Gill-Montague School Committee Approves $165,000 Capital Request Submissions to Member Towns

GILL — November 28, 2023 — Gill-Montague School Committee unanimously approves $165,000 in capital requests and updated policies at November meeting. The committee voted 8-0 Tuesday to submit four capital improvement projects to the towns of Montague and Gill for annual town meeting consideration, including a $100,000 Hillcrest Elementary School pavement repair, a $40,000 cafeteria reconfiguration at Hillcrest, a $20,000 Sheffield main office project, and a $5,000 Gill Elementary intercom upgrade. Business and Finance Director Joanne presented a preliminary fiscal year 2025 revenue picture showing a projected increase of just $366,000, or roughly 1.5 percent, largely offset by the loss of approximately $800,000 in expiring ESSER federal pandemic relief funds. Pupil Services Director Diane Ellis announced that contracted speech-language services would resume at Sheffield Elementary in January and that a new full-time physical therapist — a Turner Falls High School graduate with a doctorate in physical therapy — would join the district in January to provide compensatory services for students who missed sessions during a staffing gap. Two public commenters, including elementary librarian Ramona Electronica, urged the committee to support Unit C paraprofessional staff in ongoing contract negotiations, noting many qualify for government assistance despite holding multiple jobs.