Whitman-Hanson School Committee Halts 30 Planned Layoffs
Demands Full Accounting of $1.4M Deficit
HANSON - October 30 - In a dramatic reversal at an emergency meeting Thursday night, the Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee unanimously voted to suspend all planned staff reductions for 30 school days, rejecting Superintendent Jeff Szymaniak’s recommendation to immediately lay off 25 employees and eliminate five additional positions through attrition.
The decision came after committee members expressed anger and frustration over what they described as a lack of transparency surrounding a $1.393 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2026, which built upon a $1.14 million deficit from fiscal year 2025 first disclosed in September.
The Full Story
The emergency meeting, held before a packed audience of teachers, staff, parents, and community members, was called to address a financial crisis that committee members said blindsided them just days earlier. The administration had planned to send reduction in force (RIF) notices Friday morning to 25 union and non-union employees, impacting a total of 30 positions across the district. Those notices would have affected six Unit A teachers (members of the Whitman-Hanson Educators Association collective bargaining unit), 13 Unit D members (paraprofessionals, tutors, and duty aides), and six non-union positions including central office staff, facilities personnel, and the transportation director.
But after pointed questioning and expressions of frustration from committee members, Rosemary Hill made a motion to suspend any RIF actions for 30 school days to allow the committee time to review budget information, personnel impact, and procedural compliance. The motion passed unanimously, with Chair Beth Stafford noting that while the committee wanted to support staff, the delay could potentially mean more cuts would be necessary later.
Superintendent Szymaniak opened the meeting by taking “full responsibility for ensuring the community understands how we got here and what we’re going to do to move forward.” He explained that a recently discovered $1.13 million deficit from fiscal year 2025 rolled into the current fiscal year, creating the projected $1.393 million shortfall. The planned immediate cuts of $811,642 were intended to prevent the deficit from growing larger with each bi-weekly payroll cycle.
“Every payroll that we move forward, every two weeks, based on the cuts we have, we will increase that deficit by $30,000 or $35,000 every two weeks,” Szymaniak told the committee, explaining the urgency of acting quickly.
However, committee members challenged the timeline and questioned why they were not consulted earlier. At their September meeting, the committee was first informed of a $1.14 million deficit from fiscal year 2025. At that same meeting, they learned administration had been aware of a deficit as early as March 2025, with a larger deficit identified in June. Yet the committee received no formal notification until September, and was only informed of the full scope of the FY26 deficit in an email sent approximately 45 minutes before it went to staff last week.
“I’m curious why there was no effort to make any level of notification or discussion with the school committee over the course of the six months that you were aware that there was some level of deficit happening,” said committee member Chris Marks. “To not come before us and tell us that there was something that needed to be investigated and checked into is malpractice.”
Committee member Hillary Kniffen pointedly asked why the deficit was not included in the FY26 budget presented to the committee in January, especially given that in early January, Szymaniak had issued a budget freeze citing an “uptick in long-term sub, illness, and parental leave.” She noted this was exactly when the FY26 budget was being prepared, and both towns were asking for overrides.
“This was like a bomb dropped on our lap and it’s not okay,” Kniffen said. “I became, ran for school committee so that I could stop the Facebook hysteria, so that I could support teachers and staff and my own children, and I haven’t been able to do that this week, and it has been so incredibly difficult.”
The meeting revealed significant confusion over the use of circuit breaker funds—state reimbursements for special education costs that exceed a certain threshold. In September, the committee voted to transfer $1.1 million from circuit breaker revenue to close the FY25 deficit. At their October meeting, they were told this transfer was not needed and the deficit had been addressed through other means. But Thursday night, Szymaniak confirmed that some circuit breaker money was used to close FY25, though not the full amount, and that $2 million in circuit breaker funds is already committed in the FY26 budget for out-of-district special education placements.
“When you said at our October meeting that we didn’t need that circuit breaker money, they did use some of it though?” asked committee member Ryan Tressel, seeking clarification. Szymaniak confirmed this was correct.
Kara Moser expressed deep concern about the process and information flow. “I personally do not feel like I have any more information than the people in this audience, and that doesn’t feel appropriate or comfortable to me,” she said. “This committee voted on things based upon a budget that was presented, including union contracts, including user fees for sports, and so that to me is really problematic because we do have fiduciary responsibility for this budget.”
