ALFORD -- In a swift annual town meeting, voters passed all articles and approved the town's $2,003,930 operating budget for the next fiscal year.
Among the articles town voters signaled support for during the meeting on May 13 were an allocation of $15,000 to replace the fence between the transfer station and the Town Hall, and $54,969 in spending for Southern Berkshire Ambulance at a 48.3 percent increase over this year.
Voters also approved a spending increase for the Southern Berkshire School District, bringing the town's contribution to $504,539.
That line item received the most discussion from voters, said Selectman Bruce Schreiber.
Before the meeting, the Select Board sent a list of questions to the district's superintendent, Beth Regulbuto. Among the questions asked were how many students are in the school district, how many students choice in and choice out, whether the transportation and teachers contracts signed and how are those costs figured in the budget the School Committee passed in March.
"The questions were asked in the town meeting because there is a perception in the town, and we're not the only town, that there was a lack of transparency in how the district is being operated," Schreiber said. "We wanted to be able to ask direct questions and get direct answers."
The superintendent responded in writing. As of April 30, 613 students were enrolled in the Southern Berkshire School District, with average class sizes ranging from 11 to 24 students, Regulbuto said.
Eighty-four students were in the district because of school choice, and 142 left the district through school choice, as of October 2024.
Regulbuto said there was "one responsive and responsible bidder" at the second bid opening for the district's transportation contract. That contract is under review by counsel for both the vendor and School Committee's approval, she said.
Negotiations are ongoing with the Unit A and Unit D staff associations, Regulbuto said.
"Our finance chairwoman asked her repeatedly in different ways how we could be receiving a line item budget to vote on if the teachers' contract is not negotiated," Schreiber said. "We were told there's money in there for a potential raise."
Other articles approved by town voters include:
* $461,263 to operate Alford Link
* $150,000 to repair and improve Alford highways
* $20,000 to buy a zero-turn lawn mower
* Transferring $40,000 from free cash and $82,000 from retained earnings to the Alford Link Enterprise Stabilization Fund