Times have changed, but the formula remains stuck in 1949. The wealth disparities between neighboring towns simply did not exist at anything like their current scale. The founders of the regional school system could not have foreseen the inequity their formula has imposed on most towns today.
"It has become difficult to rely on the numbers that we received form the District. We are disillusioned by the School Committee’s apparent lack of concern for the continuation of errors related to FY16’s assessment.”
-- Nadine A. Hawver, chair of the Sheffield Board of Selectmen
“We have a glitch. The numbers are not that great, but a percentage of one or two percent, when you’re dealing with a lot of money, becomes a lot of money.”
-- Vito Valentini, chair of the Southern Berkshire Regional School District finance subcommittee
“There’s no fluff [in the budget]. It is understandable that that some people in the community are not happy. No one wants to pay more real estate taxes, and no one wants to lower the quality of education. People are complaining on both sides.”
-- Southern Berkshire Regional School Committee Chairman Carl Stewart
