2024-25 School Budget Update

 2024-25 School Budget Update

This week I would like to share some very important budgetary updates from the North Reading Public Schools in order to clarify some commonly asked questions we have heard in the community.

What are the budget drivers for the school budget for the school year 2024-25 and beyond?

Like all school districts, the majority of our budget is comprised of contractual salary obligations, which make up 83% of our total budget. This includes steps, lane movements, and longevity increases for eligible staff in the North Reading Public Schools and factors in savings through turnover based on historical trends.

Another major driver is the cost of Special Education services both in-district and out-of-district, including transportation for students to outside placements. The tuition prices for many out-of-district providers has increased at a significant rate in recent years, and the number of students needing services has also continued to rise. 

Our operational building and fixed costs, as well as utilities, elementary enrollment, and the needs of our specialized programs round out the drivers for our school department budget.

The Impact of the Failed Override on the North Reading Public Schools

The override request presented at the June 2024 Town Meeting factored in the school district’s needs for this school year (2024-25) as well as the following two years (2025-26 and 2026-27). Once the override failed at the ballot last year the district needed to immediately make cuts to address the $1.2 million budget gap.

These cuts included both existing positions and other positions that would have provided level services for all students, meaning students in classrooms in 2024-25 do not have the same level of support and resources that students had the previous year.

Positions that were cut from the budget and not replaced include the following:

• Academic Interventionists (3 positions)

• Guidance Counselor (1 position)

• Technology Technician (1 position)

• Classroom Teacher (2 positions)

• Special Education Teacher (3 positions)

• School Nurse (0.5 reduction to Floater Nurse position)

• Paraprofessionals (4 positions)

• Facilities (1 position)

• Athletic Coaches (3 positions)

Additionally, several positions would have been added in order to maintain level services for students. Without these positions class sizes have increased above the optimal level, especially at the primary grades. These positions include:

• Classroom Teacher (1.5 positions)

• Special Education Teacher (.4 position)

In addition, other cuts were made to expenses for school and district budgets as well as adjustments to the busing and transportation fees for students.

Have any of these positions been added back for 2024-25?

No, there have not been any restorations to the cuts for this school year. In addition to the cuts there have been resignations, retirements, non-renewals and other leaves of absence that have not impacted the total number of full time equivalent (FTE) positions in the district. In order to fill these vacancies we posted the positions and have made new hires as we do every year with our workforce of nearly 400 employees.   

Whenever possible, the individuals losing a position were hired into a vacancy in order to minimize unemployment expenses and retain highly qualified individual employees.

Have there been any additional expenses realized for 2024-25?

Yes, as recently discussed at the September 21, 2024 School Committee meeting we have seen an increase this year in our special education, transportation, and out-of-district tuition costs.  This can be attributed to some unanticipated scenarios that arose late last school year and others that have arisen this year. We are also aware of other potential costs on the horizon, resulting from recent move-ins and newly identified student needs requiring additional support above and beyond the out of district placement due to the complex nature of the profile. The District budgeted for transportation and placement costs for 40 students this year, up from 37 in FY24, and we are currently at 45 students this year as of October 1st.

Are these concerns unique to North Reading?

No, unfortunately the rising costs for operations have been a consistent need across the commonwealth and the budget drivers for our district are similar to those in many other cities and towns. Last spring there were 46 override votes, with 57% of those failing. The budget drivers in these districts are consistent with our own and we are committed to continuing the transparency around our needs to the entire community.

Next Steps

As we discussed in our presentations last year, we have concerns for this upcoming year and the years that follow given that our costs are continuing to increase and the available revenue from the town can not support our needs. As we begin our budget process to prepare for FY26 we will continue to identify any areas for potential cuts and be sure to communicate those possibilities with the school community.

We are committed to the students of North Reading as outlined in our district strategy, NRPS 2025.  This year we will once again be providing many opportunities throughout the year to listen to our students, staff, families, and members of the community as we begin to think about the plans for our next plan, NRPS 2030. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.north-reading.k12.ma.us/district/pages/nrps-2025.