The selectmen's interest is in looking out for the interests of the Wilbraham taxpapers, Selectman Robert Russell said.
WILBRAHAM - Wilbraham selectmen told the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee on Tuesday that they want to see the revenues from the leasing of Memorial School to Cathedral High School to be used to benefit Wilbraham students in the school district.
“Our interest is in looking out for the taxpayers of Wilbraham,” Selectman Robert Russell said.
Selectman James Thompson said selectmen recognize that the regional School Committee has the final decision making over appropriation of the funds.
School Committee member Peter Salerno said the regional School Committee plans to return oversight of the closed elementary school to the Wilbraham selectmen in 2014.
At that point, the selectmen would collect the revenues from Cathedral High School if it continues to lease the property, he said.
In the meantime, the regional school district is collecting revenues from the lease to Cathedral.
Cathedral is paying the regional school district $360,000 per year to lease the closed elementary school for use as its high school.
D. John McCarthy, chairman of the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School Committee, said he wants to make sure the funds are spent equitably between Wilbraham and Hampden while the regional school district is collecting the funds.
Hampden students have sometimes failed to receive the same services as Wilbraham students, he said.
School Committee member Lisa Morace said some funds from Hampden taxpayers were used to prepare to close down the building when it was closed as an elementary school several years ago.
McCarthy said he favors using a portion of the funds from the lease for a capital fund to pay for needed maintenance repairs to the new regional high school in future years and some funds for technology Internet improvements needed to Wilbraham schools.
The regional School Committee will be deciding in future weeks how to appropriate the funds, he said.
“I think we will be able to come up with something that everybody thinks is fair,” McCarthy said.