Hamilton-Wenham School District Faces Budget Challenges Amid Facility Concerns and Program Adjustments

The recent Hamilton-Wenham Regional School Committee meeting focused on budget challenges for fiscal year 2026, including a noteworthy increase in salary costs due to renegotiated collective bargaining agreements and the impact of cost-of-living adjustments. Concerns regarding deteriorating school facilities, water quality issues, and the future of graduation requirements also dominated discussions.

The committee’s budgetary deliberations centered around a $2.2 million year-over-year increase attributed largely to salary cost hikes, which jumped by 8.8%, adding $2.3 million to expenditures. This rise was primarily due to new collective bargaining agreements with teaching and support staff. Superintendent Eric Tracy noted that the increase nearly doubled the previous year’s town assessments, which grew by only $1 million. The fiscal constraints necessitated reductions in staffing, especially within the elementary literacy program, saving almost $50,000 by reducing educational support positions.

The superintendent presented a plan to hire two elementary STEM teachers at a cost of $209,000 to strengthen the STEM curriculum. An additional $30,000 was allocated for new English Language Arts and mathematics workbooks. Despite these expenditures, the district managed to save $153,000 in debt service payments due to reduced principal payments and lower interest rates. A reduction in excess and deficiency offsets by $1.5 million was also noted, a factor in preventing a budget override for the fiscal year.

During the public comments segment, a teacher and resident brought attention to the physical state of school buildings, reporting issues like leaking roofs and decaying infrastructure, which hindered the learning environment. Concerns about crumbling facilities, which forced students to navigate around rainwater-catching buckets and endure unpleasant odors, were highlighted. Another teacher echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for upgrades to ensure conducive learning spaces and teacher effectiveness.

The state of the buildings report, presented by the director of facilities operations, outlined significant accessibility issues, aging mechanical systems, and security vulnerabilities. Many schools were found to be non-compliant with accessibility standards, and the high school was described as nearing the end of its life cycle. The committee discussed the potential for an energy audit to improve energy efficiency and considered the installation of heat pump technologies to address cooling deficiencies.

Water quality testing also emerged as a key topic, with the committee expressing concerns over outdated testing results and the need for thorough analysis of lead and copper levels. The lack of recent data from the high school prompted calls for better communication with town officials to obtain up-to-date reports. The committee discussed installing water bottle filling stations with filters, funded through federal and state programs, to ensure safe drinking water for students.

The meeting also addressed the district’s stance on school choice for the 2025-2026 academic year, resulting in a unanimous vote among the five members present to continue the program. School choice has historically fluctuated, with the largest influx of students typically entering at the ninth-grade level. Superintendent Tracy recommended maintaining the program as a revenue source, with most openings available at the secondary level due to capacity constraints in elementary schools.

In light of a recent repeal of the MCAS graduation requirement, the committee explored the implications for future graduating classes. Districts must now establish their own graduation requirements focused on coursework completion. The committee recognized the challenges posed by this shift, particularly in maintaining academic standards while ensuring compliance with federal laws. The necessity for a coherent and publicly available graduation policy was discussed, emphasizing the importance of clarity for students and their families.

Budget updates for fiscal year 2026 included a $40,000 increase in tuition accounts due to a special education student’s enrollment from another district, generating revenue without requiring additional staffing. The transportation reimbursement saw a $46,000 increase, while reductions were made in athletic services, administrative contingencies, and professional development funds per teacher. Health insurance costs decreased by $105,000 due to favorable loss ratios.

The meeting concluded with discussions on potential future budget cuts and their impact on staffing, particularly affecting lower-paid employees. The committee considered various financing strategies for upcoming school facilities improvements, noting that any debt payments might begin around 2028 or 2029, depending on the chosen debt schedule. A proposal to provide homeowners with a tax calculator and mailers detailing expected financial impacts was also discussed to enhance transparency and community engagement.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Superintendent:
Eric Tracy
School Board Officials:
Dana Allara, Julia Campbell, Jennifer Carr, David Frenkel, Amy Kunberger, David Polito, Trenton Honda

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