Triton principals seek STEM teachers, expanded social-work coverage and replacement of grant-funded posts in FY26 budget presentations

Triton Regional School Committee members heard FY26 budget presentations from five school principals on Jan. 14, 2025, with principals asking for additional staff and capital maintenance to meet growing student needs.

The presentations centered on personnel requests aimed at lowering class sizes, expanding social-emotional support and maintaining programs now paid for by a time-limited grant. Newbury Elementary Principal Beth Yando warned that "the needs of the students are increasing," and asked for an additional first-grade teacher, a 0.5 special-education teacher, and steps to make a shared 0.5 social-worker position full time. Pine Grove Principal Nicole La Perrier and Salisbury Principal Michael Astuccio made similar staffing and STEM-education requests. High School Principal Patrick Kelly asked for staff to address campus safety and attendance, and for an additional instructional assistant for the 18–22 vocational program.

Why it matters: several positions across the district are currently funded by an evidence-based-practices grant that expires June 30, 2025, and district leaders said continuation is not guaranteed. District finance staff and principals said enrollment and late registrations could change staffing needs during the budget cycle, and principals flagged rising vendor and subscription costs as drivers of small budget increases.

Newbury Elementary: Beth Yando, Newbury Elementary School principal, requested an additional first-grade teacher to reduce projected first-grade sections to four of about 16 students each, citing current kindergarten classes of 21, 21 and 22 that are rolling up into first grade. Yando also asked for a 0.5 special-education teacher to better support kindergarten and grade 1 students with social-emotional and autism-related needs, and requested that the school’s shared 0.5 social worker be converted to full-time at the school. She listed capital needs including continued HVAC work, replacement carpet and restroom upgrades. Yando said her requested personnel and supplies changes total roughly $3,115 (line-item adjustments described in her packet).

Pine Grove: Nicole La Perrier, Pine Grove principal, asked for a full-time STEM teacher and for the shared 0.5 social worker at Pine Grove to be expanded to full time to meet rising social-emotional demand. La Perrier noted program-driven increases in nonprofessional educator positions arising from the Reach behavioral-therapy and Essentials programs placed at Pine Grove, and cited a $9,477 net increase across her supplies and services lines compared with the previous year. She said inflation and new required curriculum purchases (including Quaver music licenses) contributed to the rise in line items.

Salisbury Elementary: Michael Astuccio, Salisbury Elementary principal, requested that two positions currently funded by an evidence-based-practices grant — a full-time special-education teacher and a multilingual-learner instructional assistant (IA) — be absorbed into the general fund if the grant is not renewed. Astuccio said the grant funds are set to expire June 30 and that any extension would be competitive and not guaranteed. He also proposed adding a STEM teacher at the elementary level and described a planned classroom-flooring capital request (tile to replace carpet) with a budgeted figure of $20,000 for phased work.

Triton Middle School: Principal Al McCray said the middle school had no new FTE requests but asked for modest increases in instructional subscriptions and a $5,000 placeholder for emergency/reunification materials as the district develops reunification protocols. McCray noted the building project is ongoing and that regular maintenance and small capital items continue to be needed.

Triton High School: Patrick Kelly, Triton High School principal, presented multiple staffing and program requests, including an additional instructional assistant for the 18–22 vocational program, a hall monitor to provide consistent campus coverage while a dedicated school resource officer (SRO) is not in place, and a proposed attendance coordinator/counselor position focused on reducing chronic absenteeism and dropout risk. Kelly also requested funding to support a faculty senate, library or core-text purchases, podcasting-studio maintenance funded in part by a TEF grant, world-language textbook purchases (approximately $14,000 for level‑3 materials), and a set-aside of $5,000 for reunification supplies. He asked that the annual freshman orientation at YMCA Camp Cedar Mill (about $25,100 in prior years) be continued and budgeted.

Grant and staffing uncertainties: district staff confirmed an evidence-based-practices grant currently funds at least two positions (the special-education teacher and the multilingual-learner IA at Salisbury) and that the grant’s continuation is uncertain. Director of finance and operations Brian Perry and school leaders said they had been told a future funding opportunity would be competitive and not guaranteed. Perry and administrators asked the committee to consider enrollment after information nights and registration before finalizing section counts and any late staffing additions.

School safety and SRO funding: Kelly said the district currently lacks a dedicated SRO and that Newbury Police provides intermittent coverage. He proposed a hall monitor to fill a gap in campus supervision and described discussions with the police chief about replacing the former SRO; the district has not received a timeline on when a funded SRO might return. Committee members asked whether funds budgeted for an SRO could be used to cover interim staffing; administrators said the town invoicing and the uncertain timing of an SRO replacement complicate a simple reallocation but that piecemeal solutions might be possible.

Adjournment vote: The committee recessed after the budget presentations and approved a motion to adjourn by roll call. Committee Chair Linda Locoski closed the remote meeting at the end of the session.

The committee will reconvene for the second night of FY26 budget presentations on Jan. 15, 2025, when district administrators are scheduled to present.