February 11, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
The school committee approved an overall $70.4 million fiscal 2026 operating budget number Monday night during the annual public hearing on the school budget but stopped short of voting on the current proposal to eliminate 15.1 FTEs (full-time equivalent positions) pending potential new information at their Feb. 24 and March 10 meetings.
The current budget proposal also includes a new transportation (bus) fee and increased athletic and student parking fees.
The annual operating budget growth for the town and school department is required to be capped at 3.5% for fiscal 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 under an earlier memorandum of understanding among the school committee, select board, and advisory committee.
No members of the public made comments or asked questions about the proposed budget during the public hearing.
However, Hingham Education Association President Jacqueline Beaupre noted that this is a “tough budget year for parents, students, and staff, who are all taking a hit with the [potential] loss of several colleagues and new fees. No one likes paying for things that used to be free or losing valued friends and coworkers we know are making a difference [to our students],” she said.
Beaupre also said she hoped the school committee and other members of the community will support union members in their efforts to advocate for more education funding, including at the state level.
School committee member Michelle Ayer is hoping that possible further information could be shared in the next few weeks following advisory committee and select board meetings before the school committee vote about the proposed staff cuts that could affect the budget in a positive way.
“These are people and positions we hate to cut,” she said. “We’re not [proposing these cuts] because we’re flush with [staff]. These proposed cuts will be painful, and the fee increases will impact families.”
The latest list of proposed staff reductions/efficiencies, including retirements with no replacements planned, totals 15.1 FTEs at a cost savings of $1.5 million. These include 5.2 elementary, 2.4 middle school, and 5 high school FTEs and 1 secondary special education administrator, 1 maintenance, and .5 central office FTEs, plus a proposed technology reduction of $96,800.
Ayer also said she thinks the school committee and town “need to pay attention to potential department of education cuts. We want to continue to provide the current level of care and services to our students” and to ensure those are funded.
Some committee members expressed concern about the proposal to cut 4 of the 16 elementary interventionists (1 at each school) after so much student progress has been made.
“I’ll provide a snapshot of where we are at the Feb. 24 school committee meeting,” Supt. of Schools Katie Roberts said, “with additional tweaks on March 10.”
The following are scheduled school budget-related meetings:
- Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., budget presentation to advisory committee;
- Monday, Feb. 24 and March 10, school committee meetings, 6:30 p.m.
- Feb. 25, 7 p.m. joint session with school committee, select board, advisory committee, and capital outlay to hear capital recommendations.
See https://www.hinghamschools.org/page/budget-documents/ for school budget presentations, including details related to the memorandum of understanding.
For more budget details, go to https://www.hinghamanchor.com/select-board-advisory-committee-hear-details-of-proposed-fy-2026 and to https://www.hinghamanchor.com/school-committee-supports-bus-fee-and-increases-to-student-parking-and-athletic-fees/ for the most up-to-date information about new and increased fees recently supported by the school committee.