HAWLEY — Voters in this town of 325 residents will be asked to approve an operating budget decrease and to approve changes to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District agreement that would enable Rowe to join the school district and Heath to close its elementary school and tuition its students to Hawlemont.
The meeting, in the Town Office, begins at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 8.
The $975,898 budget request represents an overall $2,859 (3 percent) savings over the current budget, which is $978,757.
Despite some spending increases, Hawley’s costs for vocational education is projected to drop from $100,000 this year to $45,000 in the coming school year.
Costs that have risen within the budget include: the Hawlemont school assessment by $19,261, up from $244,416 to $263,677; the Mohawk assessment, up $19,085 from $154,716 to $173,801; highway salaries, up from $111,450 to $128,000.
All eight Mohawk member towns are to vote on articles for regional agreement changes that would make it possible for Heath to close its elementary school building and tuition its children to the Hawlemont Regional School — a move that Mohawk officials believe would save the Mohawk school district about $1 million over the next five years, with the savings to increase after Mohawk has finished paying off a $240,000 lease termination settlement to Heath.
If the measure is approved, Hawlemont would have the stability of additional students and revenue that is not dependent upon School Choice, according to Superintendent Michael Buoniconti.
The Hawlemont tuition agreement is for about $10,000 per Heath student, with the Mohawk district to cover transportation and special education costs for Heath, for as long as that town remains a K-12 member of Mohawk.
Heath is interested in becoming part of the Hawlemont district, but the three-year tuition agreement, which could be renewed, provides a “bridge” during which the towns and school officials can discuss further regionalization of the elementary school.
The article about adding Rowe to the Mohawk district as a member town is similar to what town meeting voters approved last spring. However, it would allow Rowe to join Mohawk starting in July 2018.
Rowe is also voting on whether to join Mohawk on Monday night — at the same time as Hawley votes.
The largest spending request on Hawley’s warrant is an article to spend $30,000 of the town’s “free cash” reserves to make next year’s required payment for the purchase of the used fire pumper truck and a one-ton truck.