The Holidays Are Over

The first post-holiday issue of the Martha's Vineyard Times carries two articles that may forecast the tenor of the upcoming budget season here on the Vineyard.

The first article reports that the town of Tisbury has initiated suit against the state, the Department of Education (DOE) and the town of Oaks Bluff and the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. The suit is based on the introduction by the state of a 'new' formula for allocating the costs of regional schools. For 50+ years the Vineyard has allocated high school costs based on student enrollment; the more kids from your town that went to the high school, the more you paid. Although the law has been on the books for 15 or so years, it was only in this current fiscal year that the state decided that unless all towns within a regional district approved a regional agreement, then the state allocation formula would prevail.

With this formula the town of Oak Bluffs was able to save about $400,000 and the Town of Tisbury had to pay $250,000 more for its share of the high school costs. Oak Bluffs opted to abide by the state formula; that really riled Tisbury, so much so that they have initiated this suit. There are many problems with the state formula, the most egregious being the use of data that is from the last century. I can understand - and, in fact, I applaud - Tisbury's suing the state. But, why they would include Oak Bluffs and the High School in their suit is beyond my conception, particularly when Tisbury has been crying foul over Oak Bluff's acceptance of the state formula. It is also of interest that Aquinnah also opted to abide by the state formula, but Tisbury has not included that town in its suit.

While I think I know something about school finances on the Vineyard, I must confess to being a neophyte when trying to understand the second article which reveals a great deal of turmoil within the Tri-Town Ambulance Service, which provides EMT services to the towns of Aquinnah, West Tisbury and Chilmark. It appears as though the problems stem for the agency's rapid growth. Their budget has increased dramatically over the past few years, but the management structure has really not changed.

It promises to be an interesting budget season.