Runey Cheers Cooperation Between DRSSD and Rehoboth

Dighton-Rehoboth School Superintendent Bill Runey is optimistic about the future, particularly the relationship between the regional school district and Rehoboth town officials.

“I could not be more proud of the progress we’ve made by just having leaders in both towns come to the table and have reasonable conversations,” Runey said. “On the heels of my K-8 Withdrawal rebuttal presentation in August, I was committed to making “We Are DR” a reality by assembling a unification “task force” made up of two representatives from each of the following groups: DRRSD School Committee and leaders of both towns.”

At the January 23 Rehoboth selectmen meeting, Chairman Skip Vadnais said the board planned to introduce two warrant articles at the Annual Town Meeting.

One is to amend the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Agreement as to the reporting and dissemination of budgetary information.

"What we're trying to do is find ways of getting better numbers to work with," Vadnais said. "There are dates (in the regional agreement) that aren't reasonable and forces (the school department) to produce figures that are not relevant."

Vadnais said the board will also be aiming to move the Annual Town Meeting from May into June (beginning in 2024).

School committee chairman Chris Andrade, vice-chairman Aaron Morse, Vadnais, and Dighton selectmen chairman Leonard Hull have met with Runey and school business manager Rob Baxter “multiple times to try to strengthen our relationship,” Runey noted. “I am grateful to these leaders as well as my outstanding District Leadership Team.”

The relationship between the school district and the town has been strained, to say the least.

In 2021, the town of Rehoboth filed a seven count civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of Massachusetts against the Regional School District and the School Committee.

The lawsuit alleged the School District and School Committee “violated the terms of the regional agreement with the Town by undertaking and funding capital projects without the approval of Town Meeting, committed fraud and breached its' fiduciary obligations owed to the citizens and taxpayers of Rehoboth.”

Attorneys for the School District subsequently filed seven counterclaims against the Town of Rehoboth in response to the lawsuit. In addition, the attorneys requested a declaratory judgment stating the court has “no authority or jurisdiction to de-regionalize the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District.” 

Runey was pleased the Town of Rehoboth has agreed to pursue mediation as a resolution to pending litigation. 

“The District depends on funding from both towns so it is incumbent upon me to find common ground in support of our students and staff, and I am pleased to report that we’ve started the healing process,” Runey added.