My Two Cents

I decided to use my column to discuss the pending prop 2 ½ override. I’m not going to tell you how to vote…that’s your choice. I’d rather try to educate you on facts and give my perspective.

While I was still a Selectman, I asked the Rehoboth School Committee members to come before the Selectman to discuss the revision recommendation to the regional agreement. I couldn’t understand why they would not propose an alternative method to assess each member town that was based on student enrollment. They basically said thanks but no thanks…instead wanted the BOS along with Rehoboth Finance Committee and Dighton BOS and Finance committee to discuss with the full school committee at an upcoming meeting. Are you kidding me? Can you spell cluster…because that’s what it would have been. I’ve said this a million times, no one in Rehoboth would have ever agreed to regionalized if we knew then what we know now ( if we knew there would be a different funding formula). The school committee has the ability to asses each town using an alternative method. The one proposed by a committee member on the RAC committee (Regional Agreement Committee), asses each member town based on their respective student population. Since both towns have a elementary and middle school…each town pay for their k-8 students & building (capital costs) and split the highschool based on each town’s student population. If Rehoboth has to pay more, so be it. You now have a starting point. But that hasn’t happened. Why!?!

The fact the town is not able to support its operation budget and school assessment within the revenue stream, is no surprise. Every year for the past several years, the finance committee chair at town meeting would recommend the use of one time monies to pay for recurring budget items (the operational budget). And every year would say that it is not sustainable and its not prudent to do it….it was a way to bridge the gap until a plan was put in place. Eventually that runs out…and here we are. At the end of every other town meeting over the last several years there should have been attempts to find ways to live within the revenue stream. If that was done, the school committee could have come to town meeting with possibly an override request AND a plan. I don’t doubt they need more than was the finance committee approved but come to town meeting with a plan not threats. A very observant and smart young man, recent graduate of DR, asked a great question at town meeting….why isn’t there a summary in the warrant of where all the money is going to? The answer, they don’t have to….it’s an assessment, the town meeting does not vote on the school budget but rather the school assessment. I get it’s the law, we vote on the assessment but why not give town meeting the information? I could probably tell you where a lot of it going, but I’m not on the board asking for the money. The administration/school committee keeps talking about transparency….where? At the time of town meeting, the 40 some odd page school budget was not at the town office (as it was required) nor posted on the regional school’s website. Why not post it with an explanation of where the money is going…in layman terms.

I went to the first night of town meeting….I got in line to speak because I wanted to ask a few questions but also counter some of the “threats/scare tactics” that in my opinion were used. First telling me that my tax rate is low is irrelevant (I’m being nice). If my house was in Dighton, who has a higher tax rate than Rehoboth, I would pay LESS in property taxes. Hence, the reason we are considered a wealthier town…our land/home values are higher ( and income). Just because you think the rate is low does not justify an override. The state is not interested in coming in and running the regional school district. The state can not force the town into an override or force it to pay more than the net minimum required. I think we still live in a democracy where the voters have a say in where their money goes in town.

Then the pink slips starting going out…they had to send out pink slips if there isn’t an approved budget and unknown whether the person’s position will remain in the budget if the override fails. It’s in their contract that they must be notified by June 30th if they don’t have an approved budget. They have to basically pink slip everyone until they have a Plan B in place if the override fails. Even if the override fails, it does not mean everyone who got a pink slip will be laid off or if anyone will be. I don’t know what the 2million override is paying…is it wages? The school committee will then come up with a budget and determine which position if any will be eliminated. They could use E&D money to bridge some of the gap, all of the gap? I don’t know what they have in E&D…they didn’t mention that at town meeting. I also saw, I think on social media, that they suspended all sports…huh? Don’t parents pay for their kids to participate in sports? I’m guessing it’s probably the coach salaries….not sure what sports are still active in the summer months. That’s a good way to get parents attention to vote for the override, threaten the elimination of sports programs….my opinion.

I think someone wrote on social media that if the override goes thru that the money goes into the general fund. That is true, but the override monies can only be used to fund the school assessment…that was the vote at town meeting. The assessment was approved contingent on an override. I got the impression some thought that the town could somehow use for another purpose….they can not. The next fiscal year, the town will have more money from property taxes…basically an additional 40k (2.5% of 2million) from this 2Million override that will go into the general fund to be used to fund the next fiscal year budget.

I don’t like seeing people pit one department against another…its serves no purpose other than to divide the town. We all want a good school system for a lot of reasons regardless of whether we have children in the school system such as a good school system equals stronger home values. I saw someone say they supported the senior center being built. What does that have to do with anything? It was a debt exclusion and when the debt is paid (last year it was paid off) the override is eliminated. Again, pitting one department or issue over another serves no purpose in solving the funding issue. If you think the school needs more funding, you should be able to support the argument based on facts.

And I don’t particularly care what Dighton officials think of our tax rate, our contribution or any other fiscal responsibility in Rehoboth. One has to think why they are so verbal about not having an alternative method that assesses based on student enrollment. So, if you read on social media certain Dighton officials or residents recommending what we Rehoboth taxpayers should do…consider the source.

I looked at the power point presentation from the school….very briefly. I saw a line in there that said they cut 2million already. What they mean to say is they had a proposed budget and then reviewed it, like the town does based on the requests by department managers, and then after reviewing/vetting, they adjusted their proposed budget. They didn’t cut anything, they removed items from the requested budget. Just had to get that off my chest….makes me crazy.

I would have like to see an alternative method in the assessment as part of the plan….each town pays for its respective students….then tell me how much more you need in funding and what you plan to do with the money. I could probably tell where a good chunk is going, I had 12 years between the finance committee and board of selectman to try to get an understanding of the budget….but I suspect the average tax payers has no idea. Let me make this clear, I am not referring to the wealth formula and what the state reimburses to Rehoboth. I can’t change that (although we tried back in 2007). So, Rehoboth will pay more per student because we will continue to get less reimbursement than Dighton. I’m talking about having an alternative method on how you assess each member town.

Again, I don’t doubt they need more than what was recommended by the finance committee….I just don’t know how much more and what the plan is for subsequent years…when the 2 ½ increase isn’t enough to support the budget increase each year. Whether the override succeeds or fails, the day after the vote, the school committee should be working on a plan on how to fund the school budget every year thereafter.