Hancock Votes Down Village School
Budget, Future of School Uncertain
By Martha Slater

A bitter cold wind was howling fiercely outside on the morning of Tuesday, March 6 as the voters of the Town of Hancock crowded into the town hall for their annual town meeting. The winds blowing inside the hall were the winds of change, and as a result, the future of the 200 year-old Hancock School is in doubt.

Since the towns of Hancock and Granville currently have a joint school district, known as the Village School, there were two school budget articles for voters to have their say about.

Article 5 asked approval for a budget of $454,393 necessary for the support of that joint school district, in which Hancock’s apportioned amount was $227,197 for the year beginning July 1, 2007. The language of the Village School contract calls for each town to pay a portion of the budget relating to the number of students they send to the school. Projected figures for next year show 68% of the students coming from Hancock and 32% from Granville, but both the Hancock and Granville School Boards agreed to ask voters for a 50-50 split of the costs, feeling that it was the only way to keep costs for taxpayers in both towns under control and still keep the schools open.

After a lengthy discussion period, voters rejected the 50-50 split budget article by a paper ballot vote of 39-29. It was pointed out by several people that a "no" vote didn’t necessarily mean that voters wanted to close the Hancock School. It was a vote on a specific figure.

Hancock student Ember Benotti rose to say, "I love our school because it is small and because of that, we get to do things that other kids can’t do. Our school has been open 200 years. Please help us keep it open."

Article 6 had sought approval of a recommended amount of $780,392 (which included the Granville-Hancock Joint District assessment) for the support of the school for the 2007-08 year. Following the defeat of Article 5, the warned amount in Article 6 was amended downward to $768,835; which was the amount projected by the board if the Hancock School was closed, and all K-12 students were tuitioned out. That was in turn amended downward to $760,835 to reflect lower maintenance costs for the building if it was empty.

A paper ballot to amend the warned amount resulted in passage by a vote of 46-19. The vote on that amended figure resulted in passage of the article by a vote of 37-27.

Hancock School Board chair Jill Jesso-White said that the board would take the vote on the town budget articles as a directive from the town that the Hancock School should probably close and tuition out its students.

Prior to the budget votes, Dan Perera was re-elected as a school director for a three-year term; and WNWSU Supt. Tim Mock answered a number of questions about the role of the supervisory union and its budget and business manager woes over the past several years, special education costs, etc.

Following the school meeting, a bountiful lunch was served by members of the Hancock-Granville Community Church.

Town Meeting

When the town portion of the meeting convened, the crowd had thinned considerably. In short order, Robert Walker was re-elected as moderator. A contest between Jack Ross and Jim Leno for a three-year term on the selectboard resulted in Leno winning the seat by a vote of 29-24. The other vacancy on the selectboard, sought by Cathy Curtis and Richard Andrews, resulted in Curtis winning the seat by a vote of 28-23.

Other officers elected included the town’s first-ever female constable, Geraldine (Jakey) Twitchell; Christine Farr, lister; Geraldine (Jakey) Twitchell, cemetery commissioner; Steve Kittredge, town agent; Jack Ross, grand juror; Elise Carden, auditor; Richard Andrews, road commissioner; and Marge Ross, budget committee member.

Also elected: Geraldine (Jakey) Twitchell, library trustee; Joe Shaw, sexton; Robert Walker, agent to convey real estate; Christine Farr, delinquent tax collector; and Brian Beattie, representative to the board of the Valley Rescue Squad.

Following some discussion about individual items, Article 4, asking for approval of appropriations (totaling $37,835.56) for 11 different agencies that serve the valley, passed on a voice vote.

Voters also approved an article to roll over the remaining balance in the fire truck account to the planning commission account; and another to okay changing the town’s current insurance wording of "Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance" to "a medical insurance plan that is reasonable and affordable."

A discussion ensued about law enforcement coverage, and whether the town’s special police officer Mark Belisle was a town employee or a subcontractor. A proposal to reduce the amount of the special officer line item in the town budget from $12,200 to $4,600 failed. However, a motion to reduce that line item by $750 (to $11,450) passed on a show of hands. The amended town budget of $259,482.56 for 2007-08 for the general and highway funds was then approved on a voice vote.

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