Planning committee staff said DESE submitted four items of feedback on a draft regional agreement and advised keeping changes as limited and as clear as possible.

The committee heard that one DESE recommendation affects voting language: staff reported that DESE said adding a single sentence reflecting current voting weights could satisfy the agency. “They said if we could just add a sentence that reflects the current voting weights,” a planning committee staff member said. The draft sentence added as of April 15, 2025, reads that each Hampden member’s vote is 12.5% and each Wilbraham member’s vote is 15%.

Why it matters: voting weights determine how member towns influence regional decisions, and any change to the agreement must align with state guidance so the document is approved and clear to towns and voters.

DESE also directed that lease and rental terms that affect town assessments be spelled out in the regional agreement rather than incorporated only by reference. Planning committee staff said DESE pointed to chapter 71, section 14C of state law as the authority requiring assessment‑affecting rental or license fees to be listed in the regional pact.

On capital costs, DESE reviewers told the committee the State’s regulation defines capital cost as any item costing more than $5,000 with a useful life of more than one year, and the committee cannot adopt a different legal definition. Staff said, however, the agreement can specify how the district will treat certain capital projects — for example, by assigning responsibility for projects above a specified dollar threshold. The draft agreement’s Section C specifies that capital costs in excess of $35,000 for certain schools would be the responsibility of the towns.

Finally, DESE staff raised a question about language explaining when new committee members’ terms begin and whether that should appear on the ballot. Staff said DESE had received informal guidance by email from the Secretary of State that, when a regional committee’s terms do not begin the day after an election, the ballot should make that clear to candidates and voters. The planning committee is awaiting the Secretary of State email; staff said DESE offered to request a formal ruling if the committee wants an official opinion.

Planning committee members repeatedly emphasized caution and simplicity. “The simpler we can keep the changes, the less changes, the better,” one committee member said, urging minimal edits to secure DESE sign‑off while preserving the agreement’s intent.

The committee did not take a formal vote during the meeting; staff said they would circulate the Secretary of State guidance when received and incorporate the limited language changes recommended by DESE into a new draft for further review.