AMHERST — Close to $3 million in reductions may be needed to bring forward a fiscal year 2027 budget for the Amherst Pelham regional schools that meets the current financial guidelines drafted by the Amherst Town Council.
In a presentation to the regional school committee Dec. 9, Executive Director of Finance and Operations Shannon Bernacchia provided a forecast that to maintain the same level of services as this school year, a $40.6 million budget would be needed. That would mean an increase of $3.53 million, or 9.5%, from the current year’s $37.08 million budget.
Based on these early projections, though, there would need to be cuts of at least $2 million to achieve a $19.74 million assessment for Amherst. Still, that would represent a 7.14% increase in the town’s assessment, or more than double the current advisory for a 3.5% increase.
Bernacchia explained that the budget includes an estimated 18% increase to health insurance, various assumptions around cost of living and step increases for teachers and staff, and expenses associated with maintaining the new track and field.
There is also $850,000 in school choice revenue added in, based on trends in recent years. This year, the middle and high schools have a total of 1,191 students enrolled, with 97 school choice students in the district and 37 school choice students who have left.
The budget also includes a $2.1 million payment related to charter schools, with $489,429 in charter school revenue, and just over $500,000 also paid out to the vocational schools.
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman said the draft of the budget aligns with the district’s broader strategic goals. But she said the budget also has to be developed in a way that it can be adopted by three of the four member towns next spring.
School Committee Chairwoman Sarahbess Kenney of Pelham said she appreciates that Bernacchia put together a high level overview so quickly, setting the stage for a follow-up conversation at the committee’s next meeting on Jan. 5. That conversation will continue at a four-towns meeting Jan. 10, when representatives from Amherst, Leverett, Shutesbury and Pelham will gather.
Amherst representative Sarah Marshall said she would like to see what kind of secondary education program can be provided if $2.97 million in cuts were made, which would get to the Amherst-requested 3.5% increase. Marshall said this information may be “galvanizing” to the public.
Asked to provide a range of increases that may be acceptable for each town’s assessment, Tim Shores of Leverett said he’s not sure that’s possible yet, though a nearly 8% increase, which would come even if $1.6 million were cut from the current budget, is unlikely to get support.
“I am comfortable trying to sell a 7.7% increase, but I am not confident that Town Meeting will approve that,” Shores said.
Pelham representative William Sherr said his concern in suggesting an appropriate assessment increase is that a 6.6% increase for his town, which would be enacted if Amherst’s increase is set at 3.5%, may be too much to ask.
School choice, charter schools
Bernacchia’s budget overview provided some in-depth details about how school choice, charter schools and vocational schools affect spending.
Of the 37 students who leave via school choice, 16 are attending Hopkins Academy in Hadley. Of the 97 coming in, Belchertown leads the way, with 30 students, or more than the next two combined, Montague with 15 and South Hadley with 14.
There are 88 students who have left for charter schools. Of those, 57, or 65%, go to Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion School in Hadley, with the next most, 27, going to Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School in South Hadley.
Statistics show that 29 students leave for Smith Vocational and Agricultural School in Northampton, and seven depart for Franklin County Technical School in Turners Falls.