By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING — The School Committee approved an adjusted Fiscal Year 2024 School Department budget of $37,319,595, at its meeting Wednesday, April 26.
This figure is $448,609 lower than the initial estimate of $37,768,204 for FY24 that was discussed in March.
“We worked collaboratively with the town’s finance team and came up with the best final offer we could,” Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Michael Connelly said. “This number isn’t easy, but much better than it was two weeks ago.”
Town Meeting will vote on the proposal Monday, June 12. “We’ve gotten here and this is where we’re going to be,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly said. “There’s no doubt there’s pain here, but that’s the way it worked out.”
The new figure is $1,610,265 or 4.5% higher than the FY23 budget of $35,709,330. The initial budget was a $2,058,874 or 5.8% increase over FY23.
Increased state aid, use of town Free Cash and $448,609 in cuts or offsets produced the current number. “We put our heads together to find revenue and look at fixed costs,” Connelly said of meetings with town officials.
The $448,609 budget reduction was achieved through cuts or offsets as follows:
- $185,638 by eliminating new positions planned for adjustment counselor and academic interventionist;
- $179,506 by eliminating or reducing learning specialist and academic support positions;
- $20,000 generated by new bus user fees;
- $13,465 in funds not needed due to lower than expected Kindergarten enrollment;
- $10,000 in cuts to discretionary spending, including use of substitute teachers;
- $20,000 in discretionary spending cuts still to be determined.
“We’re confident we can identify an additional $20,000 without any major impact,” Connelly said. “We’re trying to find ways to do this least harmful to education. With the proposed number, we’re maintaining educationally sound student-teacher ratios.”
A presentation to the School Committee also indicates the FY24 budget will continue “academic support systems to address any areas of learning loss and to ensure a pro-active approach with learning intervention strategies; maintain adequate health and safety services for all students, staff and the school community; continue to address the social, emotional and mental health needs of all students; enhance the curriculum leadership model within the district to support all educators in curriculum, instruction, and assessment strategies; and maintain associated operational costs to properly maintain all five schools and surrounding campuses.”
“It’s always hard when you cut positions,” School Committee Chair Scott Buckley reacted. “It’s easier not to add new positions.”
Buckley feels the shortfall between the initial and approved budget is functionally greater than $448,609. “To get to that (figure) we had to increase revenue and add Free Cash; we shouldn’t be doing that,” he said. “We’re doing it in ways that aren’t always prudent.”
He also praised Daly and Connelly for “taking not enough money and making it work.”
“It has been a challenging year to get to our budget,” member Dyana Boutwell added. “We’re very fortunate to have variables we’re able to balance, but each year it gets harder and harder.”
School Choice off the table
The School Committee also approved an annual motion not to participate in School Choice, which is a local option available to school boards to vote whether or not students from other communities may attend the town’s schools.
“As far as I know we’ve never been a School Choice district,” Connelly said. “Students can always opt to go to a School Choice district, but we don’t need to be a School Choice school and receive students.”
Most nearby communities, including Reading, Lynnfield and North Andover, aren’t School Choice systems. The North Reading Public Schools has five school choice students at other districts. Four are attending Tec Connections Academy Virtual School and one student is attending Greater Commonwealth Virtual School.
Although a briefing on the matter given to the members pointed out: “School Choice revenue would infuse the School Department with additional revenue in year one. In future years, it would have no impact on the school budget. It would be an existing offset like the school transportation and facility rental revenue offsets.” The brief also warned: “Adopting School Choice under current fiscal constraints could result in additional funding challenges. With the Fiscal 2024 recent budget challenges, many of the schools are already at class sizes that are at recommended levels. New School Choice revenue would be needed to increase staff, not enhance programs.”
“Future residential projects or a sudden influx of families with school-age children in North Reading could eliminate any excess enrollment space that now exists. School Choice students would be allowed to remain in North Reading until they graduate, causing additional space problems.”
“Neighboring school systems that are also experiencing fiscal problems could be penalized by loss of Chapter 70 (education aid) revenue going to the North Reading School Choice program, which could result in other local school systems also becoming School Choice communities, which could result in North Reading losing Chapter 70 revenue to surrounding towns.”
The School Department’s Admission and Residency Policy states: “A determination that a student does not actually reside in North Reading renders the student ineligible to enroll in the Public Schools of North Reading or, if the student is already enrolled in the Public Schools of North Reading, shall result in the termination of such enrollment. A parent, legal guardian, or student who has reached the age of majority (18), who is aggrieved by a determination of residency may appeal the determination to the Superintendent, whose decision shall be final.”
There are caveats for families about to move into town or constructing a new home.