Gill-Montague School Committee Approves Paris-Rome Trip for 22 Students

GILL — February 14, 2023 — Gill-Montague School Committee unanimously approved a student trip to Paris and Rome and voted 7-1 to continue school choice participation for 2023-2024. Latin and French teacher Megan Ben Dixon and special education teacher Jessica Vikula Curtis presented the eight-day, 22-student trip — departing March 10, returning March 17 — which had been postponed from Superintendent Brian Beck's first year due to pandemic travel restrictions. The committee also heard from Finance Director Joanne Trzcienski that the fiscal year 2024 budget vote, required by March 14, faces unresolved variables — including GIC health insurance rates and state aid figures — that together exceed the budget's available cushion within an approximately $24 million general fund. The committee shifted its February 28 meeting to March 7 to allow a budget briefing before the binding vote. Student representative Cena and Beck both flagged that a shared licensed drug and alcohol counselor program with Franklin County Technical School was discontinued after the town ruled cannabis impact fee funds could not legally cover it — leaving students without dedicated addiction support.