BUCKLAND — As the Mohawk Trail Regional School District considers which of the 6.5 teaching positions and 12 paraprofessionals to cut in fiscal year 2027, it has been determined that no reductions will be made on the administrative level, if the district wishes to maintain the same level of support for students and staff.
During Wednesday’s public hearing on the proposed $28.9 million FY27 budget, district administrators walked attendees through the increases and cuts made to the budget. The $28.9 million budget represents a 6.41% increase over FY26 and includes a $1.23 million, or 8.55%, increase in assessments to member towns.
Superintendent Sheryl Stanton said administrative cuts were considered, but it was determined that every administrative position in the district is necessary.
“The district has a history of trying to run school buildings without principals or sharing principals across school buildings, and that did not work. Parents want to have a building principal they have contact with,” Stanton said. “We don’t think a reduction in either principals or assistant principals is a feasible decision to make.”
Stanton went on to say the director of pupil services manages special education, 504 plans, IEPs (Individualized Education Program) and Title IX reports, and that work cannot be handed off to another administrator; the curriculum director manages and applies for grants that bring money into the district, and it would be foolish to cut that position; and with Business Administrator William Lataille overseeing two school districts’ finances, reducing his role would be impossible.
“There’s no way in the world that Bill Lataille could do his job in half the time or that we could ever do without him,” Stanton said.
Stanton and Lataille explained that Mohawk Trail’s fixed costs, including health insurance, benefits and staff salary increases that are required by contract negotiations with union personnel, are increasing by 10%, or $2.7 million, in FY27, and the district needs to find other budget lines to cut to limit the increases to town assessments.
She added that instructional costs make up the biggest part of the budget, and since the district has already trimmed other costs as much as possible, instructional expenses are the only ones left than can be cut.
“These budgets, I think, will become, unfortunately, more of the norm as we are encountering high inflation and fixed cost increases and very flat state aid,” Stanton said.
Ashfield will be assessed $3.12 million, Buckland’s assessment comes in at $3.38 million, Charlemont’s payment will be $810,256, Colrain will be asked to pay nearly $2.88 million, Hawley’s assessment is $251,793, Heath’s cost will be nearly $1.02 million, Shelburne’s contribution will be $3.23 million and Plainfield is being asked for nearly $1.23 million.
“This is a very challenging budget cycle that we’re in. I also want to remind people that we are really doing amazing work here in Mohawk Trail,” Stanton said. “There are just amazing things that are happening, and even though the budget is not the numbers that we want, we continue, as the adults, for our children, for our students, really doing amazing work.”
Boris Samarov, a teacher at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School, asked how the district would be able to maintain all existing programming, as administrators claim, with 6.5 fewer teachers and 12 fewer paraprofessionals.
Lataille said that, for example, at Mohawk Trail Regional School, there are multiple teachers per department, and the district can cut one of those and shift classes onto other staff members in the department while keeping the same course options for students.
When asked by attendees if the majority of the positions being cut would be at one school or evenly distributed throughout the district, Lataille said it has not yet been determined which specific positions are being cut. If the budget passes, district administrators will then work more with school principals and staff to determine which employees will be cut.
The complete budget book can be found at mtrsd.org. The budget hearing was recorded and will be posted to the district website.
The School Committee is expected to vote on the budget on Wednesday, Feb. 25.