Good News for Rehoboth

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue Division of Local Services certified the amount of $3,580,524.00 in excess and deficiency or "E & D" as of July 1, 2022 for Dighton Rehoboth Ragional School District, according to a press release sent out by the administration.

“Consequently, the district will be crediting the amount due for the next assessment payments from the Towns of Dighton and Rehoboth in the estimated amounts of $504,237 and $665,538 respectively.”

“The unencumbered funds certified in excess of five percent of the operating budget and budgeted capital costs for the succeeding fiscal year must be applied to reduce the current fiscal year's assessment. For your district, this excess amount equals $1,169,775.00.”

“Optimally, we would like to see this be a lower figure to demonstrate that we are being as diligent as possible in our budget preparations which, in turn, affect the assessments to each town,” D-R Superintendent Bill Runey said Tuesday. “That being said, there continue to be some COVID-era implications to the fiscal management of our schools, and this E&D figure is a reflection of some of those factors. My administration is committed to doing our very best to prepare a budget that is a reflection of a true “ask” of each town.”

The Rehoboth Board of Selectmen remain optimistic about the school budget for the next fiscal year.

"It's my hope that we will not continue to see these situations where the town is assessed astronomical amount of monies that then create budget problems for us," Selectman Michael Deignan said Monday. "Because we then go to town meeting and have to fight over money whereas if the proper amount were budgeted and asked for originally, we wouldn't have some of this contention."

Deignan cited the "rather poor management and budgeting style of the previous administration."