Gardner schools face $793,669 shortfall; superintendent urges phased city funding increases

The superintendent of Gardner Public Schools told the Gardner City Council on April 17 that the district faces a projected $793,669 shortfall in its FY2027 budget and urged the city to increase its contribution incrementally to avoid further cuts to student services.

The presentation, introduced by the superintendent, emphasized that "this presentation ... is not just about money, it's about kids," and laid out enrollment and cost trends that underlie the gap. District officials said the share of students classified as "high needs" (students with disabilities, English learners and low-income students) has risen from about 1,400 in 2021 to more than 1,700 today, increasing the services the district must provide.

Mark Hawk, Gardner Public Schools' director of finance and operations, walked the council through the state Chapter 70 foundation-aid calculations for FY27. He said foundation aid in the FY27 calculation is listed at about $46.5 million and that after subtracting the required district contribution the state-provided portion to Gardner is roughly $33 million — an increase of about $643,719 from the prior year. Hawk described how uniform property and income percentages are used to compute each municipality's local effort and how a municipal revenue growth add of roughly $135,000 was applied to the city's required contribution in this cycle.

Despite that new money, the presenters said pressures on the budget remain. The district identified three primary expense drivers: out-of-district special-education placements and collaborative tuitions (which increased dramatically in recent years), special-education transportation (noted as a large year-over-year increase), and rising indirect costs led by health-insurance claims. The superintendent described a $1.7 million one-year jump in indirect costs and estimated about $3.1 million in health-insurance cost increases over three years.

To balance the FY27 proposal the district said it cut roughly 18 positions (about $1.5 million) and used one-time federal ESSER and other funds to cover recurring needs in prior years. The superintendent warned those one-time sources are drying up and said further cuts would undermine services. "I can't keep cutting," he said, arguing that the district has already trimmed nonessential items and reorganized programs where feasible.

Rather than request the full $2.7 million that would close the gap to the state's target, the superintendent asked the council to sustain the existing $300,000 above minimum net school spending (the amount the mayor had committed) and to add additional increments — for example, another $300,000 this year and another $300,000 the following year — so the district can rebuild staffing and supports without relying on short-term reserves.

Councilors pressed district leaders on whether enrollment declines represent an ongoing trend and on the decision to relocate Gardner Academy into the high school. The superintendent and finance director said the district expects a stable enrollment "bubble" at lower grades and that the Academy move is supported by expanded tiered supports and a 90% reduction in disciplinary referrals at the high school, which makes the move feasible.

The presentation closed with officials urging the city to consider incremental, multiyear support while the district continues to seek efficiencies and grant funding; no formal vote on local funding was taken at the meeting.

Next steps: the Gardner City budget process and the mayor's proposed budget will determine any change to the city's required contribution for FY27.