WILBRAHAM — The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District is slated to receive a $92,500 earmark for technology from the state’s budget, provided Gov. Maura Healey signs it.
“We are deeply grateful for this earmark. We really appreciate the collaboration with [state] Sen. [Jake] Oliveira’s office,” said Superintendent John Provost. “[Technology is] an ongoing component of any school budget. It’s absolutely critical to our mission.”
Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Operations and Human Resources Douglas Slaughter explained that the district uses a firewall to protect its network from malicious programs and viruses. The existing firewall is at the end of its life and not upgrading the system could be “damaging or problematic.” A replacement for the firewall was included in the capital plan for a future fiscal year, but having the earmark fund it takes it off the district’s shoulders. Slaughter said any funds left over can be used for other technology expenses.
The district has several other big-ticket items projected in the coming years, including more than $1 million for bleachers at the high school. Slaughter explained that Oliveira’s office reached out to the district asking to see a full list of capital projects not being funded through the towns this year. The senator’s office chose the technology expense for the earmark.
Generating funds from sources outside the town assessments and Chapter 70 state aid has been increasingly difficult for school districts. A few years ago, the district discussed sharing a grant writer with the towns as a method to bring in more funding, but it did not get past the idea stage.
“We’ve had a large challenge the past few years and we haven’t been able to add staff. In fact, we’ve had to cut it,” Provost said about the district hiring its own grant writer.
While the earmarks were included in the state senate version of the budget, there are still steps to take before the district receives it. The state senate and house of representatives have each passed their version of the budget. A joint committee is reconciling the versions, and the final budget will be sent to the governor’s desk.
