NORTHFIELD — North County voters emphasized the value of education during their respective annual town meetings, approving the Pioneer Valley Regional School District’s proposed $14.2 million budget despite initial reservations.
Finance Committee and Selectboard members in Northfield and Bernardston, the two towns whose school assessments increased, originally recommended level funding this year’s contributions, which would have led to lower tax rates for residents. However, with all four towns approving the approximately 1 percent increase over this year’s $14.1 million budget, residents saved the district from being forced to cut hundreds of thousands of additional dollars.
Based on the $14.2 million budget, the most up-to-date figures from Pioneer Principal Jean Bacon show the school will lose 12 teachers, the dean of students, one custodian and four instructional assistants. Additionally, one districtwide technical support staff member and the librarian job now held by Fiona Chevalier would be reduced to half-time.
Bacon said previously that there are now 88 total staff members at Pioneer, a number that includes all employees from custodians to cafeteria workers. Forty-five are classroom teachers, according to Bacon.
According to Carol Sacco, president of the Pioneer Valley Regional Educational Association, the local teacher’s union, nine member teachers originally received reduction-in-force notifications (RIFs) or were non-renewed at Pioneer. One teacher was reduced to part time, as was the librarian, Sacco added.
“Last week, two of the previously RIF’d teachers were rehired,” she continued. Sacco suspects the rehiring may have resulted from the slight increase in the approved budget.
However, Bacon clarified the four towns approving the School Committee’s recommended budget would not stop staff reductions from happening, as they were accounted for in the $14.2 million figure. Staff cuts are also due to declining student enrollment.
“The budget that was passed by the School Committee and ultimately approved by the four towns is based on significant reductions in personnel to better match the student enrollment in the district,” she said.
Had the towns voted to level fund their assessments, though, Bacon and Superintendent Ruth Miller agreed cuts would have been even more severe, affecting more staff and programs like band, sports and other student activities and classes that are not required for graduation.
“We would have had to start eliminating programs,” Bacon said. “If the towns had said ‘Take out more,’ that’s the only thing left to cut.”
You can reach Shelby Ashline at: sashline@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 257