RSU 52 officials outline $545,000 in proposed cuts, including world‑language and PE positions

School Administrative District No. 52 administrators presented a revised FY26 budget proposal on March 13 that trims $545,000 from an earlier draft and reduces the districtwide budget increase to about 6.6 percent (the local tax increase overall to about 7.58 percent), but includes proposed cuts that would affect curriculum and student services.

The cuts, presented by District staff member Carrie, include eliminating the middle‑school world‑language position, reducing elementary physical education from two classes per week to one (a net loss of one PE teacher), reductions to library book budgets and classroom supplies, lower technology purchases, and several staffing adjustments in guidance and educational‑technology roles. Carrie summarized the changes: "What we are gonna be sharing with you represents an overall cut to the budget of $545,000. That brings the total cuts we have made from the initial budget to 1,740,000. That gets the overall budget increase down to 6.6 from 8.08, and it reduces the local increase to an overall of 7.58."

Why this matters: administrators told the board the reductions respond to a goal expressed at the prior meeting to lower the towns’ share below 10 percent and to community affordability concerns. They also warned the cuts will affect day‑to‑day operations and planning: "Now it's gonna impact what's happening on a day to day basis," Carrie said. Board members pressed staff for alternatives and asked for specific lists of non‑instructional cuts that could be implemented without immediate classroom layoffs.

Key proposed program and personnel changes - World language (middle school): The recommended cut would eliminate the middle‑school world‑language teacher and shift that position’s effort to the high school. Administrators said recruiting language teachers has been difficult and that the high school program requires consecutive high‑school coursework for college‑bound students. Evan, the principal present, explained the rationale for prioritizing high‑school coverage: "When kids walk out with a diploma, they're looking at employers and they're looking at colleges... often it's a requirement." Board members and parents pressed for alternatives, including online options and schedule changes to preserve middle‑school language exposure. - Elementary physical education: The draft removes one elementary PE position, which would reduce K–6 students from two PE blocks per week to one. Staff noted the cut would not eliminate PE entirely but would reduce instructional and teacher planning time. Current concerns raised repeatedly by speakers during public comment included the physical and behavioral benefits of two PE sessions per week: phys‑ed teacher Lucas Yorkie warned that national guidance recommends roughly 150 minutes of exercise per week and said "by eliminating that one session, we're eliminating 40 of those minutes." Public commenters including art and music teachers also urged the board to retain current PE time. - Support staff and supplies: Proposed reductions include a $12,000 cut in paper, converting copier purchases to leases (an annual interest expense that slightly raises five‑year costs), reduced library book per‑pupil allocations (to approximately $20 per student at most schools), halving some field‑trip fees, a $73,000 technology reduction that will change device‑replacement timing, and an $8,800 athletics supplies cut. Administration noted some line‑item savings were achieved by correcting duplicate positions and shifting positions to grant funding where appropriate. - Guidance and EdTech hours: The high‑school guidance secretary’s annual hours/salary would be reduced (about a $10,000 reduction in the proposed cuts) rather than an elimination, meaning fewer summer or non‑student hours. Several EdTech positions were also reduced or removed; administrators said some of those slots are funded by federal grants or Title funds and remain fluid depending on program funding and student need.

Technology and one‑time reserve proposals District technology staff proposed using proceeds from device resale (about $12,000 expected from selling Macs/iPads) and drawing $23,000 from the technology reserve this year to cover a triennial certification/certificate fee that shows up this fiscal year. Carrie explained a plan to request voter approval for annual warrant articles to restore roughly $9,200 into the reserve from the unallocated fund balance over the next three years so the triennial expense will not recur as a large spike. "We're going to request from the board access to use the reserve, the technology reserve funds for that $23,000," she said. The board discussed chartering that approach versus budgeting a recurring annual prepayment.

Federal grant uncertainty and a proposed contingency reserve Administrators told the board they expect cuts in federal Title allocations next year and proposed using unallocated fund balance to temporarily increase the regular instruction reserve from $100,000 to $300,000 for FY26 as a one‑year contingency to respond to midyear federal cuts without immediate layoffs. Carrie framed the suggestion as a way to avoid midyear chaos: "If federal funds do get cut, we'll have to deal with it, but at least it's in an organized way in next year's budgeting process moving forward as opposed to in the middle of the year." Several board members supported building a cushion; others said voters must be informed about such a move.

Board and community reaction Board members repeatedly asked administration to produce a short list of non‑instructional cuts (copiers, supplies, facility adjustments, insurance, cost‑share changes) and to model scenarios that keep specific teacher positions intact. Several board members said they were sympathetic to the goals but nervous about cutting instructional time, with multiple members flagging PE and library staffing as priorities to protect. Parents and staff used the public comment period to argue against reducing PE frequency and for preserving library staffing; school librarians warned reduced library staffing could force temporary closures of the high‑school library.

What’s next Administrators said building principals will return to the next full workshop to answer detailed scheduling and curriculum questions, especially how a proposed change would affect middle‑school course blocks and teacher prep time. Board members asked administration to produce a concise list of the cuts the district can make without direct student impact, and to run alternate scenarios that would retain PE or world language if other savings are found.

Ending District officials described the current draft as a compromise to lower the local tax impact while trying to limit harm to classroom instruction. Board members repeatedly said they wanted more detail before final decisions and requested clearer communication to families about trade‑offs.