Scituate Schools Maintain Staff Levels in Tight Budget
Proposed FY26 budget shows 2.34% increase, avoids layoffs and overrides
SCITUATE - February 3 - The Scituate School District presented its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, reflecting a 2.34% increase while avoiding teacher layoffs and potential overrides. Superintendent William Burkhead emphasized the budget's alignment with the district's strategic plan and commitment to providing exceptional education.
"Although this budget today represents only 2.34% increase, which is approximately half the monies we received last year, I'm proud to report that it does reflect our values of our strategic plan and our unwavering commitment to provide our students with an exceptional education that empowers them to succeed in an ever-changing world," Burkhead said.
The budget prioritizes competitive salaries and professional development to attract and retain educators. It also focuses on maintaining academic excellence through investments in curriculum, instructional resources, and technology.
Dr. Thomas Raab, the district's finance director, presented detailed breakdowns of the budget, highlighting the district's commitment to instruction across all schools. The budget maintains current staffing levels, with no new positions added for the upcoming fiscal year.
"Our FTEs are remaining the same from FY25 to 26," Raab explained, referring to full-time equivalent positions.
The district faces challenges in balancing fiscal constraints with educational needs. Special education tuition saw an increase of about $400,000 from last year with fewer students, reflecting ongoing cost pressures in this area.
Despite these challenges, the budget maintains key investments. The district preserved a $250,000 line item for building maintenance, which Raab described as critical for addressing unexpected repairs and maintaining facilities.
"Having that $250,000 in the budget has allowed us to forestall a lot of those issues that you hear about from other schools," Raab said.
The budget also continues the district's commitment to technology, with Raab noting that the technology budget has nearly tripled since fiscal year 2023. This increase reflects the growing importance of technology in education and the need for sustainable funding.
School Committee members raised questions about math support across different grade levels. Peter Gates inquired about the differences in math specialist positions from elementary to high school, prompting a discussion on the evolving support structures.
Heather Allen, a district administrator, explained the role of math specialists at the elementary level: "Math specialists work with our, they run our WIN groups. So at the elementary level, math specialists work, run our WIN groups. That's sort of when they hit the ground running. They're looking at benchmark data. They're running their groups."
The discussion highlighted ongoing efforts to improve math instruction and support, with committee members emphasizing the need for continued focus on student outcomes.
A committee member stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making and urged for more comprehensive use of data tools. "I would love to see more data and more ROI, and I appreciate all the presentations that the staff do, but I really think for some of these things, we need to connect the dots better," they said.
The budget presentation also touched on the district's curriculum review cycle, which committee members praised as a significant improvement in long-term planning and resource allocation.
The School Committee is expected to vote on the budget at their next meeting before it moves to town-level review. Superintendent Burkhead urged the committee to approve the budget, emphasizing its alignment with district values and strategic goals.