D-S Regional School Committee Discuss Further Cuts

The Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee met yet again on the topic of their budget for the fiscal year of 2012, on Tuesday. The main issue was Sherborn’s ability, in these tough economic times, to carry their share of fiscal responsibility in the regional school district’s budget.

The first topic tackled was the replacement of the wastewater treatment plant at the high school. The regional school district is under order by the state Department of Environmental Protection to replace the treatment plant.

So far the DEP has deferred fining the school district because they are working toward finding a way to replace the plant. Regional School Committee Chair Robyn Hunter said, “Who knows what DEP will do if we stop working with them?”

If the DEP’s order is not met, Superintendent Valerie Spriggs announced at the meeting, that the school district could incur fines from the past three years for up to $1,000 a day. 

The Regional School Committee discovered at the last Sherborn selectmen’s meeting that Sherborn could not enter into an inter-municipal agreement as a way to fund the replacement of the plant, because their town council believed it to be illegal.

The school district’s council disagreed. To expedite the process, Hunter announced that they would bond the project as part of the school district’s operational budget. However, both towns still need to vote in approval of the bond at their respective town meetings. 

Ellen Williamson, regional school committee member, said that she attended Sherborn’s municipal finance committee meetings and was upset to hear several Sherborn residents ask the school committee to use all of their Excess and Deficiency (free cash) fund to pay for the wastewater treatment plant.

She said the impression she received from the Sherborn residents was, “Why are you asking us for money.”

Richard Robinson, committee member, said he heard those statements as well, but he believed that, “they did not carry the day.”

He said he did hear that Sherborn residents asked the school committee to make a compelling case as to why the school district shouldn’t use all their free cash to pay for the wastewater treatment plant.

Members of the regional school committee are reluctant to let their E&D fund fall below four percent of the operating budget because it would affect their bond rating. 

Pete Lamson, a member of the Sherborn Advisory Committee disagreed saying that “no one wants to face those fines” or use all of the free cash at the school district’s disposal.

The school committee voted that night to add another $150,000 to their budget from the E&D fund to ease the Sherborn’s burden. 

Ruth Chamberlin, chair of Sherborn’s Advisory Committee said the extra money helps to move the needle but they still need more cuts. Hunter stated that no one wants to see the kind of cuts needed to provide Sherborn with what they need, especially since they are all in agreement that they want to keep level service for the students.

Spriggs stated that she would “give up book and desk before teachers.”

She believes the teachers are, “so talented and bright,” that it carries through to the students. She added that the quality of education in their district is in the quality of their teachers. 

Williamson suggested a spending freeze for fiscal year 2011 to add money to the bottom line.

Robinson suggested various changes to the budget, such as not rehiring teachers whose contracts are up, cuts in high school instructional materials, defer computer replacements, cut back athletic transportation budget, increase athletic fees and cut the after school athletic programs ten percent across the board. 

The regional school board ended the evening with a commitment to look further into budget cuts while keeping level service.