https://www.templetonma.gov/1625/Proposition-25-Override-Information
Templeton Watch
All material on this blog is directed to members of the general public and is not intended to be read by my fellow Board members, nor do I intend for any readers to convey such material directly or indirectly to my fellow Board members.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Templeton Override votes this century, beginning 2000.
In case you are not aware or have forgotten, back in February 2020, Narragansett Regional School District, (NRSD) contacted Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) concerning member Town Phillipston notification to the school district on amending the regional school district agreement. DESE stated they could not support any amendment in isolation, as the current agreement was out of compliance in key areas. October 21, 2020, NRSD school committee voted to form a Regional Agreement Amendment Committee. December 7, 2020, 1st meeting of the newly formed RAAC and a process was started to look at the regional school agreement between member Towns Templeton and Phillipston and NRSD, which was to see what changes needed to be made, to be current with state laws and things member towns might like to see in the agreement. March 1, 2023, NRSD school committee reviewed draft regional agreement developed by RAAC on April 18, 2022, with some mandatory changes submitted by DESE. (made language changes in August 2022 and October 2022) Shortly thereafter, the NRSD school committee voted to disband the RAAC. Templeton selectmen did their part and put it to a vote of the people, Town Meeting, on May 10, 2023. Phillipston, the other member town of the NRSD, have so far failed to do their part, put it to the people for a vote, Town Meeting, it is required of the agreement and of state law. How do we have a school assessment when we may not have an agreement that is valid in place? If we go with the 1977 agreement, that covers grades K-12, not grades preK - 12. NRSD is budgeting FY27 PreK - 12. which would line up with a 2004 regional agreement, which is flawed as it never went thru the entire process, it was never forwarded to Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, (DESE).
May 10, 2023 - Templeton annual Town Meeting.
Anyone who has ever had a puppy, should understand this, When you first bring one home, you have to pay attention to them and show them the ways of the home. To sit, where to go and not to go, what to leave alone, how to act (socialize) and most importantly, potty train, so they get to understand when it is time to do some business, they let you know and they go to the door, and many other things in their young formative years. So, could it be that much different with a young child. Watching my nephew with his little girl, getting her to walk, eating, talking (eventually) what is okay and what is not and all those things needed to function later, such as in school. So, when the youngsters get to school in the early years, first, second and third grade, from my old memory, that is where I learned letters, how to use them to make words, sentences and then read them and then basic math, all the things I would need later on, once I understood the basics, I could do stuff on my own (with a little, shall I say assistance from dad) so thinking along those lines, why would first grade teachers be the first thing you cut when trying to make budget dollars work? Why not look to later grades such as grades 11 or 12 teacher (s) why not cut vice principals before first grade teachers? My instinct tells me you cut the stuff for the little ones to play the ole tear drop, heart breaker routine to get what you want, that is to keep the whole pie, without sharing. See, that is my opinion and if you agree, fine, if you do not, that is okay too. I have my list and you can have yours.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Long but important:
- (a) If the budget is not approved in accordance with 603 CMR 41.05(2), the regional school committee shall have 30 days from the date of disapproval to reconsider, amend, and adopt a revised budget. With the approval of the Commissioner, this 30-day period may be extended an additional 15 days. Where the local appropriating authority is town meeting and the annual town meeting is dissolved prior to voting on the budget, the budget shall be deemed disapproved by that member as of the date of such dissolution.
- (b) The revised budget adopted by the regional school committee and the assessments corresponding to such budget may be less than, equal to, or greater than the amounts in the previously adopted budget.
- (c) Within seven days following the regional school committee's adoption of a revised budget, the treasurer of the regional school district shall calculate and certify the assessment of each member and shall transmit the assessments and a copy of the revised budget to the members. Each member's local appropriating authority shall have 45 days from the date of the regional school committee's vote to meet and consider the revised budget.
- (d) The approval of a revised budget shall be as set forth in 603 CMR 41.05(2)(a) and (b). If a local appropriating authority of a member does not vote on the revised budget within the 45-day period and previously appropriated funds for its assessment in an amount greater than or equal to its assessment under the revised budget, that member shall be deemed to have approved the revised budget.
- (f) In a regional school district comprised of two members, if the revised budget is not approved by the local appropriating authorities of both members, the regional school committee shall again reconsider, amend, and adopt a revised budget and shall convene a district-wide meeting in accordance with M.G.L. c. 71, § 16B, at which the revised budget shall be placed before all voters eligible to vote at said meeting. If a majority of voters at this district-wide meeting votes to approve the revised budget, such vote shall constitute approval. If a majority of voters at this district-wide meeting votes to approve a greater or lesser amount for the budget, such amount shall be placed before the regional school committee. If the regional school committee by a two-thirds vote of the full committee ratifies such amount, it shall constitute approval. If the regional school committee rejects such amount, it shall again reconsider, amend, and adopt a revised budget and shall reconvene a district-wide meeting pursuant to the provisions of this section 603 CMR 41.05(3)(f).
- (g) A district-wide meeting convened in accordance with 603 CMR 41.05(3)(f) shall only consider budgets based on the statutory assessment method.
- (h) A regional school committee may reconsider, amend, and adopt a revised budget at any time prior to the approval of a previously adopted budget.
- (i) If a local appropriating authority votes to approve an adopted budget subsequent to the required date for such action but prior to the regional school committee's revision of the budget, such vote shall be deemed valid.
- (j) Whenever a member's assessment is reduced to a lesser amount than previously appropriated by the local appropriating authority, that appropriation shall automatically be reduced to the lesser amount.
- (a) If the annual budget for a regional school district has not been approved by July 1, the superintendent of schools shall notify the Commissioner, and the Commissioner shall establish an interim monthly budget for the regional school district. The interim monthly budget shall be one-twelfth of the regional school district's budget for the prior fiscal year or such higher amount as the Commissioner may determine. The interim monthly budget shall remain in effect until a budget is approved pursuant to 603 CMR 41.05(3) or December 1, whichever comes earlier.
- (b) If a regional school district's budget has not been approved by December 1 of the fiscal year, the Commissioner shall assume fiscal operation of the regional school district pursuant to M.G.L. c. 71, § 16B and shall establish the final budget for the fiscal year. In this event, the Commissioner shall exercise fiscal oversight of the regional school district as provided in 603 CMR 41.07.
- (c) Whenever the Commissioner establishes an interim or final budget for a regional school district under the provisions of this section 603 CMR 41.05(4), the treasurer of the regional school district shall calculate and certify to the members their respective assessments based on the statutory assessment method and using the final or most recently proposed state aid amounts, general fund revenues, and required local contributions for the budget year. Each member shall pay its respective assessment in accordance with the payment schedule in the regional agreement. The appropriation of funds to pay an assessment ordered by the Commissioner under this section 603 CMR 41.05(4) shall not be deemed approval by the member of the district's budget.