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Northbridge school officials outline 12‑position cut list if override fails
Summary
Administrators presented a contingency budget that would eliminate 12 staff positions, cut about $258,000 in non‑staff spending and suspend several high‑school teams if a local override does not pass, prompting concern from committee members and students about class sizes and student engagement.
Administrators told the Northbridge School Committee on April 28 that a proposed contingency plan tied to a possible local override would eliminate a dozen staff positions and several programs if voters do not approve new funding.
Amy L., speaking for the district's administration, said the cut list under consideration would be “a reduction of 12 staff members,” including “1 ELA and 1 social studies teacher at the high school, 3 classroom teachers at NES (including 1 K, 1 2, and 1 4), the district instructional coach, 4 instructional assistants for kindergarten, the proposed behavior tech at the high school, and the proposed computer teacher / instructional technologist at middle school and NES.” She also described roughly $258,000 in non‑staff reductions and the elimination of six high‑school sports programs, a change she estimated would save about $47,500.
The presentation tied the contingency cuts to the potential failure of an override question. Amy said administrators prepared the list “in the event that the override does not pass” and emphasized that the district tried to protect special‑education and English‑learner positions, noting “none of these are special ed or EL positions.” The administration also identified $95,000 in potential technology savings, mostly for Chromebooks and instructional software, and other projected reductions in substitutes, custodial supplies and legal costs.
Committee members reacted sharply. Heather Alden called the prospect of kindergarten classes approaching 25 students “madness,” and warned that cutting JV sports could undercut the development of varsity teams and reduce overall student participation. Across the discussion some members said the cuts were a last resort and urged community turnout at the town override vote.
Students also addressed the committee. Student representative Caleb described the role of athletics and extracurriculars in keeping peers engaged and warned that cuts to drama, advisors and assistants would be “really sad” for many students. He added concerns about aging classroom technology, saying “Some of our Chromebooks are from 6 years old” and recounting devices failing in class.
Why it matters: the cuts would reduce instructional capacity, increase class sizes and trim extracurricular opportunities that administrators and students said drive attendance and engagement. The committee did not adopt the cut list as policy; administrators presented it as a contingency and said it would guide planning if voters reject the override.
What happens next: administrators said the list is a working document to be used only if funding is not approved; the committee and administration urged residents to attend the upcoming town meeting and other forums where the override will be considered. The committee continued discussion but made no final staffing decisions during the meeting.