Moser also voiced concern about the educational impact on students still recovering from COVID-era learning gaps, calling the potential mid-year cuts “catastrophic.”
At the start of be meeting representatives from the Whitman-Hanson Educators Association addressed the committee. WHEA Vice President Cindy McGann told the committee that educators were “alarmed by the impact of these cuts” and questioned why “cuts were made to our units with minimal cuts to the rest of the district with the reasoning that the district needed to continue to function and any cuts outside the unit wouldn’t allow that to happen.”
“The school committee has two jobs: to hire a superintendent and to take care and oversee the budget on behalf of the towns while providing a system of checks and balances with the budget, so issues like this can be avoided,” McGann said.
Chair Stafford, who identified herself as a former district teacher and union vice president, opened the meeting by acknowledging how painful the situation was. “This is not where we want to be and certainly not where we hope to be. This is not a happy occasion. It’s not one to be taken lightly, and we do not take it lightly,” she said.
Stafford explained that the committee sought advice from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, though committee member Kara Moser noted that MASC is an advisory body, not a governing authority, and questioned whether the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education had been consulted on the committee’s authority to pause the RIFs.
A significant complicating factor is that the district’s interim business director, Brian Hyde, was not able to attend the emergency meeting. Hyde works for a consulting firm, TMS, that the district contracted with to address the financial situation. Szymaniak repeatedly told committee members that Hyde would be able to provide more detailed answers at next week’s regular meeting.
“The number was given to us the Thursday after the October school committee meeting,” Szymaniak explained, referring to when they received the full $1.4 million deficit projection. This was approximately one week after their last regular meeting.
Committee members pressed Szymaniak on why the RIF decision was made without committee consultation, noting that while the superintendent has authority over personnel, the committee has fiduciary responsibility for the budget. Chris Marks expressed frustration that the committee was being asked to “reduce in force by 30 positions on the basis of trust me.”
“I got to be honest, I don’t right now, and I don’t know why anybody else should,” Marks said, referencing that the email about planned layoffs went to the school committee only 45 minutes before staff were notified, and initial requests for an emergency meeting were not responded to until the following Monday.
When asked if reduction in force was the only option explored, Szymaniak said it was the recommendation of the consultant brought in to fix the situation, noting that “we don’t want to use our other lines at this point right now because we don’t know what’s coming from those lines. It’s the payroll line that’s out of whack right now.”
The superintendent also noted that the district cannot yet use excess and deficiency (E&D) funds — the school district equivalent of municipal free cash — because those funds have not yet been certified by the Department of Revenue. That certification typically occurs between November and January.
When committee member TJ Roffey asked about the expected E&D amount, Szymaniak responded: “I don’t want to dodge that question, however, when we speculate the DOR watches, and we’re actually being filmed across the state, I cannot give a number without certification from the DOR, and I apologize for that. I can’t even give an estimate. I was told that today by counsel.”
Rosemary Hill emphasized the committee’s ultimate responsibility in her remarks supporting her motion. “Ultimately, any job loss is the responsibility of this school committee. A hundred percent who we hire, how we do things. It is always our responsibility,” she said. “It is our responsibility to review all of this information before any unforeseeable, unchangeable job loss occurs.”
Committee member TJ Roffey supported the motion, stating, “No one on this committee wants to throw a match onto the 2025-2026 school year by cutting 30 positions that are already working with our students. And to try and do that before we talk to the person with the numbers behind this process feels premature and ill-advised.”
After the vote, Stafford acknowledged the uncertainty ahead, telling the audience, “We don’t know where this route is going to take us at all, and so if you can bear with us while we get the information and help us by doing what you do best, which is teaching our children, and we would appreciate the same support that you have seen now we’re giving you too.”
She also addressed questions about her own knowledge of the situation, clarifying that while as chair she had been privy to “a little bit more” information than other committee members in recent discussions, she was not aware of the full scope five weeks ago and received the same email as everyone else. “Did I know five weeks ago? No. Did I get the same email that everybody did? Yes,” she said.
Stephanie Blackman requested to be included in all future discussions about the budget crisis, saying, “I would like to be able to contribute some ideas. So please let me know when there will be other gatherings to have the brain trust together, and let me participate.”
The committee requested Szymaniak provide regular updates to families going forward to ensure there would not be a situation “where a first grader walks into their classroom and has a brand-new teacher they’ve never laid eyes on over the weekend,” as Moser put it.
