Mt Greylock Tapping Reserves to Cover High Cost of COVID-19 Expenses

The Mount Greylock School Committee on Thursday learned the financial impact of COVID-19 on the two-town school district.

Business Manager Joe Bergeron laid out the known budget impacts and talked about some of the costs still to come, and the price tag is steep: $680,000 at the moment.

More than half, $355,000 is covered by state grants the district has received, but on Thursday he asked the School Committee to approve pulling up to $325,000 from the district's School Choice and tuition revolver accounts.

The School Committee unanimously approved that suggestion to draw down reserves, which means that, for now, the school district will not be returning to Lanesborough and Williamstown voters with a revised budget request for the 2020-21 academic year.

But Bergeron was quick to note that tapping reserves is not a long-term solution, and given the logjam in Washington, D.C., around COVID-19 relief for state and local governments, the district could be on its own going forward.

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