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RSU 28 board keeps two middle-school special-education positions and holds GT staffing after heated budget debate
Summary
After hours of budget review and public testimony, the RSU 28 / MSAD 28 school board voted to retain a middle-school special-education teacher and a resource-room educational technician and to preserve the gifted-and-talented (GT) position at 0.8 FTE while continuing to pursue other FY27 budget reductions tied to declining enrollment.
The RSU 28 / MSAD 28 school board voted Wednesday to maintain two contested positions in the middle school budget as administrators pursue a FY27 spending plan tied to long-term enrollment declines.
The board approved motions to keep a middle-school special-education teacher and a resource-room educational technician in next year's budget and to retain the district's GT position at 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE). The decisions came after an extended budget presentation from Superintendent Maria and administrators, and a lengthy public-comment period in which teachers and parents cautioned that cuts would make project-based learning and student supports harder to sustain.
Why it matters: Administrators framed staffing reductions as fiscally driven responses to a multiyear drop in enrollment (K4 down roughly 24% over 10 years) and projected a FY27 taxpayer increase of about 1.45% across the two towns. They said the proposed changes would save roughly $600,000 overall. Opponents of the cuts argued that some positions provide cross-cutting benefits to the entire student body and that reducing those roles would impose operational and equity costs that could outweigh near-term savings.
What the board voted on and why: The board heard from Maria and school leaders that the budget contains both reductions (classroom and support positions) and additions (state-reimbursed universal pre-K special-education positions and central-office capacity). In response to public comments that highlighted a large seventh-grade cohort with complex needs and to testimony from middle-school teachers and specialists, the board voted to retain the two middle-school positions described above. A separate motion to hold the GT position at 0.8 FTE also passed after discussion about program scope (identified GT students versus broader enrichment) and compliance with the district's GT plan.
Administration's position: Maria said the recommended cuts were driven by enrollment trends and an effort to rightsize staff to program needs, while trying to preserve core services and statutory obligations for special-education students. She emphasized that universal pre-K special-education staffing is state-funded and not part of the taxpayer-supported operating budget. The administration also described plans to use models such as coaching, push-in intervention, and schedule adjustments to maintain services as staffing changes are made.
Public response and board concerns: Dozens of teachers, parents and staff urged the board to preserve ed-tech and resource positions, warning that cuts would erode the district's project-based learning model and disproportionately affect students with IEPs or 504 plans. Several speakers cited data and classroom experience showing that small-group adult supports enable equitable access to hands-on instruction. Board members expressed competing responsibilities: some prioritized fiscal restraint to maintain long-term stability, while others prioritized preserving programmatic capacity this year.
What happens next: The board will finalize warrant language and votes in the coming month. Administrators said they will continue to refine staffing allocations and schedules, and to report back as implementation details solidify. The motions to retain the two middle-school positions and the 0.8 FTE GT role were recorded as carried in the meeting minutes.
