Reductions in Seekonk School Budget

Seekonk School Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell introduced the FY’2025 budget, which includes reductions in staffing, during Monday’s school committee meeting.

3.5 positions will be eliminated, including a part-time librarian at Hurley Middle School, two teachers at Seekonk High School, and one community coach in the Transitions Academy.

In addition, vacant positions including instructional aides at Hurley and the high school and one teacher at both schools and Aitken elementary, will not be filled.

Programs without enrollment will be eliminated, including the Stars 2/Life Skills at the high school.

These reductions add up to $561,000 in savings to the district.

“This is not what any of us wanted to be doing,” Kidwell said. “We did the best we could with the leadership team of all the buildings to make the most responsible decisions that we thought would have the least impact on students and staff.”

The total budget is actually $1 million, or 3.1 percent, above the current fiscal year’s budget.

Fixed cost increases ranged from 10 to 16 percent in the categories of transportation, energy, and maintenance, along with “existing contractual obligations,” Kidwell noted.

The preliminary Chapter 70 increase is $62, 280, which equals $30 per student.

The continuing loss of students at the high school and the impending construction of a new Tri-County Regional Vocational High School is also a concern, Kidwell explained.

“We have the challenge that is very evident tonight of the growing enrollment at the elementary schools and space challenges there, with the declining enrollment at the high school. We have a unique opportunity before the new Tri-County is built, as our facility is better than Tri-County for the next few years. Once they have a new facility and Bristol (Agricultural High School) has a new facility, that’s a challenge to compete with.”

Seekonk Town Administrator Shawn Cadime will be discussing the town’s FY’2025 budget at Wednesday’s Select Board meeting.