NORTHFIELD — Though it had planned to vote on further reductions to next school year’s budget, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee tabled budget discussions last week.
The committee plans to take up the discussion again during its next meeting on Wednesday. The district’s deadline to send a budget to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is June 1, according to Pioneer Director of Finance Tanya Gaylord.
Budget Subcommittee Chair Mike Townsley had asked school administrators to put forth options to further reduce the fiscal year 2021 budget, which was already on track to see a reduction of roughly $303,000. Gaylord then produced a revised budget and sent it to School Committee members in advance of last week’s meeting.
However, after exiting a nearly two-hour executive session during which the committee discussed unrelated matters, School Committee member Jeanne Milton, of Bernardston, moved to table the budget discussion.
Speaking during the public comment period at the start of last week’s meeting, faculty members expressed concerns with the sudden changes to next school year’s budget. Pioneer Valley Regional School Dean of Students Cathy Hawkins-Harrison urged the School Committee not to cut additional money from the budget.
“To be asked to cut even more feels like we’ve gone into the bone,” she said. “I would ask that you really, really think about the sustainability of our school and our school system. We can’t sustain any more cuts and continue to have a thriving, viable school system, which we have right now. But we’ve gotta have some money to do it with.”
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.