To the Editor,
I am writing to encourage the citizens of Essex and Manchester-by-the Sea to support the local public schools. Now more than ever is the time to invest in our local public institutions, especially the schools, which provide necessary support and services to our youngest and most vulnerable residents and their families.
Our towns formed the regional district 20 years ago, and as a result we now share excellent public schools that are an asset to our communities. Property values are strong. Our students receive a solid academic experience and participate in a range of competitive sports and award-winning clubs. We share a highly respected high school which is often recognized for academic excellence as well as a range of sports and clubs. Our middle school is dedicated to meeting every student’s particular developmental and educational needs. Each town benefits from a local
elementary school that anchors the community, serving as an important hub for each town and allowing our youngest students to grow up with a sense of connection, belonging, and community pride.
Over the last 24 years, MERSD has managed to keep increases relatively low and predictable. Even so, both towns have had difficulty at times over the years funding the MERSD budget. For the last 10 years or so, this has meant implementing cost-saving adjustments such as creating in-house programming, combining teacher responsibilities, outsourcing services, or finding efficiencies with the least possible impact on the students’ experiences. These adjustments have included the loss of 15 teachers over the past five years to accommodate a decline in enrollment. While it does seem natural that costs should go down with the moderate enrollment decline, in fact the schools now have more students needing special education, which requires more resources. In addition, school budget growth is also affected by
unfunded state and federal mandates, general inflation, transportation, and technology costs.
Since the district was formed 24 years ago, each town has passed two overrides to support the MERSD budget. By contrast, our neighbors in Hamilton and Wenham have passed 8 and 11, respectively. Overrides are common in Massachusetts, and most high performing districts pass them every few years, because school costs rise faster than the arbitrary 2 ½ percent set by the state. Unlike municipalities, whose budgets support less personnel and often receive state and federal grants for projects, schools cannot reasonably operate below inflation levels. This year a surprising jump in health insurance is driving an unexpected increase in costs. The relatively low growth and predictable nature of the MERSD budget over the years, as well as a historically collaborative approach to the budget process, has helped to keep us all at an even keel, but even with careful budget management, sometimes corrections are necessary.
Currently, the School Committee is developing a budget for the 2025-26 school year. They will be discussing a proposed budget which includes elimination of the middle school principal and the facilities manager. Another option would be for the Committee to bring forward a level services budget that maintains the middle school principal. The schools cannot maintain the high-quality education that we have come to expect and lower costs. To meet this challenge, both towns must engage in multi-year financial planning that may include temporarily using some town reserves as they prepare for an override vote. Overrides are not a result of poor planning but rather the way to deal with natural growth in the face of the gap between normal inflation and the boundaries of Proposition 2 ½ that allows for direct approval from the voters. Additionally, an override could be structured to increase not only the school’s operational budget, but also that of the towns, alleviating pressure on town departments.
On Tuesday, March 18, the School Committee will vote on a budget to send to the towns. Please join me in letting the School Committee know that we support our schools and encourage your elected officials to work together for a meaningful long-term solution.
