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Regional agreement committee tests cost formulas, aims for broad agreement before June feasibility decision
Summary
Angus Jennings told the committee the RAC has modeled capital cost‑allocation options, circulated a working draft and will seek clarity on contentious issues in next meetings; members plan to brief legislators and await MSBA’s June 24 feasibility decision.
Angus Jennings, lead of the Regional Agreement Amendment Committee, told the Whittier Tech committee the RAC has met monthly since December, collected nine sample regional agreements plus Whittier Tech’s existing agreement, and used an Excel financial model to test several capital cost‑allocation formulas against the 2024 project cost.
"We gathered all those together, put them in a kind of a cloud server, and invited all the members to review them," Jennings said. He added the modeling showed non‑linear impacts — "someone will be better off and someone will be worse off" under different formulas — and that cost allocation, appointment method for school committee members and vote thresholds are the principal areas of division.
Jennings said he circulated a working draft regional agreement to RAC members the previous Sunday and expects the committee to hold multiple meetings in April and May to narrow differences before preparing written recommendations to the school committee, likely in June. He said the RAC's goal is to achieve two‑thirds support on most items and that any issue without 8 of 11 communities in favor will be a stalemate for now.
Committee members praised Jennings’ facilitation efforts. "Angus has done a tremendous amount of effort to kind of structure the process," a member said, noting strong attendance and constructive debate. The superintendent announced Jennings has been appointed Whittier Tech’s new business manager starting August 1.
The committee also discussed outreach to state legislators to explain the regional work and to explore political support for MSBA reimbursement and other funding avenues. Jennings said the group is targeting late May or early June for a legislative briefing. Superintendent and members emphasized the need for state funding to make a major renovation or new building politically and financially feasible.
What happens next: RAC members will continue draft revisions at upcoming RAC meetings, the committee will seek OPM input if MSBA invites the district into feasibility, and members plan to brief legislators ahead of the MSBA board decision expected June 24.
