Gloucester schools' special ed cushion falls to $348,382, a record low

The money Gloucester's schools keep in reserve for surprise special education costs is about to hit a record low, School Committee members warned Wednesday night.

The district expects $4.1 million this school year, fiscal 2027, from the state's "circuit breaker" program. That program pays back part of the cost of educating students with the highest special education needs, such as tuition at outside schools and transportation. After most of that money is spent, only $348,382 will be left to carry over into next year, fiscal 2028.

"This is the lowest amount we have ever carried over," said the chair of the committee's Building and Finance Subcommittee, reading the group's report. The district used to carry over about $1.1 million as a buffer, the chair said. It has spent more of the money in the last two years to cover current costs during tight budgets.

The School Committee sets policy and the budget for Gloucester's public schools. Its decisions shape class sizes, staffing and how tax money is spent.

Why the cushion matters

A member said about $300,000 is roughly what it costs if two students with high needs move into the city, or one student who needs a residential school.

The subcommittee also reported:

• Costs at the North Shore Education Consortium, which runs special education programs for area districts, went up about 11% this year.
• A bus contract the district shares with other towns carries 53 students to outside schools.
• Members want to look at billing Medicaid for daily student services, which the district has not done in recent years.

Budget work for next year starts in about two weeks.

A new map of who does what

Superintendent Amy Pasquarello said she could not find an organizational chart when she arrived, so she drew one. Seven people reported straight to her.

Under her new plan, Assistant Superintendent Cathy Tucker will oversee teaching and learning. Chief Financial Officer Cody Marshall will oversee transportation, food service, human resources and the business office. Principals and special education stay with the superintendent.

"I can't be the first stop for everybody," she said.

Other changes she listed:

• ParentSquare is now the one messaging app for families, from preschool through high school.
• All staff now use a second step to log in, after several phishing attacks over the summer and fall.
• Chromebooks in grades 3 to 5 now stay at school.
• The staff records system "had hundreds of discrepancies" and has been cleaned up. "We were not paying anybody that was not working there," she said.

The vote on a new title

The committee approved by voice vote a job description for an assistant director of special education. It is a new title for Rachel Clemenzi, now a coordinator, who will work with Director of Special Education Mike Jarvis across all grades. The superintendent said it is not a new position and costs nothing more this year. She said Clemenzi helped cut outside placements from over 70 students to 50. At the Personnel Subcommittee's online meeting on Oct. 8, the superintendent said the job will not be posted for other applicants because Clemenzi signed a three year contract in June, and that any raise is a question for next year's budget. That subcommittee voted 3 to 0 to recommend the change.

Also at the meeting:

• Nearly 280 students are playing fall sports at Gloucester High, the most in over a decade.
• The committee approved a new student activity account for the high school theater and drama club, so ticket money goes through the district as state law requires.
• A new superintendent's student advisory council for high school students starts Nov. 4.
• Members put off a vote on updated rules for how the committee works together because some sections were missing.

What happens next

The committee meets next on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. in the Gloucester High School library. The operating rules come back then.

How you can take part: Meetings are open in person at the high school library, 32 Leslie O. Johnson Road, and on Zoom, with the link on the agenda. Residents can speak for up to three minutes during oral communications.

How we did this: Cape Ann Current watched the meeting online and checked names against the agenda and the board's roster. This story was produced with the help of AI tools and checked against the documents listed below. If you see an error, tell us at [email protected].