In a quick reversal, the West Tisbury selectmen agreed Wednesday to pull an article from the upcoming June 2 special town meeting, asking whether the town should withdraw from the up-Island school district. Two of the three selectmen voted last week to bring the question to voters.
The latest version of the budget is just over $10 million, an 8.2 per cent increase over last year. The finance committee and town accountant in West Tisbury say it's too much for taxpayers to bear in the long term.
Amid a discussion of tough choices as the up-Island school committee prepares to vote on a significant increase to the district budget, the up-Island Spanish program came under scrutiny Monday night.
The up-Island regional school committee voted this week to certify a budget for the coming fiscal year of $9.1 million, a 3.5 per cent increase over last year. Increases can be tracked to money that must be set aside for post-retirement benefits for school workers and funds for Chilmark school renovations. Schools are now required to set aside money to cover the cost of future health benefits for employees who will retire.
An up-Island school committee meeting to discuss and approve the annual budget Monday spilled into a heartfelt discussion about security in the public schools following the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., last week.
Taxpayers in Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury will see the cost
of educating schoolchildren rise sharply next year as the proposed
budget for the Up-Island Regional School District goes from $5.9 million
to more than $6.8 million, a 15 per cent increase.
The reasons are much the same as at the regional high school, where
the budget will jump by almost 10 per cent next year. State aid is
dropping, and the cost of insurance is climbing.
West Tisbury and Chilmark Selectmen Collide Over Up-Island School
Study
IAN FEIN
West Tisbury and Chilmark selectmen knocked heads this week over
whether a task force studying the Up-Island Regional School District
should consider closing the Chilmark School.
The dispute could end the task force study before it even begins,
and ultimately unravel the entire regional district, whose future is now
in question.
Just six weeks before the start of a new school year, principals at
both the West Tisbury School and Chilmark School have announced they are
quitting their jobs.
Letters of resignation from Elaine Pace and Carlos Colley forced the
Up Island Regional school committee into an unscheduled meeting Friday
to deal with the doubleheader of departures.
"It's fair to say this was unexpected," said Kathy
Logue, chairman of the regional school board.
Debate Continues on Fair Share in Up-Island School Finances
By CHRIS BURRELL
Voters in West Tisbury will need more than a calculator to sort out
the dispute raging up-Island over school costs.
Less than one week after Vineyard schools leaders unveiled financial
scenarios showing that it would cost West Tisbury more than $600,000 in
one year if it withdrew from the school region, the finance committee is
busily crunching numbers and reaching an entirely different conclusion.
