Salem public hearing on FY26 budget draws warnings about cuts to student-facing roles

The Salem School Committee held a public hearing April 14 at 29 Highland Avenue to receive comment on the Salem Public Schools proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. Parents, teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff urged the committee to reconsider proposed cuts that speakers said would eliminate dozens of student-facing positions, reduce literacy interventions and remove full-time arts and family-engagement staff.

Why it matters: Speakers described the positions targeted for reduction as daily supports that affect classroom instruction, lunch and recess coverage, special-education supports and student engagement. Several speakers warned that cutting those roles could increase special-education referrals, reduce early reading intervention capacity and weaken schools’ ability to supervise and support students.

The hearing followed a budget presentation; committee members said they will hold a special meeting April 15 to deliberate and expect votes on the budget at the regular meeting April 28. The committee voted on April 14 to keep the public hearing open until the April 28 meeting.

“We share an interest in the long-term best interests of Salem students, their families, and our educators,” said Anne Berman, president of the Salem Teachers Union and a general music teacher at Bates Elementary School. “The city budget is a reflection of our values.” Berman told the committee that the proposed FY26 plan would cut 56.5 student-facing roles and five central office positions.

Barbara McClernan, a paraprofessional at Collins and chair of the paraprofessionals and school-related…