MELROSE — During a public hearing this week, residents urged the School Committee to save the computer science class at Melrose High, keep the full-time principal position at Veterans Memorial Middle School, do more long range planning with an eye toward financial responsibility and to get creative when it comes to finding more money to help kids.
After the hearing, school officials continued their work on the $47 million spending proposal for the year beginning July 1.
Facing a $4 million shortfall for Fiscal Year 2026, administrators have had to make some extremely tough decisions. User fees will increase for parents of athletes, team teaching at the Veterans Memorial Middle School will be eliminated as will the directors of Humanities and of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, one teaching position at the Franklin Early Childhood Center, a first grade teacher at the Hoover Elementary School, a kindergarten teacher and a grade four teacher at the Lincoln School, three teachers at the Roosevelt, three teachers at the Winthrop, 16 teachers and one full-time principal at the middle school and eight teachers at Melrose High School.
One of the casualties of the reduction in services is the high school’s computer science class, slated to be cut out of the budget for one year.
Damian Roskill, who works for a high tech firm, was shocked that the program was on the cutting block. He said during the public budget hearing Tuesday that he couldn’t think of one core skill more valuable than computer science.
“It is a skill that is instantly employable,” he told the School Committee. “I understand you need to make tough decisions but this seems to be the wrong course to cut.”
Danielle Murray currently has children in the 6th and 10th grade. During the COVID pandemic, she told the School Committee that she transferred her kids out of privates schools and into the Melrose public school system. Saying the educational experience has been a great one, she “wholeheartedly” stands by her decision to send the kids to the city’s schools.
With that said, however, she explained she had a serious issue with one principal being in charge of about 1,700 youths at the high school and middle school, in addition to other concerns, not just in the schools.
Public safety services need to be kept intact, as do public works projects and green initiatives.
“If we look at just the numbers,” Murray said, “we do not collect enough revenues to sustain basic city services. This situation will continue to get worse if we don’t pass (an override of Proposition 2 1/2).”
Murray continued, “To those who oppose the override, I get it. My family lives frugally and we have very little disposable income. But we need to come together. We need to find common ground.”
Lauren Stetson has four children and lives in a two bedroom house, she said during the hearing. “We chose to move to this town because of what it can provide.” She said she hopes an override passes, but would be concerned even if it does, making more taxpayer dollars available for city and school services.
“How are we progressing in the future?” she asked. “It sounds like we’re jumping from year to year. We bought our house knowing we have a school system our kids can thrive in. But how are we (as a city) going to move forward in a financially responsible way?”
Chris Gregg told school officials at the hearing that the very hard decisions facing them “are not unlike (those in) many other communities in the Commonwealth.” He said he wanted to see “greater creativity” in coming up with more money to pay for city services. He used an example how donations can be solicited, and used.
He continued, “Every position we can save we should look at as a victory.
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During the regularly scheduled School Committee meeting that followed, members were alerted to a message on school funding by the city’s Beacon Hill delegation, Sen. Jason Lewis and Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian.
“For the upcoming FY26, Governor (Maura) Healey has recommended minimum state aid of $75 per pupil, which the legislature likely will increase, pending federal funding uncertainties,” the legislators write. “For the current fiscal year (FY25), Melrose became a minimum aid community, receiving state aid at $104 per pupil above its FY24 funding amount. In 2019, the legislature updated the Chapter 70 program with passage of the Student Opportunity Act (SOA). Since this update, the Melrose Public Schools has received $1,429,050 more in chapter 70 aid than it would have had the SOA never passed. Additionally, the State provides significant financial support to districts for out-of-district special education students (for Melrose, $2,486,385 in FY24), via a program called the circuit breaker, as well as charter school tuition reimbursement (for Melrose, $1,089,899 in FY25). Additional State (and Federal) Funding Sources School districts also receive federal funding and can apply for federal and state education grants.
“In 2024, for example, the Melrose Public Schools received a $126,000 state grant from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for efforts to support students’ social and emotional learning, behavioral and mental health, and wellness. Occasionally, though the state budget process, the state delegation will secure funding for small and “shovel ready” local projects in the form of an earmark. These funds can be used to cover one-time and non-operational costs. For example, in recent years, we have secured earmarks for LED lighting at the Hoover School, the high school elevator, and safety equipment at the middle school. In addition to the state dollars directed to Melrose for its public schools, the State delegation works to support statewide programs that benefit the City of Melrose including unrestricted local aid (in FY25, Melrose received $6,314,804 in state appropriations) and Chapter 90 infrastructure investments (in FY25, $523,286).
“Additionally, the City and its departments are eligible for many state grant programs. For example, in 2024, the City and its departments received a number of state grants, including a competitive $193,022 Green Communities grant from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources; a $3800 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Disability; a roughly $9000 grant for equipment from the Department of Fire Safety; and a $14,300 Recycling Dividends grant from the Department of Environmental Protection.
Conclusion
“The process for the FY26 state budget is underway.
“The Joint Committee on Ways & Means is conducting hearings across the State to review the Governor’s proposal. After the hearings, the House will pass a budget bill in April, the Senate will pass a bill in May, and the two chambers will work to agree on a consensus bill with FY26 beginning July 1. While the final budget will differ in a variety of ways from the Governor’s initial proposal, we do not anticipate changes to the provisions that directly support the Melrose Public Schools and City significant enough to rectify the budget shortages facing the community. Once the state budget process has concluded, we will make ourselves available to meet with Mayor Grigoraitis, the School Committee, and the City Council as you consider ongoing budget constraints at the local level.”