Somerset school funding fuels debate at over 6-hour town meeting. See what voters decided.

SOMERSET – The School Department got almost half of its desired budget money back.

In the most discussed and debated issue at Monday night's town meeting at Somerset Berkley Regional High School, voters approved an amended article which increases the School Department's budget to $25,072,623 for Fiscal Year 2025.

The School Committee and Board of Selectman had clashed recently over the school budget article on the town meeting warrant. On April 18, the School Committee had submitted a budget recommendation of $25,200,123, a 5.52% increase over the previous year. In preparing the town meeting warrant, the Board of Selectman subsequently reduced that budget article by $250,000. Monday's amended article reflected an increase of $122,500.

The School Committee had questioned the Board of Selectmen's legal right to reduce the committee's budget recommendation. Jamison Souza, chair of the selectmen, said lawyers from both sides have been trying to resolve the dispute.

Get your first look inside:Somerset Middle School project taking shape

At Monday's six-plus-hour town meeting, Moderator Lucia M. Casey allowed a motion to amend the article to a higher dollar total. During citizen input time, Casey's decision to allow such a motion was questioned.

Ultimately the amendment increased the budget total by $122,500, short of the full $250,000 restoration sought by the Somerset Teachers Association (STA).

In a press release from last Friday, the Massachusetts Teachers Association decried the Board of Selectmen's reduction of the School Committee's recommended budget. In the release, Marge Cardozo, STA president, said, "Somerset students are at risk of losing invaluable support and opportunities due to these unnecessary budget cuts by the Somerset Board of Selectmen. We have the means to fully fund our schools without increasing taxes."

The STA appeared to be strongly represented at town meeting.

In a brief Special Town Meeting held prior to town meeting, voters by a unanimous voice vote approved the warrant's one article which adds the construction of four athletic fields and the installation of a new 343.49 kWdc photovoltaic array on the roof of the new middle school, which is nearing completion and is scheduled to be turned over to the town on July 1.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority last winter announced Somerset would be receiving an additional $6,886,598 in reimbursements for the $85 million middle school project. The original reimbursement was for $31,799,754.

When a proposal for adding athletic fields and solar to the project was rejected at a previous town meeting, those proposals were removed from the project. Monday's approval brings them back.