This letter was delivered to the Selectmen of Dover and Sherborn by the Dover Sherborn Regional School Committee prior to the Sherborn Selectmen's Meeting on February 26, 2009.

Dover Sherborn Regional School District

Office of the Dover-Sherborn Regional School District,157 Farm Street, Dover, MA 02030

February 26, 2009

To the Selectmen of the Towns of Sherborn and Dover:

The Board of Selectmen for the Town of Sherborn has threatened to file suit over the method of allocation used by the Dover-Sherborn Regional School District for funds received by the District from the Commonwealth for the recent school construction and renovation project.  We believe that to institute litigation would be extraordinarily damaging to both towns, their relationship and the education of their children.  The amount of money at issue is certainly not insignificant.  However, also significant are the effects of litigation.  The costs of such litigation include not only damage to the relationship between Sherborn and Dover, but, on a more tangible level, taxpayer money spent on litigation and legal fees involving both towns and the Regional District is taxpayer money which cannot be used for town services and for the education of town children. 

The money from the Commonwealth was received by the Dover-Sherborn Regional District but, in reality, belongs to the towns of Dover and Sherborn.  In the absence of receiving an allocation plan agreed to by both towns, the Regional District obtained independent legal advice from two different lawyers on how the money should be allocated.  Both lawyers agreed on the method of allocation used by the Regional District.  However, in the end, the money belongs to the towns.  If the towns of Dover and Sherborn should agree on a different allocation formula, the Regional District would be happy to accept and implement any such agreement.

In these difficult economic times it is all the more important that we spend our limited resources wisely.  Litigation is a costly and most unproductive manner to resolve this dispute.  We urge the leaders of Dover and Sherborn and, in particular, their respective Boards of Selectmen to sit down and talk about this issue.  We urge the respective Boards of Selectmen to resolve this issue in a manner short of costly and unproductive litigation.  The Dover-Sherborn Regional District stands ready to participate and assist in any way in the process of resolution.  The Regional District stands ready to honor and implement any agreement reached by the towns.  The Regional District wishes only to spend its time, energy and money on the education of children in the towns of Dover and Sherborn.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully, 

Ellen Williamson                                                                                   Rainie Pearson
Chairperson                                                                                          Vice Chairperson

Regional School Committee Members:                                     

Clare Graham                                                                                      Richard Robinson
Beverly N. Madden                                                                              Nate Van Duzer 

Valerie G. Spriggs, Superintendent of Schools