05/14/2023
Subject: Maynard Public Schools, Article 7 at Annual Town Meeting
Dear Maynard School Community and Town Residents,
As your elected representatives charged with the stewardship of our community's education system, we want to leave you with some thoughts over this wonderful weekend. First and foremost, we want to express our gratitude for the continued support residents have shown for our schools, now and in years past. Our community’s dedication to our students' successes and commitment to their well-being never goes unnoticed. To that end, we must emphasize that we
now face financial challenges ahead that require your urgent attention.
Over the past few years, our district has witnessed steady increases in the cost of maintaining and improving educational services. These rising costs can be attributed to several factors, many beyond any School District’s control, but for which we must financially be responsive to, such as: inflation, increasing needs for specialized educational support, technology improvements, maintenance demands for the aging infrastructure at our elementary school, responding to growing social/ emotional needs triggered by the pandemic, increasing costs for transportation and utilities, and new and/ or unfunded mandates from state and federal governments.
School systems are generally a Town’s largest investment of services. Maynard Public Schools (MPS) continues to seek ways to increase our revenue streams wherever possible, such as our increased contributions from claims MPS files under the School-Based Medicaid Program, with those reimbursements going to the Town. District leadership has also convened a grant task force to ensure MPS is maximizing funding meant to supplement, not supplant, educational opportunities. While we strive to be fiscally responsible and explore cost-saving measures, there are limits to what we can achieve without compromising the quality of education our students are entitled to.
Although the School Committee is usually invited to participate in budget meetings throughout the year leading up to Annual Town Meeting, this year our concerns, recommendations, and efforts to move the needle have not yielded the results one should expect from a collaborative budgetary process… that is, not until we took steps to bring this matter directly to Town voters.
As a result, we made the difficult decision to unanimously oppose the proposed FY24 Town Budget allocation for Maynard Education through our action in sponsoring Article 7 which seeks an additional $ 515,843 in FY24 over the proposed FY24 Budget at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting for several reasons:
● The proposed Town allocation fails to sufficiently respond to the State’s FY24 advisory notifying Districts to budget for a ~14% tuition increase in private special education schools that Maynard is obligated to pay on behalf of our students with disabilities.
● The District’s ability to adequately respond to the State’s advisory is further impaired by the Town’s decision to retain ~$257k of unspent Special Education Circuit Breaker (CB) reimbursements from FY22. Here are a few highlights about CB and its intended use:
○ A State program that provides financial relief to Districts in the form of reimbursements when they’ve incurred special education costs exceeding 125% in the prior year.
○ Must be expended by Districts within 2 years. Unspent CB funds are not lost, but instead revert to a Town’s Free Cash which the Town can reallocate.
○ Expiring Federal and State funds only available during the pandemic were deemed a priority to use, which allowed Districts to rely less heavily on CB. Special education schools also received additional funding to offset their rising costs during the pandemic, which are no longer available in FY24, and a reason why the State did not increase those tuition rates as anticipated prior to FY24.
○ The School Committee and Superintendent’s repeated requests seeking the full return of CB to MPS is a reasonable action taken by many towns in MA and would impact taxpayers to a lesser degree when considering the need to raise taxes.
● Many “benchmark communities” previously identified by the Select Board, with statistical similarities to Maynard, such as Millis, have chosen to work collaboratively with their School Committees to address the State's special education budget advisory, tackling the issue as one of major significance impacting the Town.
● MPS cannot adequately fund required school operations for level services in FY24 with the proposed FY24 increase to Maynard Education of $563,326, which is almost the exact amount Maynard Education received in FY14 ($560,386 over FY13). The proposed FY24 Town Budget allocation to Maynard Education assumes the cost to educate our students has not grown in the past 10 years, which is highly problematic.
Although The School Committee’s Article seeks to ensure the Schools are funded to the required level to maintain services, it’s worth noting that maintaining level services should not be the educational model our Town strives for. The District develops goals each year intended to grow educational outcomes for all students, not to remain stagnant.
Investing in education is an investment in the future of our community. Our students are the future leaders, innovators, and workforce that will drive our Town's growth and success. To adequately prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead, we must equip them with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to navigate an increasingly complex world. They deserve educators who are well-supported and well-trained, modern and well-equipped classrooms, and access to a rich variety of educational resources. These are not frivolous demands; they are the building blocks of a strong and vibrant society. This requires sufficient funding that keeps pace with rising costs and ensures that we can meet the evolving needs of our students.
We understand the financial pressures facing our community and the difficult decisions that need to be made, and we recognize there are many needs for our Town to weigh. However, increasing costs are still being met with sluggish “new growth” in Maynard and continue to disproportionately impose a burden on the residential tax base in the absence of a healthy commercial base. How should Maynard prioritize and fund our needs under these circumstances?
We firmly believe that prioritizing education and providing the necessary resources for our schools is not only a moral imperative but also an investment that yields substantial returns. Strong schools foster a sense of belonging, unity, and pride among residents. They attract families and businesses, boosting economic development and enhancing property values. By providing our youth with a solid educational foundation, we cultivate responsible and skilled citizens who will contribute to the betterment of our Town in the years to come.
Undisciplined budgets put our schools and our community at risk. It’s not possible to expect our Town to have outstanding schools and continually improve academic outcomes and opportunities for our students if we’re not equally committed to providing the necessary support growth requires. Inadequate funding risks undermining any progress we’ve made and limits opportunities available to our children. Insufficient resources can result in larger class sizes, reduced support services, outdated technology, and a lack of extracurricular activities. This not only hinders our students' academic growth but also diminishes their overall educational experience and impacts their long-term prospects.
Since we have been unable to reconcile budgetary differences internally with other Town officials, we now bring the matter before Town voters to decide, as it should be. Maynard voters, let it be you who decide the priorities of our Town at this magnitude. We urge you to engage in constructive dialogue with your fellow Town officials and community members to explore viable solutions and identify potential funding sources. Together, we should work towards a more disciplined financial plan that upholds our commitment to educational excellence, the needs of all community members, and thoughtfully responds to the fiscal realities we now face.
Please make sure to attend Annual Town Meeting on Monday, May 15th, at 7 pm, in Fowler’s Auditorium.
And, Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, along with all grandmas, aunts, big sisters, godmothers, mothers at heart, and any tireless caregivers or role models who make a difference in the life of any child.
Thank you for your time, thought, and consideration. Have a great weekend and see you Monday!
Maynard School Committee,
Natasha Rivera, Maro Hogan, Elizabeth Albota, Mary Brannelly, and Hilary Griffiths
