SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Education Association has released a statement expressing its displeasure with the proposed district budget for fiscal year 2025.
In January, the School Committee approved the $32,600,554 budget by a vote of 3-2. Member Amy O’Connor broke a 2-2 deadlock by voting “begrudgingly” in favor, although she said she wished the amount was higher. Vice Chair John Giantis and Committee member Glenn Paster voted against the budget for the same reason.
SEA President Becka Bucklin read the statement to the committee, saying that the proposed budget will lead to the loss of staff positions at the high-school level.
“The Swampscott educators are profoundly concerned by the proposed budgetary cuts slated for the upcoming academic year, which will unfortunately lead to the elimination of several teaching positions,” Bucklin read. “Over the past five years, we have witnessed the loss of teaching positions, with 10.5 of these occurring specifically at Swampscott High School… Retaining experienced, enthusiastic, and energetic educators is paramount for sustaining the high standards of excellence our school community prides itself on. These educators bring invaluable expertise, passion, and innovative teaching methods to the classroom, enriching the learning experience and inspiring students to excel.”
According to the statement, the SEA believes the budget will be counterproductive to the district’s goal of reducing class sizes for fifth grade and the high school.
O’Connor said that the budget’s 5.1% increase from FY24 to FY25 is misleading, because only 3.84% is allocated to education. She described the town’s financial policy of restricting budget increases to 2% plus new growth as a reason for the district’s financial hardships, and argued that the town’s excess levy capacity has the resources to address certain deficiencies.
“There is absolutely capacity to raise money in our budget,” O’Connor said. “I am appalled that we’re making cuts when the town is suggesting a $400,000 mobile town hall, a $30,000,000 library, and being $250,000 over budget in legal fees.”
Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis agreed with O’Connor. With a vote on the budget’s approval at Town Meeting on May 20 approaching, voters will have the choice to approve, reject, or modify the budget. She, along with Paster, encouraged residents who agree with her, the committee, and the SEA to utilize the opportunity of Town Meeting to alter the budget.
“If you’re a resident and you don’t become involved in Town Meeting, your fault, not mine,” Paster said. “We’re on your team, the problem is we don’t have the decision-making.”
While Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said he is sympathetic to the district’s desire for more funding, he feels the town has shown a strong commitment to education overall.
“There’s not a department in town that wouldn’t want to have more funding,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve got to balance all of those investments pretty carefully… We have a pretty tight budget and we have folks that, frankly, are taxed pretty heavily in Swampscott.”
