Regional School Districts
A collection of articles about regional school district funding at the local level sorted by district. Some articles pertain to multiple districts. Please contact us with any articles that you think should be added. [Page in progress.]
ACTON BOXBOROUGH
ADAMS -CHESHIRE
- "We cannot continue to rely on our towns to cover the shortfalls in state funding mechanisms of transportation. (Adams-Cheshire Regional School District hopes for better state funding of regional transportation, 2017)
AMHERST- PELHAM
ASHBURNHAM -WESTMINSTER
- "As local regional school district officials and school committee members begin the early talks for the fiscal 2019 school budget, district business administrator Julie Suprenant is not optimistic about the state helping pay the full amount of bussing costs. (Funds for Buses Causing Stress for Regional Schools, 2018)
- "We are the future of these towns," said Caisse. "And if we don't have the tools of a basic education, we can't give back to the community." (Oakmont Students Rally for Funding After Failed Override, 2017)
ATHOL- ROYALSTON
- "The superintendent of schools for Ralph C. Mahar Regional School and Union 73 has proposed an agreement between the three school districts she oversees and the Pioneer Valley Regional School District to share administrative services as a way to save money. " (Combined school district management proposed in Orange, 2017)
AYER-SHIRLEY
- "Instead of having to allocate that money to transportation, we could certainly have looked at other issues in the district, but we can't," said Superintendent Mary Malone. "That could have been two teaching positions. Those monies could be reallocated to support providing high quality education to students." (Funds for Buses Causing Stress for Regional Schools, 2018)
BERKSHIRE HILLS
BERLIN- BOYLSTON
BLACKSTONE -MILLVILLE
- " Our revenues and offsets continue to erode as Chapter 71 is not fully funded; circuit breaker reimbursement is not fully funded and federal title grants continue to be reduced,” he [School Superintendent Allen Himmelberger] said. “The budget can no longer be offset with end-of-year unrestricted funds and we are being asked to comply with state and federal laws with no additional state and federal funding.” (BMR school board adopts budget, 2018)
BRIDGEWATER -RAYNHAM
CENTRAL BERKSHIRE
- "The increase to the net budget is less than it's been in years," he [ School Committee Chairman Stephen Bannon] said of next year's 3 percent hike. "But I'm unhappy with the minimum local contribution and the [state's] process." (School Committee approves $22 million Berkshire Hills budget, 2018)
CONCORD CARLISLE
DENNIS YARMOUTH
- "Dozens of staff members could lose their jobs and special education would be entirely restructured under a proposed budget that would still increase funding for the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District by nearly $1.8 million. " (Dozens of staff cuts likely under revised D-Y budget, 2018)
DIGHTON REHOBOTH
DUDLEY CHARLTON
- "Mr. Desto said the seven schools, which educate 3,926 students, see an annual fixed cost increase of $1.5 million, while state aid rises by only $100,000. District staff and services are reduced each year to balance the budget but, he said, the “Band-Aid” approach is failing students’ needs." (Dudley-Charlton schools seek $3M override, 2018)
FARMINGTON RIVER
FREETOWN LAKEVILLE
FRONTIER
GATEWAY
GROTON DUNSTABLE
- "We're constantly looking at areas of cuts that will have the least amount of impact to the education quality of the district, but we are going to get to a point where we have exhausted all of those," said Superintendent Laura Chesson. "I'm not sure what we'll do after that." (Some districts take hit in school aid plan, 2018)
GILL MONTAGUE
- In an updated report for the Gill-Montague Regional School District, Superintendent Michael Sullivan discussed the elimination of four faculty positions, the addition of a school resource officer, and ways to manage the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. (Gill-Montague schools prepare for four staff reductions, one school resource officer addition, 2018)
HAMILTON WENHAM
HAMPDEN WILBRAHAM
HAMPSHIRE
HAWLEMONT
KING PHILIP
LINCOLN SUDBURY
MANCHESTER ESSEX
MARTHAS VINEYARD
MASCONOMET
MENDON UPTON
MOUNT GREYLOCK
MONOMOY
MOHAWK TRAIL
- "Those kids still are guaranteed an education, even if it's inconvenient, even if it's expensive. And it's still the state's responsibility to provide it, at least in part. When they don't, they drive a major hole in the budgets of these districts, holes that aren't supposed to be there. " (Let's talk about regional transportation - Tracy Novick, 2018)
