[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6345273,"mediaKeyId","2249438-d70e1ccaf3f0979d4cbb7aa96795bf5a","parentId",2249438,"title","North Middlesex committee weighs FY26 budget, public pushes back on proposed school closure; committee later votes to close Ashby","audioSeconds",6807,"startMs",4369000,"endMs",11176000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2249438-d70e1ccaf3f0979d4cbb7aa96795bf5a&start=4369&end=11176","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2249438-d70e1ccaf3f0979d4cbb7aa96795bf5a/thumbnail_4369000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6345273/Massachusetts/North-Middlesex-committee-weighs-FY26-budget-public-pushes-back-on-proposed-school-closure-committee-later-votes-to-close-Ashby","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345273-5a6a3f50ae64dd9d3efa6da341e0cc76/orig.mp4?Expires=1770657961&Signature=BYBtygc5g55qKAq2oNKVTNlS~Ncy7Sp7tXY3qVH8-NdIchdc20lAdUckXvJWsEKQLTGxIlWE8iiFIpV1g8LLDkt8IVS5mBTag874ExZOGvsQjsIOkmDY~K2BK~Z7fGSeT-VzQDJU2mnYujiVuJdIPK8-h04k3T~FJwGm5XwvKRw6XC64RNSMe26GVory95~DVGQH0vzhiuQ8-EBkZAH6I64JAUb3luopwAkR0bMVV16rsyDJ~fbr11n1hJAyNTgdgQlcfHGVtl0NlQh9E1DnZmohWeUFZ5Klb4FuOmDtnRHfJ~NrOmHFTSakLeD7NBfdgNFLzbaKr8DmFvyHrx4xYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-07T21:27:59Z","article","The North Middlesex Regional School District school committee held a public hearing on the proposed FY26 budget on Feb. 6, during which administration presented a spending plan that trims earlier level-service increases and would require at least one school closure and reduction of staff to close the district\u0000gap.

Superintendent Brad Morgan and business manager Nancy Haines framed the budget as an attempt to deliver a constrained but educationally defensible plan. Morgan said the district began with a level-services increase of 5.58% but had reduced that to a proposed 3.16% after about $1.6 million in cuts. Haines described the major drivers of the FY26 budget: salaries and benefits (roughly 2.77% of the 3.16% increase), rising out-of-district tuition, transportation and insurance; she also listed reductions the administration had made to capital, curriculum, technology and stabilization transfers.

Key figures and program impacts presented by administration:

- Proposed FY26 operating increase: 3.16% (administration said this was down from an initial 5.58%); initial level-service projection was 5.58%.
- Approximate dollars discussed in presentation: reductions of roughly $1.6 million to reach 3.16%.
- Projected staff impact in the current proposal: reduction of 10.36 full-time-equivalent positions in the general fund.
- Potential savings from closing a building were reported in the range of about $400,000\t600,000 depending on which building and configuration were chosen.
- The district reported total FY26 spending in the presentation in round numbers as roughly $68,000,001.76.

Administrators explained options for consolidation and the trade-offs involved. Haines and Morgan emphasized the district\u0000mandated services that cannot be cut (for example, special education and multilingual programs), leaving reductions to general-education staffing and discretionary lines if revenue does not increase.

The administration presented multiple configuration options, including models that would close 1 or 2 elementary buildings (options had included closing Spalding Memorial School, closing Ashby Elementary, or alternative redistricting). Morgan said one administration recommendation favored keeping Ashby open under a K\t1 model with redistricting of some West-Townsend students into Ashby to better balance class sizes; another option kept Ashby K\t5 but still shifted students to balance loads.

Public comment: residents from Townsend and Pepperell, including several Spalding staff and parents, urged the committee not to close Spalding Memorial School. Speakers cited transitions for young children, after-school transportation time, community identity and the one-time cost to move playgrounds or retrofit another building. \"It's possible Townsend and Ashby students could attend preschool at Swannacook, then go to kindergarten and first grade at Ashby, and then go back to Swannacook and attend second, third, and fourth grade,\" one Spalding teacher told the committee, warning of multiple transitions for small children. Several commenters said long bus rides (more than an hour in some runs under some options) and larger class sizes would be harmful.

Committee debate: members repeatedly returned to several trade-offs: (1) a single-school closure vs. two-school closure; (2) immediate budgetary savings vs. long-term capacity and flexibility; (3) the community and equity impacts of sending young Townsend children to Ashby or sending Ashby children to Townsend. Committee members and town officials also asked about the possibility of selling or repurposing a district building (Swannacook was discussed as a sale candidate) and requested more detail about estimated proceeds and the legislative steps that would be required.

A rescission vote earlier in the process had removed a prior committee direction so the administration could explore alternative configurations. After extended discussion the committee took a formal motion on what building to close. A motion to close Ashby Elementary and keep Spalding Memorial School open was moved and seconded; a roll-call vote approved that motion 5\t4. Committee members said the vote was difficult but that they had to balance near-term savings against the district\u0000capacity and long-term enrollment uncertainty.

