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Acton-Boxborough school committee wins approval for $122.6M budget and plan that closes Conant to save $17M over 10 years
Summary
The Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee’s FY27 budget — $122.6 million operating and capital plan — passed at town meeting after the committee outlined a consolidation plan that includes closing the Conant building, projected to save about $17 million over 10 years while addressing a $3 million shortfall.
The Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee presented and secured voter approval for its fiscal 2027 budget and a district reorganization that will close the Conant School.
Tori Campbell, chair of the school committee, told Town Meeting the budget request — an $82,830,682 assessment for Acton and a $122.6 million combined operating and capital plan — is intended to keep instructional quality while addressing structural deficits driven by declining enrollment and sharply rising costs for health insurance and mandated services. Campbell said the district faces a roughly $3.0 million shortfall this year and long-term capital liabilities that would otherwise require $40–$80 million in renovations over time.
To reduce costs and improve operational flexibility, the committee proposed consolidating six smaller elementary K–6 schools into a configuration with lower and upper schools at Parker, Damon and Baker (referred to during the presentation as “Boardwalk”), leaving Blanchard as K–6, and closing Conant. Campbell said the plan reduces staffing by an administrative team and 10 teaching positions, produces fuller buildings with class sizes at or slightly above guidelines, and is expected to save about $17 million over the next decade.
“Everything is on the table,” Campbell said, adding that the committee engaged thousands of community responses, multiple expert reviews, and an AB Forward steering effort to design a transition intended to protect program quality while restoring fiscal sustainability.
Residents at the meeting expressed mixed reactions. Jody Bromberg, a long-time participant in school and budget discussions, urged passage and said the changes were painful but necessary to avoid deeper cuts later. Rochelle Walwitz Martin described the personal impact of the Conant closure on families who chose homes for proximity to that school and said she would vote to pass the budget rather than risk larger cuts.
The Select Board and the Finance Committee both recommended the school budget. The Finance Committee noted that even with local cost reductions, the district needs better state funding to remain sustainable.
Town Meeting approved the school assessment and associated budget by majority vote. The committee said it will continue community outreach and implementation planning, including geographic enrollment adjustments and targeted reinvestments in counseling and student supports to manage the transition.
