School Budget Refinements Continue

Getting closer to a final picture of the district-wide cuts and new fee structures...

This article summarizes the March 25, 2025 school committee meeting and focuses on the budget numbers discussed. While other important topics, such as graduation requirements and a special education overview, were also part of this meeting, they are not included here.

Public comment and feedback

This meeting began at an earlier time, 6pm, to give the public an extended period for feedback to the school committee. A number of Melrosians spoke, each one talking about their kids in the Melrose public school system, their love of the city, and/or their childrens’ wonderful educational experience so far. To a person, they were heartbroken about the proposed cuts.

One spoke of disappointment that the entire computer science department will be cut, another of the shocking reductions in middle and high school that will result in a single principal running both schools. Another asked that, regardless of the outcome of the override vote in November, what is the future plan for the city and school finances and is there a long-term plan for financial stability?

Later in the meeting, Ms. McAndrew stated that 30 students had attended a public comment/feedback session she and Ms. Withey held at the high school. She and Ms. Withy were impressed at the involvement and knowledge of students who asked important and well-researched questions.

Of particular, the students were also concerned about the loss of the computer science department. In particular, rising seniors who have already taken many computer classes are concerned about continuing classes in this track next year. Superintendent Deleidi stated a likely option of online classes through community colleges to help address this issue. More details to come.

Federal Funding Approximations

Melrose receives approximately $3 million in federal funding. Right now, it is unclear if that money will continue to be available to us. There is no news on this, but it is important to recognize that Melrose has no control over this funding stream for FY26. We hope. And we wait. If we don’t get that money, services that it funds will need to be accounted for using other money, either from the state or the city.

Budget modifications

At the last meeting the mayor requested that some one-time funding in next year’s budget might be allocated through currently-available free cash. Since then, the finance director has been able to request a modest amount of money moved out of next year’s budget for line items such as technology expenses. That is, these funds will be sent to mayor to request that the city council pay for them with FY25 free cash.

This will result in costs for next year being paid with current-year funding, in effect paying for them “in advance.” In this way, these costs can be removed from the budget for FY26, even though the costs are still there. Not an ideal or sustainable solution, but a work around for now, and it “frees up” some budget money.

If this can happen, money will be available to fund salaries for 3 teachers, thus reducing the total cuts from 34 teachers to 31.

So, no more funding has been created, it is simply that money has been pulled from this year’s free cash budget.

Three modifications will have a direct impact on the cuts. Three areas were impacted and they are:

Lincoln School

The Lincoln will now only eliminate one teacher, rather than two:

Proposed FY26 Eliminations: 1 Teachers (Grade 4), 2 Paraprofessionals.

What is left: This leaves the school with these FY26 Remaining Resources:

• 18 Classroom Teachers (3 for all Grades)

• 7 Special Education teachers

• 1 Speech and Language Therapists, 1 Psychologist, 1 Social Worker, 1 Occupational Therapist, 1 BCBA

• 4.2 Specialists, 3 Title 1 Interventionists, 3.6 ESL teacher

• 20 Special Education Paraprofessionals

• 1 DSS (Building Substitute)

• 1 Principal, .5 Special Education Coordinator, .5 Assistant Principal, 1 Administrative Assistant

Winthrop School

The Winthrop will now eliminate two teachers, rather than three:

Proposed FY26 Eliminations: 2 Teachers (Kindergarten, Grade 3)

What is left: This leaves the school with these FY26 Remaining Resources:

• 16 Classroom Teachers (3 for all grades, except 2 for Grade 3)

• 3 Special Education teachers

• 1 Speech and Language Therapists, 1 Psychologist, .2 Occupational Therapist

• 3.8 Specialists, 1 Title 1 Interventionists

• 7 Special Education Paraprofessionals

• 1 DSS (Building Substitute)

• 1 Principal, .5 Special Education Coordinator, .5 Assistant Principal, 1 Administrative Assistant

Additionally:

Administration Modifications

One administrator position will be re-instated: the Director of Humanities. While Superintendent Deleidi feels that curriculum directors are important and that most schools in surrounding cities and towns have directors in school departments, it was not possible to include most of them in the upcoming budget.

In the first rounds of cuts, all directors were cut from the budget. However, he did feel that with the additional funding, it is most helpful to add back one director, that being the Director of Humanities.

Hopefully, in upcoming years the district hopes to be able to add back principals, assistant principals and directors as funding allows.

The overall cuts now will be:

Cuts Overview

Class sizes

How were the cuts prioritized?

There were a number of questions about the decisions behind these cuts, and now additions. Superintendent Deleidi stated that his priorities have been:

1. Focusing on instruction for children and doing what is best for them first.

2. Making cuts that are the least painful first, maintaining as much veteran staff and programming as possible

3. Recognizing that other school districts use the structure that he is proposing, that is: larger class sizes and a principal that manages both a high school and middle school. While not ideal, it is possible.

Education Stations Fee Increases

The school committee voted to approve the following tuition increases for Education Stations:

K-5 rates:

Pre-K rates

Franklin Fees

The school committee voted to approve a 7% increase in Franklin fees for next year, as listed below:

Athletic Fees and Extra Curricular Fees (Drama, Marching Band, and Winter Guard)

Two proposals were discussed, one increasing fees by 10% an another increasing the fees by 25%.

This was the first meeting in which actual numbers for a 25% increase were documented and discussed. As stated in earlier budget articles, athletic fees are one of the Offset revenue amounts that fund the school budget. Offsets currently provide $6.2 million of revenue, with Athletics supplying $275,000 of that amount.

An increase of 10%, with additional fees added for Drama, Marching Band, and Winter Guard, will increase the Offset amount to $317,500, while a 25% increase will provide an Offset amount of $362,500. This assumes that the same number of students participate in these activities next year with the higher fees.

The school committee offered two points during their discussion: a 25% increase is significant and results in all sports are more expensive, some of them significantly so. And, while these increases will have significant impact on families hard, the overall increase in the Offset amount provided by Athletics and Extra Curriculars will not be much, and this big increase might not add enough to the revenue to justify the increase for families.

There was not a final vote on this in this meeting, and these numbers will be discussed more in the next school committee meeting.

Here are the two amounts:

Athletic fees increased by 10% with Drama, Marching Band, and Color Guard fees:

Athletic fees increased by 25% with increased Drama, Marching Band, and Color Guard fees:

This is the impact of both on our Offsets amount:

A final vote will be taken on these fees in the next meeting.

We’re all in community together, Melrose.