The ConVal School Board’s hearings on a petition warrant article concluded last week with support voiced for the proposal, and a warning for the School Board.

After the Sharon hearing Friday, Sharon Select Board Chair Chet Bowles suggested that the petition warrant article has considerable support across the district. 

“I think they’d better get ready,” said Bowles, nodding toward the board. “I think it could pass.”

The article, if passed, would limit spending to a per-student cost of $29,000. Temple board representative Jim Kingston said at Wednesday’s hearing in Temple that per-student cost is about $26,000, not including transportation.

“All told, it comes out to about $31,000 per student,” said Kingston. “Health insurance costs are way up over the rate of inflation, but we’re mandated to cover them.”

“What would the difference of $31,000 versus $29,000 per student make?” asked Gretchen Whitcomb of Temple. Kingston said that it would mean a $4 million cut in the budget.

There were no responses when Board Chair Richard Dunning asked if anyone had signed the petition or who wanted to speak in support of it.

Two evenings later at Sharon Town Hall, Greenfield board representative Curtis Hamilton explained the cuts the board anticipates if the article passed. 

“Our students’ education would be unrecognizable,” said Hamilton. “Consider ConVal without a single athletic program. The compounded reliance on property taxes (to fund schools) is driving taxpayers to the brink. We (on the board) pay property taxes too.” 

No signatories to the petition were present per Dunning’s question about it, but Tyler Seppala of Sharon spoke in support of the warrant article.

Referring to the proposed per-student figure, he said, “$29,000 is extremely high. I’d cut it even lower. I’m voting for the cut.” Seppala said his property tax bill was up, and that his children did not attend schools in the district.

Mike Williamson said that there was a gulf between the per-student cost in the district and tuition charged at certain religious schools.

“We have buildings across the district, and every building requires staff,” said Dunning, adding that unlike independent schools, public schools cannot exclude students.