rehiring two high school counselors and four of the five core teachers who were slated to be cut at the middle school, preserving the team structure of the middle school.

In her presentation, Finance Director Shannon Bernacchia cautioned that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) would not allow the region to depart from  the existing agreement between the four towns. In the past, the regional school district had used a combination of the state’s statutory method (based largely on wealth of each community) and a five-year rolling average of enrollment to determine each town’s assessment. Because the formula often resulted in large increases for some towns, guardrails have been applied to limit the increases. Bernacchia said that if guardrails are used, they must be the same for all four towns. 

Her proposed model had Amherst paying 4.03% more, Leverett paying 13.27% more, Pelham paying 22.08% more, and Shutesbury 6.74% more. This model was quickly opposed by Leverett representative Tilman Wolf, who said it would not pass at Leverett town meeting. Leverett representatives had agreed on a 6.5% increase at the February Four Towns Meeting. 

With the past use of guardrails, Bernacchia said that the regional schools have diverged further from the state’s statutory method each year, and she recommended reducing this difference in the future or redoing the regional agreement, which must be approved by all four towns. However, committee members felt it was not reasonable to make up the difference in one year. They instructed her to develop a compromise budget with 6.5% guardrails before their vote on Friday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m..

The proposed budget must be approved by three of the four towns to go into effect. If there is no approved budget by July 1, the school system must use the statutory method for a  month by mont budget until a final budget is passed. Bernacchia said she is prepared to administer the one-twelfth budget if needed.

School Committee Adopts Calendar for 2025-2026 School Year
The RSC voted unanimously to adopt a school calendar for next year with the first day of school being Wednesday, August 27 and the last day June 18, 2026. There is allowance for five snow days, but no day off for Three Kings Day. The winter break begins after a half day on Tuesday, December 23.

Bernacchia Urges Public Support at Joint Ways and Means Meeting at UMass on March 24Bernacchia and Superintendent Dr. E. Xiomara Herman urged school supporters to turn out at the Joint Ways and Means Committee at the Campus Center at UMass where school funding for future years will be discussed.  Bernacchia said that the region could benefit from an increase in state funding from circuit breaker reimbursement for high cost special education services at 100%, transportation reimbursement at 100%, and a major increase to rural school aid. “If we do get all of those things that are in that budget hearing and they are approved, we will see a dramatic difference for FY2027,” she said. “I really want to say that the community, the Town Council, school committee, parents, staff, whomever needs to go [to the March 24 meeting] and stand in solidarity.”