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Teachers urge committee to defend proposed budget as math essentials teacher warns position cut would affect 100+ students
Summary
At public comment April 29, a Cumberland Teachers Association representative warned the district's per-pupil spending is about $1,000 below the state average and urged the school committee to present a united budget to the town council; a McCourt Middle School math essentials teacher said cutting her position would remove supports for roughly 100–120 students.
A representative of the Cumberland Teachers Association told the School Committee on April 29 that the district is "perilously close" to falling farther behind state averages in spending and urged committee members to stand united behind the budget the committee forwarded to the mayor.
"Our per pupil expenditure is $1,000 below the state average," the teachers' representative said during the public-comment period, calling the committee to "stand with us" and urging the town council to treat the committee's proposed budget as necessary to maintain educational services.
Kelsey Lucas, a math essentials teacher at McCourt Middle School, spoke next and presented outcomes for students she serves. Lucas said students who received small-group or push-in support in her classes had higher student-growth percentiles on RICAS last year (an average SGP of about 61.5% for certain eighth-grade groups versus a class average of 55%) and noted that losing a math essentials position would eliminate support for roughly 100–120 students.
Chair explained budget next steps: the committee submitted the maximum 4% budget to the mayor on April 6; the mayor will present the budget to the town council on May 13; and a town public hearing for the budget is scheduled May 27 at McCourt Middle School at 6:00–6:30 p.m. Committee members and speakers urged families and community members to follow that timeline and to engage with council deliberations.
No formal committee action on the budget was taken at the meeting; public comment was recorded and will be part of the committee's record as the budget proceeds to the town council.
