The plan to fully regionalize the Acton-Boxborough schools is costing Acton taxpayers an extra $1 million per year for five years, and more thereafter, contrary to what Acton voters were told at the Special Town Meeting in June, 2014 at which the expanded region was approved.
At the June Meeting, voters were told that full regionalization would save $1 million per year, and that by special agreement, this money would be transferred from Boxborough to Acton as a "mitigating payment." This transfer would largely end after five years, although there are two small transfers in years six and seven.
It is true that the new region is saving at least $1 million and that there is a formula which transfers $1 million from Boxborough to Acton in the budget that was passed this week.
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What voters were not told, or what was not made clear by town and school leaders, was that expanding the regional agreement to include the towns' six elementary schools would also result in a shift of costs from Boxborough to Acton of approximately $2 million per year. This shift is scheduled to rise in subsequent years....
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