Voters face override request to fund Rutland budget
Patricia Roy
Special to The Landmark
RUTLAND Voters at the annual town meeting will face a request for a $500,000 Proposition 2½ override in order to fund the fiscal 2022 budget without gutting town services.
In a first-time move, the meeting will be held at 6 p.m. May 8 at the Wachusett Regional High School auditorium.
Just days before the meeting, final numbers are being pulled together by the Finance Committee, which is waiting for an updated school district request, after the state has released state aid numbers.
The town was headed into the town meeting with a deficit of $405,000, according to Finance Committee documents on the town website. With requested increases from the school district and various town departments, this amount jumped to just over $1 million. It was eventually wrestled down to $659,511 through “non-devastating cuts by departments, revenue re-calculations and insurance negotiations.”
Spring back to school going well at Wachusett
Patricia Roy
Special to The Landmark
REGION The April 5 return to classrooms for grades kindergarten through 8 went well, Superintendent Darryll McCall reported to the Wachusett Regional School District Committee at its April 12 meeting.
Classrooms are practicing social distancing at 3 feet, following hand sanitizing protocols and taking mask breaks through the day.
He said students have seemed happy to be back in schools, and there have been only minor problems with busing routes and handling socially distanced lunches in the cafeterias.
Member Maleah Gustafson said she had heard some complaints from parents about kids not wearing masks on buses or eating on buses. Some parents also felt that social distancing at 3 feet between students was inadequate, and that there were concerns about drop-off and pick-up times, as well as navigating between schools.
Kathleen Boynton named new principal at Nashoba Regional High School
The Item
After more than a year, a permanent principal has been named at Nashoba Regional High School, effective July 1.
Kathleen Boynton was chosen from three finalists.
The announcement came from Nashoba Regional School District Superintendent Brooke Clenchy.
Boynton has worked in secondary education for over 25 years. She currently serves as the principal at Reading Memorial High School where she has led initiatives to improve school culture and foster social and emotional learning. In the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Boynton oversaw the transition to a hybrid learning model.
Holden Woman s Club offering scholarship
The Landmark
HOLDEN The Holden Woman’s Club has announced that applications are available for its 2021 scholarship.
The $2,000 scholarship is awarded to a graduating high school senior who is a resident of Holden or is a child or grandchild of a Holden Woman’s Club member and will be attending an institution of higher learning.
Applications are available at the guidance office of Wachusett Regional High School, at the Reference Desk at the Gale Free Library, or by emailing carrollcrs@aol.com.
Completed applications must be received by March 31. Announcement of the award recipient will be made in May so that the recipient can receive the scholarship at the Holden Woman’s Club Annual Luncheon, scheduled for May 20.