Pelham superintendent: capital bond cannot pay salaries; board weighs staff reductions and calendar framework

Pelham Union Free School District Superintendent Dr. Champ (name as given in the meeting) told the board on March 19 that capital bond proceeds cannot be used to pay for district staffing, and that the district is proceeding cautiously on both staffing and facilities planning.

“You can’t use capital bond money to pay for staffing. You can’t cut staffing to pay for capital projects,” Dr. Champ said while briefing the board on the draft operating budget and the proposed bond projects.

Why it matters: Several parents at the meeting warned that proposed operating-budget adjustments would increase average class sizes at elementary schools even while the bond seeks additions in some buildings. The superintendent and principals said operational and capital decisions are linked in voters’ minds, even though the funds come from different legal sources.

What the superintendent told the board - Staffing and budget process: Dr. Champ said the district’s operational budget must be set under the state tax-cap rules and that capital projects are financed separately. She said the district is working under a tax cap and has 12 teacher retirements and one TA retirement this year, and is using enrollment projections to decide where to fill or reduce sections. “That process is ongoing,” she said, noting the district maintains a 2 percent contingency and two contingency positions in staffing to handle fluctuations. - Class sizes and space: The superintendent described current space constraints at Simonoy and elsewhere and said the current bond proposal would provide a net gain of three classrooms at Simonoy after accounting for rooms lost to elevator installations. “The proposed project is a net gain of 3 classrooms… and that 3 net gain could help us in many ways,” she said. - Calendar framework: Dr. Champ presented a framework for the 2025–26 school-year calendar that sets start and end dates and major vacation periods but leaves parent-teacher conference and professional learning day scheduling to be finalized after additional consultations. The calendar framework was included in the meeting’s consent items and will be finalized by the board in the coming months.

Public comment and parental concerns During public comment parents raised two linked concerns: (1) that the operating budget reductions could increase class sizes and reduce the district’s ability to staff new space created by a successful bond, and (2) that the bond’s capital additions might create future operating costs the district cannot afford under the tax cap. A parent suggested the community consider a separate levy to preserve small class sizes; the superintendent said she understands the political reality but reiterated that tax-cap rules and the different legal treatment of capital versus operating funds limit options.

Board action The board approved a consent agenda that included the calendar framework and several administrative items. (See Votes at a glance.) The superintendent and the board said they will continue to brief parents and staff as the budget and bond process continues.

Ending District officials said staff will keep updating enrollment and staffing projections as families move in or out, and that final hiring and sectioning decisions will occur closer to next school year once updated enrollment data are available.