Status of the FRRSD Regional District Amendment Process
Special to the Otis Observer
March 2025
The process to amend the three-decades-old regional school district agreement between the Towns of Otis and Sandisfield has concluded. Amendments included updates to wording that reflect a current operating district language, as opposed to one in formation. Among the updates are compliance with "one-person, one-vote" requirements for the composition of the District School Committee, and the budget apportionment methodology which defines the relative amounts contributed by each town.
The two-plus-year effort was approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), attesting that the agreement meets all legal and statutory requirements. For the agreement to become effective, approval by both towns’ residents, at annual or special meetings, is required. The various towns’ administrative bodies, select boards, finance committees, attorneys, School Committee, etc. can weigh in with opinions, but the ultimate decision is up to the residents of both towns.
To view the proposed amended agreement, visit the FRSSD website: frrsd.org/district-information/frrsd-regional-agreement.
The Sandisfield Select Board has recommended adoption of the agreement, and you may have received a copy of their statement in the mail. If not, visit the Town of Sandisfield website: sandisfieldma.gov; the home page will have a link to their published statement.
The Otis Select Board unanimously voted to not recommend acceptance of the agreement. Their statement, explaining their objections, appears in this issue of the Observer on page 2.
Jump-starting the approval process, the Farmington River Regional Educators Association recommended acceptance of the amended agreement, even before final approval from DESE was received.
We strongly recommend the residents of both towns familiarize themselves with the pertinent documents, and ask questions at informational meetings, so that they can vote in the best interests of the students, the regional school district, the respective financial interests of both towns, and the residents of both towns.
Based on interviews with key stakeholders and a careful reading of the proposed amendments, we have compiled some additional information that may aid residents in determining their yea or nay vote.
What a YES vote entails:
Otis residents paying more in real estate taxes.
Planned Otis projects, such as expansion of ambulance and police services as well as the early stages of the new library initiative, could be curtailed, postponed, or eliminated.
The new agreement is subject to annual review, including the apportionment section, at the behest of either town. This ability could seriously stifle long-range budgetary and project planning.
What a NO vote entails:
Uninterrupted school functioning under the current agreement with Otis continuing to contribute approximately two-thirds of the regional school budget.
A NO vote could trigger Sandisfield to initiate proceedings to withdraw from the regional agreement. This would, at the minimum, require the posting of a $10 million bond to guarantee the satisfaction of all monetary and other obligations, document that the students would receive an educational experience better than currently offered, and get the approval of DESE (which is historically doubtful, given the fact that the school district would be eliminated).
On a positive note, a NO vote offers the opportunity to revisit the proposed amended agreement in its entirety through the eyes of qualified, independent financial and educational consultants. Their non-biased review and report could pass the smell test of impartiality and would make acceptance by both towns more likely.
