Templeton — The Advisory Committee voted to send demand letters to the Phillipston Select Board and to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) asking Phillipston to pay Templeton approximately $1.5 million that advisory members said represents bonded indebtedness, transportation costs and other incremental expenses tied to Phillipston students attending Templeton Elementary.
Committee members evaluated two calculation approaches during debate: a bond‑share estimate that produced roughly $1.3 million and a per‑pupil extrapolation that produced a higher number. The committee settled on a $1,500,000 figure as the amount to insert into the draft demand letters to the Phillipston Select Board and DESE.
Why it matters: Phillipston sends students to Templeton Elementary under an inter‑district arrangement. Advisory members said Templeton has absorbed capital and operating costs connected to those students and that the town needs reimbursement or a formal commitment to avoid budget shortfalls.
The motion to accept the draft letters with the $1.5 million figure was moved by Liz and seconded by Jacqueline; the committee approved the motion by roll call. The drafts include a 60‑day demand period and state that failure to resolve the claim could prompt legal action and a request to remove Phillipston students from Templeton Elementary.
Committee members discussed pupil counts and calculations during debate. A member noted that “95 students from Phillipston were attending Templeton Elementary as of October 2024,” citing Dr. Casanen’s prior statement to the group; members also discussed transportation route complexity, the town’s share of bond debt and a range of per‑pupil cost measures when choosing the final demand figure.
The committee asked staff to prepare printed copies for signatures and to deliver the signed letters to the Select Board for transmittal to Phillipston and DESE.
“I would like to propose that we submit our recommendation to the Select Board. I would like to propose that we actually ask for $1,500,000,” Advisory member Gabriel said during debate; the motion was approved.