Like many communities across the state, the pandemic caused a change to both the schedule and format of Hopkinton’s traditional school district meeting. Rather than gather together in our high school gym to discuss the needs of the district, voters participated in virtual meetings and drive-by voting. Unfortunately, all votes – six amendments and the original proposed budget – during two different voting sessions failed to secure majority support.
Following the second drive-by vote, the moderator announced Aug. 15 as the date for the community to try one last time. Importantly, a recent change to state law now requires that a budget be approved by Sept. 1 or the district will be forced to rely on the previous year’s budget, otherwise known as a flat budget.
Anyone who drives through Hopkinton can see that there is an active conversation in our community around budgets and taxes. Neighbors are displaying dueling lawn signs – either “supporting schools” or “supporting taxpayers.” Though it may feel contentious, fundamentally we do not believe that these messages conflict. In fact, we believe that they represent a path forward for all.
Hopkinton taxpayers of course support our schools and have done so for a long time. A Hopkinton education is among one of the best in the state because of the commitment shown by a caring taxpayer community over the years. Thanks to the hard work of our teachers, staff, and administration, we achieve that high quality education at an average cost per pupil. But, because of Hopkinton’s below average property valuation and a broken state education funding system, our community has among the highest tax rates in the state.
The anxiety we all feel today is palpable. We are concerned about the health and safety of our families and community, the economic uncertainty facing our state and nation, and a polarized political landscape.
We understand the anxiety residents are facing – because we feel it too. As a school board, it is our job to find a path forward through which we can adequately meet the needs of our schools, while keeping the burden on taxpayers to a minimum. That is especially true in these uncertain times.
Last month, following many late nights and long meetings, the school board and the budget committee each unanimously recommended that, on Aug. 15, voters support an operating budget of $20,923,855 – an increase of $370,810 or 1.8% over the 2019 approved school budget. That level of funding supports our students, while keeping the tax impact of the entire school district warrant to $0.07/$1,000 of property value. For a $300,000 home, that equates to $21 over the course of the year.
This proposal came about after the school board asked the superintendent to provide options to reach a “flat” budget. The list of specific programs and budget items entailed $954,508 of potential cuts that painted a grim picture for student services – including cuts in course offerings, numeracy support, social/emotional programming, and sports. After studying this list, not one member of the school board felt that a flat budget was in the best interests of the community. During our many hours of public meetings on the topic, few, if any, members of the community spoke in favor of the budget reductions needed to meet a flat budget.
With this in mind, school board member and finance committee chair Rob Nadeau developed a budget proposal that would meet the needs of both students and taxpayers. Rather than begin with a specific reduction in mind, Nadeau went through the superintendent’s list and identified items that were either administrative or not central to educational, social/emotional, or sports programs. Nadeau’s objectives were 1) administrative austerity, and 2) the protection of student services: core academics, electives, and extra-curricular activities important to a quality education. The school board approved the proposal 5-0 on July 2, and the budget committee voted 9-0 on July 15 in support.
While it has taken time, a lot of discussion, and more than a half-dozen votes to reach this point, we believe that this proposal is right for our community now. It illustrates a significant slowing of budget growth without negative long-term impacts to programming. At a time of increasing uncertainty, this budget sustains core educational and support programs that students will need as we transition back to the school environment.
Our hope is that taxpayers will once again support education in our community and vote yes to support the school board and budget committee proposal on Aug. 15.
(The writers are members of the Hopkinton School Board.)