Hanover School District Faces Budget Challenges as Per-Pupil Spending Drops
District now ranks 17th from bottom statewide as community prepares for crucial override vote
HANOVER - May 14 - Hanover School District's per-pupil spending has decreased significantly, placing it among the lowest-funded districts in Massachusetts as the community prepares to vote on a critical budget override.
School Committee member Libby Corbo reveals the district's in-district per-pupil expenditure has fallen from $17,167 in fiscal year 2023 to $16,823 in fiscal year 2024, according to newly released data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
"We dropped our per pupil expenditure from $17,167 to $16,823. So obviously going in the wrong direction," Corbo states during the May 14 School Committee meeting.
The decline has caused Hanover to plummet in statewide rankings, moving from 45th from the bottom to 17th from the bottom among Massachusetts school districts for per-pupil funding.
"In fiscal year 23, Hanover was 45th from the bottom in the state for funding for per pupil expenditures in-district again. Now for fiscal year 24, we are 17th from the bottom," Corbo explains.
The funding challenges come as Hanover residents prepare for a crucial override vote on Saturday that will determine the district's financial future. Superintendent Matt Ferron notes the district has secured a base budget but hopes for additional funding through the override.
"We know we have a base budget secured. We have a strategy. If that is ultimately what we're dealing with, we have a strategy that will shore up some of our areas that need the most attention," Ferron says.
He adds that the override budget "had a lot of support" at town meeting, and the district is preparing plans based on both possible outcomes of Saturday's vote.
"Depending on the outcome of Saturday, starting next week, people will start seeing postings going out based on the plan," Ferron explains. "This will take a few weeks to really get everything rolled out."
The current funding data is particularly concerning because it doesn't yet reflect the impact of last year's failed override vote. When asked by a community member if the figures included those cuts, Corbo responds, "Sadly, that is true. Yes, that is without considering the cuts that were made for fiscal year 25. So fiscal year 25 would be lower than that amount."
Despite these financial challenges, the meeting highlighted the continued excellence of Hanover schools. A parent, Hanley Scott, delivered an emotional public comment praising the district's teachers for their dedication and support, particularly for her autistic second-grade son.
"I wanted to come here tonight to make a public comment in appreciation of the incredible Hanover public school teachers," Scott says. "There's been a lot of conversation recently about what has gone wrong within the walls of our schools. And I want to ensure that we are giving equal airtime to the stories of everything that has also gone right."
Scott describes how teachers have supported both her son and her through his diagnosis and the IEP process, going above and beyond their duties. She concludes by asking the community to support the override vote.
"Can we take a collective breath and recognize that in the midst of everything that is trying to tear us apart, there are countless public servants who continue to give well beyond what is asked or expected of them, and can we give something back to them?" Scott asks.
The meeting also included several other notable updates:
* Athletic Director Scott Hutchison reports strong participation in sports programs, with 55 percent of high school students participating in fall athletics and 43 percent in winter sports. All teams qualified for state tournaments, with the cheerleading team winning its first-ever state title.
* The School Committee approved Superintendent Ferron's annual evaluation, with Chair Peter Miraglia noting, "We are very appreciative of all the work the superintendent has done, his team has done, and by extension all of the staff this year."
* Rachel Hughes attended her final meeting as a School Committee member. Hughes has been working with a policy group addressing parent communications and behavior toward teachers.
* Ferron reports potential additional state funding, noting "a lot of advocacy to bring the Chapter 70 up to $150 per pupil, which will be not quite $200,000, but it would be north of $150,000 for Hanover."
The meeting concludes with community member Chuck Wilson expressing appreciation for the district's educators despite the funding challenges.
"I wanted to reiterate what a great job the teachers administration are doing, because our kids are still getting a good education in Hanover schools," Wilson says.
The override vote on Saturday will determine whether the district can implement its preferred staffing plan to address class sizes and programming needs, or if it will need to proceed with more limited resources for the upcoming school year.