With recent discussion and newspaper articles talking of Templeton, MA being under effort in support of the school district, I find it interesting that the Narragansett Regional school district shows the highest average teacher salaries in the immediate area; if you look at the report on the web site of DESE (department of secondary elementary education, you find NRHS at $76,742.00, Gardner at $69,195.00, Winchendon at $71,029.00, Athol-Royalston at $65,972.00 and Ashburnham-Westminster at $70,190.00. Templeton voters/taxpayers also voted to appropriate (make available) 47 million dollars towards the building of a new elementary school. The other town in the two town school district opted to not support this effort. Templeton residents, you are not under effort in supporting your school (s), in fact, you are providing more funding than even the DESE mandates and have been doing so for a number of years.
Time for that myth to be put to rest.

Yes, we manage our finances well over here in Phillipston??
from the Athol Daily News:

PHILLIPSTON — The town is not putting the cart before the horse — as it has at times concerning town issues — when it comes to a “smelly” situation in the Town Hall Annex.

Instead, Phillipston has decided to draft an article for the annual Town Meeting warrant to address the situation at the annex, and then pursue quotes for the work.

The annex sits between the Phillipston Library and the Phillipston Congregational Church on Templeton Road. The offices housed in the annex include the town accountant, town treasurer, Board of Health, Cemetery Commission and building inspectors. The annex is a pre-1900 post-and-beam construction building, which housed the Highway Department before the new highway barn was constructed.

It was reported that Huhtala Oil & Propane has been called three times over the last year for various repairs to the aging furnace.

Administrative Assistant Kevin Flynn said the chimney is deteriorating, the furnace has melted parts. The blower to the furnace is tied into the light switch for the meeting area, and an electrician has been called to resolve that.

“The furnace is an antique, ready to go to the Historical Society,” said Flynn.

The town is exploring its options: replace the furnace with a new one, which will require extensive repairs to the chimney; switch to a propane-fueled furnace, which will require new venting to the roof; or switch to heating pumps, a multi-zone system. Officials say a switch to heating pumps would allow them to get rid of the oil tank.

Selectman John Telepciak said the voters should decide which way they want to go.

“It smells so bad over there,” said Town Clerk Karen Foley, shaking her head. “It’s bad.”

Others agreed. There are five town employees who work in the building.

Highway superintendent Richard Tenney said “it’s a rusty-oily smell,” and suggested obtaining quotes from several vendors for propane system, heat pumps or oil system.

Telepciak said, “Yes. We need better air, better heat over there.”

Other business

Addressing a concern raised that there might not be enough money in the budget to hold office hours through April, it was determined that there is enough in the payroll account for the Board of Health to work 21 and a half hours per month through the end of the fiscal year.

PHILLIPSTON — Narragansett Regional School Superintendent Dr. Christopher Casavant recently attempted to dispel rumors, including that teachers will be fired and the Phillipston Memorial School shuttered.

“It’s not so,” he said this week during the Selectboard meeting.

Vague information circulating about plans of the Narragansett Regional School District’s District Reorganization Advisory Committee to move Phillipston elementary students to the Templeton Center Elementary School has parents and teachers up in arms. Phillipston is a member of the NRS school district.

Christine Bennett, a member of the Phillipston Parent Teachers Group, read a letter to selectmen voicing concerns. She said a proposal to appropriate the PMS to the entire district for use as the only Pre-K through Kindergarten building would mean all Templeton Kindergarten students (80 percent) would be bussed to Phillipston. And, likewise, all Phillipston students in grades one, two, three, four and five would be bussed to the new Templeton elementary building when it is completed.

“We find this proposal to be completely unacceptable for many reasons,” she said. “Templeton parents were promised their kids would go to school in Templeton” and so were Phillipston parents.

Casavant said the committee put out a call for volunteers in November to serve on an advisory committee to discuss the district’s reorganization, and open meetings have been held for months. At the present time, he said, “We are looking for information — no recommendations will be made. There is no proposal to do what Ms. Bennett just said. The committee will probably vote to do a public forum to hear the public’s concerns.”

Templeton’s application to build a new elementary school was accepted by the Massachusetts School Building Authority in 2007. In 2009, the town voted to approve funds for a feasibility study. The Brooks Property offered to the town in 2010 as a donation was found to be unsuitable.

