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MARS Board Meeting Minutes
May 10, 2005
Present: Bruce Kaiser, Ginnie McNellen, Mindy Kempner,
Clifford fountain, Gene Carlo, Steve Nembirkov, Stephen Hemmen, Maureen
Marshall, Dee Dee Niswonger
Finance issues:
Health insurance and oil are “killing us”.
Pothole money can be used to make up a budget problem caused by a town’s vote
against the district’s budget.
Rep. Haddad’s presentation of fiscal shortfall at the MASC Day On The Hill does
not agree with what the governor later said about having enough “extra” to
warrant a tax cut. A tax cut would, in the eyes of many, devastate the state’s
ability to meet current responsibilities. A return to the one time rate of 5.95%
would more than pay the losses schools have experienced since 2002.
18 million put into regional transportation and 10 million added to the SPED
circuit breaker would spend the same 28 million in the House budget now designed
to go out to those districts which will not receive growth in the Governor’s
budget, but would reach a much wider population, and be much more effective.
Instead of reaching 67(?) districts it would reach every district, every
community, in the Commonwealth, and make a real difference.
Numbers in Chapter 70 will probably hold.
Strategy:
CALL YOUR SENATORS. We have two weeks until the senate budget comes out on May
18. Every senator in the state needs to hear from all his regional districts
that regional transportation at 18 million, and SPED transportation at 10
million added to the SPED circuit breaker, are absolute essentials. Burn up the
phone lines and get the message out.
Department of Education paper:
We will discuss in detail a proposal from Roger Hatch at DoE at the June 14
Meeting. At present this proposal appears to require local contributions to be
calculated at a more fair rate than currently is the case.
Petersham has voted to join the Quabbin K – 12 district. At least two other
districts are considering, through study groups, consolidation or expansion pros
and cons.
Respectfully submitted by
Dee Dee Niswonger
For More Information Contact:
Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools
P.O. Box 334, Williamsburg, MA 01096-0334
Tel: 413-268-3607
E-mail:
niswonger@comcast.net
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Massachusetts Association of
Regional Schools