HATFIELD — Hatfield school officials are presenting a level-funded budget request for fiscal year 2027 that will preserve most programs, with minimal staff reductions.
In an overview of the spending plan presented to the Select Board Tuesday, Superintendent Conor Driscoll and School Committee Chairwoman Christy Boudreau explained the schools are asking for $6.28 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, identical to what the town is spending this year.
Boudreau said the schools are in good shape to maintain the quality of education at Hatfield Elementary School and Smith Academy because of the $1.25 million Proposition 2½ tax-cap override voters approved in May 2023.
Across the two schools, 5.5 full-time equivalent teachers and licensed staff would be eliminated, reducing total staff from 53.5 full-time equivalents to 48. The belt-tightening is being done in grades with smaller enrollment, trimming the staff there to offset the increasing costs of special education.
“We’ve been scalpel-like in these cuts, so that we worked really hard to not impact students, and by that not impact our potential for growth,” Boudreau said.
Boudreau added that more money from the town would help the schools, but there is an understanding of the demands elsewhere on tax dollars.
“It isn’t that we wouldn’t be able to use additional funds,” Boudreau said. “We certainly could employ them to good needs. But we respect the rest of town needs, and we’re part of the team.”
Driscoll said asking for level funding comes amid downsized classes and consolidations where appropriate, with a goal of minimizing impact on what is being offered to students.
Cuts will be to grades where there are fewer students, with less students projected to be enrolled in kindergarten and first grades. Some class sizes could be larger.
“Slightly larger for Hatfield, but I think on the small side, comparatively,” Driscoll said.
There will be a consolidation of some of the core classes at Smith Academy. There is also the possibility of a reduction of some electives, though the school may be able to do abridged versions, meaning fewer weeks of a particular class, so students will still get a wide variety of learning opportunities.
Two new Innovation Pathways would be able to continue, Adventure Leadership and Mental Health, the Vermont State University concurrent enrollment will stay intact, AP offerings will be preserved and sports, music and arts will be unaffected. The budget also includes the negotiated cost of living adjustments and $1 million or more in special education.
Driscoll said that school choice applications are stronger this year than last year when there was a coordinated marketing effort. So far, 34 families have sought applications, with 13 agreeing to come, with eight of those being at Smith Academy.
“When we’re able to maintain that, we’re able to maintain kids coming in from other districts, and we have quite the momentum going on that front,” Boudreau said.
“Part of what makes Smith Academy sustainable to the level it is right now is students coming in for school choice,” Driscoll said, adding that families are being attracted by the robust programming offered.
Select Board member Luke Longstreeth said he is concerned that the schools are overstaffed for the number of students.
“When you look at the trajectory of enrollment, it’s steadily continued to decline,” Longstreeth said.
Boudrauu said class sizes are 22, yet it’s the small anomalous classes that get talked about a lot.
As to whether some form of merger with another community’s schools could happen, Boudreau pushed back on that idea as likely to cost significantly more.
While linking with Hadley public schools might be cost neutral depending on out-of-district placements, connecting to Frontier Regional School in South Deerfield would cost Hatfield hundreds of thousands more.
Boudreau said the committee is also advocating for a reserve fund that the schools could dip into in case of unexpected special education-related costs.
