School District Budget Includes 21 Cut Positions

The Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District is facing the prospect of 21 employee reductions as part of the FY’ 2025 Budget. 14 of those 21 positions are teachers. The reductions will likely increase average class sizes.

“This is a somber time,” Superintendent Bill Runey said at the March 12 school committee meeting. “Anger and angst are understandable and while this is of little solace, this is a statewide problem.”

The 2025 budget is $52.1 million, a 4.24 percent increase over the current fiscal year’s budget of $49.9 million.

Runey explained a significant increase in out of district tuition costs for special education students in the last two years. The special education budget will be $4 million higher compared to the current fiscal year. Special education costs account for over a quarter of the total school department budget.

The district is dealing with a $140,000 reduction from the state for regional school transportation.

In addition, D-R’s Chapter 70 funding was increased by “one half of one percent,” Runey noted. That amount is $70,000 more than the current fiscal year. The district has eight more students enrolled compared to the previous school year.

Runey hopes the residents of Dighton and Rehoboth will request their legislators to “dramatically modify the Governor’s budget as it is currently an abomination.”

The meeting can be viewed on Rehoboth Community Television’s website: https://www.rehobothtv.org/show/d-r-school-committee-03-12-2024-6.