The Crow Hill site, owned by the state and to be given to the town, was rejected in 2014 due to excessive development costs of $5 to $10 million. Two responses for a third request for proposals for land were rejected due to pricing and suitability for a school in 2014. In 2015, the MSBA approved the plan for a new building at the Templeton Center site, 460 Baldwinville Road, which is currently under construction.

Bennett said Phillipston voted several times not to enter into a regional elementary school agreement.

She said, “The townspeople have invested in the Phillipston Memorial School property every year, and this is why many families choose to live here. Many parents oppose regionalizing the younger students.”

Bennett argued that the young students would spend an “inordinate amount of time being bussed to Templeton. There are already some students riding over half an hour just to get to PMS, it would be much longer going to Templeton.”

She said parents and staff in Phillipston support the PTG, which has been operating for more than 40 years. It provides special programs and opportunities for the Phillipston students, and is supported well by parents and staff.

“We have traditional activities, which would have to be greatly altered or simply become impossible in two buildings so far apart,” said Bennett.

She said the group believes it would lose much of its own support and not gain much from the other town’s parents.

“Our kids will get lost in the shuffle,” she said.

Applause erupted when former Phillipston Finance Committee member Ruth French said, “I want to let Christine know we stand with the PTG and want to keep our children in town.”

Selectman John Telepciak, a member of the advisory committee, said, “The people in Phillipston do not want to enter into an elementary regional agreement.”

In the original plan, Phillipston voted in 2005 not to support a regional elementary school, and all elementary students would be educated in the town that they live in.

The new school is designed to support Pre-K students from both towns (bathrooms in the classrooms; age/developmentally appropriate playground; and with a one-stop drop off/pick up area.

The Alternate Plan proposes all preschool and kindergarten students (regardless of where they live) would attend Phillipston Memorial School; and every first- through fifth-grader (regardless of where they live) would attend the Templeton Center Elementary School. All students in grades 6 through 12, from both towns, will attend Narragansett Middle/High School.

Challenges to the alternate plan include: it is a politically charged issue; repurposing of grade-specific space at the new school; potential dual location drop-off and pick-up issues; and two building transitions for students.

Casavant said that while the advisory committee doesn’t have decision-making abilities, the school committee does.

“They can vote to combine by state statute,” he said.

Casavant said, “People are jumping the gun. They have come up with outlandish things. These are committee meetings held to discuss and gather information. There are nine people from Phillipston and nine people from Templeton on the committee. It is normal to talk about bussing and other options.”

French asked, “The school committee can make the decision, not the town, even though the town agreement is in place?”

Casavant answered in the affirmative.

“I’m trying to quell the craziness in the central office,” said Casavant. “There’s going to be a financial cost to keep the elementary students in Phillipston. It will require more teachers in Phillipston. We need to hire more teachers, more specialists. We wanted to make sure we vetted that out.”

Telepciak said, “I don’t think Phillipston is going to argue there’s going to be a cost.”

Finance Committee member Tom Specht agreed, saying, “Cost isn’t an issue. Phillipston has always stepped forward, passed overrides and been supportive. Even if there’s a cost — leave the kids in Phillipston.”

He noted there is word of a survey, but no vehicle has been decided, whether it be put up on Facebook or on the town website, he said, “not everyone has a computer at home.”

Selectman Terry Dymek said the survey is not binding.

Casavant said, “We’re just trying to get the word out. People are trying to get information. Last year people said there was no trust. This is to get information. We will put hard copies in locations.

Draft survey questions include two options:

Original plan — all Templeton students K-5 are educated in the new elementary school;

Alternate Plan — Templeton and Phillipston students grades 1-5 are educated in the new elementary school in Templeton. All Templeton and Phillipston students PreK to kindergarten are educated in Phillipston.

Other questions will ask where people live and if they use School Choice; and if they support whatever decision the School Committee will make, or whether they have no preference.

Other topics to be considered are: middle school schedule, middle school administration configuration, special education services (case load), busing and change of school start times.

Okay boys and girls, please pay attention and mark this on your calendar: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at 6:00 P.M. in the KIVA. A public forum, information, discussion, questions, ideas. You will have an opportunity to say how you feel about the new Templeton elementary school. Should it be Templeton students only in grades 1 thru 5 or should it be Templeton and Phillipston students grade 1 thru 5? Remember, only Templeton voters/taxpayers are paying for this school. This is your time to let the school committee know how you feel. This is important. This involves your money and your vote. Do not let your voice go unheard.

