Acton'Boxborough task force proposes cuts to specialists and classroom assistants to curb rising school costs

Members of the Acton Finance Committee reported on the Elementary Budget Task Force's December findings, which the task force presented to the ABRSD school committee on Dec. 19. The task force, which included community members, teachers and staff, proposed structural changes that would reduce near-term costs while attempting to preserve core services.

"They were very explicit that this is uncomfortable," Christie, a member of the task force, said. "If you don't cut that money there, you have to cut it somewhere else." (Quote attributed to Christie as recorded in the Finance Committee meeting.)

The task force recommended several approaches that together could reduce operating costs by roughly the target ballpark (the task force aimed for about $1 million in savings):

- Share specialists (PE, art, music and other "specials") across schools so one specialist serves multiple buildings rather than assigning a single specialist per school. That approach would require operational changes and some loss of building-specific interaction with specialists, the task force reported.

- Reduce classroom assistance between 25% and 50% (not a total elimination). The task force flagged that removing all classroom assistants would save more but would create other costs (for example, supervision at lunch or recess) that could offset those savings.

- Increase the percentage of time reading and math specialists spend directly with students; the task force cited districts where specialists spend 75% of their time in direct instruction. ABRSD contract language and schedule structure (half-day Wednesdays) will affect achievable percentages; staff noted a working estimate nearer 64% for direct-student time given current schedules.

Task force members and Finance Committee attendees said the recommendations were intended as structural changes, not one-year accounting adjustments. The group emphasized that the district has already reduced FTEs in recent years and that further savings would require operational shifts and community conversations about the trade-offs.

Committee members praised the process for involving an outside consultant who had worked with other districts and could frame trade-offs in a way that local stakeholders found persuasive.

Ending: The Finance Committee said the school committee will present more detail during school budget season. The town committee urged continued public engagement and noted the school side's willingness to pursue options that bend the spending curve rather than only seeking another override.