I’m not saying that I condone (deregionalization). But I feel it’s difficult to have a discussion if we’re not a part of (the study). They’ve invited us to participate. We should contribute our thoughts.”

Joseph Depasquale

I think that is a big mistake. We need to frame this discussion in such a way so that we are looking at how we can achieve the best possible education for our students at the best cost. Education has to be first and foremost here.”

Keri Cronin

If we were looking for a specific outcome, we would just take that next step. But it’s my belief that to take a next step, we need to know what that next step is. This study, at least in my head, gives us the rationale to see if what we have right now works or is the best solution to educate our children. If the facts show that what we have right now is the best way to go, then we need to take that next step. We need not be afraid of the facts.”

Bristol Town Council chairman Nathan Calouro

A skeptical Warren Town Council voted Tuesday to partner with Bristol in a three-part study that focuses in part on whether it would be feasible to break up the 27-year-old regional district and have each town fund education separately.

Late last month, the Bristol Town Council voted unanimously to seek proposals from experts interested in carrying out the three-part study. The study’s scope would be broad, and gets to the heart of the funding dispute that has pitted the two towns against each other for the past several years.

While Bristol councilors want to consider de-regionalization as one possible future, the study would also look at the benefits of other solutions to the district’s funding and identity concerns as well. The study aims to get answers on three issues:

* The feasibility and potential costs and benefits of de-regionalizing. 

* The feasibility and potential costs and benefits of establishing a special taxing district to fund Bristol Warren schools.

* The feasibility and potential cost and benefits of changing and enhancing, through ordinances, state statues guidelines and policies, “the relationship between the two towns.”

“To be clear, the whole idea behind the study is to figure out what the preferred outcome is,” Bristol Town Council chairman Nathan Calouro said. “If we were looking for a specific outcome, we would just take that next step. But it’s my belief that to take a next step, we need to know what that next step is. This study, at least in my head, gives us the rationale to see if what we have right now works or is the best solution to educate our children. If the facts show that what we have right now is the best way to go, then we need to take that next step. We need not be afraid of the facts."

Warren response

Warren council members received the RFP a week ago and discussed it publicly for the first time Tuesday night. Though members said they don’t support deregionalization, they agreed to participate with Bristol, despite having concerns about the focus:

“I think that is a big mistake,” councilor Keri Cronin said. “We need to frame this discussion in such a way so that we are looking at how we can achieve the best possible education for our students at the best cost. Education has to be first and foremost here.”

“Our emphasis has been on trying to level the playing field, making (funding) fair for both Warren and Bristol. But constantly, over and over and over again … the Bristol Town Council grabs hold of it and deregionalization is the emphasis. It’s not the school district we’re fighting. It’s this constant emphasis on deregionalization (from the Bristol council). They could find out that it’s more costly to them than it is to us.”

“I am strongly opposed to funding or being a part of an RFP that looks at deregionalization,” added councilor Steve Thompson.

Warren council president Joseph DePasquale said that while he too has quetions about the study’s focus, he thinks Warren should be a part of the discussion and implored his fellow councilors to agree to participate:

“The Bristol council is going to move forward with this with or without our involvement,” he said. “My desire is to focus on the strengths of our positions together. I’m not saying that I condone (deregionalization). But I feel it’s difficult to have a discussion if we’re not a part of (the study). They’ve invited us to participate. We should contribute our thoughts.”

Mr. Calouro said Wednesday that if both towns participate, costs should be shared. That said, he and Mr. Depasquale have spoken to Rep. Kenneth Marshall to see if the state would contribute funding toward its cost:

“I think the state should be part of the solution,” Mr. Calouro said. “Primarily, this is a state issue. They put us here. The study is a great way to justify where we are (and) we are here now because of decisions made on a state level.”

What does study look at?

The question of de-regionalizing would explore the formation of the district in 1990, and how the towns could legally undo that partnership. Bristol council members want to know what the legal process to deregionalize would be, and if it were to come to pass what that would mean for the regional system’s shared facilities and capital, union contracts, pension and liabilities, share debts and more. If regionalization were to come to pass, council members want to know what kind of class sizes would be needed, what the curriculum and extracurricular offerings would be, and what type of staffing would be needed.

The tax district portion of the study would look at how to establish an equitable way for the school system to tax residents in each town despite their differences in property values and economics The  study would look into how such a system would be set up and who whether the school committee would be given the authority to levy taxes. Questions the RFP seeks to answer include how to establish a uniform property tax structure, how taxes would be collected, how property assessments would be handled and updated, how the overall tax burden in each town would be affected, who would be in charge and what type of oversight would exist.

Relationship between the towns

The last part of the study would examine current state statues, town ordinances, the school district Charter, regulations, guidelines and policies that serve as the framework for the relationship between Bristol and Warren.

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“Contractor will determine whether any changes could be made to that legal, regulatory and policy framework to enhance and strengthen the relationship between Warren and Brisotl with regard to the regional school district,” the draft RFP reads.