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 personnel unit (PSRP), said the unit employs 206 student-facing workers and that 18 jobs in the unit were “in jeopardy.” She said 13 staff had received non-renewal notices or were let go and five had displacement letters. “Who will be the trusted adult when there is no para?” McClernan asked, listing duties paras currently cover including lunch, recess, bus duty and small-group instruction.

Reading specialists: staff and parents said cuts would reduce early literacy supports. “If students are not on an IEP for reading instruction, this plan is administered by the reading specialists,” said Kristen Mielcars, a reading specialist at Bates Elementary School. Mielcars and Mary Chula, also a Bates reading specialist, said Bates — a school of 411 students — currently has two reading specialists and the proposed budget would reduce that to one.

Mielcars said that between the two specialists this year they provided interventions to 56 K–5 students, and that fall STAR early literacy screening identified 13 students who required urgent intervention; 12 of those students no longer met the at-risk threshold by the winter screener after targeted intervention. She said broader screening and intervention this year identified a total of 92 K–3 students who needed some level of reading support.

Special-education and costs: a remote commenter, Jeff Millar, questioned an increase in out-of-district tuition lines in the special-education budget. Millar said the budget book projects the same number of out-of-district placements as this year but shows a roughly $1.4 million increase in tuition lines and asked the district to explain the per-pupil increase.

Arts and family engagement: Horace Mann Laboratory School parents and community members urged the committee to retain their full-time art teacher, Phyllis Warren. Erica Clifford, president of the Horace Mann PTC, said Warren would be replaced by a teacher split between two schools under the budget plan and that sharing a teacher would reduce consistency and community connection. Heather McClain, a Horace Mann parent who read a petition, said the group gathered 162 verified signatures urging the district to reinstate Warren.

Multiple speakers described the art teacher as a daily, community-facing presence who supports events, volunteers for after-hours activities and contributes to student engagement. “A part-time art teacher cannot replace that kind of connection,” Erica Clifford said.

Library and coverage concerns: speakers including Karen Tucker, vice president of the Salem Teachers Union and a Collins Middle School teacher, and several paraprofessionals warned that cuts to library paraprofessionals and other paras would limit students’ access to books and library services and would reduce staff available to cover lunches, recess and classroom needs. Leanne O’Neil, a para at Bates for nearly 29 years, described daily small-group instruction she provides, then noted that shortages and reassignments have already required paras to sub in multiple classrooms in a day.

On-track facilitator and high-school supports: Clifford Xholm, who identified himself as an on-track facilitator at Salem High School and a coach, said that role helps keep students on track with grades, attendance and family communications and urged the committee not to cut the position.

Other comments and program questions: some speakers defended the district’s phone-management program known as Yonder pouches; one commenter noted a $27,000 district expenditure for pouches and said, “getting phones out of kids’ hands... has been a big win.” A public commenter also recommended pausing a reportedly high-cost preschool playground bid while the district considers potential school consolidations.

Process and next steps: Committee members said the district will accept written comments at spsbudget@salemk12.org and that a special committee meeting on April 15 will allow members to ask questions of staff. The committee expects to deliberate further and likely vote on the budget at its regular April 28 meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to open the public hearing (procedural): moved by Member Campbell, seconded by Member Cornell; roll-call vote recorded as yes by Members Miranda, Hoffman, Campbell, Cornell, Manning and the chair (recorded as Dominic). Outcome: carried.

- Motion to keep the public hearing open until the April 28 meeting: moved by Member Amber Cruz, seconded by Member Manning. Outcome: unanimous in favor; carried.

- Motion to adjourn the meeting: moved by Member Manning, seconded by Member Campbell. Outcome: carried.

The committee thanked speakers and noted written comments would be included in the record. The public may submit further written comments to spsbudget@salemk12.org ahead of the April 28 meeting.