A study group to look at regional school district agreement, including what are the steps and process of leaving the district is really no different that the stone bridge study group. It is simply looking at options and the process, whatever it might be, for a town to withdraw from a regional school district. It is not really anything to lose sleep over. Perhaps one thing that will be brought to light is the fact Phillipston selectmen have ignored the agreement completely.
Section VIII in both the 1977 and 2004 versions reads in part:
"Any such proposal for amendment shall be presented to the Secretary of the Regional District School Committee, who shall mail or deliver a notice in writing to the Board of Selectmen of
each of the member towns that a proposal to amend this agreement has been received and shall enclose a copy of such proposal. The Selectmen in each member town shall include in the warrant for the next Special Town Meeting called for the purpose, an article stating the proposal or substance thereof."
Phillipston refused to put it on the warrant for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting. Look at 2024 Annual Town meeting, it was not on the warrant to be considered. The Department of Education has advised that the last agreed upon Regional Agreement remains in place in situations such as these. The district has been in front of the Templeton capital planning committee for a couple things for TES. In short, the last agreed upon Regional Agreement (District, DESE, Templeton, Phillipston) uses the $5,000 threshold. The Draft Regional Agreement's has a threshold of $15,000 which needs Phillipston to put before its voters to either approve or vote down. If voted down, then a RACC needs to be reinstated to discuss the issues that Phillipston has with the draft.
As of right now, they are in violation of any of the Regional Agreements you pick (draft or prior).
Since Templeton is an 85% stake holder in district and the owner of the new elementary school, I believe it to be a good option to look at our options.
Just wanted to point out my belief regarding whose been lacking in this scenario.
ReplyDelete1977 and 2004 are the laest agreements. This is due to a failure of all involved! It is my belief thaat this regional agreement is suppose to be updated/reviewed every 5 years, well you can see how good all 3 parties are aat following rules.
We built TES knowing full well that Phillipston didn't want to pay, or send kids to TES. Then in what I consider a passive powoer play the District decided ono longer use the phillipston school and shuffled all Phillipston elementary stuudents to TES.
That move technically violated both towns wishes but our WEAK Selectboard just allowed for the usage and have been whinning ever since.
Just look at last yeyar as an example. Templeton Selectboard and TA presented a Warrant to Town Meeting. An Article in that Warrant was to fund NRSD, but the TA and Selectboard presented a Article that was $430,000 short even though they knew for months it was deficient. Theye then Blame the $430,000 on NRSD rather than the TA?Chairman who are responsible to presenet aa balanced budget.
This is manipultion in my thinking. Either say yes or no, but No is scary Taxpayers and unknown cause we didn't plan for it
I demand better than we have been given by Mr Currie and Lamontagne.
RTM