WILBRAHAM — At its May 15 meeting, the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee debated the best course of action after the towns voted for different amounts for the school district budget than the committee had approved.
Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations and Human Resources Douglas Slaughter said the amount of money approved for capital budgets at the Hampden and Wilbraham town meetings did not match the amount that had been voted on by the School Committee.
Wilbraham’s Town Meeting had approved a different number for the Kubota TV tractor on the list of capital needs, and Hampden voters had not approved the item at all. Slaughter recommended adjusting the capital budget to remove the amount of the Kubota from the assessments, bringing the figures in line with amount approved by Hampden’s residents.
“We’re being held hostage over $4,716,” School Committee member Sean Kennedy said. He asked if the towns understood that not funding the full amount “would create a crisis in the budget for the School Committee.”
School Committee Chair Michal Boudreau said, “Both towns have to approve the budget. I think it’s really important not to be divisive.” She noted that in years past, Hampden has approved some items that Wilbraham has not.
Kennedy countered that Hampden was the party that had been divisive because if the School Committee did not adjust the budget, the district would need to use a one-twelfth budget. A one-twelfth budget uses the previous year’s budget and is approved on a month-by-month basis.
School Committee member Michael Tirabassi, who questioned Kennedy’s use of the word “crisis,” said that incompatible budgets would trigger a call for new town meetings, rather than moving straight to the monthly budget. Superintendent John Provost explained that if the budget was not agreed upon at the second round of town meetings, the towns would vote together as a single entity. Only if that failed would the district use a one-twelfth budget.
School Committee member Tim Collins said he did not want to risk the towns voting for a less-than-level service operational budget at new town meetings.
Tirabassi said it was “not well understood” that the vehicle was “for snow removal and not for joy riding through trails in the woods.” He acknowledged that the School Committee could have explained the purpose of the equipment better and perhaps included a photo of a “mini snowplow.” However, he said the item could be reintroduced at the fall town meetings.
Kennedy asked why School Committee members had not explained the item’s purpose during Hampden’s Town Meeting.
Provost explained that both towns received the same presentation, and it was the town moderators’ choice whether to use it. Wilbraham Moderator Jane Clark decided to allow Slaughter to present the information, while Hampden Moderator Richard Green felt that it would lead to more questions than it answered. Boudreau reminded Kennedy that it was a tight budget year for both towns.
Kennedy said he did not want to wait for the fall town meetings to try to convince the towns to approve the Kubota. Even if they were to approve it, the price of the equipment might increase by then due to the federal tariffs. Slaughter said the district could use money from its excess and deficiency account or the facilities’ revolving account to purchase the Kubota.
The committee voted to adjust the capital budget amount and purchase the Kubota using money from the facilities’ revolving account.
Ad banners
Falcons Athletic Booster Club President Carrie Lee and Minnechaug Regional High School Athletic Director Steven Burndrett presented the committee with a proposal to sell ad banners to area businesses to generate revenue for the sports programs. Lee said the School Committee approved advertising banners in the gymnasium last year and as of that night, nine banners were displayed.
Lee said that the schools’ operating budget covers 35 to 39% of athletic expenses. The remaining amount is subsidized by the athletic fees in a revolving account with “significant assistance” from the Booster Club.
Kennedy asked how much the banners were expected to raise. Burndrett said as a new pilot, it does not have an exact figure. However, he said several banks support the schools and Bay State health is “a big supporter” of football. Banners could be placed at the football, baseball and junior varsity soccer fields. In the first year, he expects to have 20 banners sold to businesses in area towns, generating $20,000 in revenue.
“We have thousands and thousands of people who come in and out of this campus,” Burndrett said, citing athletics and school events. There are 31,000 individual views of the athletic department’s live stream. With that return on investment, he said the goal would be $40,000 to $50,000 per year.
Tirabassi said he supports the initiative “in spirit” but had questions about what businesses would purchase the ad banners. Kennedy also had questions such as whether businesses that sell cigarettes or restaurants with bars would be allowed to advertise, as those vices are discouraged by the district. Boudreau wondered if there would be limits on how many businesses of a certain type would be allowed, or what to do if a sponsor was a competitor of a district partner.
Tirabassi said the School Committee could use a “global” approach, which would require a new policy to be created. Otherwise, it could approve sponsors on a case-by-case basis. Provost said the School Committee has broad discretion in advertising, but he recommended a case-by-case approach.
When it came to the question of where the funds would be stored, Provost said that existing district policies state that money raised on school grounds is for the “sole benefit” of the schools and needs to be put into a revolving fund. He noted that a central depository would be wise considering there is occasional turnover within the Booster Club and district leadership.
The committee voted to authorize the administration to work out the details with the Booster Club, but retained the authority to approve the banners, including artwork, before being created and displayed.
Student Services
Student Services Director Joshua Dickson reviewed the findings of stakeholder feedback he had received over the past 10 months. He said stakeholders, including families, caregivers, staff and faculty, had a “desire for excellence,” both academic and social-emotional. They wanted students to become “independent, life-long learners able to meaningfully engage with their community.”
Stakeholders also wanted consistent culture, resources, scheduling impacts and staff interactions between schools. Wilbraham elementary schools are structured so students transition between buildings every two years, leading to disruptions among special education students who need consistency.
Keeping students in substantially separate classrooms engaged with general education peers of the same age means that the programs must be duplicated at each of the schools, requiring additional staff, and it can “dilute” support across the buildings, Dickson said.
“Invisible disabilities,” such as ADHD, trauma and anxiety, are on the rise. Dickson said because these are not initially obvious, people can judge actions without understanding the context. Staff and faculty are looking for professional development in data-based decisions and supporting diverse learners, he said.
Dickson said he will be working to develop a multi-year strategic plan based on these findings.
