Budget workshop: Millville and complex request classroom materials, STEM consumables and staffing adjustments

School leaders at the Blackstone-Millville budget workshop presented building-level requests and staffing plans as the committee prepares prioritization meetings in early February.

Millville presenter Ms. Schafer listed classroom and literacy supplements the school purchased or requested, including Scholastic subscriptions for kindergarten through second grade, recommended nonfiction supporting texts, replacement dry-erase boards and headphones, and a STEM-supplies request of about $1,500 to support hands-on kindergarten–grade 2 activities. She said some STEM scopes materials purchased earlier need replacement (estimated at $2,600) and that the district is exploring a districtwide circulation-software upgrade because the current system can no longer be updated.

At the district complex, Dr. Rumka requested library books that reflect diversity, replacement bookshelves, security walkie-talkies, student-of-the-month medals and rolling carts to move books; staffing adjustments were described as redistributions to meet shifting enrollment rather than net new positions. The presenters described enrollment fluctuations that will affect class-size calculations and teacher assignments, and noted principals have asked for additional building substitutes (two per building are included in the proposed budget).

Middle-school staff described continuing use of Amplify reading materials (bought with ESSER funds) and a planned career-exploration subscription (Naviance) funded partially with grant money. They also described Project Lead The Way — a hands-on, project-based initiative started with about $25,000 in grant funding — and warned that consumables for those units will require recurring annual district funding (presenters estimated roughly $4,000 per grade, or $12,000–$15,000 districtwide for the three grade levels).

Committee members sought clarifications about class sizes, paraprofessional counts for special education and nursing coverage; administrators said special-education staffing and assignments will be presented in more detail at the Monday follow-up meeting. No final budget votes were taken at the workshop; committee members will prioritize requested items at the next sessions when initial revenue estimates become available.