By Diane Baum
This article was originally published in the Acton Exchange (www.actonexchange.org) with the following modifications by the author: moved section on the budget update to the top, added an asterisk to the first sentence in the budget update now that Acton Leadership Group achieved consensus on an override amount of $6.6M. The * note is at the end of the section.
School Committee Reacts to 2024-25 Preliminary Budget Options
As Acton edges closer toward an override vote of an as-yet undetermined* amount, the School Committee kicked off a difficult budget season on January 18th, facing a budget gap of $9.5M in 2024-25.
At their January 18th meeting, Superintendent of Schools, Peter Light, proposed two preliminary, draft budget options for the Committee to consider.
The “A” budget, which assumes a successful override vote, would generate sufficient revenue to stay on-course with long term District goals and initiatives. In this budget, Acton’s assessment would increase by 11.4% (from $71.7M to $79.8M) in 2024-25 and includes $2.1M in reductions thereby reducing the overall budget gap to $7.5M.
The “A” budget would require cutting the equivalent of 25.5 staff as well as additional cuts and changes to programs and services. Class sizes would remain within School Committee guidelines. Families could expect increases in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten tuition as well as fee increases for athletics, student activities and student parking.
The “B” budget, which assumes an unsuccessful override vote, would cripple the District’s ability to stay on-course with long term goals and initiatives and support high needs students. Under this budget, Acton’s assessment would increase only 3% (from $71.7M to $73.8M) but require $9.4M in reductions including the equivalent of 90.4 staff, forcing the transfer of elementary students between schools, increasing class sizes beyond School Committee guidelines, and over-relying much more significantly on higher tuitions and fees.
In addition, the Superintendent proposed that the Committee consider several, longer-term, cost-saving, structural changes which would require extensive vetting by stakeholders. These changes include closing an elementary school, ending the current practice of open-enrollment whereby families have the option of enrolling their child in any of the 6 elementary schools in the District, which would decrease transportation costs, and exploring alternatives for special education transportation.
In their subsequent deliberation, School Committee members could not reach consensus on a path forward, with some members advocating that Acton taxpayers shoulder the full $9.5M budget gap in additional taxation while others requested additional cuts to the “A” budget. Others voiced a preference to focus efforts on longer-term, cost-saving structural changes such as eliminating open enrollment in order to save on transportation costs.
The School Committee meets again on February 1st and has scheduled a day-long, comprehensive Budget Workshop on February 10th. All meetings are open to the public.
*Subsequent to the original posting of this article in The Acton Exchange, the Acton Leadership Group, a consensus-building group that includes representation from the Town, School District and Finance Committee, agreed to set the override amount at $6.6M.
At their January business meetings, the School Committee voted on the following programs, policies and initiatives:
New Policy on Student Use of Personal Electronic Communication Devices
The Committee voted unanimously at their January 4th business meeting to approve a policy directing schools to limit students’ use of personal, electronic communication devices and clarify expectations around access, usage and storage. Information specific to the elementary schools, the Jr. High School, and the High School can be found in the Student Handbooks.
A recent Advisory published by the U.S. Surgeon General warns of the risk of harm that social media use poses to children’s mental health and well-being and urged policymakers to make social media safer for children by strengthening safety standards.
The new policy, which aligns with the District’s strategic goal of improving social, emotional, mental and behavioral health outcomes can be accessed on the District’s website.
Course Leveling Initiative Potentially Delayed by Budget Cuts
On January 4th, the School Committee unanimously approved proposed changes to course levels in the program of studies at the Jr. High and High School. The 5-year phase-in, which reduces the number of course levels offered in core content areas, included a 2-year vetting process with public forums and feedback from faculty, staff, students and families.
The initiative, which aligns with the District’s goal of providing more students with opportunities to access advanced coursework, has been met with both widespread support and criticism in the community.
The School Committee noted that these changes are “subject to the availability of funding to maintain class sizes needed to support student learning”. In a January 2nd memo, High School Principal, Joanie Dean, indicated a potential need to delay full implementation in the face of looming, significant budget cuts.
Detailed information on course leveling, is available on the District’s website.
School Resource Officer Program will Continue in 2024-25
In a 7 to 2 vote on January 18th, the School Committee voted to continue the School Resource Officer Program in 2024-25. The vote authorizes the Superintendent to develop a binding agreement with the Acton Police Department that is compliant with new state directives that went into effect in 2022-23.
The Committee proposed additional recommendations for program improvements beyond statutory requirements including additional training hours for School Resource Officers, data collection and reporting, community outreach, and program feedback.
The state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education updated a model binding agreement in February 2022 in collaboration with stakeholder groups. State legislators ended the requirement of a School Resource Officer in every school in 2020.
School District Loans the Acton Health Insurance Trust 1.5M
The School Committee voted unanimously at their January 4th meeting to authorize a $1,540,000 loan to the Acton Health Insurance Trust in order to ensure the Trust has sufficient cash on hand to pay subscribers’ claims and premiums.
The Trust, which is struggling to remain solvent, received an unanticipated number of claims of unprecedented magnitude this past fall.
The School Committee also voted to engage the services of Russell Dupere, Esq. of Dupere Law Offices which specializes in providing legal representation in the healthcare insurance sector.
Other School Committee News/January 2024
MSBA Rejects Application for Repairs to the Conant School
On January 4, Superintendent Peter Light reported to the School Committee that a 2023 application to the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s competitive grant program for construction, renovation and repair projects to Acton’s Luther Conant Elementary school was not accepted.
The District recently partnered with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to build the new Boardwalk Campus that houses the Douglas and Gates Elementary Schools as well as the Pre-Kindergarten program. The Building Authority partners with school districts across the Commonwealth to create affordable, sustainable and energy efficient schools.
School Committee Receives Training on Campaign Finance
In anticipation of the need for an operational override, School Committee members received training on the dos and don’ts of campaign finance at their January 4th business meeting.
State conflict of interest law restricts public employees, including elected officials, from using public resources in connection with campaign or political activity, except under limited circumstances.
School Committee Chair, Adam Klein, noted that “as the community moves toward an override in Acton, we want to be sure to clarify responsibilities and restrictions so that elected officials are clear about their role.”
Presenter Jason Tait, the Communications and Education Director at the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, encouraged members to reach out to the state’s Ethics Commission to resolve any questions or concerns that arise during an override campaign.
The presentation can be accessed here.
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