Both are looking for voter support to help oversee a school system that faces a possible state takeover of the middle school and loss or sanctions on its accreditation at the high school.

School committee member Ron DiGuilio and challenger Tamara Pitts may differ on their strategy, but they agree on one thing: Without more money, schools will never improve.

Voters last year defeated a $2 million Proposition 2 1 2 property tax override to help pay for schools.

On March 27, voters will go to the polls to decide whether to approve a $4.16 million override, which includes $3.07 million for schools.

At the same election, they will decide whether to elect DiGuilio or Pitts to help steer public schools during the next three years.

Pitts ran against DiGuilio three years ago, when she lost by 524 votes.

Pitts said she supports the override, despite what some residents have said are poor financial decisions in the past.

“ ... We have a new school leadership that has been honest, forthright and forthcoming about the finances. The fact is we are at the bare bones of what we offer as a school system,” she said.

Questions have lingered about how the school system manages its money, in light of the decision three years ago to buy out the two years remaining on former School Superintendent Arthur Melia’s contract for $579,882, and then pay him $773 a day for three months to stay on as interim superintendent.

The payment included buying back unused sick and vacation time from Melia.

DiGuilio is the only one of the three school committee members who voted for the buyout who remains on the school committee.

“It seems like a lot of money, but he was bought out cheaper than it would have cost us to keep him on for another two years,” DiGuilio said, because vacation and sick leave buyouts would have been calculated based on a higher salary.

He said the committee acted on the wishes of residents who wanted a change in the system’s leadership.

But Pitts said she believes the buyout has made residents skeptical when it comes to requests from the schools for more money.

“I don’t see how you can cry you need money and then come up with hundreds of thousands for a buyout,” she said. “I don’t think people in this town have forgotten that, and it’s a big deal.”

DiGuilio said the committee needs his experience to get through the current crisis, and that school committee members are not to blame for the current difficulties facing Randolph schools.

“It’s not my fault, it’s not my colleagues’ fault, it’s not the administration’s fault. It’s the finances we have,” he said.

Even if voters approve the override, school officials say it still won’t be enough to maintain current programs at schools.

The $3.07 million is $600,000 less than what was sought by school administrators, a cut made by selectmen before the question went on the ballot.

DiGuilio said he’s supporting the override because the lack of resources is hurting children.

“It won’t take us out of the problem’s we’re in, but it will give us some relief,” he said.

Pitts agrees, but also believes the school committee should focus more on academic excellence by encouraging innovation, looking at best practices in other systems and developing partnerships with local universities.

“We shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions,” she said.

“There are things we can do that don’t cost any money at all, just hard work.”

Candidates for selectman in the March 27 election also said they support the override.

Incumbent Paul Fernandes, who spent a decade on the finance committee before winning a selectman’s seat three years ago, is being challenged by Maureen Kenney, who won a seat on the school committee a year ago in her first bid for town office.

Part of the $4.16 million override would be used for the library, public safety and public works.

“I absolutely support it for so many reasons, considering all the reductions we’d have to face if we don’t get it,” Fernandes said. “We are going to lose services across the board.”

“I support the override because we need the money to fund essential services,” Kenney said. “We need a long-term plan to dig us out of our financial hole..”

Fernandes and Kenney said Randolph needs a town planner to work full-time on economic development, bringing in businesses that will expand the town’s tax base and bring in the revenue the town badly needs, as a long-term solution.

Fernandes, who has been the selectmen’s liaison to the school system, said he wants to keep the board focused on the issue of education, and improving communications between town officials.

He sees the town’s diverse population as an asset.

“We have the potential to be a model community for the state,” Fernandes said. “We have a lot of differences, but we have so much in common.”

Kenney said she will remain on the school committee if she wins the selectman’s seat.

“I haven’t finished the work I’ve begun in making the school administration more accountable from the educational perspective and the financial perspective,” she said.

Fred Hanson may be reached at fhanson@ledger.com.