AMHERST — More money available to support the Amherst elementary schools budget should preserve the instrumental music program, as well as two special education instructors, one at Wildwood School and another at Crocker Farm School, next school year, according to a recommendation from the Amherst School Committee.

With $259,331 in additional support for the $26.71 million proposed budget — following a Feb. 16 Budget Coordinating Group meeting at which town finance officials informed town departments and the schools and libraries that more money would be available to support their operations due to a reduced retirement assessment for Amherst — the committee voted unanimously Monday to direct most of this to maintain positions, including current instrumental music staff, special education positions and a full-time preschool paraeducator.

The Budget Coordinating Group brings together town, school and library officials to ensure an equitable distribution of money across the budgets.

The vote came after interim Superintendent Douglas Slaughter recommended to the School Committee that an instrumental music educator position be eliminated in the fiscal year 2025 spending plan, with a portion of the additional money instead directed toward the Amherst-Pelham regional schools.

The memo “Additional Funding from Town of Amherst for FY25 Budget” from Slaughter advises the committee to save the special education positions, along with a full-time preschool paraeducator, but to cut one of the three instrumental music instructors, meaning strings and band would no longer be offered in fourth grade in the three elementary schools, which also include Fort River School.

Originally proposed as a $26.71 million budget, $777,993 more than this year’s $25.93 million budget, the proposal has been $903,971 short of providing level services.

At the Budget Coordinating Group, there also was announced an extra $195,973 for the regional schools, which depend on assessments from Amherst, Pelham, Shutesbury and Leverett.

Slaughter and his staff suggested that, instead of using all of the $259,331 extra for the elementary schools, a $94,331 portion instead be directed to the regional budget, where 14 teachers and paraeducators who work directly with students at the middle and high schools stand to lose their jobs.

Committee member Jennifer Shiao said that, while in theory she wouldn’t oppose that transfer from the elementary to the regional budget, she couldn’t when cuts are coming at the primary schools. “I’d only be in favor of that if the elementary school budget didn’t need it,” Shiao said. 

Committee member Deb Leonard said she can’t justify that transfer without knowing what it would pay for at the regional level.

The decision on restorations at the elementary school, with that budget to be adopted March 19, came after consultation with administrative staff, with Slaughter writing that the special education teachers and preschool pareducator are “the most impactful restorations to consider.”

“However, since you are also members of the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee and the reductions to expenses needed to meet available revenues are so severe, I am asking you to consider leveraging some of the $259,331 to provide additional resources to the Regional Schools budget,” he wrote.

After the vote, Slaughter said the transfer was still an option he hoped the committee would consider to stave off cuts at the middle and high schools.

The $34.81 million fiscal year 2025 budget for the regional schools remains about $1.59 million below the $36.5 million necessary for level services. That deficit is cut by $195,973 based on Amherst’s higher assessment, also triggering a higher contribution from Shutesbury.

The Amherst School Committee will vote on its budget recommendation March 19. With the music position restored, band and orchestra would continue to start in fourth grade, rather than being delayed to fifth grade next school year, forcing this year’s third grade students to wait an extra year to take up an instrument.

The regional budget will be voted on March 12, with a special meeting Wednesday to discuss aspects of that spending plan.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.