Members (10): Rod, Michelle, Marty, Deb, Bob F., Ed G., Ed M., Jeff, Sue
Guests: Rick Pembroke & Peter Burrows (speakers)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Governor's Lunch is being planned for 3/24 or 3/31. Stay tuned.
• The Rotary District 7870 February newsletter has been published. To read it, click here.
TREX PLASTIC CHALLENGE UPDATE
We are waiting for the update of the Trex program so that we can order the 15th bench which will be given to Union Street School. We have collected 541 pounds of plastic film towards our goal of 1000 pounds for our 16th bench which will be donated to the Springfield Lions Club Dog Park. To date, 13,692 pounds of plastic film (over 6-1/2 tons!) have been removed from the waste stream we started this project in February of 2023, delivered to Shaw’s Supermarket, and heading to Trex Company for recycling. Please continue to bring your plastic film to the Springfield Town Library. Update.... Bench 17 will be given to the Springfield VFW and Bench 18 will be given to Elm Street School. NOTE: We need volunteers to help sort the plastic at the Library. For more info, contact Alan.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
February 24, 2026
No Regular Club Meeting
NOTE: Programs are updated on the club website.
The next board meeting will be at 11 AM on Tuesday, Mar 3, 2026 at Springfield Area Parent Child Training Center. Minutes of the board meetings can be found on the club website. All members are welcome to all board meetings, your input is valued, please come!
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
Club President Sue welcomed all to the Feb. 17, 2026 club meeting held at the Springfield Area Parent Child Training Center. For the thought of the day, she offered this quote attributed to Robert Orben:"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."
BOWL OF LIFE: (members put three things about themselves on paper and place into a bowl and then we try to identify the member)
"A happy event landed my a job." - Sue Dana.
HAPPY EVENTS:
Sue: Saw the sunrise over the ocean in Boston
Sue: She will see her daughter in Boston.
Jeff: Spent Valentine's Day in Burlington with Lisa.
Jeff: Attended Waterbury VT Rotary's "Pie for Breakfast" for event
Deb: Got to see her sister at ex-brother-in-law's funeral
Deb: Participated in a "Feed the Homeless" event
Ed G: Attended his granddaughter's gymnastics.
RAFFLE
The weekly prize of $7 was won by Peter Burrows who gave it back to the club. The big raffle grows to $184.
PROGRAM:
Rick Pembroke, Finance Director for the Springfield School Department and Peter Burrows, Springfield School District Superintendent presented an overview of the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 school budget, outlining key priorities, financial challenges, and the impact on local taxpayers.
Pembroke reported that the proposed FY2027 budget, including the River Valley Technical Center (RVTC), totals $42,654,251, representing a 1.96% spending increase over the current fiscal year.
During his presentation, Pembroke explained that the modest increase reflects careful financial planning amid rising operational costs, contractual salary and benefit obligations, transportation expenses, and inflationary pressures on supplies and utilities. He emphasized the district’s commitment to fiscal responsibility while maintaining strong educational programming and student services.
“The budget process is about making thoughtful decisions that reflect our educational mission and our responsibility to taxpayers,” Burrows said. “We work diligently to manage costs while ensuring our students continue to receive a high-quality education.”
Pembroke also reviewed enrollment trends, state education funding considerations, and cost-containment efforts undertaken by the district. He noted that administrators have worked to identify efficiencies where possible while preserving classroom instruction and core services.
Following the presentation, Rotary members engaged in a question-and-answer session, raising questions about projected tax impacts, long-term capital planning, and strategies to sustain programs in a challenging fiscal environment.
The proposed FY2027 budget will continue to be presented to the Springfield community before being finalized for voter consideration on March 3, 2026.
Community members are encouraged to stay informed and participate in upcoming public meetings related to the budget process. Additional information will be shared through official district communications. For more information about the budget, click here.
PHOTO (L-R) Rick Pembroke, Finance Director for the Springfield School Department and Peter Burrows, Springfield School District Superintendent
This bulletin attempts to give a gist of the meeting. However, it is always better to attend. If you have any complaints about the contents of this bulletin...
