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Grafton superintendent outlines FY27 reduction plan that would cut sports, languages and music
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Cummings told the School Committee the FY27 reduction plan would remove roughly 12.5 positions (net ~8.5 FTE job losses after some attrition), eliminate middle-school sports and shrink language and music programming if an override fails, and warned the district is already in the bottom 4% in per-pupil spending in Massachusetts.
Superintendent Dr. Cummings presented a draft FY27 reduction plan on April 7, telling the Grafton School Committee that the district faces roughly a $1.04 million gap from its level-service budget if an override does not pass.
Dr. Cummings framed the cuts as the result of multiple years of lean budgeting: last year’s reductions totaled about $609,000 across personnel and non-personnel items, and the FY27 plan would build on that work. He said the district is among the lowest-spending in the state on a per-pupil basis and emphasized the district would try to protect lower-grade classrooms and essential services (counseling, nursing and specialized supports) where possible.
The superintendent outlined specific proposed reductions: not filling a curriculum-coordinator role; reducing an AI/digital learning specialist and backfilling tech support; eliminating middle-school athletics (eight teams) and several JV2 teams; cuts at the high school including a math position, elimination of French district-wide, a foods/consumer-science elective and a 0.5 guidance position; middle-school reductions that could halve Spanish offerings and shrink music instruction; and elimination of some elementary instrumental/band positions. In total the list amounted to about 12.5 positions on paper; Dr. Cummings estimated a net loss of about 8.5 full‑time equivalent positions after expected retirements and attrition.
Committee members pressed for alternatives during a lengthy Q&A. A previously discussed $100 athletics/transportation fee was estimated elsewhere at roughly $70,000 in revenue, but committee members and the superintendent said fee revenue would not be sufficient to restore coach stipends to market levels and would not meaningfully avoid program cuts. Members repeatedly flagged difficulty rebuilding programs such as world languages and band if positions were lost, saying losses could have multi-year consequences for students’ readiness for advanced coursework.
Members also debated override sizing and longer-term fiscal risk. One member cited a town forecast showing a $5 million override structured across five years could be exhausted by year four if front-loaded; others said the priority remained securing year‑one funding and mobilizing voters. Dr. Cummings said more detailed school‑level impacts could be provided quickly to help the committee and community evaluate tradeoffs.
No formal vote on the reduction plan occurred at the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to guide committee discussion and community outreach ahead of potential budget decisions.
