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Committee warns towns on rising fixed costs and readies public outreach ahead of possible override
Summary
Members warned that declining enrollment and rising fixed costs (special education, insurance, pensions) could leave the district and towns facing a 2½ percent override; the committee agreed to develop slides and a dashboard to explain net school spending to residents.
Chair Robert Stevenson and district leaders devoted substantial time to budget concerns on May 4, telling school committee members that declining enrollment and higher fixed costs are squeezing district finances.
Stevenson said the district is seeing lower enrollment but continuing fixed obligations — special education placements, insurance and pension costs — that do not fall in direct proportion to student counts. He told members that town finance committees are asking questions about cost drivers and that the…
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