State proposes school budget for Quabbin Regional School System

By Owen Boss

BARRE — After failing to come up with a budget the majority of the towns in the Quabbin Regional School District could agree upon, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education stepped in and has ordered a nearly 3 percent budget increase that will be in effect until Dec. 1, unless the five member towns can approve a spending plan before then. According to Robert Berlo, director of Educational Services at the school district, the involvement of the state is not uncommon among regional school districts, and when towns are unable to come to an agreement it is then up to the state to step in. “This is what happens in many other districts when something budgetary like this happens,” said Mr. Berlo. “It is one of the banes of being in a regional school district, you need to have the majority of the towns in agreement or the budget will not pass.” According to JC Considine, external relations coordinator for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the states involvement in the budget is commonplace. “It is standard procedure under state law for the department to step in and set a regional school district’s budget when the member towns fail to reach an agreement,” said Mr. Considine. “When this happens, the department will intervene and set a 1/12th budget which is based on the district’s appropriation from the prior fiscal year.” Although the state will regularly install these budgets, Mr. Considine said that towns continuing to disagree past Dec. 1 is uncommon. “If regional members still cannot agree on a budget by Dec. 1st, the department will exercise fiscal control over the district’s budget,” said Mr. Considine. “But its very rare that regional member towns can’t agree on a budget by Dec. 1st.” At a recent special school committee meeting, the state-imposed budget was released showing the impact the increases will have on the surrounding towns. Barre’s assessment decreases $41,886 to $4,027,849, which is an increase of 3.9 percent; Hardwick’s assessment increases $12,245 to $1,888,963, which is a 4.8 percent increase; Hubbardston’s assessment would decrease $35,096 to $3,329,406, an increase of 4.7 percent; New Braintree’s assessment would increase $21,054 to $907,883, an increase of 4.9 percent; and Oakham’s assessment would drop $15,745 to $1,402,912, an overall increase of 2.7 percent. The towns are expected to meet and vote on their school spending plans based on the numbers included in the state’s proposed budget sometime in the coming weeks, and if an agreement cannot be reached by Dec. 1, the recommended budgets will become permanent for the coming fiscal year. oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 1 on 7/12/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 164)