Finance Director Urges Public to Attend Meeting on School Aid at UMass on March 24

Day of Civic Awareness Planned for High School Students

With many schools and municipalities facing budget shortfalls for the next year, largely due to the increased needs of schools, School Finance Director Shannon Bernacchia urged parents and educators to attend the state’s Joint Ways and Means meeting on Monday, March 24 at 11 a.m. at the Campus Center at UMass to support additional funding for public schools. Amherst Regional High School Principal Talib Sadiq has scheduled a Day of Civic Awareness and Action for that day, encouraging students to walk to UMass and show their support for changes in the funding formula used to determine how much money goes to public schools. 

At the March 11 Regional School Committee (RSC) meeting, Bernacchia presented several options to reduce the estimated $1.3 million deficit predicted for next year’s regional school budget. The RSC rejected the budget with a 4% increase over FY2025 funding levels, and will vote on a budget with a 5% increase on Friday, March 14. This would reduce the deficit to under $1 million and permit the restoration of two counselors and four middle school teachers to retain the team structure in the middle school.

However, Bernacchia said that the region could benefit from an increase in state funding from Circuit Breaker Program reimbursement for high cost special education services at 100%; transportation reimbursement at 100%; and a “major” increase to rural school aid. “If we do get all of those things that are in that budget hearing and they are approved, we will see a dramatic difference for FY2027,” she said. “I really want to say that the community, the Town Council, School Committee, parents, staff, whomever needs to go [to the March 24 meeting] and stand in solidarity.”

Below is the letter sent on March 10 from Principal Talib Sadiq to parents and guardians of Amherst Regional High School students regarding the Day of Civic Awareness and Action:

Our district is once again being forced to make cuts to our budget. The PDF of the slideshow I presented to the School Committee giving an overview of those cuts is attached to this message. This is not the first time our district has had to make budget cuts that are harming our schools. There are organizations in the state working to try to make sure that this is the last time we have to make any more cuts. A form letter developed by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools, customized by our school district, will be sent to families asking you to add your personal touch and send it to local and state political officials, imploring them to advocate for changes to the funding formula used to determine how much money goes to public schools in our state. These organizations are also encouraging people to show up at government meetings where decisions about school funding are being made. 

On Monday, March 24th, The Joint Committee on Ways and Means is scheduled to hold a hearing focused on municipal and school aid beginning at 11:00 am in the Campus Center at UMass Amherst. On that day, we are having a Day of Civic Awareness and Action. Students who wish to attend will have the opportunity to make signs, walk to UMass to show their support for our local officials, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and others who are advocating for more funding for public schools. We will have a special schedule that day. We’re planning to leave ARHS at 10:00 and walk to the Campus Center to greet the Joint Committee on Ways and Means as they enter the Campus Center for the hearing. Shortly after the meeting starts, we will walk back to ARHS to be back by noon, in time for lunch. There will be transportation for students and adults who need it. Leading up to the 24th, some teachers will be hosting workshops during Flex Block to help students learn more about why schools are chronically underfunded and how that has impacted ARHS.

For those students and adults who do not wish to participate in this school-wide field trip to UMass, there will be opportunities for them to learn more about ways young people across our country have advocated for change. There will be a list of documentaries they can choose to watch in the library, supervised by the adults who stay back. 

I’ve shared this information directly with students as well.