The school district could soon be facing an even grimmer financial future if another reduced-services budget is needed for fiscal year 2025, which could result in even more positions being cut than were last year.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Michelle Cresta provided a budget update at a Jan. 18 School Committee meeting, revealing that the town requested that the district prepare three different budgets.
Cresta noted that a level-services budget, which would require no new changes, is estimated at $47 million. A level-services budget would mean that no staffing positions eliminated last year would return.
After a $2.5 million override, which included the school district, failed to pass at the town’s election last year, 33 positions were cut from Marblehead Public Schools. Not all of the eliminated positions were filled at the time of the cuts.
The district’s current budget for FY24 is $44,837,273. If a reduced-services budget is needed, cuts of roughly $2.2 million will need to be made to get close or equal to the current level-services budget.
Cresta also said the town had requested the district create a needs-based budget, which would contain the level-services budget alongside “specially identified needs” chosen by the district.
Last year, the 33 cut positions created a reduction of $1.5 million to the budget. With nearly $700,000 more in cuts potentially needed for FY25, Cresta warned it would mean even more positions lost.
“If we’re looking at $2.2 million this year, it’s going to be more than 33 staffing positions we’re considering,” Cresta said.
Staffing remains the single biggest budget driver for FY25 as usual, though Cresta noted that the district’s union contracts are expiring on June 30. Contract negotiations with the Marblehead Education Association began on Wednesday.
Other budget drivers included out-of-district tuition, which will see a $700,000 increase due to a rate increase of 4.69%. Utility costs will increase by $150,000, and out-of-district transportation had not been finalized by the time of Cresta’s presentation.
Budget books were slated to be handed out to committee members this week, with the district’s leadership team set to meet on Feb. 5, 8, and 13 to determine recommended cuts to get down to a level-services budget, which Cresta noted will heavily impact schools.
“The cuts will be significant. To arrive at another $2.2 million in cuts, they’re going to be significant, they will impact classrooms, and they will include a significant number of staff positions,” Cresta said.
Vacancies mount in district
The town’s school district was hit with yet another resignation last week when interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness announced that Glover School Principal Hope Doran would be resigning from her position to “pursue a career opportunity in another school district.” Doran had been on medical leave since December, during a student restraint crisis in which four educators were placed on paid administrative leave by McGuinness.
Doran’s resignation is the latest in a wave of changes to the district in the last several weeks.
After investigating the situation at Glover School, Student Services Director Paula Donnelly, and Associate Director Emily Dean resigned from their posts. That same week, Cresta announced that she would be resigning, effective March 22.
McGuinness also recently notified the School Committee that she would not pursue the permanent position after June 30. The School Committee also saw a change as Meagan Taylor informed the committee last week that she was resigning.
At the committee’s Thursday meeting, McGuinness addressed Doran’s resignation.
“We appreciate Ms. Doran’s service, and the district wishes her well in her other opportunities in the field of education,” McGuinness said.
A job posting for the Glover School Principal will be posted in “February or early March for a July 1 start,” according to McGuinness.
Assistant High School Principal Dan Richards has been serving as Interim Principal at Glover since Doran went on medical leave, and McGuinness announced that he will remain in that role.
High School Principal Michelle Carlson and her team will begin conducting interviews for an interim assistant principal position to fill in for Richards beginning next week.
Other ongoing searches were addressed at the meeting as well.
Interviews for an Interim Director of Student Services will begin in two weeks, and a posting for an Assistant Director of Finance and Operations will go up next week for a March start.
McGuinness also announced a plan for the Student Services Department during the transition.
Veterans Middle School Student Services Team Chair Ashlee Leibman will take on the Student Services Transitional Coordinator role until an interim director is hired.
McGuinness emphasized that the position is a “very short-term temporary role.”
“We so greatly appreciate the expertise and the willingness of all our staff who have stepped up to the plate, who have accepted responsibilities,” McGuinness said. “It really demonstrates how vested our staff is in our schools and the districts mission of supporting all of our students as we are working through some tough times.”