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SPENCER/EAST BROOKFIELD – At its March 11 meeting, the Spencer-East Brookfield School Committee adopted a FY26 budget amounting to $32,039,833.
The budget in FY25 totaled $31,012,463.
About 80% of the budget is for personnel with the rest in expenses.
The current enrollment in the district is 1,447 students for pre-school to grade 12.
In an interview with the Spencer Journal, Superintendent Paul Haughey said there are no new programs or new capital requests included in the budget.
The district, however, is looking to reduce the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees by 10 to 12.
“All positions are under review,” Haughey said, “including teachers, paraprofessionals, every aspect of the district. However, we want to stay as far away from core services as possible.”
He added, “The classroom is the last place we want to go (cut).”
The school department is not seeking any funds currently for capital projects beyond the ongoing renovations at David Prouty High School.
The superintendent said since he arrived in 2018, there have been some major capital improvement projects undertaken like replacing a broken boiler and work on lights, standard control systems and heat, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
“A lot of that work encapsulated back,” Haughey said. “It was done over time.”
He noted that the Wire Village and East Brookfield Schools are town-owned and should repairs or other work be required at some point, “we’d ask them how they want to handle it.”
When asked about recent Board of Selectmen conversations about challenging the state formula for required school spending, Haughey noted his charge is to recommend and advocate for the district and students.
He said his professional opinion is that the Chapter 70 formula needs updating and he believes a commission should be formed to accomplish that revision.
“Inflation alone has crippled many districts in the Commonwealth,” he said, prompting a need to review and update the formula.
Union president describes contract process
The district also recently settled its contract with the teacher’s union. The three-year pact includes 3% raises each year as well as the extension of the school year to 183 days. This change eliminates the previous five to six half days in favor of a full-day of professional development time.
The district has 117 teachers.
Peter Bogren, Spencer-East Brookfield Teachers’ Association president, said the elimination of half days in favor of a full-day is more productive and “far more effective” for the staff with the added “net positive,” of more time on learning for students.
He described the three-month negotiating process as “exceptionally quick,” noting that it usually takes seven or eight months. The difference, Bogren said, is that the superintendent was watching the North Shore teachers’ strike, which was resolved by a small group of people, and recommended that approach.
Two representatives each from the district and association initially met in a room to work on ironing out an agreement satisfactory to both. The basics were then added to and subtracted from by negotiating teams comprised of six members each on both sides.
“By doing it that way, the contract was settled in record time,” he said.
Bogren added, “Dr. Haughey deserves all the credit for it being so seamless,” he said of the process. “It’s shocking we were able to get it buttoned up and ratified by March.”
The union president said 3% increases fall in the middle of what other school districts in the area are allocating.
He said there are 4% increases in Worcester’s pact while other neighboring communities offer in the 2 ½% to 3% range.
Bogren said he has played a role in negotiations through about a half dozen contracts. This one is his third or fourth since becoming union president, he said.
Haughey added that there are no other groups negotiating contracts this year.
