WILBRAHAM – The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District met on March 7 to discuss the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020. The overall budget is projected to be $48 million, an increase of approximately $800,000. The school district is expected to receive $11,890,704 in funding from the state.

The district is composed of 21.2 percent Hampden students, while Wilbraham students account for 78.8 percent. The distribution of students determines the percentage each town pays toward funding the school district.

As a result of the new budget, the debt assessment would increase for Hampden by 2.5 percent and for Wilbraham by 3.2 percent. School Committee member William Bontempi proposed specifying in the town meeting the cost increases in dollars instead of the percent for clarity.

An allotment of $50,000 from the general fund is earmarked to go to building maintenance for Minnechaug Regional High School. Maintenance of the building was a consideration when the building of the high school was approved a decade ago.

"It was a promise made. It was a requirement," School Committee member Rita Vail said of the building maintenance costs.

Two additional math intervention personnel are scheduled to be added to the school district faculty. Superintendent Albert Ganem Jr. said he was, “moving forward with getting those jobs posted."

School Committee Chair Patrick Kiernan brought up that no money had been set aside for social-emotional personnel, which he said nearly every school asked for and which he called a "glaring cry for help from the schools."

"We can't allow some of the real needs in the district to go unfunded," Kiernan said. He called for an increase to the Excess & Deficiency fund from $350,000 to $400,000 to pay for one or two board certified behavior analysts (BCBA) to address the social-emotional needs of students. He proposed the increase come from the towns' free cash funds.

Bontempi said the increase for social-emotional personnel should be run by the finance sub-committee. The rest of the School Committee agreed, and the discussion was tabled.

Maura Ryan, a resident of Hampden, came before the Committee with concerns that while the social-emotional interventions were being discussed, there was no help for academically advanced students. She said some students who act out in class are simply bored and not being challenged enough. Bontempi agreed.

"Truthfully, these are kids with special needs. This is the other side of the spectrum," Bontempi said.

Ryan also raised concerns that the budget is increasing while enrollment falls. According to Ganem, from Feb. 1 to March 1 of this year there was a drop in enrollment of 10 students. He attributed this to seven early graduations, one student who moved out of the district and two students who dropped out. Ganem said the school was working with those two students.

Addressing Ryan’s point, Ganem said that the items in the budget are things the schools need and teachers are asking for.

Earlier, Bontempi had pointed out that nearly half the budget increase is due to operational costs including state-mandated insurance and pensions. Kiernan made a similar point, and said only $150,000 out of the $800,000 increase will go to education, the rest is operational.

Another member of the community complained to the Committee that some Committee members and members of the Advisory Board had a meeting that was not publicly posted, during which the 2020 Fiscal Year was discussed.

"Many, if not, all School Committee members present voiced opinions," which the resident said should have been public. The School Committee said they would take the comment under advisement.