School committee candidates at the forum described a multi-year pattern of budget cuts and disagreed about next steps to stabilize school funding, with proposals ranging from reorganization of buildings to continued advocacy for state funding reform.

Jason Fitzgerald, a candidate who said he has run twice previously, described a tight override campaign and said Acton will likely need another override in the near term to maintain services. He criticized recent overrides as not addressing structural funding shortfalls and said state funding increases ultimately come with trade-offs.

Several candidates urged reorganization and operational changes before seeking a new override. Lisa Audill, a former teacher and Kona PTO vice president, said she opposes another override in the near term and supports exploring reorganization to use existing staff and space more efficiently. “One of the initiatives… is the idea of doing a reorganization… how can we shuffle people around and… possibly eliminate a building or be more efficient,” she said.

Glenn Cody, who emphasized advocacy for state funding reform, said the override that passed prevented more severe staffing cuts; he noted the community’s work reduced a potential 80-staff loss to roughly 20 positions. “We were able to work our way from what would have been a disastrous 80 staffing cuts to 20 instead,” he said.

Candidates also raised operational issues such as enrollment declines, consultant spending, and the cost of regional programs. Multiple candidates said any decisions about consolidating buildings or redistricting should involve community engagement and clear communication. No formal school-committee votes occurred at the forum.