Town of Princeton, MA
Princeton Advisory Board
Meeting Minutes
March 3, 2014
John Shipman, AB Chair, called the AB Meeting to order at 6:08 p.m. on March 3, 2014
AB members in attendance: John Shipman, Dave Cruise, George Handy and Jim O’Coin
AB members absent: Joe Lotuff and Wayne Adams
The AB met in a joint meeting with the Princeton, MA BOS. Stan Moss, Chair of the Princeton BOS, called the meeting to order at 6:08 p.m. Other members in attendance were BOS Neil Sulmasy and Edie Morgan and Princeton Town Administrator, John Lebeaux.
The BOS and Advisory Board discussed the proposed Wachusett Regional School District FY ‘15 Budget and the WRSD capital requests. Representing the WRSD: Darryll McCall, Superintendent and Joseph Scanlon, Director of Business and Finance. Princeton WRSD Committee member, Robert Imber, also attended.
The executive staff of the WRSD presented the district’s goals, recent achievements and the FY ‘15 estimate of the town’s required contribution. Questions by AB members were, in part, about the “fairness factor” regarding the school budget. The discussion with the WRSD, BOS and AB centered on 3 core issues:
- Foundation budget - resources needed to educate students in a district.
- Local contribution - amount each town must contribute based on income and property values.
- Ch. 70 formula - state to fill the gap between the foundation budget and the local contribution.
AB members outlined the reasons the formula is believed to be unfair and inaccurate regarding Princeton. It was agreed that the state needs to do an adequacy study to review the original foundation budget and fixing the Ch 70 formula.
AB members participated in a discussion with the Princeton Select Board regarding candidates to fill a vacancy on the Advisory Board.
Minutes of the February 24, 2014 AB meeting was approved.
The AB meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
John Shipman, Chair
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