Grafton schools face financial crisis

The Grafton schools rank in the top third of the state’s public schools. Spending-wise, it’s doing it at a price of $12,760 per student — the ninth-lowest rate in the state.

This, Superintendent of Schools James Cummings told the Finance Committee Tuesday, is unsustainable. At the present rate of funding, the schools are poised to eliminate seven positions in Fiscal Year 2021. In 2022, that increases to 11 positions. By Fiscal Year 2023, 75 percent of athletics will be eliminated, along with the athletic director.

“The general problem is that we, as a school system, want to keep what we have, by any means,” Cummings said at a joint meeting of the Finance Committee and the School Committee. “The problem is very fundamental: there is inadequate town revenue and inadequate state funding.”

Grafton schools have managed to bring in funds outside of the general budget. Transportation fees — $200 per student starting in middle school — along with opening up to out-of-town students through School Choice, bring in revenue. The schools have also decreased the cost of students going out-of-district for special needs programs by building specialized programming in Grafton — something which has other towns sending students and tuition to Grafton.

“The unpredictable factor is out-of-district tuition, which can just pop up at any time,” Cummings said. “We could have a student move in in December who needs to travel out-of-district (for special needs programming), and we need to take care of that student.”

Finance Committee member Dan Cusher said the true root of the problem is the state’s method of funding education through property taxes. Towns like Grafton, with limited commercial properties, ultimately find themselves with a smaller financial base.

Finances are forcing the schools to focus on cuts rather than needs, Cummings said. The elementary schools are in need of counselors. STEM programming could be improved. And staffing cuts not only mean an increase in class sizes, but also could hit the district with additional unemployment costs.

The School Committee is set to meet with the Select Board next month to go through the projections.

“I don’t see this as a school problem,” Finance Committee Chairman Mathew Often said. “I see this as a town problem.”