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Advisory committee members question validity of regional school agreement with Phillipston
Summary
Speakers at an advisory committee meeting raised concerns about the regional school agreement with Phillipston, questioned whether Phillipston should participate in the district and said state guidance from DESE is limited.
Members of Templeton’s advisory committee and broadcast speakers raised questions about the validity and fairness of the regional school agreement with Phillipston during early June meetings, saying Phillipston’s recent vote against sending students to a new elementary school and unresolved debt-sharing arrangements require clarification.
On the June 16 TCTV broadcast, a speaker said they were of the opinion that the regional school district agreement may not be valid and that parties should either sign the agreement or begin separating, saying: “I don't think we have a valid school district. I don't think we do.”
The broadcast quoted a speaker who said Phillipston voted against sending its students to the new elementary school and that Templeton incurred debt for the school which Phillipston did not pay for in the first year. The speaker described the situation as “messy” and said the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) had limited guidance about resolving the dispute.
The program offered opinions and reported citizen frustration; it did not report a formal Select Board or school committee decision resolving the dispute. No specific statutory citation or court action was referenced on the broadcast.