Szymaniak confirmed the original plan would have had affected employees’ last day as next Friday, with parents being notified and new teachers in place for the following week. Under the 30-school-day suspension, those notices will not go out, giving the committee approximately six weeks to review the full financial picture.
When recognized for closing remarks, Hill set clear expectations: “My expectation is in the next meeting that we have all of the documentation needed to review these budgets and to ensure that we have compliance. We clear budgets line by line. Mr. Marks had asked for documentation that has still not been presented to the committee. My expectation is that it will happen for the next and that we will work diligently every week even if we have to call in.”
Szymaniak noted that any additional work from the consulting firm beyond their contracted hours would cost the district additional hourly fees, comparing it to billing from an attorney. “I signed a contract that is a certain amount of hours per week and in so many nights. That’s the contract. Anything outside the contract, I’m paying an hourly rate,” he explained.
Why It Matters
This budget crisis affects every family in the Whitman-Hanson district and could have far-reaching consequences for educational quality and class sizes. With 30 positions on the chopping block—including classroom teachers, paraprofessionals who work with students with special needs, and support staff—the cuts would directly impact student-facing services during the school year. The superintendent confirmed that no changes were planned to academic class sizes or to students’ legally mandated IEP services, but the elimination of support staff positions would still affect the district’s ability to serve students.
The committee’s decision to pause the layoffs provides a window to explore alternatives and ensure decisions are made with full information, but it also means the deficit continues to grow by approximately $30,000-$35,000 every two weeks according to administration estimates. For taxpayers in both Whitman and Hanson, the financial instability raises questions about budget oversight and whether additional funding through overrides or other means may be necessary to maintain current service levels. The situation also affects staff morale and retention, with uncertainty hanging over dozens of employees.
The breakdown in communication between administration and the elected school committee raises governance concerns about oversight and accountability. Committee members made clear they feel they were not adequately informed or consulted on significant financial decisions. The 30-school-day pause provides time for the committee to assert its authority over budget matters and demand the transparency they say has been lacking.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Direct the superintendent to suspend any and all pending reduction in force (RIF) actions for a period of 30 calendar days in order to allow the committee sufficient time to review the underlying budget information, personnel impact, and procedural compliance before any action is taken. Outcome:Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 35:26)
Motion (revised): Direct the superintendent to suspend any and all pending reduction in force (RIF) actions for a period of 30 school days (revised from calendar days) in order to allow the committee sufficient time to review the underlying budget information, personnel impact, and procedural compliance before any action is taken. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 53:20)
Motion: To conclude the meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 55:47)
Public Comment
Representatives from the Whitman-Hanson Educators Association addressed the committee, expressing solidarity with educators and staff during the financial crisis. WHEA representatives Kevin Kavka and Cindy McGann told the committee they attended a meeting with administration on Tuesday to ask critical questions on behalf of members. They emphasized that cuts following the failed override votes in May disproportionately affected union positions while other areas of the district saw minimal reductions, with administration reasoning that “the district needed to continue to function and any cuts outside the unit wouldn’t allow that to happen.” WHEA urged the committee to work collaboratively to find solutions that protect students and preserve educational quality, while noting there are “still unanswered questions regarding the situation and how we got here as a district.” The packed audience included numerous teachers, staff members, parents, and community members, though formal public comment beyond the WHEA representatives was not part of this emergency business meeting agenda.
What’s Next
The committee will meet again on Wednesday, November 5, when interim business director Brian Hyde will be present to provide detailed financial information and answer questions about how the deficit occurred. Community members and committee members can submit questions in advance for Hyde and his consulting team to address. Another meeting is scheduled for November 19, when the FY27 budget calendar and process will be presented, with 40 specific deliverables outlined.
District leadership committed to providing regular updates to families about the situation as it develops to ensure transparency and prevent surprises about staffing changes in classrooms.
The remaining potential FY26 deficit after planned cuts will be reviewed, with administration examining unanticipated revenue, unemployment costs (as the district self insures and employees receiving RIF notices are entitled to 40% of their salary in unemployment benefits), health care expenses, and the impact of a freeze on all non-essential spending.
Full meeting available via WHCA.
Background
Previous Coverage:
Whitman-Hanson Faces $1.14 Million Deficit from Fiscal Year 2025 (September meeting)
W-H Financial Recovery Plan Advances (October meeting)