TURNERS FALLS — Members from the Gill and Montague communities are in discussions with local officials on creating a long-term plan for the school district’s viability.
At a meeting in the Montague Senior Center Wednesday night, they settled on several steps, the first of which is a meeting on Sept. 19 where all involved parties will learn more about state funding formulas, Chapter 70 aid and how the district is funded.
The group consisted of representatives from the Gill-Montague School Committee, administrators from the districts and members of the Gill and Montague finance committee and Selectboard. They settled on several future meetings, and are interested in forming subcommittees to tackle certain issues.
“It will be easier to identify what subgroups we need once we figure out what we need to do,” Montague Town Administrator Steve Ellis said.
Wednesday’s conversation was the second of this nature. Those in attendance determined that by discussing the funding formulas and establishing clear goals, they are aiming to get ahead of budget season for the towns and the district.
The group also looked at the current forecast for the next fiscal year for the district, and examined where the district ended the previous fiscal year.
“We’ve got about eight months to do something for fiscal year 2019,” Montague Finance Committee member Michael Naughton said.
Other goals for the group included starting talks with other districts for possible collaboration, and contacting state legislators to make sure they understand the challenges of the district and to see if they think the state is giving the district enough money.