Before I dig into the budget and future of Georgetown Public Schools, I don’t want to lose sight of the many wonderful things that are happening in the school district. Please see the Shout Outs below:
Shout Outs
- Due to an unexpected illness with one of our long-time custodians, Ted Cronin stepped in and took over the work of keeping the Perley building pristine. Thank you Ted for your diligence, attention to detail and willingness to be flexible. The Perley continues to shine and be a place of pride for the entire Georgetown Community.
- I have immense gratitude for all members of the Georgetown Education Association with the resolution of the collective bargaining negotiations. They came to the table with an understanding of the fiscal struggles of the town and accepted a three year contract that is reflective of the financial situation. They worked hard to meet the School Committee bargaining team on many issues that are going to improve education for our students and their own working conditions. A HUGE shout out to all the members.
- The High School English department is working collaboratively with Laurie Greenwood to assess and pilot High Quality ELA curriculum with the goal of choosing one for the start of the 2026 school year. The shout out goes to our teachers, Director of Curriculum, and the town for funding our curriculum through a capital expense! Thank You!!
The Future of Georgetown Public Schools Update
It is hard to imagine that we are halfway through January and I have been remiss for not writing a blog post sooner in 2025. If you have been keeping yourself updated on the Georgetown political news you are aware of the continuous discussion regarding the structural budget deficit. In very basic terms, this means the town does not bring in enough revenue to cover its expenses. As a result there have been many conversations with the Finance Committee and the Select Board contemplating asking Georgetown voters to pass a Proposition 2 ½ override to cover the fiscal gap for 2026 and beyond. The Finance Committee voted unanimously last night to recommend that the Select Board add an override on the town meeting warrant. No specific dollar amounts were proposed at this time.
Behind the scenes I have participated in many meetings with members of the town governance boards and department heads. I am pleased to report that we are working well together and striving to find common ground to save the services in Georgetown.
Given this blog has a large reach I want to summarize what a Proposition 2 ½ override ballot question means:
Proposition 2 ½ limits the amount of revenue Georgetown may raise from local property taxes each year to fund municipal operations. Massachusetts State Law allows Georgetown to increase tax revenues above the 2 ½ percent limit of the previous year’s tax base with approval of voters, referred to as an “override” of the tax base. The cost of operations continue to outpace available revenues and without an override these deficits will grow and service cuts will be required. Over the recent years significant increases have been seen in health insurance, retirement, contractual obligations, and supplies. If passed, the override is designed to provide needs based funding to the community while taking into account the expected cost increases to provide these services over the next three to five years. If a majority of voters cast a YES vote, this ballot question would grant the town the ability to raise property taxes by a specified amount, that will be stated on the ballot, in order to increase revenue for operational expenses. As a result property owners will see an increase in their property tax bill.
The school committee is urging the select board to consider including a $3,100,000 increase to the school budget as they determine the amount of the override ballot question. These funds will be used to continue building the safety and security infrastructure, modernize the curriculum and technology, as well as propel student achievement to where it needs to go. The town budget including the allocation to the school department is ultimately determined by the quorum of voters at the annual town meeting based on the available revenues.
If there is no override for FY2026 the schools will reduce the overall recommended budget by a minimum of $1,717,292 which will result in the reduction of multiple teaching positions, support staff positions, maintenance/custodial and secretarial positions. The continued adoption of current curriculum resources and technology modernization will be stalled. The small learning environment building on grade level and content area expertise will be dismantled. Elective classes and student choice will be limited and any innovation initiatives will stop.
We are not the only community facing unpredictable school costs and budgetary constraints. Regardless of the outcome of the override decision for the upcoming year, we remain committed to working with the town and other communities in the North Shore to identify cost savings and ways we can partner together to improve student learning experiences in the most cost efficient manner possible.
Community members often ask me what they can do to help and the most important request I have is for our families and community members to attend municipal meetings and have a voice on what they want for the future of the school department and town as a whole. For those who can’t attend town meetings, they are available online at http://gctv.georgetownma.gov/ and town officials are receptive to hearing feedback via email or letters mailed to town hall. Here is an upcoming timeline:
- January 27, 2025 Board of Selectmen Meeting – it is expected there will be a vote by the board to consider the Finance and Advisory Board’s recommendation of an override ballot question this spring.
- January 29, 2025 Finance and Advisory Board Meeting – it is expected there will be further discussion of the amount of the override to ask the voters to consider and the manner in which the ballot question will be presented.
- February 13, 2025 School Committee Meeting – the recommended Superintendent’s budget(s) will be presented for consideration by the committee
- February 27, 2025 is tentatively scheduled for the Public Budget Hearing
Thank you for your continued support of the Georgetown Public Schools as we work together to modernize and improve the quality of our schools.