NARRAGANSETT
NASHOBA
- "In fiscal 2016, area school systems like Nashoba Regional School District and North Middlesex Regional School District both had to make up for approximately $400,000 in busing costs the state didn't cover." (Funds for Buses Causing Stress for Regional Schools, 2018)
NAUSET
NEW SALEM WENDELL
NORTHBORO SOUTHBORO
NORTH MIDDLESEX
- "In fiscal 2016, area school systems like Nashoba Regional School District and North Middlesex Regional School District both had to make up for approximately $400,000 in busing costs the state didn't cover." (Funds for Buses Causing Stress for Regional Schools, 2018)
OLD ROCHESTER
PIONEER
QUABBIN
- "Those kids still are guaranteed an education, even if it's inconvenient, even if it's expensive. And it's still the state's responsibility to provide it, at least in part. When they don't, they drive a major hole in the budgets of these districts, holes that aren't supposed to be there. " (Let's talk about regional transportation - Tracy Novick, 2018)
- Quabbin schools proposed budget would cut 4 teachers - (Telegram, 2018)
- “Reconsidering a higher and consistent rate of reimbursement for the total cost of student transportation for regional schools would go a very long way in addressing some of the financial concerns identified” in the state’s report, she said, noting State Auditor Suzanne Bump came to a similar conclusion in her department’s study of regional school systems last fall. " (As area rural school districts shrink and costs rise, new state report explores solutions, 2018)
QUABOAG
- “We cut every single year,” said the system’s superintendent, Brett Kustigian. “We’re at the point where, when you cut so many positions, there’s nothing left to cut.” (As area rural school districts shrink and costs rise, new state report explores solutions, 2018)
RALPH C MAHAR
- "A new report from the state’s education department calls the problems facing rural school districts “unique challenges.” Some officials in those small, shrinking systems, meanwhile, see it more as a struggle for survival. " (As area rural school districts shrink and costs rise, new state report explores solutions, 2018)
SILVER LAKE
SOMERSET-BERKLEY
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE
STGRSD
TANTASQUA
TRITON
- "If you were to talk to our city and town counterparts, they would also agree there is absolutely something broken with the Chapter 70 formula," Forget said. "It is underfunded by billions, just from health care and special education alone." (Triton superintendent calls Chapter 70 'broken', 2018)
- "Fully funding transportation is the only way to address or even start to chip away at the budget pressures our regional schools are facing," [Senator] O'Connor Ives said. "Regional schools are having to fight harder than ever before because there is nothing left to trim." (Legislators See Hope for Triton Budget, 2018)
- "Overall, the leadership of school systems, all the way to the parents, are frustrated by these challenges," Tafoya said. "For myself, looking at the performance of the school districts, they are doing a wonderful job given the resource constraints that they have to deal with. (Auditor: No Easy Fix for Regional Schools, 2018)
- Voters in Rowley, Salisbury say no to Triton override, 2018
UPISLAND
WACHUSETT
- "Those kids still are guaranteed an education, even if it's inconvenient, even if it's expensive. And it's still the state's responsibility to provide it, at least in part. When they don't, they drive a major hole in the budgets of these districts, holes that aren't supposed to be there. " (Let's talk about regional transportation - Tracy Novick, 2018)
WHITMAN HANSON
- The committee voted at the Wednesday, April 11 meeting to seek legal representation, on a contingency or pro bono basis, to determine if the panel could or should sue the state for the past 10 years of underfunded regional transportation reimbursements that the state requires, but does not fully fund. They are also seeking other area regional school districts to join in such a lawsuit. (School panel delays final assessment vote, mulls suing state, 2018)
- “We get whacked on transportation,” she [Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ruth Gilbert-Whitner] said. “We can meet with FinComs until we’re blue in the face and it’s not going to matter. … I do think we’re being ripped off on regional transportation and circuit-breaker, and the charges for Charter Schools are killing us.” (School budget certified, 2018)