Override votes seen on Triton

For the second time in two years, voters in Newbury, Rowley, and Salisbury this spring are likely to face a decision on whether to raise taxes to fund the Triton Regional School District.

Last May, all three towns rejected Proposition 2 1/2 overrides to cover average 19 percent proposed increases in their Triton assessments. As a result, the district eliminated 26 teaching positions and all spending on athletics and performing arts programs -- which are now covered by user fees -- among other spending cuts.

This year, the district is preparing a fiscal 2008 budget expected to restore 12 teaching jobs, and to fund 50 percent of the costs of the sports-performing arts programs.

"We need to start going forward again, and it's going to obviously take some money to do that," said School Superintendent Sandra J. Halloran.

The budget has not been finalized. But all three towns have advised the district that, based on the spending goals it has outlined, they are likely to need overrides to fund their assessments, Triton officials said. An override allows a municipality to raise property taxes above the limit set by Proposition 2 1/2.

"What we've been told is, assuming some of these things we've set out as priorities, we don't know how much yet, but overrides will be required," said Brian Forget, business administrator for the 3,400-student district.

Halloran, who is presenting her proposed budget to the Regional School Committee on Jan. 24, anticipates it will be "an uphill battle" to pass the overrides. But she and other administrators are hopeful their quest for funding this year will be helped by the improved communications they have forged with the district towns.

Starting last fall, Halloran has held regular budget discussions with a new committee that includes representatives of the finance committee, the board of selectmen, and the regional school committee, from each town. The district also has held two public budget forums.

Last year's override defeats were "an absolute learning experience for us," Forget said. "We are working very closely with towns this year." He said the intent was to provide more information in a more timely way.

Rowley Finance Committee chairman Jack DiMento believes the district has done a better job keeping the towns informed.

"What they are trying to do is increase the communication level. I think they are doing that. They're trying to keep everything above board. Not that it wasn't before, but they wanted to make it more apparent."

DiMento thinks Rowley voters will support an override for Triton "within reason." An override to fund a 10 to 12 percent assessment increase would pass, he predicts, but "if they go for a 19 percent increase, [voters] won't touch it with a 10-foot pole."

"We have the rest of the town to run," DiMento noted. "There's got to be money for fire trucks, there's got to be money for pay raises, life insurance and health insurance. You just can't blindly say everything is going to go to the schools."

Last year, the district proposed a 14 percent budget increase, part of it to restore previous cuts. Because an available cash account normally used to fund part of the budget had been depleted, the average assessment increase the district sought for the three towns was 19.2 percent. Once the overrides failed, the district reduced the budget increase to 4.1 percent. (The district later added $337,000 to the budget from higher than expected state aid, and restored three teaching positions).

Forget declined to speculate on this year's budget and assessment figures. "The towns spoke very clearly last year about not wanting to fund a 19 percent" increase in their assessments, he said.

Triton officials hope to make the case that the cumulative effect of cuts over the past five years has taken a toll on the district.

With last year's cutbacks, class sizes are as high as 32 at the high school, 28 at the middle school, and 30 in the elementary schools. Other signs of strain include high user fees -- from $50 to about $750 -- resulting from the cutting of funding for sports-performing arts programs.

Last October, the Commission on Public Secondary Schools placed the regional high school's accreditation on "warning" status, due to funding concerns.