WARWICK — The anticipated savings resulting from closing Warwick Community School may be roughly $130,000 less than what was previously understood by the Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee and the district’s four member towns.
A financial report from Pioneer Director of Finance Tanya Gaylord, Superintendent Jonathan Scagel and state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Overseer Rick Kingsley was shared with the district’s four town Selectboards and Finance Committees Monday night. The report states the direct savings will be reflected as a reduction of approximately $35,650 from the district budget.
During a budget subcommittee meeting Tuesday, members indicated they previously understood the direct savings from closing Warwick Community School to be about $169,340, and that the savings would be reflected in lower town assessments.
According to Gaylord, the school district will save more than the $35,650 referenced in Monday’s financial report, but she said that money is being reallocated to create equitable education at the two remaining elementary schools in Northfield and Bernardston.
“This was the message presented at the meeting where it was voted on and it was reiterated even by the towns that wrote letters to the state,” Gaylord said Wednesday.
During the budget subcommittee meeting Tuesday, Scagel said he and the Selectboards discussed ways to decrease the town assessments beyond the previously approved figures in light of the COVID-19 building closures.
“The towns and School Committee and myself as superintendent, we’re all working together to come out of this on the other side,” Scagel said Wednesday.
Scagel said the budget for next school year was on track to see a reduction of roughly $303,000, including the $35,650 from the Warwick school closure. During Tuesday’s budget subcommittee meeting, Chair Mike Townsley encouraged Gaylord and Scagel to find additional ways to make “true cuts” to reduce the overall budget.
“We need to bring that savings figure up,” Townsley said. “We need to make changes that don’t affect the kids, and that are real.”
Members voted to approve further reducing the overall budget by an another $64,000.
“We’re just looking at the bottom line,” Townsley said.
In discussing the new understanding of the savings from closing Warwick’s elementary school, Townsley, who represents Bernardston on the Pioneer School Committee, said he may have considered voting differently. The vote in January was 7-5 in favor of the school’s closure. Townsley was one of the seven in favor.
Adam Holloway, chair of the Warwick Education Advisory Committee, said Diana Noble, one of his fellow committee members and a member of the Warwick Finance Committee, had predicted a true savings of roughly $40,000, but the district’s figures did not align at that time.
“Previously, they said Diana’s numbers were off,” Holloway said Wednesday, “but her numbers proved to be true.”
During a Special Town Meeting in March, Warwick residents voted to provide an additional $40,000 toward next school year’s budget in hopes of keeping their school open. Ultimately, this offer was not accepted by the district. However, opponents to Warwick Community School’s closure are considering continuing an independent educational program there outside of the Pioneer school district.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.