By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING – The School Committee approved a revised operating budget request of $40,780,049 for FY26 at Monday’s public budget hearing.
It is $597,752 lower than the School District’s original request of $41,377,801. This reduction was achieved through a combination of receiving $150,545 in previously unanticipated funds due to per student increases in state aid and reductions in costs for fixed costs and vocational school assessments.
State Sen. Bruce Tarr and State Rep. Bradley Jones informed the School Committee of an anticipated increase in per student aid when they attended the committee’s March 24 meeting. “We worked hard to get that,” Tarr said at the time.
These changes lower the “budget gap” from $1,476,023 to $597,752. To close this smaller gap, cuts will include $280,000 for four Middle School teachers; $120,000 in administrative restructuring; $75,000 for an elementary school teacher and another $75,000 for a High School teacher plus additions of $15,752 in activity user fees; $12,000 in preschool tuition increases and another $12,000 in late bus user fees.
The cuts will result in increased class sizes, elimination of World Language and Computer Science classes at the Middle and High Schools, and less administrative oversight.
Despite the reduction of the budget gap, School Committee member Jennifer Leenders called the cuts “pretty devastating.”
“Where does this go?” School Committee Chairman Scott Buckley asked, somewhat rhetorically. “I moved to North Reading because of the schools. Many people did. It wasn’t about a house or the ease of getting to highways, it was because of the schools. We have to work with what we have, but it’s evident what we’re getting to. I don’t see how we’re not cutting arts and athletics programs in the future. We can’t continue to offer classes with only eight students.”
Buckley also said not replacing a retired teacher is a cut. “You’re still a teacher down,” he pointed out.
“This is not a North Reading problem,” Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly added. “It has to be fixed at the state level,” a reference to state funding formulas that sometimes leave affluent communities without the aid they need.
“This is a structural problem,” Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Michael Connelly agreed. “We have a structural deficit and there is no magic bullet. After this year, we’re facing even more devastating cuts without a change in the process.”
Hood School presentation
The meeting took place at the J. Turner Hood Elementary School and featured presentations of student efforts to help Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence for people in need, student testimonies about their favorite activities such as the book fair and field trips, a briefing on Culturally Responsive Teaching, the creation of a Hood School Cookbook and the singing of “Hamburger and an Order of Fries” by the school choir.
Afterwards, Hood Principal Dr. Glen McKay spoke about increases in class sizes. “We always talk about maintaining class sizes, but the cuts affect that,” McKay said. “Everything has ramifications. You don’t see the effect immediately, but pay for it down the road. Every time you take a piece away, it decreases the interaction a student has with a teacher. Class sizes lead to other problems that would have been mitigated early on.”
McKay also discussed efforts to address chronic absenteeism, defined as a student missing 10% of a school year, 18 days in a 180-day year. “I have a group of people close to hitting 18. Some have,” he reported. “We’re trying to figure out the causes. It’s something we’ve brainstormed, but we’re not there yet.”
Letters are sent to parents with the hopes of setting up a meeting to discuss causes, but McKay admitted the meetings “are hard to get to. You can’t force people to come in.”
Vote down School Choice
The School Committee members also took their customary annual vote to not participate in School Choice, which would allow students from other communities to attend North Reading’s schools, but the issue has perhaps taken on more importance in light of budget issues.
“In Fiscal 2026, many schools are at class sizes at or above recommended levels, but revenue would be needed to increase staff, not enhance programs,” reads a briefing on the matter given to the members. “Revenue would infuse the school budget with additional revenue in Year 1, but would have no impact in future years. School Choice students would be allowed to stay until they graduate, but North Reading would have no discretionary power over incoming non-district students.” The brief also indicated that state aid funding formulas could be affected.