The North Brookfield School Committee on Nov. 18 hosted representatives from two neighboring regional districts to outline what each could offer North Brookfield students if the town pursued a tuition agreement or eventual regionalization. No final decisions were made; the committee voted to form a subcommittee to gather the concrete financial numbers needed to weigh options.

Colleen Muha, representing Quabbin Regional, described Quabbin as a district of five small towns and highlighted supports aimed at preserving a “small community” feel inside larger schools: grade-banded assistant principals, cohorting, co-teaching and regular social-emotional learning. Muha said Quabbin currently enrolls 59 students from North Brookfield (nine at the elementary level) and cited average class sizes of about 22 in middle school and 17 in high school. She emphasized Quabbin’s IB offerings, Project Lead The Way courses, and specialized programming (therapeutic classrooms, life-skills and SOAR autism programs) to keep students in-district when possible.

Steve Duff, superintendent of Quaboag Regional, presented his district’s academic and career-pathway programs, from AP and honors courses to CNA, EMT and fire-academy pathways. Duff said Quaboag has run partnerships that produce college credits and job-ready credentials and that “North Brookfield would still receive their current total foundation aid for all students per DESE,” while explaining that the district-level approval process and DESE notification/commissioner approval would be required for any tuition or reorganization.

Both presenters said tuition agreements and regionalization differ legally and financially: a tuition agreement is typically term-limited and renewed (commonly every three years), while regionalization is a permanent, lengthier process that can include statutory steps to withdraw. Presenters also noted transportation responsibilities would fall to North Brookfield under many tuition scenarios, and that capital projects remain the responsibility of the towns currently in those regional districts.

During public comment, several residents and current students spoke about the value of North Brookfield’s small-school environment. A current senior described knowing “every single kid” in their grade as a defining experience; other commenters stressed loss of local representation on governance bodies and worry about losing community voice if the town tuitioned students out.

After presentations and public comment, the committee agreed the next step is fact-finding. A motion to form a subcommittee to gather “the actual numbers” (tuition-rate ranges, operating-cost comparisons, transportation estimates and special-education cost implications) was moved and seconded; the committee approved the subcommittee and selected members to begin that work. Committee members said the subcommittee will coordinate with district administrators and return concrete figures and scenarios to the full committee before any vote is taken.

The meeting closed with scheduling for follow-up meetings focused specifically on numbers and projections; no votes were taken on any tuition or regionalization agreements at this session.