East Bridgewater Schools Face $1.5 Million Budget Gap, Consider Staff Cuts
District has already proposed eliminating 18 positions, may need to reduce transportation services to balance budget
EAST BRIDGEWATER - March 12 - East Bridgewater School District officials are grappling with a $1.5 million budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, with administrators already proposing the elimination of 18 positions across all schools.
The budget challenges were presented during a special school committee meeting on March 12, where Assistant Superintendent Dr. Gina Williams and school officials outlined the difficult decisions ahead for the FY26 budget.
"Based on the school committee's decisions, there may be further reductions that need to be made to close that $1.5 million gap," Williams says.
The district has already incorporated the elimination of 18 positions in its proposed budget, which would increase average class sizes from 19 to 22 students in core classes.
Officials attribute the need for staffing reductions partly to declining enrollment. District data shows enrollment has dropped by several hundred students since 2019, though a slight increase to 2,020 students is projected for next year.
Beyond the proposed staffing cuts, administrators presented additional options to address the remaining budget gap, including using approximately $700,000 from the district's school choice account and reducing transportation services.
"Legally, we need to provide busing to all students K-6 that are over 2 miles," Williams explains. "We're not obligated to bus any students that are under 2 miles or any of our 7-12 grade students."
The budget challenges stem from several factors affecting districts across Massachusetts. Special education costs represent the largest increase in the budget, with a nearly $1.4 million jump projected for the coming year.
John Shea, the district's Business Administrator, explains that special education tuition costs range from $40,000 to $45,000 per student for public school programs, $55,000 to $70,000 for collaborative schools, $75,000 to $191,000 for private day schools, and $300,000 to $400,000 for private residential schooling.
Transportation costs for special education students vary from $17,000 to $86,000 per student depending on needs and distance traveled.
A significant portion of the special education budget increase — approximately $600,000 — comes from a projected decrease in "extraordinary relief" circuit breaker funding from the state.
"At some point our costs are not going to go up 125% of the prior year. And that's what we're projecting in fiscal year 26," Shea says, explaining why the district won't qualify for the same level of extraordinary relief.
The district's per-pupil expenditure of $16,276 remains lower than most comparable neighboring districts, according to data presented at the meeting.
"We wanted to show that we are not overspending. We don't feel like we're overspending. We feel like we're fiscally responsible and we're managing our finances to the best of our abilities," Shea says.
The budget breakdown shows that 75% goes to salaries, while special education tuition and transportation account for 12%. Regular busing represents 4% of the budget, with the remaining 9% covering various expenses including technology, athletics, and classroom supplies.
School Committee Chair Gordon McKinnon emphasizes the collaborative approach being taken to address the budget challenges.
"For the number of years I've been on the committee, I feel good that we've worked collaboratively, particularly this year. We have invited everybody we can to the table to help us solve this problem," McKinnon says.
He acknowledges the difficult balance between educational responsibilities and fiscal constraints.
"Yes, we have the responsibility to educate our students. But we have to do that within the fiscal confines or the fiscal abilities of the town. And that's not always easy to do," McKinnon adds.
The budget subcommittee will continue meeting to refine the proposal before certification, which is scheduled for next week. The committee must certify the budget 45 days before the town meeting.
District officials also mentioned ongoing capital projects, including building projects for Central School and Mitchell School in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. These projects will require separate funding requests at special town meetings planned for September 2025 and November 2025.
Williams notes that district representatives attended a legislative breakfast earlier that morning to share concerns with state representatives and senators, though "they didn't have any good news for us."
McKinnon confirms that the budget challenges facing East Bridgewater are not unique, particularly regarding special education costs.
"Everybody's in that boat. Everyone's struggling to figure out... how dramatically higher they are projected for next year," he says. "That's not exclusive to East Bridgewater. It's across the board."