This is suppose to be a question/concern time. This is the time to speak.

Apr 10, 2018 - 5:30 P.M. at the KIVA

NRSD School Committee 

 PUBLIC INPUT 

NEW BUSINESS
Subject: Presentation of recommendations of the District Reorganization Advisory Committee
Discussion, Information

There is suppose to be a more formal public hearing at a later date as well as a planned survey. This is important, so please attend that hearing, take part in the survey. Have your voice heard!

Make your day: 
Transportation costs for school district listed at $1,176,464.00. The state, by way of legislature appropriation, is suppose to pay all of that. Once again, it looks like they will fail to do so. So, on the backs of Templeton taxpayers, $675,463.00 is to be used to cover those costs. The state has said it will kick in $363,000.00. If the state would honor it's promise, that $675,463.00 could be used for other things and a proposed override could be much lower. Just for clarity,, on the draft budget document for the school district, the Town (s) share of transportation is listed at $811,464.00, split $675,464.00 for Templeton and $136,001.00 for Phillipston. When the regional district agreement is updated, one thing that needs to be change is the number of representatives for the school committee from each Town. Since Templeton pays about 85% of costs, Templeton should have more representation on the school committee. That is something residents really need to watch. 

It was stated at last evenings Advisory Committee meeting "we should follow the law"

My question is; which one?

Templeton taxpayers are spending good money on the "codification" of their Town general by-laws. Perhaps before we go changing any more of our Town by-laws, we let that process play out and see where we stand. I do not feel it makes good sense to make more changes before we get the original mess straightened out first.

Seems like the Advisory Committee fully supported a change to the budget process; then it happened. Careful for what you wish for!


Annual Town Meeting of May 17, 2014 - Advisory Committee recommends:

ARTICLE 20 CHANGE TO THE TOWN BUDGET PROCESS
To see if the Town will vote to change Article IV “Advisory Committee,”
Section 4 of the Town By-Laws to read:
“It shall be duty of the Town Administrator in conjunction with the BOS to consider expenditures and develop a budget for the ensuing fiscal year of the several boards, officers and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as prescribed by the Town Administrator.”; or take any other action relative thereto.
Submitted by the Board of Selectmen 

Advisory Board Recommendation: No Vote: 5-0 

AB Comments: 
The Advisory Board fully supports a change to the town budget process, however, the wording and placement of this suggested by-law change ( replacing an article that deals with the Advisory Board with text that relates strictly to the BOS and Town Administrator) does not seem to make sense and therefore the Advisory Board cannot support the article.


Templeton General Town by-laws:

Article IV - Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Advisory Committee annually to consider the expenditures in previous years and the estimated requirements for the ensuing year of the several boards, officers and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as may be prescribed by said committee. The said committee shall add to such statement of expenditures and estimates another column, giving the amounts which in its opinion should be appropriated for the ensuing year, and shall further add thereto such explanations and suggestions relating to the proposed appropriations as it may deem expedient, and report thereon as provided in section five of Article II.



Article II - Section 5. Warrants for Annual Town Meeting and Special Town Meetings shall be open for a minimum of 14 days before closing and posting the warrants. Passed 5-12-04

section five of article II might be a typo, as section six of article II seems to make better sense; it does not change what is in town bylaws now on the Town website.

Section 6. All articles in any warrant for a town meeting shall be referred to the Advisory Committee for its consideration. The Selectmen after drawing any such warrant shall transmit immediately a copy thereof to the chairman of said committee. A public hearing shall be held, upon all such articles, unless a public hearing by some other tribunal is required by law, and a notice of such hearing shall be given by inserting in the local newspaper. Said committee shall, after due consideration of the subject matter of such articles, report thereon to the town meeting, in writing, such recommendations as it deems best for the interests of the town and its citizens. Copies of the report of the Advisory Committee shall be made available to the voters at least two days before town meetings and at all town meetings.


Article III -Section 4. “It shall be duty of the Town Administrator in conjunction with the BOS to consider expenditures and develop a budget for the ensuing fiscal year of the several boards, officers and committees of the town, as prepared by them in such form and detail as prescribed by the Town Administrator.”
Passed 5-16-13, Approved by A/G 8-22-13. Amended 5-19-14, Approved by A/G 7-2-14