Triton declines CREST article changes over liability concerns
Summary
The school committee voted not to approve proposed amendments to the CREST collaborative articles of agreement, citing concern about a clause that bases departing districts’ liabilities on enrollment in their final year of membership.
The Triton Regional School Committee voted April 9 not to approve proposed amendments to the CREST collaborative’s articles of agreement, citing concerns about a provision that would calculate a departing district’s ongoing share of debts and liabilities using the number of students enrolled during the district’s last year of membership.
CREST’s board of directors approved the changes at its March meetings and asked member districts to take action. Administration and committee members said the CREST board’s proposed language removed a previously capped formula and gave the collaborative flexibility to change member and nonmember tuition rates; Triton’s representatives said they supported the collaborative’s need to be competitive but had reservations about how fiscal responsibilities would be apportioned if a member district left.
Committee members questioned whether the last-year enrollment metric could leave remaining districts with disproportionate liabilities if other districts phased out their participation over several years. The committee requested clarification about whether DESE or standard collaborative practices require the clause and whether a different phase‑out calculation (for example, an average over several years) might be more equitable.
Motion: The committee approved a motion not to accept the CREST article amendments as submitted, citing concerns about the provision that assigns a departing district’s share of debts and claims based on last‑year enrollment.
Ending: Administration said it will report back with answers from CREST and DESE about the specific clause and whether alternative phase‑out language is permitted before the committee takes further action.
