WARWICK —The savings related to the closure of the Warwick Community School may be roughly $130,000 less than previously understood by the district.
A financial report from the Pioneer Valley Regional School District Director of Finance, superintendent, and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Overseer Rick Kingsley was shared with the four district town Selectboard and Finance Committees Monday night. The report said the direct savings would be reflected as a reduction of approximately $35,650 from the district budget.
During a budget subcommittee meeting Tuesday, members seemed to indicate they previously understood the direct savings from closing the Warwick Community School would approximate $169,340, and would be reflected in a lower budget assessment.
Opponents to the school’s closure are considering continuing an independent educational program at the Warwick School.
According to Director of Finance Tanya Gaylord, there are more savings from the closure, but she said that money is being reallocated to create equitable education at the two remaining elementary schools.
“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, Superintendent Jonathan Scagel said he and the selectboards held discussions around 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 year was on track to see a reduction of roughly $303,000, including the $35,000 from the Warwick school closure. During Tuesday’s budget subcommittee meeting, budget 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 during the subcommittee meeting. “… 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 additional $64,000.
“We’re just looking at the bottom line,” Townsely said during the meeting.
In discussing the new understanding on the savings, Townsely, who represents Bernardston on the Pioneer Valley Regional School Committee, said he may have considered voting differently. The vote in January was 7-5 in favor of the school’s closure. He was one of the seven.
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, but her numbers proved to be true,” Holloway said Wednesday.
During a Special Town Meeting in March, Warwick residents voted in favor of providing an additional $40,000 toward next year’s budget in hopes of keeping their school open. Ultimately, this offer was not accepted by the district.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.