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To the editor:
A new Minuteman High School is essential for Belmont. We should vote YES in the Sept. 20 election.
I changed my mind on this vote because Belmont won a major victory this week. DESE, the state agency that oversees all public schools, finally did the right thing this past Thursday [Sept. 15] and set a capital charge that is fair for the member towns. This answers nearly all of the criticisms of the building project. With the capital charge resolved, it is time for Belmont to approve the debt for a new school and remain a member town.
The opponents of the debt argued through the spring and summer that the proposed new school is too large for the member towns and DESE could not be trusted to set a fair capital charge. This argument is no longer valid.
Belmont will pay the same capital charge even if we became a non-member town. That is the outcome we demanded, an equal per-student amount for the cost of the new building. DESE has accepted this principle with a small adjustment for non-member towns that already provide a significant level of vocational/tech programs.
In recent weeks the opponents of the debt have changed their focus. They now seem to be making the vote a referendum on the tuition charged to non-member towns for operating expenses. By leaving the district, they say Belmont will save money even with the fair capital charge because the non-member towns pay lower tuition.
The new regional agreement as discussed in Town Meeting allows a district to withdraw, subject to unanimous approval by the remaining members, to avoid the debt obligation. Tuition was not the reason for this provision.
Non-member towns are a part of Minuteman. This not ideal but it reflects circumstances unique to this district. The practical difficulties in getting new towns to join as members may be solvable in the future.
If Belmont pays less in tuition, the remaining member towns have to pay more. It is a zero sum game at that point and I do not support shifting costs to our neighbors in this way. The amount at stake is something we can afford. In a perfect world of equalized tuition, Belmont might save $150,000 when our total town budget is over $100 million.
In addition, leaving the district is not automatic even if Town Meeting votes to withdraw. The remaining member towns also have to vote unanimous approval for Belmont’s exit. Reduced to a naked economic calculation, they have an incentive to deny a request to leave.
A member of Arlington’s Finance Committee has already signaled that Belmont can expect opposition to an exit request. Withdrawal is probably not the windfall that some have intimated.
There should be a thorough debate over tuition for non-member towns but it should not be used to avoid approving the debt. If Belmont withdraws, our economic incentive will be to free-ride on a flawed tuition policy. Instead, the right course is to remain in the district and help lead that debate. That debate should also include how to make sure Minuteman is run efficiently and controls its operating costs.
Belmont won the big battle over the capital charge. I urge you to vote yes on Sept. 20.
Roy Epstein
Cushing Ave.
When was the last time government came through and did what they told you they were going to do? Pretty much never. DESE may be the only one but lets not vote on what thry may do. Remember we voted in 2008 to reduce the state income tax. In 2010 the legislature blocked it.
Vote No
There is absolute.y no way that Belmont residents can be assured that DESE will make good on their “principle that a small adjustment will be required of non-member communities” to paying a Capitol assessment on top of their regular fees for students to attend the newly built MM. A small adjustment is just that. The non-member communities will continue to pay LESS than member communities AND there will not be parity with member communities in the Capitol payments required of member communities. Member communities will bear the brunt of this debt, while non-member communities will continue to benefit from OUR burden. DESE giveth with words but did not specify a $$$ amount. Do not trust words. As Cuba Givings said, “Show me the money!”
Michele, you may not have seen the actual regulation that will govern the calculation of the capital charge. DESE has written that:
i. the capital charge for all towns will be determined by a formula;
ii. a non-member town pays the SAME as member towns unless it offers at least 5 approved chapter 74 programs [i.e., voc/tech], in which case the fee is reduced by 25%;
iii. the capital charge will remain in effect for the duration of the debt service payments.
I have no reason to doubt DESE’s words. If you have evidence why we should, please share it.
The full letter from DESE is available on Will Brownsberger’s blog:
http://willbrownsberger.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/MChester-Letter-9.15.16-Minuteman-Non-Res-Capital-Increment.pdf
One thing is never asked and never talked about. The original school as built for 1200 students in 1977 and fully occupied that year. The enrollment as been declining ever since and it is still declining, reaching 331 excluding the six towns that dropped out recently. There must be a larger reason why the school has been declining since the beginning. To me it is more important to first work on the reason for the decline than to vote for a new building without knowing why.