Hanover Schools Consider Staffing Priorities Amid Budget Constraints
District ranks in bottom 15% for staffing ratios as officials weigh kindergarten funding options
HANOVER - February 26 - Hanover Public Schools officials are developing plans to restore positions and programs if a proposed override passes, while also confronting the reality that the district ranks in the bottom 15% of Massachusetts schools for staffing ratios.
During Monday's School Committee meeting, Superintendent Matt Ferron presented a framework for rebuilding the district's staffing if voters approve a proposed tax override in May.
"We're past that now. We need to really look at what's going on in our schools today, and what is available to us in the event the override is successful," Ferron says.
The district has organized potential staffing restorations into five focus areas, though Ferron emphasizes these are not in priority order and the final plan will depend on several factors, including the override outcome and evolving student needs.
The base budget, which includes a $1.9 million increase over the current year, would allow the district to rehire three to four elementary classroom positions to reduce class sizes, add a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and potentially add a middle school position.
"With a 1.9 million dollar base budget gives us about five hundred thousand over level services. We'll be looking to rehire some elementary classroom positions," Ferron explains.
If the override passes, additional focus areas include restoring core offerings at the middle and high schools, further reducing elementary class sizes, adding curriculum leadership and administrative positions, and enhancing arts and wellness programs.
Committee member Libby Corbo highlights the district's staffing challenges, noting that recently released state data shows Hanover ranks 344th out of approximately 400 Massachusetts schools for staffing ratios.
"Our staffing ratios dropped. We're now in the bottom 15% of the state for staffing ratios," Corbo says. "It's embarrassing that we can't afford to hire teachers and deliver that instruction when teachers are the method that schools deliver instruction by."
The staffing data doesn't even account for positions cut in the current fiscal year, making the situation more dire.
Committee members also discussed the importance of administrative positions, which some community members have questioned prioritizing over classroom teachers.
"In order for us to do better with what we have, especially when it's not quite as much as we want it to be, we need the oversight and support at the administrative level to have a team that can handle those decisions and those conversations," says Committee member Ryan Hall.
Assistant Superintendent Deborah St. Ives adds that research shows leadership directly impacts student achievement.
"If you look at all the research that's out there about high achieving schools, especially schools that have tremendous impact on individual student progress and student achievement, it stems from the leadership and coaching that's going on in the building," St. Ives says.
The committee also received disappointing news about plans for no-fee full-day kindergarten. Business Manager Michael Oates explained that changes in the district's Chapter 70 state funding status mean Hanover will not receive the anticipated financial benefits from implementing the program.
"Unfortunately our situation here in Hanover has changed," Oates says. "The opportunity to receive significant increase in our chapter 70 reimbursement by transitioning to a no fee full-day kindergarten is no longer available to us."
The district has shifted from a "foundation aid district" to a "minimum aid district," meaning it would only receive minimum per-pupil funding for additional kindergarten students rather than the substantial increase originally projected.
This change resulted from two factors: a decline in overall enrollment (25 fewer students) and a significant increase in the town's required local contribution to education funding.
The committee is now considering two options: maintaining the current tuition-based program or eliminating the fee and making it contingent on the override passing, with potential funding from special education reserve funds for the first year.
Committee members expressed mixed views on subsidizing kindergarten given other pressing needs in the district.
"It seems almost irresponsible to be having a discussion about subsidizing full-day kindergarten now when we just had a discussion about all the opportunities that we can't offer that are basic needs to our students," Corbo says.
Committee Chair Peter Miraglia suggests the committee should explore options that wouldn't impact taxpayers, potentially using free cash to bridge funding for a year.
"I think this is really just to lower the fee. It's a really high fee for parents. We've tried to do this for years," Miraglia says.
The committee plans to continue discussions and potentially vote on the kindergarten issue at their next meeting.
Other items discussed at the meeting included:
- The district received $6,188.54 in donations between January 15 and February 21, bringing the total for the year to $36,453.96.
- The committee voted not to participate in the school choice program for the 2025-2026 school year due to high enrollment and class size limitations.
- Ferron shared preliminary concepts for revising graduation requirements, including potential additions like financial literacy, wellness, and artificial intelligence education.
- The high school musical "The Addams Family" will be performed Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
- Several winter sports teams are competing in tournaments, including boys and girls basketball, hockey, and wrestling.