SAUGUS — During the Report of the School Committee Chair on Thursday night, Chair Vincent Serino thanked those who were there and the continued support being shown to the schools.
He then took time to address the budget, and the cuts they are facing this year.
“This is not a conversation we take lightly. Every decision we make impacts our students, our teachers, and our community. Before I can get into details, I just wanted to assure you that our top priority remains providing high-quality, well-rounded education to every child in the district,” he said.
Serino then highlighted the fact that districts across the state and country are facing significant financial pressures, and that several factors contribute to the budget and the choices they need to make.
“This is not a town issue, as they support us with their financial resources, which they can. However, they’re responsible for all the other departments in town,” Serino said.
He also mentioned how Free Cash is there, but not a great option, as it enables the town to get great rates on loans and keeps taxes in check.
“It’s an undependable source of money that cannot be relied upon as a permanent funding source. What people forget is that the budget increases,” he said.
Serino continued that insurance costs have risen dramatically, especially health insurance. He mentioned that the district covers 90% of the health insurance costs, “which is higher than most surrounding districts and communities.”
This is a cost not included in the operating budget, but the town handles it.
“It gets billed back to us,” he said.
Serino continued that transportation costs are up, fuel prices are still high, and the cost associated with maintaining and retaining quality drivers has grown substantially.
“These expenses are unavoidable,” he said. “We are experiencing an increase in energy costs, heating, and cooling. You guys see it at home. It’s no different for us except it’s just a bigger picture.”
Serino also mentioned the growth in special education services.
“Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our special education costs have grown significantly. This is due to both an increase in the number of students requiring services and the need to meet their individualized educational plans as mandated by federal law,” he said.
Once again, he highlighted that this is not just a Saugus issue, but a state and federal one.
“While we are fully committed to supporting every learner, the funding we receive for these services does not always cover the full cost of providing them,” he said.
Serino continued that they have worked hard to find ways to reduce costs that won’t directly impact students through internal efficiencies consolidating service and delaying some nonessential projects.
“This is painful. We know how deeply these decisions affect our families in the community and the staff, and we’re working to be transparent, thoughtful, and as compassionate as possible throughout the process. We are also advocating strongly at the state level for more sustainable funding models and greater support for the districts,” he said.
Serino said teachers and students deserve better.
“As of now, any cuts are just on paper and have not been implemented. We will continue to explore every option every day. Secondly, families expect all our teachers to be certified and licensed, and that’s what we’re demanding of our staff. In the meantime, we promise to continue listening, to remain open and accessible, and to do anything we can to protect the heart of the mission: educating children, supporting families, and preparing young people for a bright future,” he said.
Vice Chair Tom Whittredge also commented, saying, “We all have some kind of stake in the system. I have kids at every level, elementary, middle school, high school, and believe me, there’s been some real battles between us behind closed doors when we’re talking about this budget because we’re all passionate about different things and we all have different ideas.”
Whittredge continued that none of them are good ideas, because there isn’t one thing he can look at and say confidently, “Let’s get rid of that.”
“We want to be able to give the staff, whether it’s teachers (or) support staff, what they need, and we also need to be able to provide for their needs,” Serino said.
Committee member John Hatch agreed that the decisions are not easy.
“What is more tough is the fact of what we’re looking at right now. We’re here tonight, we’re going to be celebrating a number of success stories,” he said.
Hatch continued that looking at the district as a whole in the past five years, things keep getting better, but the state’s financial picture is tough, and it trickles down. He highlighted the success of student athletes, the art department, and enrichment programs.
“All of these things affect us greatly, and we want to make sure that the total student is taken care of,” he said.
Committee member Ryan Fischer echoed what Whittredge and Hatch said.
“Life will go on. We’re having a great end of the year. We’re going to have a great year next year, and we’re having challenges along the way… What you do is you prepare in the good times for the bad so you have things to draw and resources to draw on and reserves to draw on,” he said.
He continued that they are all passionate with different ideas.
“I think when things start settling down, you have a better day the next day,” he said.
