Hingham School Committee Approves Staff Cuts for 2025-2026 Budget
Committee votes to eliminate teaching positions and reduce staff hours to stay within 3.5% budget increase
HINGHAM - April 7 - The Hingham School Committee has approved a series of staff reductions for the 2025-2026 school year as part of efforts to stay within budget constraints. The cuts, which include eliminating teaching positions and reducing staff hours, were approved during the committee's April 7 meeting.
Superintendent Katie Roberts presented the reduction plan, emphasizing that the decisions were difficult but necessary.
"Each of the positions to be named this evening have brought incredible value to our town, to our students, to our schools. And so it certainly is nothing that we take lightly," Roberts says.
The approved cuts include four interventionist positions at the elementary level, a 0.2 Spanish teacher at Plymouth River School, and general education teachers at both East and Foster elementary schools due to lower enrollment in specific grade levels.
Additional reductions include one reading interventionist at the middle school, a 0.4 position for restructuring grade six exploratories, one administrative assistant at the high school, and a previously approved secondary special education administrator position.
The communications specialist position will be reduced to half-time, though Roberts notes they "may be able to offset that with some great cable grant funds to flesh that position back out to more than 0.5."
Committee member Kerry Ni expresses concern about reducing the communications specialist role.
"We've made huge strides in that in the district," Ni says. "I understand why we're making these reductions, but it's a little penny-wise pound-foolish."
Roberts clarifies that the announcement only identifies positions, not specific individuals who will lose their jobs. The next step involves reviewing seniority lists, which could result in staff shuffling across buildings.
Committee Chair Nes Correnti, who is serving her final full meeting after six years on the committee, emphasizes the challenging budget situation.
"None of us want to see this happen. Not one of us is happy about this," Correnti says. "It's really challenging because you feel like you're screaming from the rooftops about the issues that are coming, and you feel like you're talking about it, but then you see online that people are surprised."
Correnti encourages community members to stay engaged with the budget process, particularly by attending town meeting and voting in elections.
"Please pay attention," she urges. "I think next year is going to be challenging until we get through, hopefully, another override in a couple of years."
The budget constraints stem from a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that limits annual increases to 3.5%. Roberts notes that enrollment monitoring continues, particularly at Foster School, where kindergarten and first-grade numbers are "at a tipping point and may in fact require some shuffling around."
In other business, the committee:
* Welcomed Dr. Christine Panarese as the newly appointed Executive Director of Student Services, who will officially start on July 1
* Approved a side letter agreement with the Hingham Public Schools bus and van drivers union that adds a $2 per hour differential for METCO route drivers effective April 1, with an additional $2 increase for the following fiscal year
* Approved updates to the 2025-2026 school calendar, correcting the date of Passover to April 2, 2026, and moving graduation to May 30, 2026
* Discussed extending Dr. John Buckey's tenure as interim high school principal for an additional year, with plans to begin a comprehensive search for a permanent principal in late fall 2025
* Recognized Correnti's service as she completes her final full meeting after six years on the committee, including two as chair
The committee also hears updates on upcoming events, including a community forum scheduled for April 14 to discuss warrant articles for town meeting related to roof replacements at the high school, Plymouth River School, and South School, as well as replacement of the high school turf field.
Roberts reports that the district's strategic plan survey has received 560 responses so far, with data being used to develop the 2025-2028 strategic plan.
The next regularly scheduled School Committee meeting is set for May 5, with Town Meeting scheduled for April 28 and 29 if a second day is necessary.