Phillipston Elementary School Survey 

Since the override failed in Templeton, it seems very likely that the Narragansett Regional School District (NRSD) will empty the Phillipston Memorial Elementary School (PMES) and transfer the students to the new Templeton Center Elementary School this fall. At some point in the future the district might convert it to a pre-k / kindergarten school for district wide and school choice students.

The Phillipston Selectboard wants to learn your thoughts about the options available to Phillipston. Please complete the survey below and return it to the Selectboard Office by June 5, 2019. 

First, please answer these questions. 

1. Do you have children in the Narragansett Regional School District? Yes No a.
If yes, how many children and what grades? _________________________________

Now please read each scenario below and answer the question after each scenario. 

2. Since Phillipston voted to approve the override the town could take the position to have the NRSD school committee not open the new Templeton School this year for "lack of funds" and distribute Templeton's elementary school students between PMES and the High School/Middle School until such funds are available to open the new Templeton Center elementary school and not empty PMES.
  Choose the option that is closest to how you feel:

 Yes, I agree.
 No, I disagree

3. If the NRSD district moves the PMES children to Templeton Center, what should the Town of Phillipston do?
Choose the option that is closest to how you feel:

 Do nothing. Let NRSD empty the school or convert it to a district-wide pre-k /kindergarten school.
  The Town needs to take action to try to stop this change.

4. Some people feel if NRSD moves the children from PMES to Templeton Center, the Town should take steps to keep the children at PMES. Listed below are some potential options available to Phillipston.
Choose the option that is closest to how you feel: 

 Withdraw the PMES elementary school only from the NRSD district. Seek another town or district as a partner.
 Withdraw the PMES elementary school only from the NRSD district. Operate the PMES elementary school ourselves the way Petersham does. (Note: Petersham operates its own elementary school and is part of Mahar Regional School District for grades 7 - 12)
 Withdraw completely (K-12) from the NRSD district. Seek another district as partner.
 School choice Phillipston elementary students to another school district.
 Stay with Narragansett Regional School District. Let the NRSD district send PMES elementary school children to Templeton Center School.

5. If Phillipston’s elementary students go to Templeton Center, the NRSD District or Town of Templeton or the State may require that the Town of Phillipston contribute to the cost of the new Templeton Center School building. This could be $3 - 4 million, requiring Phillipston to undertake long- term borrowing and a property tax increase.

How do you feel about this?
Choose the option that is closest to how you feel:
 That’s okay with me.
 I’m against that.
 It might be okay if we got something back in return, like the NRSD district paying for upgrades to PMES.

6. For the last year, a Phillipston town committee has been evaluating the condition of the PMES school and what updates are needed. An architect identified several issues to address: a new roof, a sprinkler system and some ADA improvements to meet code, moving the kitchen out of the basement, etc. The estimated cost for these upgrades and improvements is $2.25 million dollars, some of which may be covered by grants.

The Town of Phillipston has a history of investing in the PMES elementary school, upgrading the heating system, adding a gymnasium and an elevator, etc., even when it requires borrowing money or raising taxes to pay for it.

Do you think the Town of Phillipston should make these improvements to PMES?
Choose the option that is closest to how you feel:
 Yes, because we need to upgrade the PMES school to keep it up to date.
 Not if the PMES students are sent to Templeton Center.
 Not if the school becomes a NRSD district-wide pre-k / kindergarten.
 Only if the NRSD district shares in the cost because they make it a district-wide pre-k / kindergarten school.
 No, not under any circumstances

7. If the PMES children are moved to Templeton Center and PMES is emptied then we should:
 Choose the option that is closest to how you feel: 
 Take the building back and turn it into a municipal use, such as town offices, senior housing, community center, etc.
 Upgrade it so it can be used by the NRSD district as a school.
 Upgrade it so the Town of Phillipston can use it as a school.
 Don’t spend any more money on it. Maybe we should sell it.

8. If PMES becomes a regional pre-k / kindergarten then who should pay for the required upgrades?
Choose the option that is closest to how you feel: 
 The NRSD district should pay the improvement costs, with Phillipston and Templeton sharing the costs.
 Pay for the upgrades ourselves.

9. We may need to renegotiate the regional agreement. Currently we have 3 seats out of 8 on the NRSD school committee. Templeton has suggested it should be changed to match our proportion of the student population (14% +/-). That would leave us with 1 seat out of 8.
Do you agree with this change? Choose the option that is closest to how you feel: 
 Yes
 No

10. Any other comments?

RETURN TO: Phillipston Selectboard, 50 the Common, Phillipston, MA 01331 by June 5, 2019

The below is shown as presented at Town Meeting. I do not feel it can be presented one way and then try to say, well, it includes this or we did not include debt when we stated 2.5%. It is all included in one article with one dollar amount, same as last year and it shows almost a one million dollar increase in costs.

