Marshfield Faces $710,000 Budget Gap for Vocational School Costs
Officials scramble to address unbudgeted expense while pursuing legal action against MBTA Communities Law
MARSHFIELD - April 1 -Marshfield officials reveal the town faces an unexpected $710,000 expense for South Shore Regional Vocational Technical School in the upcoming fiscal year, with no provisions in the current budget proposal to cover these operational costs.
The issue emerged during a joint meeting of the Select Board and Advisory Board on April 1, when officials discussed the fiscal year 2026 budget.
Treasurer / Collector Shaun Strobel explains the operational costs are tied to enrollment at the vocational school.
"The operational cost goes back to enrollment. That would be a per pupil cost of approximately $19,000," Strobel says. "Depending on the physical or actual enrollment, I believe that cost is going to be approximately $710,000."
The expense will begin in fiscal year 2026, but does not appear anywhere in the current budget proposal. When questioned about this omission, Strobel acknowledges the town is "in the process of just having an ongoing conversation with the school department as to how to structure that expense."
Town Administrator Michael Maresco indicates officials plan to address the funding gap at the fall town meeting, even though expenses will begin accruing in July.
"We'll have to find capacity in the budget to cover those expenses or we'll use free cash to cover that expense," Strobel says.
Advisory Board Chair Rick Smith expresses concern about incurring expenses without prior town meeting approval.
"I don't understand how we could begin to incur expenses without having approval to do so," Smith says.
Maresco responds that the town is obligated to pay these costs because town meeting previously voted to join South Shore Regional Technical Vocational.
"Town meeting voted to join South Shore Regional Technical Vocational. That was the golden ticket," Maresco says. "Kids go to school there. We have kids going there now. That's where the 710 came from."
Resident Pam Keith points out that the vocational school assessment should have been included in the annual town meeting warrant according to state regulation.
"The adopted budget, which is adopted at the regional school committee level, and certified by their treasurer, shall be placed before each local appropriating authority for its consideration," Keith says, citing state regulations. "Every town who is a member of the regional school district has a separate line where they have their Scituate Public Schools, separate line, South Shore Tech regional school," comparing Scituate’s warrant.
Keith notes that other member towns already have the assessment on their warrants, and Marshfield appears to be an exception.
"I believe the bill's coming quarterly. I did do an information request to try to verify what the costs were gonna be," Keith says. "For the upcoming fiscal year 2026, we have to pay on August 1st, or we get a bill on August 1st. So again, it's before the October town meeting that we have to pay a bill."
Meanwhile, the town continues to grapple with being deemed non-compliant with the MBTA Communities Law, which requires certain communities to zone for multi-family housing near transit.
Select Board Chair Lynne Fidler raises the issue during discussions about grant funding.
"When we talk about planning, which we're talking about process and planning, and everybody in town knows that we're in noncompliance, and here we are with the MBTA Communities Law actually written into our town meeting," Fidler says.
Maresco confirms the town is tracking grants that are being denied due to non-compliance.
"I've asked all department heads to continue to apply for grants, even though we've already been told not to apply so that we get the rejection letters so that we can show town meeting folks and let the town know that we've been rejected because we're in noncompliance," Maresco says.
Town Counsel Bob Galvin notes the town is pursuing legal action against the state.
"Tomorrow we're arguing for a preliminary injunction and against the motion to dismiss that was filed," Galvin says. "The town has been deemed noncompliant by the state, and we're arguing that we should not have to comply because of the unfunded mandate that the law, we believe, constitutes."
Other significant issues discussed at the meeting include:
- The Community Preservation Act fund has an undesignated balance of over $7 million, prompting calls to reduce the current 3% surcharge to 1%
- Concerns about the process for private entities receiving Community Preservation funds, particularly regarding competitive bidding requirements
- Approval of Protected Accessory Dwelling Unit zoning changes to comply with new state law
- A private petition to modify parking requirements in the Brant Rock Village Overlay District, which the Planning Board does not support as written
The Advisory Board plans to continue budget discussions at their next meeting on April 7, with town meeting scheduled for later in April.
$19,000.00 per student! That's equivalent to a private school tuition. Time to find major cuts across the board. If the community's act is adopted the costs will be totally unmanageable, more schools, police, fire , social services.