SOUTH DEERFIELD — Frontier Regional School District officials aren’t expecting to save much on expenses, despite school buildings being closed for the rest of the year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Salaries are still the majority of our budget, so there’s not going to be a ton of savings going into the end of the year,” explained Superintendent Darius Modestow.
At a recent Sunderland Selectboard meeting, Modestow said he does anticipate savings in transportation costs, and noted all non-essential spending accounts have been frozen. He estimated a savings of roughly $10,000 to $15,000.
“We won’t have a firm number of those savings until the end of the year,” he noted.
In addition to salaries, Modestow said food costs haven’t changed significantly as cafeteria staff continue to serve meals to students in need.
“That’s coming out of the revolving accounts. … Those revolving accounts are going to take a hit,” he said. “They’re going to be OK to survive this year, but we’re going to have to see how that rolls over through next year.”
Asked by Selectboard members if there are layoffs on the horizon, Modestow said no, as the majority of staff members are union-represented.
“Those contracts are going to be followed through, and they’re providing education to those students,” he said.
He added that layoffs would put the burden of paying unemployment on the towns.
Modestow said at the meeting that although cost savings will likely be minimal, he hopes the district retains some money that can be carried over to reduce the impact of the pandemic on next year.
Speaking to that, Selectboard members asked Modestow what impact financial uncertainties at the state level will have on the school budget next year.
“(Officials) basically said a lot of it is going to depend on what kind of federal money the state gets,” Modestow said, “and how that’s going to be applied to Chapter 70 funding.”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.