The School Committee was scheduled to vote on a $132,367,509 Fiscal Year 2024 budget at its meeting on Thursday evening.
The budget represents a significant increase from the current school year budget of just over $118 million, and includes 62.5 new positions. In addition, 19 positions that were funded in the current year through ESSER Covid relief funding are being transitioned to the district’s operating budget.
The bump in funding in the proposed budget is in large part thanks to the state’s Student Opportunity Act.
The Student Opportunity Act is a long-awaited overhaul of the State’s funding formula for public education; the bill lays out the infusion of $1.5 billion into school districts over a seven year period,” stated Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta. “In particular, this bill tackles inequity in how funds are directed to districts across the state by requiring more funds for school systems with higher percentages of low-income students and English language learners. As a direct result of this bill, Chelsea Public Schools is slated to receive $70 million over seven years.”
The 2023-2024 fiscal budget reflects the third year of the implementation with CPS receiving approximately $14 million from the Student Opportunity Act bill which is reflected in Chelsea’s Chapter 70 and local funding.
The additional funding in the budget will help fund positions that have long been a need in the Chelsea schools, according to Abeyta.
“If you look at our budget and what we’ve been able to do, we’ve been able to hire more teachers for special education, more teachers for English language learners, and then we’ve been able to hire more support roles, as in paraprofessionals, so we’ve been able to do a lot,” said Abeyta.
During the public hearing on the budget last week, Chelsea Teachers’ Union President and middle school teacher Kathryn Anderson said she was heartened by the latest budget.
“I have been in the district since 2013, and we have been through many years where we have had to make massive cuts to the budget and had to deal with significant budget deficits over the past several years,” said Anderson. “Thanks to hard advocacy on behalf of the district and many community members, we’ve seen the Student Opportunity Act increase our budget an incredible amount. The budget that has been presented for next school year represents just how much hard work has gone into incorporating the community voice.”
Anderson praised the funding for major increases in special education and English language services, as well as the funding of some additional mental health support positions for students.
“I am so excited to see what that means for our schools over the next several years,” said Anderson.
While supportive of the budget overall, Anderson, as well as several students who spoke during the public hearing, said there is still a need in the district for additional mental health supports.
“Mental health supports at the middle school level need a lot of attention,” said Anderson. “A lot of our students are really struggling from transitioning back in from the pandemic, and that is resulting in escalated behaviors.”
Providing restorative dean positions at the middle schools would help alleviate some of those concerns, and also help other administrators focus on areas outside of behavioral concerns. Anderson said there is also a need for additional school psychologists.
Abeyta said she agreed that mental health services are an area where the district will continue to look to increase its capacity.
“Over the last couple of years, we have been shoring up meeting the needs of mental health with adding social workers and counselors and we are continuing to add school counselors,” she said. “We are committed to having school counselors at the elementary level, so last year we added two, and this year we are adding two more. We know that we are still building in that area, and possibly next year we will continue to add school counselors.”
Abeyta said that looking forward, the district also has to be mindful that it still has 40 positions funded through the ESSER grants, some of which will have to be converted over next year to the general operating budget.
When it comes to larger capital needs for the district, Abeyta said it is still looking for a home for the Chelsea Opportunity Academy and the Intergenerational Literacy Program.
“We’ve made a request with City Council and the CIP (capital improvement plan) for $3 million for Chelsea Opportunity Academy ILP to have a home somewhere and are looking to lease a building somewhere,” said Abeyta.