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Select Board debates regional school agreement changes and capital‑cost responsibility
Summary
Board members discussed proposed revisions to the regional school agreement that would change how capital costs are apportioned; a letter from former select board member Craig Rivest urging a regional core‑program solution was entered into the minutes.
The Town of Hampden Select Board spent a substantial portion of its Feb. 17 meeting reviewing proposed changes to a draft regional school agreement and debating how capital costs would be apportioned between member towns.
Speaker 4 described a proposed rewrite that would assign capital costs for district‑level equipment and property based on each member town’s three‑year rolling foundation enrollment for grades served at that property. The provision drew concern from some board members who said Hamden already pays about a 21% operating assessment to the region and should not be expected to absorb deferred capital work on a building the town does not own.
Former Select Board member Craig Rivest submitted a written letter urging the town not to assume significant capital responsibility under the agreement’s current structure and to pursue a true regional solution through the state’s core program, including unified location, governance, ownership and long‑term capital planning. Speaker 1 read Rivest’s letter into the record and the board voted to include it with the meeting minutes.
Board members reported that Wilbraham (transcript: 'Wobraham') officials have characterized Hamden’s position on capital costs as causing strain in negotiations; Hamden officials said their primary objection is to paying for long‑deferred capital repairs on facilities owned by another town. The board agreed to continue discussions at an upcoming joint meeting and expected school‑committee representatives to participate in the next session.
No formal vote on the regional agreement was taken at this meeting; the board anticipated further joint meetings and possible town‑meeting action once changes are finalized.
