School Committee prepares for Town Meeting

The School Committee Spotlight Newsletter is published monthly to inform the community about topics of general interest. These Spotlight can be viewed on the District's website at HWSchools.net>District Information>School Committee>Communications or click here.

School budget, Buker playground on tap at Town Meetings

The towns of Hamilton and Wenham will each hold their Annual Town Meetings on Saturday, April 1, 2017. Voters will be asked to approve the HWRSD Fiscal Year ‘18 budget, among other warrant items that are of interest to school families.

Hamilton Town Meeting is Sat. April 1, at 9 a.m. at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School auditorium.

Wenham Town Meeting is Sat. April 1 at 1 p.m. in the Perkins Auditorium at the Bessie Buker Elementary School.

Please plan to attend your town meeting and approve the HWRSD FY18 budget, the work of many months and many committees.

The FY18 HWRSD budget is a level-services budget, which means it continues current programs, services and staffing and does not introduce any new services or programs. The proposed budget, which includes the reduction of 4.0 FTE teaching positions at the high school, represents an increase to the total assessment to the towns of 1.3%.

Also of interest to school families on the Town Meeting warrant in both towns:

• A request to use CPC funds for the playground at Buker elementary school
• A citizen’s petition in both Hamilton and Wenham directing the towns to study the feasibility of using land on Longmeadow Way, adjacent to the High School/Middle School campus, for joint schools or joint recreational use. The school committee was asked at its Feb. 13 meeting to support such a study and voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.

Town elections. Make your voice heard.

School Committee Elections will be held in conjunction with the elections in the Towns of Hamilton and Wenham on April 6, 2017 from 7a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Hamilton Polling Location - Recreation Center located at the rear of the Hamilton-Wenham Library at 14 Union Street in South Hamilton.
• Wenham Polling Location - Wenham Town Hall at 138 Main Street in Wenham.

The ballot will include the election of two school committee members for 3-year terms. Kerry Gertz and Gene Lee, both of Hamilton, are candidates in this uncontested race.

Additionally, the ballot includes the election of two members for a 1-year term. Three candidates are vying in this contested race: Incumbent Stacey Metternick, Joshua Liebow, and Robert Weiner.

The League of Women Voters of Hamilton Wenham hosted a Candidate’s Forum on Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at the Buker Elementary School. Voters wanting to learn more about the candidates are encouraged to attend or watch the forum on cable access channel HWCam, Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 36.

Trust Fund for Retiree Benefits
The proposed FY18 budget for Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District includes an anticipated $40,000 contribution to an OPEB Trust Fund. OPEB stands for other post-employment benefits but generally refers to retiree healthcare benefits. Employees earn these benefits while they are employed by the School District, but they do not receive them until they retire.

Currently, the School District, like many school districts and towns in Massachusetts, covers these costs as part of the annual budget. As a result, the School District’s liability for future OPEB grows each year.
Recent changes by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board require the School District to calculate and accrue the liability for these future expenses. The new requirements are bringing more attention to the growing cost of these retiree benefits.

The two towns have asked the School Committee to consider taking steps to reduce the future liability through a trust fund. This year the School Committee has voted to set aside monies to begin building a trust fund to help cover the cost of current employees benefits when they retire. Working together, the Committee has taken the first step by asking for an appropriation to establish an OPEB Trust Fund.

Thank you to our school supporters!

The School Committee has gratefully accept several donations from the community.

• The Hockey Boosters contributed $4,000 to help offset the cost of user fees for students participating in the hockey program this year.
• The Hamilton-Wenham Cultural Council provide $746 of support to the production of the fall musical at the High School.
• The Friends of Winthrop offset the cost of a 5th grade field trip to the North Shore Music Theatre.
• Also, a thank you to the Friends of Winthrop for the makeover of the teacher’s lunchroom at the school. Members of the Friends donated their time and $1,200 of furnishings and supplies.

The support of our community enhances the experience of our students and staff.