Select‑board members and committee participants raised concern that, under the draft regional agreement, a school committee vote could put significant capital projects onto the town warrant and thereby make them subject to town votes and financial impact.

“The concern is that with a simple vote by the school committee, you can vote force some very significant expenditures to the town budget that have significant impact on the town budget,” an unnamed Select Board member said during the committee meeting. Committee participants described a chain: the school committee approves capital spending, the figure appears on the town warrant and then town meeting voters and finance committees weigh in.

Participants discussed multiple examples and practical effects. A repeater installation for radio coverage in one building was described as a relatively specific case: staff clarified the repeater improves radio transmission inside the building, and said the cost would be shared by the member towns. Participants also flagged hypothetical multi‑million‑dollar projects — a new roof or a major renovation — that could materially affect town budgets if placed on the warrant without prior joint planning.

Wording about capital budgeting in the draft agreement reflects the school committee’s traditional role. One committee member reminded attendees that the draft preserves language requiring the full school committee to propose a budget by March 15 each year and to approve it by two‑thirds of the full committee. Another attendee noted the existing agreement dates to the 1950s and assigns capital and operating responsibilities to the school committee under current law.

Two topics surfaced around equity and transition. First, a letter from the Wilbraham Select Board (referred to in the meeting) asks to keep an 80/20 cost split while proposing a 50/50 vote allocation; committee participants said Wilbraham expressed concern that a 50/50 voting arrangement would give 50% of votes to the smaller payer. Second, towns raised the issue of “grandfathered” repair items from a 2017 inventory; staff said it is preparing an updated inventory of repairs from the 2017 list and expects to make it available by the end of the month.

One school committee member framed some capital spending as a health issue rather than only a capital priority, urging that systems that affect indoor air quality be considered urgent investments. “This is an investment in the children and the adults who are living in these buildings,” the unnamed school committee member said, adding that state school‑building assistance could reduce local costs if the district applies.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during the discussion. Staff said they will circulate the 2017 inventory update and continue inter‑town discussions about apportionment methods and grandfathered items before the next joint meeting.