D-S Regional School Committee Discusses Budget Transparency

Members of the Dover-Sherborn Regional School Committee, the Dover Warrant Committee and the Sherborn Advisory Committee met to discuss information sharing, budget guidelines and deadlines before the next budget season.

Dave Melville, Dover Warrant Committee member, said the meeting was to, “make sure we’re on the same page.”

Regional School Committee Chair Clare Graham said, that they would be laying out deadlines for when both towns and the region would have budget models to share with each other. She said the Regional School Committee meeting in January and February would be used to go over the budget. 

Graham said, “We need to at least agree to that process.” She said she felt it is important that they have that goal to shoot for.

Dover-Sherborn School District Superintendent Valerie Spriggs said at times she was, “surprised by the turn of events,” last winter during the budget season.

Spriggs said the school committees look to create a budget with level service and this past year the two towns in the region had different ideas about how to do that. “That’s where we come into some difficulties. I can’t turn a deaf ear to one town and listen to the other,” Spriggs said.

Melville said this past year he was surprised to discover, “how much was in play,” regarding the budget. He said they went from, “All sports will be cut,” to, “Hey, we can do this.” Spriggs said the district was also surprised by the late hour reductions. Melville said within the coming year the district should inform the respective towns’ finance committees as to what is on play with the district’s budget during discussions. 

Sherborn Advisory member Ruth Chamberlin said, last year everyone was afraid to discuss the need for a tax override while considering the budget. She said she believes this next coming year an override discussion should be on the table.  “It’s an important discussion,” Chamberlain said.

Graham asked that liaisons from the finance committees should attend as many regional school committee meetings as possible. In return, the town finance committees stated the school committee members should attend their meetings as well.

Sherborn Advisory member, Pete Lamson said, “The more transparency the better.”

Melville added that the district should consider allowing finance committee members to sit on Special Education discussions. He said there is a “myth that items are hidden in the SPED budget.” 

Melville said that although Special Education files are private by law, the liaisons will just be observers, will be educated on what they can reveal in public forum and report back that they are comfortable with how that budget is created. 

Robin Hunter, Regional School Committee member, said because the Special Education is such a high expense the schools should report it quarterly.

To aid in understanding how the district builds their budget, Spriggs suggested that the finance committees of Dover and Sherborn speak with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

Melville also noted that the tension between district and towns was palpable this past year. He believes it happens because the, “finance committees think the schools are holding back,” and the schools believe they are being micro-managed by the towns. 

Hunter said in response that it is difficult because she felt that they delivered a cost efficient budget, but, “our bottom line is higher than what they want.”