A Partnership Worth Preserving

A Partnership Worth Preserving: Fairhaven, Acushnet, and the Responsibility of Funding Public Education Fairly

By Brian Monroe, Chairperson, Fairhaven School Committee

For 118 years, Fairhaven has proudly welcomed high school stu­dents from Acushnet. Since Fairhaven High School (FHS) opened in 1906, Acushnet families have entrusted us with educating their teenagers, and that relationship has become deeply woven into the fabric of both communities. Our children grow up together. They play on the same youth sports teams from the time they are little. By the time they enter FHS, they are already team­mates and friends. Fairhaven has never viewed Acushnet students as outsiders, nor as a source of profit. They are part of who we are.

As Chairperson of the Fairhaven School Committee, I want to be clear at the outset: Fairhaven wants this long-standing relationship to continue. We value Acushnet’s students and families and hope they remain with us for another century.

However, we believe that Fairhaven taxpayers deserve fairness. As Acushnet seeks new tuition agreements, it is essential that our community, and theirs, understands the financial realities behind these decisions.

Why Acushnet Must Pay Tuition: What the Law Requires

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71, Section 68 requires every town “provide and maintain a sufficient number of schoolhouses…. for the accommodation of all children” in grades K-12. If a town doesn’t operate a high school, it must secure an agreement with another district. Acushnet has never built or operated a high school. As a result, it has fulfilled its legal obligation through agreements with Fairhaven and New Bedford.

This relationship is distinctly different from school choice. School choice allows districts to accept out-of-district students and is only meant to fill a small number of available seats in specific grades or schools. It is not meant to fill empty classrooms or hire additional staff. When school choice was first created, the state developed a formula to set the actual tuition for a district that accepts school choice students. In 1991, the state capped this tuition at $5,000 per child because it was never meant to take the place of having an actual high school. This amount is not the actual school choice tuition rate calculated by the state. Fairhaven does not accept school choice students because we guarantee space at FHS for all Acushnet students that want to attend.

What Acushnet Currently Pays and What It Actually Costs

Acushnet pays Fairhaven the actual school choice tuition rate, which is approximately $12,500 per high school student which is based on a state formula. Interestingly, other districts in the Commonwealth with a tuition agreement pay the receiving district’s full per-pupil cost, which for Fairhaven is approximately $16,800.

Based on the most recently certified state data, Acushnet’s per-pupil expenditure for educating its own K–8 students was about $15,000. Of that, about $6,700 came from Chapter 70 state aid, and the remaining $8,300 was Acushnet’s local taxpayer contribution, most of which is required by law.

After paying Fairhaven’s tuition rate, Acushnet keeps roughly $2,500 per student. In other words, sending students to Fairhaven costs Acushnet less than educating their K–8 students.

Fairhaven has never billed nor asked Acushnet to pay for:

• Capital Projects (e.g. turf field)

• High school renovations (e.g. roof and window replacement, gable project, etc).

Fairhaven taxpayers alone have carried every one of those expenses.

Acushnet’s New Proposal: Paying Less Than Ever Before

Acushnet is now soliciting pro­posals from Fairhaven, New Bedford, Freetown/Lakeville, and Old Rochester, because the current contract is expiring.

The criteria they are asking dis­tricts to accept are unprecedented.

Acushnet’s proposal would pay receiving districts only $8,200 per student, a reduction of roughly $4,300 per student from what they currently pay Fairhaven. The $8,200 number is not based on Chapter 70 aid as was stated, but instead on a number that the state uses to determine the bare minimum they must spend to educate a high school student.

If Fairhaven accepted that rate, Acushnet Public Schools would pocket approximately $6,800 per student from funding they receive to educate their children. Fairhaven taxpayers would be forced to make up the difference.

Point of Clarification

At a recent meeting, Acushnet Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey stated that Acushnet is “overpaying” because Fairhaven and New Bedford receive additional state reimburse­ment for low-income and special education students. While receiving districts do receive these funds, this is not relevant to what Acushnet must legally spend. If Acushnet operated its own high school, it would receive the same reimbursements, but it would still need to fund the full cost of educating its students. These state dollars cannot be deducted from required spending. Since Fairhaven and New Bedford are the districts educating Acushnet’s students, the state allocates those funds to us to support their needs and ensure they are successful.

To the Old Rochester Regional Taxpayer

According to published data, Old Rochester’s per-pupil expenditure is about $21,000. Due to its demo­graphics and state aid formula, ORR receives only about $3,000 per student from the Commonwealth, leaving local taxpayers (Marion, Mattapoisett, Rocester) to fund roughly $18,000 per student.

Is it reasonable to ask ORR tax­payers to subsidize Acushnet’s students by accepting only $8,200 per student, less than half of their own investment? Is that sustainable? Would those communities support it? These are important questions.

Valuing Acushnet Students and Fairhaven Taxpayers

Acushnet has never invested in constructing, renovating, or main­taining a high school. Fairhaven has and does so every year. Acushnet is now seeking a tuition agreement that would not only relieve them of those responsibilities while shifting a substantial portion of their students’ educational costs onto the taxpayers of whichever district accepts them.

This is not sustainable for Fair­haven. It is not fair to our taxpayers. And it is not what long-standing partnerships are built on.

Fairhaven wants to continue educating Acushnet’s students. They are part of our school community’s DNA. We want them in our class­rooms, on our athletic fields, in our band, and on our stage. Their families are part of our extended school community.

But Fairhaven cannot accept an agreement that shifts a significant financial burden onto our taxpayers. The cost to educate a high school student does not disappear simply because Acushnet prefers to pay less. Someone must cover that cost and it cannot be Fairhaven taxpayers alone. Acushnet already receives a favorable rate, paying less than our actual cost and contributing nothing toward capital expenses.

Fairhaven believes in strong fiscal accounta­bility. We cannot risk the financial instability seen in districts like Brock­ton or Whitman-Hanson.

A fair, reason­able tuition agree­ment is the only way to ensure this historic partner­ship continues.

Acushnet votes on December 9. Fairhaven will discuss this issue on December 3. Please attend and share your perspective. All of the data discussed can be found at https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/

Fairhaven stands ready to work with Acushnet toward a solution that is equitable, transparent, and financially responsible. We hope they will join us in honoring the tradition our communities share while respecting the taxpayers who fund the education our children deserve.

•••

Click here to download the 11/27/25 issue: 11-27-25 Shopping

Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal