The Chilmark select board this week proposed a one-time plan to pay for the regional high school renovation project.
With state support for a major renovation to the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School now within reach, the Chilmark select board this week proposed a one-time plan to pay for the project to assuage tension over the way the six towns split the cost of the school.
Progress on updating the school, last renovated in 1995, has been stalled by a stalemate among the six towns over the high school funding formula. Oak Bluffs contends the current formula, which is based on enrollment, disproportionately burdens its taxpayers.
For six years, the Island has been passed over for funding by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which cited lack of Islandwide support for the project.
On Wednesday, however, the MSBA recommended the high school for acceptance into the grant program. MSBA would provide roughly 38 per cent of the funds for the project.
The authority has made clear that the Island must come together on a funding plan before Sept. 1, according to school superintendent Matthew D’Andrea.
The plan proposed by Chilmark would have the three up-Island towns pool their money to contribute 25 per cent and each down-Island town contribute 25 per cent of the Island’s cost for the project. The plan is based on population data, which shows that the three up-Island towns have a total population roughly equal to each down-Island town, said selectman James Malkin, who proposed the plan.
The formula would only apply to the building project and would not change the overall budget formula, selectman Warren Doty said at a Thursday select board meeting.
“I think that’s a very well thought-out proposal,” Bill Rossi said.
Speaking to the Gazette by phone after the meeting, Mr. Malkin said he is currently drafting a letter to the other five select boards outlining the plan in hopes they will get on board.
“I view it as a simple, easy to understand, defensible and appropriate way to break this deadlock that we have,” Mr. Malkin told the Gazette by phone.
Comments
I’d like to understand how
David WTI’d like to understand how this formula differs from the current allocation. Can someone chime in with the enrollment numbers from the six towns? Thanks!
I support Warren Doty's
ClarkI support Warren Doty's proposal. I seems thought-out and reasonable.
I found the current
Dave West TisburyI found the current allocation to compare to the proposed allocation. The current FY23 funding formula apportions 28.3 percent of the budget to Oak Bluffs, 26.9 percent to Tisbury, 23.5 percent to Edgartown, 14.3 percent to West Tisbury, 5 percent to Chilmark, and 2 percent to Aquinnah.
Thank you, Chilmark, for
Kenny Oak BluffsThank you, Chilmark, for being the adults in the room.
This is the only fair way to
mike SomewhereThis is the only fair way to approach this.
All MV schools should be funded this way.
In every aspect of their operation.
I thought this was James Malkin's brainstorm.
Malkin for Mayor!
Of MV!
Why don’t the up island towns
MarieWhy don’t the up island towns just build their own middle school and high school? This is a gift for them.
With 38 percent coming from
Tony EdgartownWith 38 percent coming from the state the actual costs for each down island town is about 17% or about 17 million dollars, based on a 100 million price tag. Oak Bluffs need to realize that their costs will never be lower. The real savings will be in controlling the COSTS not fighting over the formulations.
Finally someone else echoing
Bob EdgartownFinally someone else echoing my thoughts. One of the few times I’ve seen comments about controlling the cost on any public budget. And controlling the cost starts with controlling payroll which makes up the huge part of every public entity bottom line. Not sure how your comment got past the gatekeeper of comments as I have written many times about this subject and they always seem to not get published.
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