North Middlesex committee reopens Ashby configuration options as budget shortfall persists

The North Middlesex Regional School District School Committee on Jan. 16 reopened discussion of how to reconfigure elementary schools and transportation tiers after Superintendent Brad Morgan presented two new options intended to reduce costs while keeping an Ashby school open.

The committee heard public comment from Ashby residents who urged caution about longer bus rides and asked for clearer cost estimates, then discussed district proposals that would either (a) make Ashby a kindergarten-through-5 school with adjusted grade assignments across the district or (b) convert Ashby to an early-childhood/primary campus (K–1) while consolidating grades 2–4 and keeping Hawthorne Brook as the 5–8 campus.

Why it matters: the district faces a multi‑million‑dollar budget gap that administrators said will not be closed by building consolidations alone. Committee members and parents told the meeting they need both educationally equitable options and detailed financial and transportation analyses before asking voters to consider an override.

Superintendent Brad Morgan summarized the options and said the district prefers an approach that balances enrollment and class‑size equity while preserving building capacity. "If the option I just described was something that the committee can get behind, I would absolutely feel as though that that would be an option that would work very well for the students in North Middlesex," Morgan said.

Public comment and parent concerns

Patrick McPhee of Ashby told the committee he wants the district to consider renovating and keeping the Ashby building rather than closing it outright: "I don't have a problem paying another 500, $600 a year for the kids," McPhee said, arguing that past town decisions diverted funds away from school repairs.

Shelley Jones, also of Ashby, asked the committee to test proposed bus routes before making a decision: "The decision to bus students further away from their homes and communities should not be taken lightly," she said, urging a trial route so committee members can judge the impact on students' social and emotional lives and participation in after‑school activities.

Melissa Boylan, another Ashby parent, asked the committee to publish the estimated one‑time and recurring costs of reconfigurations, including any added bus runs: "I'm hearing a lot of them say even if the override is voted for, there's no guarantee that schools will remain open," she said, and asked for clearer information to guide voters.

Administration options and rationale

Morgan and his administrative team presented two primary options they had worked up:

- Option A (less radical): Make Ashby K–5 (all Ashby students), Squanacook (as presented in materials) operate as district pre‑K plus K–3 for Townsend, and keep Hawthorne Brook as the 6–8 campus. Projected enrollment for Ashby under this option was shown as about 186 students (current enrollment ~140); staff reductions through attrition were estimated at roughly 4 full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions.

- Option B (districtwide reconfiguration preferred by administration): Convert Ashby to a K–1 primary campus for all Ashby and Townsend students; make Squanacook the district pre‑K plus grades 2–4; and keep Hawthorne Brook as the 5–8 campus (Ashby and Townsend students for middle grades). That option raised Ashby’s projected enrollment to about 204 and showed potential staffing savings of as much as 7 FTEs through attrition and merged grade levels. Morgan said the K–1 option would allow the district to maintain a three‑tier bussing system, avoid adding a fourth tier, and create more sections per grade for equity and flexibility.

Committee response and process decisions

Committee member Randy Rauch said he and others preferred the K–1 option because it would increase sections at Ashby and promote earlier integration of Ashby and Townsend students. Rauch also noted expected transportation savings from operating 2–8 on a single campus tiering. Several committee members recommended the administration develop more detailed enrollment projections, bus-route trials, and cost estimates (including one‑time conversion costs and recurring transportation impacts) before any final recommendation to voters.

Given the new material, the committee voted to rescind its December 3 direction (the committee’s prior plan B direction) so administrators could fully explore the alternatives and return with details, legal considerations and community feedback. June McNeal made the motion to rescind; the motion was seconded and recorded votes on the motion included Lisa Bloom (yes), June McNeal (yes), William Berg (yes), Randy Rauch (yes), Will Hackler (no) and the chair (no). The motion carried with a majority of members voting in favor.

Logistics, legal and fiscal constraints

Administrators said several complicating factors remain unresolved and will shape which options are feasible: the ownership or lease status of Spalding/Spalding Memorial (a building discussed in prior plans), a shared sewer line between Squanacook and Hawthorne Brook that could affect disposal or sale options, fiber/networking shared between buildings, and possible MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authority) grant or penalty implications if an MSBA‑funded building is closed or repurposed. Morgan said the district is investigating MSBA rules and will seek clear guidance.

Finance context and related budget considerations

Finance staff and committee members discussed other one‑time spending questions at the meeting: buyout of a solar array (administration estimated a buyout cost of about $542,000 vs. current annual payments of about $30,000, yielding an estimated payback in roughly 18 years), and a possible turf‑field lease buyout (estimated near $350,000) that could save about $25,000 in interest over the remaining lease term and free up roughly $93,000 in revolving‑fund charges for next year’s operating budget. The finance subcommittee did not recommend allocating one‑time funds to the solar buyout at this time.

Next steps and timeline

Superintendent Morgan said the district will develop more detailed cost models, transportation trials and legal checks and return to the committee with options before the March notification deadlines that affect MSBA and budget adoption timelines. Committee members asked administration to solicit community feedback and indicated they would schedule follow‑up public meetings and subcommittee work prior to any final board action or a proposed override vote to town voters.

Ending

Committee members and district staff emphasized that the reconfiguration work remains incomplete. Parents and members asked for clearer, published cost and ride‑time estimates, trial bus routes for the furthest neighborhoods, and a timetable for decisions so voters can see the tradeoffs before an override. The district said it will return with updated analyses and legal guidance for consideration at upcoming budget and committee meetings.