After the override that was needed to supplement the GDRSD [0] budget for FY08 failed in both towns, the School Committee met on May 30 and voted to reduce the operating budget by an additional $1.2 million. This reduction adds to the $350,000 in cuts [1] that they approved on April 4. In both cases, the School Committee was very reluctant to reduce the budget, because the members were in agreement that the school administration would need that funding to provide the level of service that has been provided to date. However, without the support of the towns, they feel there is no other choice than to reduce the budget and accept the cuts.

The assessments to the towns have been reduced to match the amounts now budgeted by the towns, and the district is moving forward on implementing the cuts to both new and existing services [2] that were presented to the public prior to the election. Included in the latest round of cuts is eliminating the equivalent of almost 17 existing positions across the district. Students next year will have bigger class sizes and fewer programs. Layoff notices have been distributed and some parents have been notified that their children will have to attend a different elementary school as a result of cutting some teaching positions at Swallow Union and Florence Roche.

District officials are very concerned about the trends in school funding, particularly at the state level, and the impact it could have on our school system over the next few years.