Monthly Lunch Menu (PDF)

Monthly School Calendar (PDF)

Our vision at Northfield Elementary School is to introduce our students to the life-long pursuit of knowledge in a caring, safe, and challenging environment responsive to children's learning abilities and needs; and encouraging students to reach their fullest potential.

A Note on the PVRSD FY 2013 Budget Process from the Superintendent

After the November/December annual reorganization of the PVRSD (School) Committee, activity surrounding the building of the FY 2013 budget picks up significantly between December and the public hearing scheduled for February 9^th.  The Budget Subcommittee recently held a meeting to discuss the FY 13 budget process with representatives from our member towns; three of four towns sent representation.  Budget Subcommittee members articulated their understanding of the towns’ tight finances and their own challenge to deliver to students the best educational opportunities possible, emphasizing their acute recognition that the towns’ PVRSD annual assessment cannot break the backs of district taxpayers. It seems timely to provide information about the process that will take place in what continues to be a very difficult economy.  It is important we keep the lines of communication open throughout.  You are invited to both raise questions and concerns, as well as provide thoughts, reactions, ideas, and suggestions to inform the process.  Budget subcommittee meetings are open to the public and will be posted to the district website.  Phone numbers and email addresses can be found, likewise, at the district web site:  www.pioneervalley.k12.ma.us/PVRSD/ or by calling 413-498-2911.  

The PVRSD budget building process can be thought of as divided into two phases:  the expenditure phase and the revenue phase.  From now until the February 9^th budget hearing, the spending needs (expenditure side of the budget) are defined and quantified.  The District Agreement mandates that the budget hearing takes place the second Thursday in February annually.  Unfortunately, at the time of the budget hearing, there is simply not enough information available to the Budget Subcommittee about the level of the various funding sources to determine what the consequent cost to towns would be.  In effect, the budget represents what the school committee believes is needed to run the schools, but cannot be converted into a reliable prediction of the assessments required of each town to fund the budget until later.  

Throughout February and into early March, much more information about the various sources of revenue for the budget becomes available including:  state aid figures, state set minimum contribution requirements of the towns, and refinements of local aid revenue projections.  Accordingly, the Budget Subcommittee can then balance educational need with input from the towns’ select boards, finance committees, and citizens to determine what a reasonable assessment to the towns would be (revenue side of the budget.)  It is only during this period that a decision can be made to keep the budget passed at the budget hearing or reduce it.  State law prohibits increasing the budget above the level passed at the budget hearing.  So, in recent years, the School Committee has always considered it wise to set the budget at the level needed to support existing programs and services at the February meeting, but be able to adjust to a lower number that the towns can support, if needed. 

This year, the towns and the budget subcommittee have agreed to add an additional budget subcommittee meeting between the budget hearing and the school committee meeting at which assessments will be voted. This will allow opportunity expressly for the sole purpose of discussing the capacity of the towns to fund the district budget to inform School Committee’s assessment setting vote at their March 22^nd meeting.  Following the assessment setting vote in March, the budget approval process passes from the district to the towns that use the information in preparing their annual town meeting warrants.  An affirmative vote of three of the four towns determines the district’s operating budget.  Each of the towns vote on their own elementary school’s capital budget while a unanimous vote of the towns is required in support of capital projects at the Central Office or PVRS.

-          -  Dayle Doiron, Superintendent of Schools

    November 22, 2011

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 In keeping with our efforts to reduce paper consumption and duplication, the Principal’s Newsletter and the weekly lunch menu will be available on our web site. A limited number of these documents will be available on the bookcase in front of the office.  The monthly calendar and monthly menu will still be sent home and will also be available on the NES web page. Check out our web page at:

 http://northfield.pioneervalley.k12.ma.us/.

UPCOMING EVENTS 

January 19th Thursday School Committee meeting         7:30 PVRS