CHARLEMONT — Hawlemont Regional School District’s 2020 budget cleared its first hurdle Tuesday. School Committee members unanimously approved a $2.047 million budget for next year – a hike of 5.8 percent or $127,000 from this year.
Enrollment is expected to stay fairly flat, at 150 students next year, down from 152 this year.
Superintendent Michael Buoniconti said the budget was leveling out after a couple years of sharper hikes after Heath Elementary closed and diverted its students to Hawlemont.
State government aide contributions are proposed to jump 1.9 percent to $632,782. Transportation money is expected to rise by 1.1 percent to $60,634. The average state increase is 0.7 percent.
The largest cost increase can be attributed to teacher salaries, which are set to rise by $113,793. A couple of new positions have been created for next year, including a part-time behavioral specialist; a math instructional coach, who will spend one day a week at Hawlemont (and the remainder at Mohawk Trail Regional School District); and a paraprofessional. Also, pre-school costs have been folded into this salary increase, as a state grant was not renewed for the district.
Buoniconti estimated that Hawlemont had received that pre-school grant for about a decade. This year is the first it won’t be renewed.
“They giveth and then they taketh away,” Buoniconti said. “Everybody across the commonwealth was outraged that they were taking it away from us. We all know how important preschool is.”
An additional budget increase of $23,156 will go towards employee contractual increases and substitutes, while health insurance costs are expected to increase by $11,833.
A new math program, called “bridges,” is set to cost about $17,000. Costs include a new math coach, who will spend one day a week at Hawlemont (and the remainder at Mohawk Trail Regional District schools) costing the district $10,681; plus math textbooks, are set to rise by $6,300.
District members towns, Hawley and Charlemont, are proposed to see a $20,846 or 2 percent hike in their annual contributions to $1.062 million. Hawley’s contribution will rise 2.04 percent, or $4,773, while Charlemont’s will increase by 1.84 percent to $856,379. Heath will contribute $252,900 in tuition fees. The town is now negotiating an agreement to join Hawlemont’s school district set to go into effect mid-2020.
The superintendent initially proposed a budget increase of 5.99 percent or $130,000, according to January School Committee meeting minutes but settled on a jump of 5.8 percent.
Next, the budget will go to the towns for a vote for approval. Both Charlemont and Hawley townspeople must OK the budget for it to go into effect. The towns’ members said they approve of the proposed 2 percent increase in contributions. Hawley’s Hussain Hamdan and Charlemont’s Marguerite Rancourt said January they are happy with the 2 percent town assessment hike, according to meeting minutes.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.