In a video meeting on April 13, the Old Rochester Regional Joint School Committee voted to cancel the upcoming April vacation and move the end date of school forward from June 24 to June 18.

Old Rochester Regional School District superintendent Doug White said that while there is a lot of work to be done, “the wisdom of this crowd will get us through this.”

White said beyond changing April vacation, state education administrators are also working to change graduation standards for current sophomores and juniors who will not take MCAS this year. 

White also updated members on how the district’s finances. In the event that Town Meetings are postponed enough that the 2021 budget for the district is not passed by the July 1 deadline, the state will allow the district to operate month-to-month on a twelfth of its 2020 budget.

The state predicts a loss of $5 million in projected education revenue this year, but state lawmakers are meeting tomorrow to discuss this loss and possible solutions. The state will also receive $200 to 250 million from the federal stimulus package just for education, and the state has $3.4 billion in their general rainy day fund if they need more.

To help financially, White said the district is trying to negotiate a new contract with its bussing company that reflects the amount of work it is doing now.

He said that this company furloughed its employees, which are receiving unemployment benefits. Because they are receiving benefits, he said the school district should not pay for unused service and rather pay for just the company’s overhead costs.

The school will also be reimbursed by the state for up to 80% percent of what it pays for transportation.

The district will be paying the same for its custodians in the elementary school and for food services because it funds the meal program

Assistant Superintendent Michael Nelson said that the district will keep making payments to special education health services for out-of-district students so that their learning plans will be disrupted as little as possible.

White said these are “tough times, but we all at least need to be prepared for what happens going forward.”