Duxbury School Committee Endorses Town-Wide Override Ahead of Critical Vote
Committee votes unanimously to support Article 5B as members prepare for Saturday's town meeting
DUXBURY - March 6 - The Duxbury School Committee votes unanimously to endorse Article 5B, supporting a town-wide override that would fund schools and other town departments. The decision comes just days before the critical March 8 town meeting where residents will vote on the budget.
"I think all the town departments have been really clear that we're in this together," says School Committee member Kellie Bresnehan during the March 6 meeting. "I would be supportive of us standing behind 5B and supporting it."
Committee member Matt Gambino, who proposed the motion, emphasizes the significance of the committee's formal endorsement.
"There's been a lot of rightful talk about how this community has to come together for this override, and we are 48% of the town budget," Gambino says. "I think it would actually almost be a standout if we didn't endorse the 5B budget because we hold so much of it."
The endorsement gives the committee flexibility to make public statements supporting the override, including potentially writing a letter to the local newspaper encouraging residents to vote in favor of the measure.
Superintendent Danielle Klingaman plans to present a brief overview at Saturday's town meeting, focusing on the state of the schools and the impacts of both the level-funded budget and the override budget.
"I have separately created some town meeting slides that I want to make sure that I get the key points across," Klingaman says. "I don't think anyone will be looking for me to speak for more than three to five minutes at the beginning of the meeting."
Committee Chair Laurel Deacon expresses confidence in the administration's preparation for the town meeting, acknowledging the extensive work that has gone into the budget cycle.
"I want to thank the administration for all the work you've done, the meetings with the town, so many meetings, with Finance Committee, Fiscal Advisory, the town forums where the presentations were done," Deacon says.
The committee discusses strategies for handling questions during the town meeting, with members agreeing to support Klingaman in addressing community concerns. They plan to sit together in the front row to facilitate coordination during the meeting.
Klingaman also highlights the importance of the Student Opportunities Act funding, which is contingent on the district's commitment to initiatives like universal full-day kindergarten, evidence-based literacy and math curriculum, and implementation of innovation pathways.
"If the override doesn't pass, that is going to have a direct impact on approval of our Student Opportunities Act plan that the state reviews," Klingaman explains. "We have to provide evidence that our community is committed to the initiatives that we set forth that we believe that our students need."
The committee also engages in a lengthy discussion about the district's strategic planning process, debating whether to continue with the current "Planning for Success" framework or explore new methodologies for the 2026-2029 strategic plan.
Deacon expresses concerns about the current plan's key performance indicators (KPIs), suggesting they focus too much on actions rather than student outcomes.
"I think what's always kind of missing for me is how we are showing the impact of all of the actions we take on students," Deacon says. "I think we had a structure and I think I have sort of better understood what I would like to see going forward."
Gambino questions whether hiring an outside consultant is necessary, noting that the current framework has been effective.
"I feel fairly good that every time we have the curriculum directors come in and present or the principals present on progress, I feel like I'm given enough evidence to show whether we are feeling good and whether we're moving the needle or not," Gambino says.
Committee member Katie Cleary suggests the strategic plan should focus more on student experiences and outcomes.
"I think the foundation of a school district is like its student outcomes. It's like what the kids are doing in those buildings. It's not necessarily what the adults are doing," Cleary says.
Klingaman proposes a collaborative workshop approach for developing the next strategic plan, allowing committee members to provide input on what data points and indicators would be most meaningful.
"We could certainly have a workshop that the school committee is participating in with district administrators because the last thing we want to do is go back and forth and keep presenting to you plans that are not feeling satisfactory or student outcome-based," Klingaman says.
Other significant items discussed at the meeting include:
* Approval of the 2025-26 school calendar
* Decision to refrain from participating in school choice for the 2025-26 school year
* Review of the district's strategic plan action plans, which administrators report are on track
* First reading of ten budget and finance-related policies
* Discussion about revisiting the district's cell phone policy at the end of the school year
The town meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 8, with the school budget expected to be a major topic of discussion. If Article 5B passes at town meeting, the override will then go to a ballot vote on March 22.
*editor’s note: it did pass Town Meeting