The city hall chambers were filled beyond capacity for a school committee public hearing on the school budget last Thursday, March 12.
Students, staff, and teachers crowded into every available space of the room while school committee members tried to determine the best way to proceed with the meeting.
Eventually, police and fire officials stated that the room was past capacity and creating a fire hazard, and the school committee canceled the meeting.
During the meeting, there was some back and forth between the audience and the school committee members over the next steps for the meeting, with some suggesting it be moved to a larger location that night.
However, due to the open meeting law and posting requirements, school committee members said the meeting could not be moved that night.
The meeting was rescheduled and was set to take place on Tuesday evening, March 17 at Chelsea High School to accommodate the large crowd and give the opportunity for all those who wish to speak to be heard, according to School Committee Chair Ana Hernandez.
“We want to ensure the safety of every single person in this room,” said committee member Kati Cabral. “I want to ensure that folks are heard; that is not up for discussion. We want to make sure that folks are heard, but right now we want to ensure the safety of every single person in this room.”
Hernandez said she has been involved with the schools and the school committee for 17 years and had never seen that amount of people turn out for public comment for a budget hearing, even when there were bigger cuts proposed.
“I assumed there would be a lot of people, but not that,” said Hernandez. “Having a quick response to everything that is said, we are not working against you, I know you want to believe we are, but we are not.”
At issue is the district facing a potential $8.6 million budget shortfall leading to the possible loss of dozens of positions.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta said that the position cuts currently on the table total $6,850,000 for school-based staff and $1,762,000 for district-based staff. Increases in staff salary and step raises, health insurance costs, and transportation have all contributed to the budget shortfall, she said.
Abeyta noted that the district position salaries and benefits account for a much lower slice of the overall budget pie at about 4 percent of the total cost, compared to 73 percent for the school-based position, adding that as the district began to face a budget shortfall last year, there was a total of $1.3 million cut in district positions.
Abeyta recently sent a letter to staff, families, and community members addressing the difficult budget process this year.
“As conversations continue in our community about the proposed school budget and the potential reduction in positions, I know many people are paying close attention and sharing their perspectives,” Abeyta wrote. “These discussions reflect how deeply people care about our schools and the people who work in them. I want to acknowledge that this is an incredibly difficult moment, especially for the educators and staff whose positions may be affected. I also want to share some context about the financial realities we are facing.”
Over the last several years, Abeyta stated that student enrollment in the district has steadily declined.
“This is not unique to our community,” she stated. “Across Massachusetts and the country, districts are seeing fewer school-age children. Because school funding is closely tied to enrollment, fewer students also means fewer dollars coming into the district.”
Abeyta said that at the same time, the cost of operating the schools continues to rise. When enrollment declines while costs continue to grow, Abeyta said the district is left with a gap that cannot be ignored.
“None of this makes the impact easier,” Abeyta stated. “The possibility of reducing our number of employees is incredibly difficult. I want to personally express my deep appreciation for the educators and staff who serve our students every day.”
She said their dedication, professionalism, and care for students has significantly and positively impacted students and community. Abeyta added that the district will work diligently to reassign affected staff to open positions whenever possible to support them during the transition.
“My responsibility as superintendent is to care for our people and our students while also ensuring the long-term financial health of our school system,” Abeyta wrote. “That means being honest about the financial realities we are facing and working with the School Committee, city leaders, and union to make sure our district remains financially sustainable in the years ahead.”