At a regular meeting, the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee discussed its FY26 preliminary budget and directed the superintendent's office to prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to hire outside consultants to study possible district reconfiguration and cost-saving options.

The discussion came after the committee was told there were no new updates to the preliminary budget and that recent cost increases'including higher health insurance rates and additional out-of-district placements'leave the district with no flexibility to add staff back. Peter (Superintendent) told the committee, "So there are no updates to the budget that we had presented. That will come on March 13 when we come back to you." He said the superintendent's office would present a draft RFP at the committee's March 13 meeting and that the district expects to evaluate proposals and identify a finalist before the end of the school year.

Why it matters: committee members and staff framed the consultant search as part of an effort to stabilize district finances and programming after enrollment dropped roughly 600 students over eight years. Committee members repeatedly emphasized the tradeoff between acting quickly to stem further cuts and allowing sufficient time for staff, families and community stakeholders to be heard.

Discussion and concerns: A committee member expressed deep concern about eliminating or reducing a special-education coordinator position tied to the Compass program at McCarthy-Towne, saying that the program is "unique" and that cutting the role would cause serious difficulties (speaker unattributed where the transcript did not assign a full name). Several members said they want broad educator and family participation in any reconfiguration planning. One member asked the superintendent's team to present proposals on two timelines: options that could be in place for FY27 and options that would require a FY28 start, to allow the committee to compare potential risks and implementation timeframes.

Timing and next steps: The committee heard the following schedule from the superintendent's office: a draft RFP by the March 13 meeting; a workshop on April 3 to discuss the visioning and steps for the consultant-managed process; proposal evaluations and finalist interviews over the spring; and an intended selection of a consultant by the end of the school year so that work could begin over the summer. The earliest any structural change would take effect is the 2026-27 school year. The superintendent clarified, "No, just to clarify, there are no changes to our current school configuration plan for next school year. The earliest that this would take place would be fall 2026 for the 2026-27 school year." That timeline was repeated to assure the public that current-year configurations remain unchanged.

Implementation caveats: Committee members and staff warned that some restructuring options could require upfront capital work (for example classroom reconfiguration or new furnishings) and that cost savings are not guaranteed. One committee member urged expectation management: the committee may not find savings large enough to avoid further requests for additional funding at the municipal or state level.

Related budget drivers: The committee heard that recent fiscal pressures include a 14.8% increase in health insurance rates for town employees (cited in related town/ALG discussion), additional out-of-district placements, and enrollment decline. Members also discussed pursuing state-level funding changes (Project 211+21 and Chapter 70 reforms) in parallel with local restructuring work.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved its consent agenda unanimously, including the recommendation to appoint Teresa O'Leary as Assistant District Treasurer, approval of the ABRC meeting minutes of Jan. 30, 2025, and approval of warrants for Feb. 27, 2025. A motion to adjourn was also approved unanimously.

What comes next: Committee members will review the draft RFP on March 13, attend a budget hearing that same night, and consider the superintendent's recommended budget at a subsequent meeting; a final school committee budget vote is scheduled for March 20. The committee also plans a workshop April 3 to inform the scope and timeline of any consultant-led visioning and restructuring work.

Ending: Committee members stressed the need for both speed and broad community engagement if the district pursues structural changes: "We need to balance the speed at which we do something like this...with input from the community," a member said (speaker unattributed where not explicitly identified in the transcript). The committee set the RFP process and the April workshop as the immediate steps to translate those priorities into an actionable plan.