AMHERST — It’s back to the drawing board for the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools’ proposed budget for next year, after the Town Council on Monday rejected changing the way assessments are determined for each of the district’s four member towns.

With some councilors citing concerns that Amherst taxpayers would absorb an unfair share of the Regional School Committe’s proposed $37.08 million fiscal 2026 spending plan, the council voted 9-4 to stick to the Regional School District Agreement formula for calculating each town’s contribution, rather than using a modified method that would have Amherst join Shutesbury, Leverett and Pelham with consistent 6.5% assessment increases.

“I think the regional school assessment is a good agreement, and it is the agreement between the four towns,” said District 1 Councilor Cathy Schoen, who voted in favor of not diverging from the four-town agreement. “I think rejecting the proposed shift and asking the Regional School Committee to come back to us is the appropriate thing to do.”

The regional panel recommended the change in the assessment formula as part of getting the overall budget passed by the Town Council before July 1 and at annual Town Meetings in the smaller towns in April and May.

Joining Schoen in favor of maintaining the assessment method were District 5 Councilor Bob Hegner, District 4 Councilor Pam Rooney, District 3 Councilor George Ryan, District 2 Councilors Pat De Angelis and Lynn Griesemer, District 1 Councilor Ndifreke Ette and At Large Councilors Mandi Jo Hanneke and Andy Steinberg.

Voting for the revised assessment method were District 5 Councilor Ana Devin Gauthier, District 4 Councilor Jennifer Taub, District 3 Councilor Heather Hala Lord and At Large Councilor Ellisha Walker.

Had the revision been approved, Amherst’s assessment would have climbed to $20.06 million, or $1.22 million more than the current year. With the revision now rejected, the town’s assessment using the existing agreement would be $19.74 million, or a 4.8% increase, of $905,670.

The decision almost certainly sends the budget back to the Regional School Committee for revisions, as it will need to find a different way of divvying up the spending. Otherwise, Pelham’s assessment would go up nearly 23%, Leverett’s would rise by around 14% and Shutesbury’s would increase by 7.7%.

Regional School Committee Chair Sarahbess Kenney said it’s “back to square one” after the committee had looked at several budget scenarios brought forward by Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman and interim Finance Director Shannon Bernacchia.

“We went with the one that we felt served our children to the best our ability, that also had the best potential of being passed by the four towns,” said Kenney, who represents Pelham. “So we’re doing the best for our kids, with the information we were provided, while still making large and unfortunate cuts that are not in the best interest of our kids.”

Kenney explained that the assessment method and the budget are a package.

Councilors were acting on a memo from Town Manager Paul Bockelman, who told them Amherst is subsidizing the other three towns by paying more than it is obligated to. “My recommendation to you is that the town shouldn’t pay more than its fair share,” he said. “Every town should pay its fair share.”

A larger increase, he said, would have a dramatic impact on town and library services, and the elementary schools, which are the other components of the municipal budget.

“If this assessment method is adopted, it really just makes it very, very difficult for me to give you a balanced budget for the entire town,” Bockelman said.

Bockelman said the 4.81% increase, though, is probably doable. “That’s a number we can actually work to get to, I think,” Bockelman said.

Herman said she needs the four towns to get to a consensus so she can adequately plan staffing levels for next year. “For this to move forward, we need the four towns to agree on the change to the assessment method,” Herman said.

Hanneke said staying with the agreement method would mean around $320,000 more for other Amherst needs.

“If we do not reject the modification, (that) directly reduces the property taxes in Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury, on the backs of Amherst taxpayers,” Hanneke said, suggesting that the smaller towns should use their excess tax levy capacity so the regional budget can remain intact.

De Angelis, too, said the amount of money shouldn’t be affected by Amherst’s decision. “If the towns want to destroy the budget they can, but that’s not what we’re asking them to do,” De Angelis said. “If the other towns care about those reductions, they can step up.”

Walker, though, said she trusts the School Committee in making its decisions to seek the modified assessment method.

Devlin Gauthier objected to making a decision regarding the Regional Schools budget before the Amherst School Committee making its budget recommendation for the elementary schools. She noted there is no way the higher regional budget would stand without Amherst’s support, noting the huge increase for Pelham.

“A 23% budget increase? I don’t see a world where that happens,” she said. “It’s not like they don’t have elementary schools that also need funding.”

Lord said she knows there are tensions pertaining the to the formula, but wishes this had been discussed more thoroughly at four-towns meetings. “It’s feeling last-minute and rushed,” Lord said.

The decision came a few hours after the Town Council heard from parents and students about the need to support the elementary and regional schools, with some addressing the council both in person and via Zoom.

A rally was held outside Town Hall during the half-hour the meeting, which included a large homemade banner draped over the entrance reading “Save Our Schools” and a musical performance on the steps by members of the elementary band and orchestra and the middle school orchestra, with various chants by people holding signs reading “Cuts Hurt Kids” and “Fund Excellence in Our Schools.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.