Teachers warn of classroom strain as Rockport superintendent outlines budget with staff reductions

Rockport Public Schools Superintendent Mark Branco presented a revised operating budget at the school committee meeting on Jan. 22, saying zero‑based budgeting and a set of reductions have narrowed an initial gap of roughly $1.2 million to a remaining shortfall the administration recommends covering with district reserves.

The proposal, Branco said, includes personnel realignments that together total roughly 13 full‑time‑equivalent reductions and program adjustments intended to preserve key instructional offerings. "We will recommend that we fund that small gap through the reserves," Branco said, adding that district reserves currently stand at about $2.02 million.

The meeting opened with public comments from Stacy Twamley and Joanne Hildr, co‑presidents of the Rockport Teachers Association, who credited teachers and administrators for collaborative work on some models but warned that cuts have eroded instructional capacity. "Losing so many colleagues in a short period of time has been difficult for students and teachers alike," Twamley said, describing the loss of multiple teaching positions and paraprofessionals and the strain on classroom supports.

Teacher speakers singled out several specific concerns: consolidation of elementary curriculum coordinator positions from four to two, which they said would double workloads and reduce content‑area expertise; increased class sizes and fewer opportunities for individualized instruction; and the cumulative effect of repeated reductions on staff morale and students' learning experiences.

Branco described the district's process. He said a December preliminary budget initially showed an increase of nearly 6% and a large gap, and a January review that used zero‑based budgeting and targeted reductions cut that gap to about $60,000. Specific personnel changes he cited included one retirement and six reductions‑in‑force among teaching positions, the proposed reorganization of curriculum coordinator roles, reductions among paraprofessionals, and consolidation of one full‑time administrator post to move toward a single pre‑K–2 special‑education facilitator.

Line‑item adjustments include reductions to certain substitute and professional development substitute lines and a decrease in the outside evaluation budget from $330,000 to $320,000. June Sanfilipo, the district business manager, told the committee Medicaid reimbursements have fallen in recent years and said the town receives the Medicaid receipts; she recalled the district's most recent municipal reimbursement at "around $23,000." Branco and Sanfilipo said they are comfortable reducing some contracted processing fees and substitute budgets based on historical patterns.

To close the remaining shortfall, Branco said the administration identified roughly $23,600 in further reductions and will recommend using reserves to cover the last approximately $37,000. He also noted the administration will seek a 2.9% contribution request from taxpayers (up from 2.7% previously) to avoid future staffing cuts; Branco said the difference between 2.7% and 2.9% is less than about $440,000.

Both the administration and the teachers' association emphasized that decisions affect real people. "These are the young people that we're doing all the work for," Branco said. Committee members thanked staff and public commenters and requested the full draft budget book; Branco said a 50‑page PDF would be delivered to committee members the following Monday and confirmed a public budget presentation and hearing on Feb. 5 ahead of town meeting on April 5.

What happens next: the committee will review the draft budget book, accept public comment at the Feb. 5 hearing, and then take the budget to the town meeting for final action on April 5.