the following letter was endorsed by the Mendon Board of Selectmen
On June 30th you will have the opportunity to vote on an override question to fund the School District. Officials of the Town of Mendon feel strongly there is information that voters need to know to make an informed decision.
The majority of the Board of Selectman and the Finance Committee support the override due to the State’s reform of the Chapter 70 funding formula. We consider the issue a community issue since the failure to address it will eventually impact other Town departments.
Mendon is required to move from paying 40% of the State mandated “foundation budget” to a “target share” of 66%. From 2007 to 2016 the State has pushed us up to 60% with 6 percentage points left to go. There have been two overrides in this timeframe totaling $537,000, but that is not enough to cover the almost $2.1 million dollar increase in minimum local contribution over that same time period.
We have been getting by using two sources. The first source is half of projected new revenues which has been averaging $160,000 per year. The second source is the use of all prior school override money which totals just under $1.1 million. The balance of previous overrides in the FY 2016 budget will be down to $557,000. In two years we expect to run out and will have no other choice than to begin cutting other departments in order to make up the difference.
Every year that the State increases our minimum on the way to 66% it decreases Chapter 70 funding to the District by the same amount. So if the State decreases funding by $545,000 (as will happen next financial year) and half of projected new revenues is $204,000, then the District loses $341,000 of revenue from Mendon. Since the District must be funded by each town in the same proportion as each Town’s student population the District loses another roughly $421,000 from Upton.
While we continue to object to the funding formula through all means available to local officials, things are highly unlikely to change over the next couple of years when we will have already run out of prior override money. In fact, things may never change.
Please remember this information as you think about how you will vote on June 30th and don’t leave it up to someone else. It is critical for all Mendon voters to have their voices heard. Most overrides have passed or failed by 5% or less. Thank you for taking the time to be informed.
UPTON DAILY 