Pentucket anticipates big hike in special education costs

WEST NEWBURY — News that the school district will face sharply increased special education costs — more than $500,000 worth — when new students move into the community has Pentucket officials searching for ways to make up the unanticipated budget shortfall.

Superintendent Jeff Mulqueen and Business Manager Greg Labrecque said at a recent School Board meeting they could cover approximately $179,000 through staffing changes. The remaining amount would require dipping into reserve funds that Labrecque said he had squirreled away for just this type of scenario.

The administrators proposed postponing until January the search for a new assistant superintendent, a position included in the recently adopted budget for fiscal 2018.

An opening for a chemistry teacher could go unfilled, with another science teacher on staff picking up an introductory chemistry course, Mulqueen said. Teachers are allowed to teach a course outside their certification.

A full-time “floating” custodian at the elementary school level would be nice to have but not essential, they told the School Committee, so that would represent the third place to save money.

The committee was generally hesitant to hold off hiring an assistant superintendent. Other members of the central office staff have picked up the tasks that would normally fall to an assistant superintendent — often sacrificing some of their own work to do so, several committee members said.

“I think it’s needed and I don’t want to put that off,” said Lisa O’Conner of Groveland. Bill Buell of Merrimac said the district has already heard from a “very impressive” range of qualified applicants.

But Richard Hodges of Groveland questioned where the money would come from otherwise. He wondered if assistant principals might provide a needed stopgap. Hodges also said that asking educators to teach out of their certification was not the “world-class” work environment Pentucket has previously set as a goal.

Noting that chemistry was a particularly specialized subject, Chris Reading of West Newbury said she was “very concerned” about the impact a reduction in that area could have on student learning. She proposed holding off hiring the assistant superintendent until next summer.

Wayne Adams, a Merrimac representative who at one time headed the Amesbury School District’s science program, said there are now fewer people certified to teach chemistry and physics in the state than there are positions to fill.

Pentucket’s proposal will take teachers “out of their comfort zones, no doubt,” but Adams stressed these teachers would not be asked to handle upper-level chemistry classes. Administrators could ask who in the staff pool felt the most comfortable handling an introductory level class, Adams said.

Labrecque proposed tapping two main reserves to make up the remaining difference — the circuit breaker and school choice accounts.

“Circuit breaker is a reimbursement account that covers some of the out-of-district special education cost,” he said. The balance in that account is an estimated $328,468. Money in the school choice account represents reimbursement the district receives when students from other towns attend Pentucket. With a balance of about $500,000, this account is mostly used to offset custodial costs.

“Basically, we would be using about half our reserves to handle this situation as it relates to the approved budget,” Labrecque said. The committee agreed to use the reserve funding and the plans for staffing efficiencies. The administration said it would consider any other staffing efficiencies that might arise.

Mulqueen would not comment Monday on posts made on social media sites over the weekend regarding changes to fine arts and performing arts staffing at the secondary level for the coming school year. But he did confirm that these changes are not connected to the discussion at the last School Committee meeting.

“I am unable to confirm specific staff assignments,” Mulqueen said. He noted that because of a pattern of declining student enrollment, visual arts does not require as many sections of classes in the upcoming year. A recently implemented schedule of instrumental lessons has resulted in the need for less teaching time.

“Adjustments are being made accordingly,” Mulqueen said.

However, Aris Moore, who has taught visual arts at Pentucket Regional Middle School for the past 19 years, confirmed she is headed to Bagnall Elementary School in Groveland next year to fill the spot left vacant by the retiring Susan Dangora.

The visual arts educators at Pentucket Regional High School will reportedly be handling the visual arts program for grades 7 to 12 for the new school year and one music position will be cut.

In other business, the School Committee renewed its contract with the Pentucket Association of Teachers. Buell abstained from voting.

The committee accepted a $5,000 donation to the Page Elementary School STEAM program from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation.

Emily Dwyer of Groveland was not present at the meeting.