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Acton school committee working with consultant on strategic plan, enrollment and reorganization scenarios
Summary
Select Board liaison Glenn Cody briefed the board on a District Management Group study finding strong student outcomes relative to cost per pupil, declining enrollment pressures and planned reorganization scenarios to be shared with the community this fall.
Glenn Cody, the Select Board’s liaison to the regional school committee, briefed the Acton Select Board on work underway at the school committee to address fiscal pressures and changing enrollment patterns.
Cody said the district received a summer diagnostic from District Management Group (DMG), a national consulting firm, that analyzed enrollment trends, student needs, academic outcomes, finances and facilities. DMG’s analysis, Cody said, reported that the district ranks in the top 5 percent of student outcomes based on cost per pupil in the state, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Cody said the district is facing declining enrollment, more diverse and complex student needs, persistent achievement gaps, rising staffing costs and aging facilities. The school committee has formed a steering committee that is refining draft strategic-plan language, with finalization expected later in September. Reorganization scenarios will be developed this fall and reviewed in October by the steering committee before wider community outreach via surveys, focus groups and public forums.
Cody emphasized that no decisions have been made and that the process will include volunteers and randomly selected participants to capture a range of perspectives. He encouraged public input at multiple points during the planning process and said the district intends to share scenarios with the community shortly after the steering-committee review in October.
