Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee Approves New Dean of Student Activities and Athletics

REHOBOTH -- July 16, 2014, Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee approves a new Dean of Student Activities and Athletics position, resists calls to cut kindergarten. Meeting in special session July 16, the committee voted to accept the job description for the new dean role, which replaces a part-time athletic director and a full-time guidance director with a combined dean post budgeted at $94,000 and a lead guidance counselor stipend, for a stated net savings of $41,000 against a prior combined budget of $139,000. Rehoboth Selectman Costello addressed the committee directly, asking it to forgo full-day kindergarten to reduce the town's assessment after voters rejected an operational override the previous day, leaving the town facing a roughly $1.65 million shortfall from a $6 million operating budget; the committee declined to revisit the budget, with one member saying, "The people have voted and spoken." The committee also disclosed a settlement of the district's litigation with Dighton, under which Rehoboth will pay Dighton $63,000 in July 2014 and the district will pay an additional $250,000 interest-free by July 2016.