RSU 38 board approves budget moves to consolidate pre-K and kindergarten; parents object to process

RSU 38 administrators told area select boards on March 11 that the district’s FY27 draft budget totals $24,363,273 and that a structural shift in state aid — driven by a 16.36% rise in the district’s three-year average property valuation — is reducing state EPS support and increasing required local contributions. The presentation concluded with a board-approved one-year action: beginning July 1, 2026, pre-K and kindergarten will be offered only at Manchester and Reedfield elementary schools; Mount Vernon and Wayne will continue to serve grades 1–5.

The change followed data the district presented showing a sustained elementary enrollment decline — from 580 students in 2018 to 439 now — and significant deferred maintenance on aging 1950s–60s school buildings. “As enrollment declines, per-pupil state aid declines with it, while fixed operating costs remain largely unchanged,” the superintendent told attendees, and staff outlined personnel reductions and other line-item cuts that reduced the draft budget by approximately $870,000 since December.

Why it matters: the district said the consolidation is aimed at maintaining instructional quality and longer-term fiscal sustainability as per-pupil costs rise in very small classrooms. Administrators argued that classes with only two or three children are educationally and socially unhealthy, and that consolidating early childhood classrooms would preserve richer learning environments and grade‑level collaboration among teachers.

Parents and town officials pushed back, stressing process and family impacts. “There’s been no formal communication with the parents at the schools that are going to be affected by the kindergarten closures in the fall,” Wayne parent Taylor Stevenson told the board, saying she discovered the plan only by watching meetings. Mount Vernon resident Rachel Chrisell said she first heard the idea from her third-grade son and was “appalled” that official notice and an opportunity to comment had not been provided.

Several parents described practical hardships if siblings are split across buildings: longer drives, staggered drop-off and pickup times, and worries about young children riding buses with much older students. “I don’t feel comfortable putting my 5‑year‑old on the bus with a 16‑year‑old,” one Wayne parent said, pressing the board to address transportation and supervision plans before the change takes effect.

Board deliberations reflected those competing priorities. Some board members cited principals’ and teachers’ input about developmentally appropriate class sizes and said the change is in students’ best interests. Others said the board should not present a proposal and vote on it without allowing time for community input, which they warned could undermine trust needed for a forthcoming strategic planning process.

A motion to reverse the board’s prior decision and reinstate kindergarten in Wayne and Mount Vernon pending completion of the strategic planning process was offered and seconded. After discussion, the motion failed by a voice/hand count recorded as roughly 11 opposed and 2 in favor.

What the district will do next: administrators said a “planning‑to‑plan” group will convene immediately to identify strategic planning consultants and that a full strategic planning committee of community representatives would be formed by June–July to evaluate longer-term configurations and costs. The board also pointed stakeholders to detailed budget presentations and enrollment documents posted online and encouraged residents to contact the superintendent’s office and select boards with questions.

Numbers and clarifications: the presenters said the valuation rise from $1.42 billion to $1.65 billion triggered an $678,636 reduction in state EPS aid and raised the required local match by roughly $665,241; the district reported a 24% drop in elementary enrollment since 2018. A local citizen-provided financial analysis estimated about $170,000 in first-year savings from the kindergarten shift, a figure the administration said must be validated with detailed accounting.

What’s next: the board will vote on the final FY27 budget on April 15 after health‑insurance costs are finalized; an annual budget meeting is scheduled for May 13 and the town referendum for June 9. Administrators said the one‑year kindergarten consolidation is intended to be compatible with any outcome of the community-driven strategic planning process.

The meeting ended after routine motions to adjourn.