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Acton schools preview budget workshop, highlight safety training and student activities
Summary
Acton school leaders reported 236 PreK–8 students, the adoption of ALICE safety protocols, a new bus driver to shorten routes, and scheduled a one‑day Warrant & Finance budget workshop at the school on Feb. 7, 2026.
School officials told the Select Board on Jan. 28 that the Acton School Department will hold a consolidated budget workshop with the Warrant & Finance Committee on Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and budget books will be available for committee review the preceding Friday.
Superintendent John Ross said the district serves 236 students in PreK through eighth grade and that 81 Acton students attend Sanford High School under the district’s existing contract; one student is in out‑of‑district placement and two attend other public high schools. Ross said the district employs 53 people and that school buildings have been designated as emergency shelters after coordination with Emergency Management Director Phil Caruso.
Ross briefed the board on school safety measures, saying the district adopted ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) protocols two years ago and that he is an ALICE‑certified trainer. The district conducts monthly drills that include the York County Sheriff’s Department and the Acton Fire Department.
Principal Brandon Ward described recent student activities including a food drive that supplied the town’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors program, a gingerbread‑house reward day, and the successful basketball season for both boys’ and girls’ teams. The district plans a winter carnival on Feb. 13 and a fifth‑grade ski trip to King Pine on Feb. 26; volunteers were invited to chaperone.
School Committee Chair Judith (Judy) Shain said the one‑day budget session is intended to compress review into a single day so committee members and the public can review budget items efficiently and ask questions of administrators.
Select Board member Tom McGurty praised the school update and encouraged broader public exposure to district activities via the town’s public channels.
