Gateway Regional Superintendent Kristen Smidy presents the FY25/26 budget at a public hearing on March 5.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter
HUNTINGTON — During a lightly attended public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2025-26 budget of $18.25 million for Gateway Regional Schools, Superintendent Kristen Smidy said the figure represents a 1.57% increase over last year’s budget.
Smidy said the budget is based on certain assumptions, including that Chapter 70 will be $104 minimum aid per student instead of $75 per student. Another important assumption is that Rural School Aid will be at least level funded at $16 million statewide, which brought in $971,000 last year to Gateway. Smidy said a study showed that $60 million in state funding for Rural School Aid would be required to put smaller schools on a level playing field. The amount last year wasn’t finalized until December.
Another assumption is that the district will continue to receive federal and state grants at or close to current levels that totaled $1.5 million last year. Another assumption is that the U.S. Department of Education will continue to operate, which she said is of imminent concern to some districts across the state.
As of the March 1 census, there are a total of 780 students at Gateway Regional, a decrease of 14 students from the census in 2024. The contribution from each town is based in part on its percentage of students, with changes from the previous year reflecting shifts in the numbers of students from each town.
This year’s town assessments are Blandford at $1.63 million an increase of $59,010 over 2024; Chester, $1.71 million, an increase of $60,240; Huntington, $3.12 million, an increase of $44,127; Middlefield, $396,630, the only town with a decrease from last year of $19,634; Montgomery, $1.21 million, an increase of $45,879, and Russell, $2.46 million, an increase of $20,166.
Smidy also talked about out-of-district students who are paying tuition in the amount of $217,000 to attend the vision loss program at Gateway, which also serves seven students from Huntington., and introduced Amy Mason, who runs the program for the district.
Also discussed were the 35 eighth graders who have expressed an interest in attending vocational schools next year, although Smidy said applications aren’t due until April 1. She said that number could fluctuate if students don’t get into the schools or change their minds about attending. The total number of Gateway students currently enrolled in Westfield Technical Academy and Smith Vocational is 92.
Transportation costs are also always a factor in the budget. Smidy said a new contract was recently negotiated at a 12% increase, which she said is lower than the increases many districts are facing.
The spreadsheet with the current figures is available on the Gateway Regional website at grsd.org, under School Committee, budget, 2026, public hearing presentation.
Smidy said once the budget is approved by the towns, if any of these assumptions do not come through, Gateway would be forced to make cuts to staff and programming. “We would need to cut expenses (i.e. staff and programming), because once the budget is approved, we can’t ask for more. I also don’t think that would be fair for the towns as they are balancing the budgets for all of their departments,” she said.
Over the next two years, Gateway Regional will also receive $400,000 from the BARR Foundation to implement innovative practices in the schools, through professional development, student internships and teacher stipends. Smidy said each school has been allocated a portion of the grant.
Smidy described the BARR Foundation as an independent, non-profit that has partnered with Gateway to help the district reach its potential. “It has been a true pleasure to work with that organization,” she said.
At the hearing, Chester Finance Committee member Andy Myers acknowledged Assistant Superintendent and Business Manager Stephanie Fisk for her work on the Gateway budget over the years. Smidy said the public hearing on the budget was her last before she retires at the end of the school year.
School Committee chair Jason Forgue said he is appreciative of the fact that Gateway is looking at a 1.57% increase, when many districts are facing much higher increases and potential layoffs. Smidy said the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents has offered crisis management to districts across the state.
The School Committee will vote on the budget at its regular meeting on March 12, before it goes to the towns for passage at their annual meetings.
