Methuen School Committee debates steep FY27 cuts and votes to publish a working budget figure

The Methuen School Committee spent the bulk of its meeting on April 27 debating proposals to close a multi‑million‑dollar shortfall in the fiscal year 2027 school budget and voted to submit a working budget figure to the newspaper ahead of next Thursday’s public hearing.

Assistant Superintendent and budget staff presented an initial list of reductions that would together save about $1.9 million, including cuts to nursing, special‑education staff and general classroom teachers, while also detailing prioritized new position requests that would add roughly $1.2 million back into the proposal. “So that left us, $1,900,000 reduction,” Superintendent Dr. Golovski said in the presentation, explaining the administration’s first pass at savings.

Committee members pushed administrators to model more severe options to close the gap if additional state aid does not materialize. The administration showed worst‑case scenarios: increasing class sizes to 30 in grades 3–8 would save about $1.2 million, while aligning special‑education models with minimum statutory staffing could cut roughly $3.3 million but would markedly change in‑class supports.

“I will never vote for a budget that’s going to include laying off this many people,” one committee member said, voicing concerns echoed across the panel about student safety, the loss of counselors and psychologists, and harm to special‑education services if the deeper cuts are pursued.

Mayor Borghardt outlined the fiscal context for the city and schools, saying state Chapter 70 aid is projected to rise roughly 2.3% (about $1.6 million) while the district’s level‑service costs are rising by more than $12 million year‑over‑year because of contractual obligations, special‑education costs and transportation. “When you have chapter 70 going up 2.3% and your level‑service budget up over 11%, the math doesn’t make sense,” the mayor said.

Administration staff warned the committee that the public hearing notice required a number be published to the local paper by Thursday; they characterized any figure sent as a working, not final, number that could change as state aid and negotiations evolve. After discussion, the committee voted to provide the administration’s working figure for publication and public notice. The administration indicated the number posted in the meeting materials and discussed in the meeting would be the immediate working figure for the Tribune; committee members stressed it is subject to revision.

Members and administrators also discussed possible short‑term measures (targeted free‑cash use) and longer‑term structural changes (joining the Group Insurance Commission or other health‑insurance reforms) as ways to reduce recurring costs. No final staffing decisions were made at the meeting; the committee scheduled the public hearing and asked administration to post the working budget figures and analysis so residents can comment at the upcoming hearing.

The committee voted unanimously to provide the administration with the working budget figure for publication to the newspaper and to continue budget work publicly before the scheduled hearing.