ARTICLE 26 FY 2019 GENERAL FUND OPERATING (OPEX) BUDGET

Submitted by the Board of Selectmen Majority Vote Required

I move to appropriate the sum of Nine Million Six Hundred Ninety Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Four Dollars and no cents ($9,690,274.00) for the operations of General Government for Fiscal Year 2020, and to meet said appropriation with a transfer of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($250,000.00) from the Ambulance receipts reserved for appropriation, anticipated receipts, and the balance from taxation.

Dept                   Code Name                                             FY 20 Budget

120                     Selectmen (1)                                         $    358,250

130                     Advisory Committee (2)                          $      49,395

 135                    Town Accountant                                     $   193,470

141                     Assessor                                                 $      92,000

147                     Treasurer/Collector                                 $    133,750

155                     IT & Communications                             $    100,000

161                     Town Clerk                                              $    107,250

200                     Police & Dispatch                                   $ 1,340,500

220                     Fire & EMS                                             $    732,750

230                     Emergency Management                        $       1,750

250                     Development Services                            $   162,000

400                     Highway                                                  $    605,001

410                     Building & Grounds                                 $   305,000

420                     Snow & Ice (2)                                         $   147,500

500                     Veterans Service                                      $   104,122

 600                    Senior Services                                        $   152,999

610                     Library                                                      $     79,640

620                     Recreation & Culture                                $       9,750

700                     Debt Service                                             $ 2,590,147

 900                    Insurance & Benefits                                $ 2,425,000

$ 9,690,274

(1) Contains Reserve Transferable by Select Board for CBAs and Merit & Equity Raises

 for Non-Union Personnel

(2) Contains MGL Ch. 40 §6 Reserve Transferable by Advisory Committee for

 "…emergency or unforeseen expenditures..."

Templeton has more than 5,000 registered voters. Templeton needs more than 200 voters to show up for Town Meeting.
No matter what any selectmen stated at Town Meeting, there was more than a 2.5% increase in general government funding for fiscal year 2020.

Article 26 - Annual Town Meeting May 15, 16, 2019:
$9,690,274.00.

Article 21 - Annual Town Meeting May 19, 2018:
$8,220,298.00 + override article 24 of $470,246.00
= $8,690,544.00. If you do the math, it shows it in simple terms, what was stated by a Templeton selectmen at Town Meeting on May 16, 2019 was incorrect.

In closing, remember, you voted for this without many questions. Town government cost increased by nearly one million dollars and school followed; Town Meeting should use their power and vote no on such town increases, if you truly do not want them. Last year, people wanted an override, this year they did not, I only wish they would have said no at Town Meeting!

Just so you are aware;
Swim program for FY 2020:
What was presented in the budget for Recreation & Culture, page 209 - swim director at $1,400.00 per year and swimming assistant x2 at $1,000.00 ($500.00 each) so that is $2,400.00 plus an additional $100.00 under rec / culture supplies / swimming program.

Okay, Templeton Fish & Game club may allow use of it's beach area free for swim program, but there is a cost to the program. Question for all; do you wish to use tax dollars (your money) to teach kids to swim and be comfortable in the water or do you wish it to be fee based, where if you wish to enroll your child in swim program, you pay a fee. What happens to a kid who's family cannot afford the fee? At the end of the day, do you, as a resident / taxpayer, wish to spend some of your money to get kids into the water and know how to swim?

Agenda for next Templeton Selectmen Meeting: Workshop.

Discussion items -
2c. Recreation Fee Schedule.
from the Town Administrator weekly report 5/30/2019:
2.c. (page 32 of your budget document) Recreation & Culture: Other than continual improvement in the work flow of the office, there are no substantial changes proposed.
However, we do recommend that you support an initiative to study the possible conversion of the swimming program from a fully tax funded program to one that might require a partial fee from the participants.

Please let your selectmen know if you wish to have another fee to pay.

Selectmen email - mcurrie@templetonma.gov
                              dhaleybrooks@templetonma.gov
                              jrichards@templetonma.gov
                              tgriffis@templetonma.gov
                              jbennett@templetonma.gov

from Board of Selectmen meeting May 29, 2019:

Part of the public record;
Not only do some selectmen feel they should be paid now (when some ran first / second time, there was no pay) but now paid, they suddenly feel the need to have fewer meetings. Selectmen Bennett was the lone no vote on reducing the number of meetings. Why does anyone volunteer, run for election and then not wish to follow through with responsibilities, such as meetings?

Legislature continues in it's failure to meet their obligation;

This failure causes Templeton to have to pay over $700,000.00 in transportation costs (busing)

So the legislature continues it's practice of not keeping its promises. 

Because the 58 regional school districts in Massachusetts cover larger geographic areas, they face greater costs to ensure all pupils can get to and from each school. The state is, by statute, supposed to fully cover the expenses as a way to help manage the burden, but for years has fallen below the rate of full reimbursement, creating strain at the local level.

The initially proposed 80 percent rate was an improvement over the 60 percent offered as recently as 2012, but senators argued Thursday the growth still does not go far enough.

"It is necessary to show that we are committed to our regional school districts," Gobi said during debate. "This is one thing that helps to keep them going and it keeps a promise. We should not be known as the state that does not keep its promises to its school districts. We are going in the right direction."