Otis and Sandisfield — After more than two years, advocates for the Farmington River Regional School District can breathe a sigh of relief.
By a count of 117 to 68 at a special town meeting held Tuesday, March 25, Otis voters passed a measure to amend the Regional District Agreement (RDA) between Otis and Sandisfield for the Farmington River Regional School District (FRRSD). The amendment will increase the cost share borne by Otis taxpayers, who currently pay about 60 percent of district operating costs. Under the new RDA, Otis will pay about 66 percent of the FRRSD operating costs in 2025–26. This increase translates to a year-over-year assessment increase for Otis of about three percent, while Sandisfield will see a decrease in its assessment in 2025–26 of about 20 percent.
This town vote assures the sustainability of the school district, which operates the Farmington River Elementary School (FRES). The residents of Sandisfield gave the RDA amendment a unanimous nod when they voted 53 to zero in favor of the changes at a separate special town meeting on February 28.
District Superintendent Tim Lee said the passage of the amendment “allows for continued efforts to improve learning outcomes at our school. As student outcomes improve, we will be better positioned to attract new residents and more ‘choice’ enrollments. Having a sustainable RDA will also make it possible to attract and retain high-quality staff.”
There is a lesson in this success for the students at FRES, noted school Principal Laurie Flower. She said that though everyone in the two affected towns did not always agree, the townspeople of each municipality voted affirmatively for their school. “This demonstrates to our students the power of collaboration and compromise, even when there are differences of opinion,” she said. “It also ensures that their school remains a strong and supportive place for learning. They can see firsthand how adults work together to make decisions that benefit their education and future.”
FRRSD School Committee Chair Denise Hardie attributes the positive outcome to “the current parents and the residents who were here in 1992 when the district was formed. They see that our communities are better together and that nothing close to the experience students have now would be the same if we went separate ways. Reasonableness prevailed.”
Now that those involved can see beyond this week’s vote, Hardie foresees the continued improvement of school programs. She said the school’s collaborative success should be credited to the present school administration: “The community we have at Farmington River School is flourishing under Tim Lee’s and Laurie Flower’s leadership.”
Lee pointed out that a further step remains: “The new RDA will become effective with approval of the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is expected. Tuesday night’s vote was the final step needed for that approval.”
FRES PTA President Cecily Goulange, an alumna of the district, greeted the vote outcome with enthusiasm: “This positive outcome gives our school a clear path forward, continuing to build on the hard work the administration, teachers, staff, and school community have done in the past years to make our little gem of a school the vibrant, engaging, learning-focused place it is today.”
“I am the proud recipient of a Farmington River Regional School District education,” she added, “and I’m so happy for my daughter to be able to continue in that tradition.”
The RDA budget changes take effect July 1, 2025, the beginning of the new fiscal year. School committee reconstitution will take effect following education commissioner approval.
