The North Middlesex Regional School District has rescheduled a planned presentation in Ashby on the 2024-2025 District budget due to a forecasted winter storm.
The presentation, originally set for April 4, has been moved to Wednesday, April 24, from 10-11 a.m., in Ashby Town Hall, 895 Main St. All Ashby residents are welcome to attend.
During the presentation Superintendent Brad Morgan will explain how the District develops each year’s school budget in alignment with the core values of meeting the educational, social, and emotional needs of all students.
The presentation will cover a number of topics, including:
- Increasing costs of special education, transportation, and out-of-district placements
- Inflation in the costs of goods and services
- Maintaining a level of services that supports quality education
The North Middlesex Regional School Committee has adopted its FY25 budget that requests a 6.27 percent increase over FY24, following an average increase of 2.89 percent per year in the past five years.
Two sending communities, Pepperell and Townsend, are asking voters to approve a Proposition 2 1/2 override of the local tax levy to pay for increasing assessments. Ashby has not decided whether to seek an override.
Without this 6.27 percent increase, NMRSD projects having to reduce its budget by $3 million through:
- Eliminating 30-32 staff positions, resulting in K-8 class sizes of 27 to 32
- Eliminating all after-school programming: athletics, band, clubs, etc.