Seekonk Schools Under Budget Microscope

Seekonk Public Schools need a hefty increase in town funding in order to provide the same amount of programs and services for the 2025-2026 year.

Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell noted “significant cuts and significant changes” if the schools receive less than a six percent increase over the current fiscal year.  Ms. Kidwell clarified that the schools do not expect to receive a six percent increase, given the challenges that all town departments face, with rising fixed and salary costs not offset by equal growth in revenue.

“I wanted to give you a realistic picture of what we’re looking at,” Kidwell explained at the October 9 meeting with the Select Board and the Finance Committee.

“We’re anticipating another year in which there may be cuts. There are costs in here that we do not have control over,” Kidwell said.

“From my perspective, to turn around and ask the town for a six percent increase year over year on top of the budget, it’s going to be very difficult,” said Select Board member Justin Sullivan. “We have a couple of departments which have already (given up) the staffing increases that they have desperately needed and desperately requested in order to help close that budget gap last year.”

Select Board chair Michelle Hines felt a six percent increase for the schools “will do significant damage to the rest of the town.”  Kidwell acknowledged that the schools are part of the overall town picture and that we will all be working together to stay within budgetary constraints.

Kidwell said the school department would be placing two articles on the November Town Meeting warrant, including a “turnback” to the school stabilization fund and reimbursement for the clean-up costs following a microburst at Seekonk High School last June.

Another article regarding plans for a risk mitigation strategy for Hurley Middle School had been considered.

Kidwell said an estimate for a full replacement of the school’s boiler new header pipe for the existing three-boiler system was $700,000. The system has been failing for the last several years and has undergone costly repairs.

“We believe it’s prudent to withdraw the article to give the school committee more time to consider how they want to handle the heating (system) long-term rather than asking town meeting to allocate funding to any one solution at this time,” Kidwell said.

Town Administrator Shawn Cadime provided an overview of the town’s finances and capital projects. He stated the difficulty in providing the schools with any significant increase, noting the $1 million which will be paid on an annual basis to pay the town’s share of the new Tri-County Regional Vocational High School building project.

“We’re at that point where we’ve reached the cliff, it’s how do we stop from going over the cliff?,” Cadime said.  “It’s going to be a team approach to figure out where the priorities are.”

“It appears there are going to be some tough changes,” Sullivan added. “I guess it’s going to be an interesting year in terms of understanding what the budget is.”