To the editor:
On Tuesday, February 18, the Great Barrington Selectboard and Finance Committee will review the school budget. Townspeople should be watching. This is not a case of simple cuts for the $32 million budget. With a 7.3 percent increase, and 8.4 percent to Great Barrington, structural changes need to be addressed.
Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD) has historically provided generous curricula to the county. This cannot continue. In the proposed budget, BHRSD’s three towns will pay $36,844 per student to carry that burden. That amount is charged based on their portion of 816 district students, which is only 70 percent of the 1,036-student body.
If all towns contributed the same amount per student, which would be $28,366, it would be clear that BHRSD was subsidizing choice and tuition towns to the tune of $7 million. This is not fair or sustainable. It is no wonder that the five towns did not want to join BHRSD. Paying $5,000 to choice-in is a compelling discount. Nor would Richmond ever want to join. The tuition-in rate of $10,000 helps to subsidize its own elementary school, as is the case for Farmington River. Further, in the past 10 years, high school students have been choicing-in from a dozen other Berkshire towns at these rates. In addition, BHRSD, alone, carries all personnel liabilities, such as “Other Post-Employment Benefits” (OPEB) on its balance sheet.
Because Great Barrington is bearing 75 percent of the burden and is now pushed to vote in a 2.5 percent tax override, this commercial, educational, and health center of South County will further erode. Bridges, roads, historic buildings, and other infrastructure will continue to be sacrificed. Great Barrington’s school subsidy of $5.2 million is a significant part of its entire municipal budget. Stockbridge’s subsidy is $921,000, and West Stockbridge’s is $838,000 (as shown in the BHRSD allocations below).
Column 1 shows the student body composition by type of student.
Column 2 shows the budgeted revenues of $32 million by student type.
Column 3 is the number of students attending BHRSD; 14 students choice-out, and revenues are netted out.
Column 4 is the revenue per student (or cost per student). As can be seen, the 1,136-student average is $28,366.
Column 5 uses a universal rate per student to re-calculate a new revenue distribution.
Column 6 shows the subsidies of the three district towns and the effect of redistribution. Subsidies are bracketed.
Column 7 are subsidies as a percent of its current allocation.
And a new high school? As much as we want it, it seems impossible under the circumstances. The new proposed budget reflects that we have finally paid off the debt incurred for the lower and middle schools built 20 years ago. This budget does not include any new high school capital expense. Thus, how could we possibly afford to add a new high school?
A comprehensive school discussion needs to take place earnestly. South County towns should weigh in because downsizing BHRSD as a whole is an obvious alternative. Non-district students have always accounted for nearly 40 percent of the high school student body but would be at risk.
Here are some structural changes that should be considered:
Revenue increases
- A universal rate for all students, including tuition-in and choice-in students. As can be seen in the chart, the three BHRSD towns are subsidizing non-district students to the tune of $7 million.
- Finance affordable housing for education. Great Barrington has increased affordable housing by large proportions, beyond all other towns. One recent development brought in over 50 students. While builders receive subsidies, what do the towns and schools receive to provide education and other resources? No official has ever answered these questions.
Cost reductions
- The school could shrink or be right sized, shed choice and tuition-in students, and reduce the administrative overhead. Perhaps the three principals could be consolidated into two, like Southern Berkshire Regional School District. Or depending upon the size, the superintendent could double up to include a principal’s job and have a second principal take the lower and middle schools. Similarly, administrative costs could be downsized to maximize teaching resources.
- The high school could be reimagined with less than 300 students (the district’s three towns have only 274 high school students). MA DESE has approved a new high school for 485 students, but that is already too much. The state target would need to change.
- Reducing the high school size could jeopardize Vo-Tech programs, as those are some of the most expensive facilities in the new high school. However, the state could be pressed to guarantee a number of students in the Vo-Tech programs by providing a subsidy. An alternative is that Vo-Tech could be cut since these programs were not compelling to the eight-town merger discussions.
Sharon Gregory
Former chair of the Great Barrington Finance Committee
Great Barrington
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