SHEFFIELD — Frustration over the Southern Berkshire Regional School District’s budget crisis is escalating, with the Alford Select Board accusing former leadership of misleading towns and calling for those responsible to be held accountable.

In a letter addressed to committee leaders and Superintendent Brian Ricca, the board expressed “extreme dissatisfaction” with the current situation, describing the fiscal 2027 budget information as “confusing and incomplete” and warning that delays to the school budget are disrupting the town’s own budget process.

The Alford Select Board is the first official body among the district’s five member towns to put its concerns in writing, though officials elsewhere have voiced similar frustrations.

The letter sharply criticizes last year’s budget process, saying towns approved a “faulty” budget after the committee "rubber-stamped" it, despite repeated concerns about missing details. It adds that residents had requested a detailed line-item budget but were reassured by the former Superintendent Beth Regalbuto that the numbers were complete.

“All this because top District leadership had not done their jobs,” the letter said. “The then Superintendent did not construct a complete, clear, accurate budget and misled the towns when asked for clarity. The School Committee leadership (Chair and Vice-Chair) did not hold her accountable nor update and consult with their fellow Committee members.”

The criticism comes as current Ricca and temporary business managers Open Architects work to reconstruct the district’s finances amid a significant loss of state funding and unresolved discrepancies from the previous year.

The situation is further complicated by the district’s decision to bring Regalbuto back as a paid budget and transition consultant months after her departure in August 2025. While the agreement allows her to earn $824.70 per day for up to 30 days, it does not detail her responsibilities, making it unclear what work she has performed in the role.

The letter also calls out former Chair Arthur Batacchi, of Sheffield, and former Vice Chair Kimberly Alcantara, of Monterey, who stepped down from their leadership roles March 5 following a complaint about their behavior during a finance subcommittee meeting. Both verbally resigned during an executive session, but did not submit formal resignation letters and returned the following week as School Committee members.

“At the very least, the former Chair and Vice-Chair should be recalled,” the letter said. “They failed their fellow committee members, the towns, the staff (and worse) the students, their parents and the taxpayers. They should not retain the job they were elected (and trusted) to do — but didn’t.”

Despite the criticism, the letter expresses support for current district leadership, including School Committee Chair Julie Hannum, Vice Chair Amy Bainbridge-Jordan and Ricca, saying the town hopes school officials can deliver a “clear, reasonable document” in a timely manner.

“We also hope that a revised budget will not too negatively impact the quality of education in our district,” the letter said. “However, we lack confidence that this will be the case.”

Officials from other towns have expressed a similar mix of concern and cautious optimism.

During the March 12 budget hearing, Monterey Select Board member Frank Abbott said his main concern was that officials had identified problems last year and asked for a different process.

"There is literally no communication," he said. "You have to go fish for it. You've got to go find it."

Egremont Select Board Chair Lucinda Vermeulen said the situation is “chaotic,” but said the restructuring of leadership is a “step in the right direction,” and credited Ricca with improving transparency.

“The delay of the budget and what appears to be a considerable increase will add pressure on the towns involved,” Vermeulen said. “Nonetheless, to cover past ‘mistakes,’ we will look to the future. Trust but verify.”

Three weeks after the initial budget hearing — where teachers, town officials and residents raised concerns about financial mismanagement and again pushed for a detailed, line-item budget — the district has yet to produce a final spending plan.

The committee has agreed to cap the overall assessment increase at 6 percent, with administrators now working backward to build a budget that meets that limit. A Wednesday update projects a total budget of about $20.6 million, though officials are still working to close a significant gap through potential new revenue and cuts.

Sheffield Select Board Chair Lee Buttala said even that level of increase may be difficult for towns to accept.

“I don't see how we're going to accept a 6-percent increase, and I know every other town is in agreement,” Buttala said during a recent meeting. “And I don't know how you prepare to move forward, and we're concerned about the process.”

At the same meeting, Monterey Town Administrator Roger MacDonald asked for clarification on the timelines and details on what potential cuts could mean for students and staff, as that is a great concern for many.

Ricca said the assessment figures provided to towns for their warrants will not increase, though they could decrease depending on how much of the budget gap can be closed before any reductions to staffing are considered.

The New Marlborough Select Board declined to comment for this story, citing that members had not discussed the letter. The complaint that prompted the leadership shakeup, however, was filed by Tara White, the Board’s co-chair, who said she was acting in a personal capacity and described the pair’s behavior as hostile and undermining to the superintendent during budget discussions.

Ricca will hold a weekly update meeting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, where he is expected to outline potential cuts that will require School Committee approval. The Finance Committee will also meet at 5 p.m. to discuss budget updates and initial parameters for an audit.