Ashburnham-Westminster School Committee Certifies $33.28 Million FY22 Budget

WINCHENDON — March 9, 2021 — Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Committee certifies a $33.28 million FY22 budget, a slight decrease from the prior year. The committee voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the $33,281,425 figure — down $50,874, or 0.2 percent, from fiscal year 2021 — allowing assessments to be sent to member towns Ashburnham and Westminster. Superintendent Todd Stewart announced that opt-in pooled COVID-19 testing through vendor Concentric will begin March 22, with costs after an anticipated May 1 state funding cutoff covered by ESSER funds. Roughly 220 staff members were registered for first-dose vaccine clinics at Heywood Hospital on March 13 and 20. Stewart said a state mandate pushing elementary students to full in-person learning is expected as early as early April, with a community town hall forum scheduled for the following Monday. The committee also unanimously approved an updated Keystone Educational Collaborative Agreement adding Narragansett as a member district, with all approvals due by April 30.