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Quabbin committee approves $40.82 million budget proposal after further cuts; towns’ assessments reduced from earlier proposal
Summary
The school committee approved Budget Proposal No. 3 at $40,819,289, after restoring retirement health insurance funding and making program and position reductions; the revisions reduced town assessment increases from earlier proposal levels.
The Quabbin Regional School Committee approved Budget Proposal No. 3, totaling $40,819,289, at its May 8 meeting after the budget subcommittee and administration made additional cuts and adjustments.
The motion to approve Budget Proposal No. 3 — described by the committee as an updated revision after the House and Senate budget signals at the state level — passed on a recorded roll call. The committee recorded all members present voting in favor of the proposal.
Administrators said the revised package restores funding for retired teachers’ health insurance that earlier proposals moved to rural school aid, and makes targeted reductions elsewhere. Business manager Stacy (surname not specified in the record) told the committee staff restored approximately $900,000 for retired teacher health insurance and then sought savings by reducing classroom supplies by half, eliminating software subscriptions estimated to save more than $33,000, cutting $15,000 from athletics uniforms and reducing several positions (including additional cuts in facilities and one other position).
Other adjustments include moving a Chromebook refresh to the stabilization account and transferring an intervention program cost to school choice revenue. The committee also decided to use $750,000 from its Excess and Deficiency (E&D) reserve in the current proposal; the district’s reported E&D balance was discussed as roughly $848,000.
Administrators emphasized that further meaningful cuts would require program changes. The revised budget reduced the projected assessment increases for the member towns compared with the prior proposal: for example, New Braintree’s projected assessment moved from 8.63% to 6.39% under proposal 3; Hardwick’s from 3.75% to 0.95%; Hubbardston from 6.5% to 4.06%; and Oakham from 4.31% to 1.97% (figures shown in committee materials).
Committee members noted continuing uncertainty about state aid levels (including Chapter 70 and Chapter 71 funding) and federal grant availability; administrators said they would monitor state budget developments and return to the committee if material changes occur.
Committee members thanked staff for the granular review and said the reductions reflected “nickel and dime” work to preserve programs while meeting towns’ concerns.
