North Middlesex approves director of operations, temporary assistant school business manager and a 4% preschool tuition increase amid multi‑million‑dollar short

At its April 10 meeting the North Middlesex Regional School Committee approved two administrative job descriptions and a proposed tuition change as part of a broader FY 2026 budget process shaped by a multi‑million‑dollar shortfall.

What the committee approved - Director of Operations and Facilities: The committee voted to approve the job description for the director of operations and facilities, a role that the superintendent said evolved from the district’s former director of technology position after responsibilities shifted to include facilities, security systems and facility use. The committee passed the job description by roll call.

- Assistant School Business Administrator (one‑year, temporary): With School Business Manager Nancy Haines scheduled to reduce to a 0.6 role in FY 2026, the committee approved a one‑year assistant school business administrator position to prepare a successor. The superintendent said no currently licensed candidates applied and that the assistant would enter the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials licensure program while being mentored by Haines. Administrators said the change is expected to generate an FY 2026 savings of about $58,000 when combined with other staffing shifts.

- Preschool (Squannacook Early Childhood Center) tuition increase: The committee approved a districtwide 4% increase in preschool tuition for FY 2026 and new administrative fees aligned with the extended‑day program — a $30 insufficient funds charge and a late payment fee for payments made more than 10 days past the due date. District staff said the preschool program is an integrated special‑education program that has high fixed costs; they told the committee a 4% increase aligns North Middlesex with comparator districts.

Budget context and reductions Superintendent Morgan and finance staff framed the approvals in the context of a fiscal shortfall. Morgan reported reductions under consideration for FY 2026 that include: 7 elementary teachers, 1 assistant principal, 2.77 paraprofessionals at the elementary level; 6 middle school teachers and 2 paraprofessionals at the middle level; 3 high school teachers and a districtwide reduction of 2 custodians — a total of 24.37 FTE reductions that staff have proposed as part of the FY 26 plan. Morgan warned that if a 2.25% budget increase option is not supported by towns and state actions, those reductions could rise substantially.

FY 2024 audit: clean opinion but large long‑term liabilities CBIZ auditor Rebecca Gamsby presented the FY 2024 audit, saying the district received an unmodified (clean) opinion on its financial statements and the single audited federal program (the child nutrition cluster). Key figures the auditor reported from FY 2024 financials included: a general fund fund balance of $6.6 million (about 9.8% of expenditures), an unassigned fund balance of $2.4 million, a capital stabilization fund balance of $671,000, a net OPEB liability of about $89.6 million (after a $1.1 million trust balance) and long‑term debt of $27.7 million. The audit team reported no material weaknesses.

Committee direction and next steps Committee members approved the job descriptions and tuition increase by roll call votes. Several members urged continued advocacy at the state level for additional school funding and asked staff to return with more detailed analyses of proposed user fees and other revenue options. Finance subcommittee plans were discussed and a FY25 budget transfer motion (detailed in the meeting packet) was approved to realign certain line items.

Ending: The committee said it will continue to weigh staffing, program and fee options as state funding and town support evolve; district administrators were asked to return with more information on activity‑card/user‑fee scenarios and to monitor potential state legislation that could affect FY 2026 funding.