By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
Members of the School Committee’s Budget Subcommittee met Thursday, Jan. 8, to discuss the financial pressures shaping the fiscal year 2027 school budget to be presented later this year.
Superintendent John Antonucci highlighted rising salary obligations for existing full-time employees, along with sharply increasing out-of-district special education tuition costs, as two largely fixed expenses that have consumed most annual budget increases in recent years.
As a result, he said, the district has been limited in its ability to expand services despite what appears, on the surface, to be steady funding growth.
“While we haven’t had any major cuts over the last five years, we’re stagnant,” said Antonucci. “We have not really shown growth in our services in that time period. We have fewer staff here than we did five years ago, class size pressures, and it’s increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff.”
According to Antonucci, salary obligations for the district’s more than 600 employees account for roughly $1.8 million to $2 million annually. At the same time, tuition for students whose special education needs cannot be met in public schools has increased by 45% in recent years, driven largely by state-approved tuition hikes.
Although out-of-district placements total 36 students, they represent a significant financial burden. Tuition for private day schools ranges from $51,000 to $265,000 per student annually, not including transportation. One unexpected new placement this year requiring a full-time residential program will cost the district $472,000 annually. In total, the out-of-district special education budget is approximately $4.4 million.
Antonucci said tuition increases approved by the state’s rate-setting agency since fiscal year 2023 amount to 25.2. The district has absorbed about $1.4 million in additional costs, much of which has been offset by circuit breaker reimbursements from the state.
Combined with operations, maintenance and utilities, these costs now make up about 96% of the school department’s overall budget, said Antonucci, effectively absorbing annual increases.
Meeting needs – and making them known
Antonucci said a key goal of a joint meeting with the Town Council which was held Jan. 12 is to educate officials on the complexity of the school budget — specifically how fixed costs have not only limited growth, but, at times, compromised services. Changes in the district’s population, he noted – with about 25% of students now considered low-income and a significantly higher number of English language learners – mean additional staff and funds are needed.
“I could make the argument that most of what we do in public schools isn’t discretionary,” said Antonucci. “Counselors, nurses, social workers – we’re serving our students. Curriculum, software – we have guidelines and mandatory assessments. It’s not like we can stop buying curriculum.”
Antonucci pointed to several strengths within the district, including the new high school building project, settled collective bargaining agreements and years of capital improvement planning. He also cited strong budget management and tracking systems, noting the district has not needed to return to the town for additional funding mid-year.
Despite these positives, Antonucci said the budget requires larger year-to-year increases.
School Committee members in attendance – Tasha Buzzell, Sarah Stone and Colleen Endres – emphasized that staffing levels directly impact classroom conditions. Class sizes that averaged 23 students five years ago have grown to as many as 26 or 27 in some classrooms, and new housing developments in North Attleborough could add to further pressure.
“If you go to a restaurant and your waitress has three tables, that’s a totally different experience than if she has five,” said Buzzell. “We’re at a critical point where something needs to happen.”
Special education caseloads have also increased, said Antonucci, with a 20% rise in students with individualized education plans since 2023. About 24.5% of the district’s students now receive special education services. Buzzell noted that the middle school and high school share just one board-certified behavior analyst.
While Antonucci has not yet made public the specific funding request the district will bring to the town for FY27, he said it will be similar to last year. For FY26, the town appropriated $51,301,532 to the School Department – the largest allocation to any department – more than $2 million less than the district’s initial request of $53,446,723.
“The needs that we articulated last year have not disappeared – if anything, they’ve compounded,” said Antonucci.