Whittling down of Grafton school budget begins as 8 face layoffs

The Grafton school budget proposal for FY2021, to date, is based on an increase of 5.9 percent. That makes assumptions that haven’t happened yet — that the Select Board puts forward a Proposition 2 1/2 override, and that it passes.

The proposed override would ask voters to approve a $6.5 million override to fund the school and town operating budgets over the next five years.

Tuesday night, Superintendent of Schools Jay Cummings started the process of whittling down the FY21 proposal to a 3.5 percent anticipated increase, should attempts at an override fail. This decrease of $877,975 that would require the layoff of nine people.

“I’ve continued visiting the schools to talk to the staff about what is going on,” Cummings said. “There are some tough, tough decisions to be made.”

Assistant principals at both North Street Elementary School and Grafton High Schools will be cut without an override. Three teachers would also be cut at the high school, along with two elementary school teachers and a custodian. Plans to hire two curriculum coordinators have been put on the back burner.

Some school operational costs would be moved to revolving accounts funded by School Choice and tuition and there will be an increased use of Circuit Breaker funds, Cummings said.

A public hearing on the revised school budget is set for Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m. The School Committee will vote on the total budget number — not individual line items — at that meeting.

Meanwhile, Chairperson Laura Often noted that a new subcommittee made up of representatives from the School Committee, Finance Committee and Select Board will be formed. Heather Riley was named as the School Committee’s representative.

On March 4, 10:30 a.m., School Committee members will join Select Board members in a visit to the Grafton Senior Center to answer questions.