What this means:
- The committee's action gives staff direction to prepare implementation steps for consolidating programs and staffing consistent with the chosen configuration; staff and the committee will need to finalize redistricting maps, transportation routing, and a staffing plan that aligns with the adopted budget.
- The committee also asked administration to continue exploring sale or repurposing options for district property and to return to the committee with details (including potential timing and restrictions) about any building-sale proceeds.

Next steps and calendar: the school committee must adopt a final FY26 budget by its Feb. 26 meeting for town-level review. Administration and the committee said more work is required on transportation routing, redistricting, and the staffing implications; the committee also flagged the state filing and town meeting calendar for any potential override or special town-meeting votes.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NMRSD School Committee 2/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Brad Morgan presented a FY26 spending plan that trims an initial 5.58% level-service increase down to a proposed 3.16% after $1.6 million in reductions; the plan includes a required school closure and the loss of about 10.36 FTEs if adopted as presented.","taxTitle","North Middlesex Regional School District, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",60734,"location","Massachusetts","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6345278,"North Middlesex committee votes to opt out of school choice for 2025–26",55,1342000,1397000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2249438-d70e1ccaf3f0979d4cbb7aa96795bf5a&start=1342&end=1397","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2249438-d70e1ccaf3f0979d4cbb7aa96795bf5a/thumbnail_1342000.jpg","/articles/6345278/Massachusetts/North-Middlesex-committee-votes-to-opt-out-of-school-choice-for-202526","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6345278-25f3c8b8bed2524c0d8443e76a4d3c2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770657961&Signature=PB8pEInvMuVvKd6ugak4ybsyWRaXb0X6LnCykESKJZNyg9ZHRb7XyDK9N86mI2lSKBYFfIhfaUy1G44l2E0Kr5TayDeph551GkHtyraQMdrsI6p6NQMadQ6N5imEPEJXwQiBRLI-fcZ~z7NsXWyg~wQ~i1K4B-Rts7h0Pk2b3k3numoWCQ~tiCK9TEUiL3iaUNfrj22tXptwbMejGfh73PTwyx-WmF5PHzUrmpajbXuq88Jmx~~DrJjNB6aGcQOIPRvcfs7IwOYRTW97itwOtZ4MUyej4kJC6Axj0GESUXhl2zWLoP5dEE3ucUmH3MsvH3AHeuO3v2CXfJkaDEYQXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Middlesex Regional School District school committee voted to opt out of the Massachusetts school choice program for the 2025\t6 school year after a public hearing and discussion on Feb. 6.

Superintendent Brad Morgan recommended the committee decline to accept choice students next year, saying the district would not receive enough revenue per incoming pupil to reliably cover the costs that can follow, particularly for students who require special education services. \"I am recommending that we not have school choice next year,\" Morgan said during his presentation.

The superintendent told the committee that the sending district pays $5,000 per chosen student, while the district\u0000per-pupil cost and possible downstream needs (for example, an out-of-district placement) can exceed that amount. Nancy Haines, the district business manager, said certain special-education cost adders and circuit-breaker reimbursements are reportable to DESE and can help offset costs, but the district cannot predict those outcomes in advance.

School Committee members asked for additional analysis of the district\u0000history with school choice and of whether the revolving funds and any special-education reimbursements would cover marginal costs. \"It would be a very interesting thing to do that if we have some room in,\" School Committee member Brandy Rausch said, urging a post-decision review if the committee later wants to reconsider school choice.

Public commenters asked practical questions about whether opting out as a district prevents their students from attending other districts (it does not) and how the choice revolving fund and transportation assessments operate. Residents also asked how mid-year student movement is handled; Haines explained the district reports enrollments to DESE in April and reconciles choice funds on that schedule.

After the hearing, the committee voted on a motion to opt out of school choice for 2025\t6. The motion was moved and seconded by committee members; a roll-call vote approved the opt-out. The committee recorded the outcome as an affirmative vote by those present.

The committee emphasized the opt-out is reversible: Morgan noted a later spring vote could reopen participation if the district\u0000budget and classroom capacity permit.

Why this matters: school choice affects enrollment, classroom staffing and revenue. Districts can opt in to accept nonresident students when space exists; choosing to opt out is intended to protect capacity and budget planning but can affect family choice and revolving-fund revenue.

What\u0000happens next: the administration will file the district\u0000decision with DESE as required and the committee asked staff to prepare the requested historical analysis of past school choice revenue and costs so members can revisit the decision if conditions change.

","The North Middlesex Regional School District school committee voted to opt out of the state\u0000school choice program for 2025\t6, citing budget uncertainty and classroom capacity concerns. The committee heard questions from members and residents before approving the opt-out by roll call.","actionData","errors"]

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North Middlesex committee weighs FY26 budget, public pushes back on proposed school closure; committee later votes to close Ashby

North Middlesex committee votes to opt out of school choice for 2025–26