Gill-Montague School Committee Sets March 14 Vote on $27.5 Million FY24 Budget

GILL — March 7, 2023 — Gill-Montague School Committee previews a nearly balanced $27.5 million FY24 budget and a 45-page elementary school building plan. Finance Director Joanne Bleier told the committee March 7 that Chapter 70 state aid came in at just $28,000 above the prior year — roughly $270,000 less than the $300,000 increase that had been built into budget assumptions — forcing reductions that include eliminating one unfilled high school math position and trimming projected school choice and charter expenditures. A two-thirds vote to adopt the budget is required by March 31, with the formal vote set for March 14. Director of Teaching and Learning Gene Powers presented highlights of the educational plan for a potential Hillcrest Elementary renovation or replacement, targeting a March 28 committee vote on the full Statement of Interest before an April 14 MSBA submission deadline; the district previously received a 76 percent MSBA reimbursement on a Sheffield window project. Mid-year iReady data showed 59 percent of K-8 students on track toward typical math growth goals and 53 percent in reading.