AMHERST — Amherst school officials will likely have to make a series of service cuts at the town’s three elementary schools as a result of reduced funding caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A budget prepared in March had the current year’s $23.84 million budget rising by $667,488 to $24.51 million, and preserving all existing programs and staff and expanding the dual-language program, but that spending plan no longer reflects reality, according to school officials.
Superintendent Michael Morris informed the Amherst School Committee at a meeting last week that one scenario for the fiscal year 2021 budget, in consultation with town officials, is that the budget would feature the same amount of spending as the current year.
“For this district, that’s a pretty significant reduction in services,” Morris said.
He added that the fiscal year 2021 budget, which begins July 1, will be the most difficult for the schools, as well as the town and libraries, in many years.
The dual-language program, known as Caminantes, has been expected to add first graders in the fall, after starting with 40 kindergarten students at Fort River School last September. The program is equally divided between primary Spanish speakers and primary English speakers.
The capital budget, in which the schools make major purchases, also will be affected by the reduced spending, Morris said.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman informed the Finance Committee that capital spending will likely only be for purchases of items that are deemed essential, holding off on others.
Bockelman also said that that he is looking at preparing a “one-month” budget that would carry Amherst through July, before having the Town Council adopt a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year through June 30, 2021.
There are still many unknowns, including the precise reduction in state aid and whether there will be any federal aid to offset these losses.
Bockelman said he is not ready to begin putting out numbers for what the town budget would look like, noting that would affect employees and morale, and that people are going to be disappointed in what the budget can accomplish.
“We’re not going to be able to do things we want to do and we’re not going to be able to do things that we’ve always done,” Bockelman said.
The Town Council is scheduled to get revenue and expenditure forecasts May 11 and adopt partial or full-year town, school and library budgets on June 29.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.