Dighton-Rehoboth cutting 21 jobs — Superintendent sounds alarm over state aid. What to know
DIGHTON — Figures for state aid to local schools are in. How are they reacting?
"Our district, and many others, are getting crucified by the state's minimum funding formula," Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent of Schools Bill Runey said.
"Inflation is at record highs, but the governor's budget is giving us less money, $70,000 less in revenue. We are cutting positions, and other districts are cutting even more. We need our state legislators to intervene," he said.
He said there are three factors at work here: inflation, loss of COVID funding and special education costs that are up by 19% since 2023.
"It's tone deaf that the state has not accounted for inflation and that COVID funding is going away. In 2023, the district received $971,000 in COVID-relief funding. In 2024, it received $1.2 million. But for the next fiscal year, It's all going away. It was used for mental health supports and technology. If it's going away, we have to prioritize the costs of other things. COVID relief artificially boosted the budget. The state seems to be ignoring what we're losing to inflation and our COVID money."
He did say, however, "I'm hopeful that our state legislators are going to recognize this is a fiscal crisis."
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Dighton-Rehoboth cutting 21 positions
In his school district, he is cutting 21 positions, he said, many in the teacher category, but also custodians and security services. He said he also has to shred the budget of technology upgrades and security enhancements.
"We will basically run at bare bones," he said.
He said this year's transportation reimbursement is $140,000 less than last year's and explains why this is a particularly vexing problem. This reimbursement was an incentive for regionalizing, he said.
"We were counting on that reimbursement. Last year, $1.4 million, this year $1.28 million. Our transportation costs are skyrocketing, but we're getting less from the state," Runey said.
He also said that Chapter 70 state education aid is a big part of the funding formula that's broken.
"This year we're receiving only $70,000 more than last year, that's only a half-a-percent increase, while inflation has averaged five and half percent since 2021," he said. "This is putting a significant burden on our towns because it's not keeping up with the rates of inflation.
"We're in purgatory," he said. "We're not an urban district so we don't get those funds. We're also not rural. So we don't get those benefits."
But Runey said he is getting help conveying the message that state aid levels are the problem. Citizens he has heard from have reached out to legislators, and high school students have also expressed their concerns to him and have been encouraged to write to the legislature.
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Berkley may have to cut 8 jobs
In Berkley, it's a similar story. Berkley Superintendent of School Melissa Ryan pointed to the same budget factors that concern Runey: losing COVID relief related grants that are set to expire this year to the tune of approximately $440,000 in Berkley and special education tuitions that are increasing just as aid reimbursement is lower.
In Berkley, she said, "It will take $1 million to maintain basic level of staffing, and that's a number we may not be able to reach. Berkley has been incredibly supportive. But we anticipate needing to cut eight staff members to meet FY25 goals. I don't have the exact positions determined yet."
What's her next step? She said she just shared this budget information with the school committee on March 18. The town will vote on its budgets at the town meeting on June 3 but she would notify the staff members being cut by June 1.
"Our costs are growing faster than inflation," she complained. "The town's support has been wonderful. Our goal is level service funding but even that will impact students and families and what we are able to teach."
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Dighton-Rehoboth eliminates 21 jobs amid state aid cut
