Norwell Schools Face $750,000 Circuit Breaker Deficit by 2028

NORWELL, MA - September 16 - Norwell School Committee projects a significant deficit in its circuit breaker account, used for special education funding, reaching nearly $750,000 by 2028. This revelation came during a recent committee meeting where officials also approved a co-op waiver for a wrestling program with Rockland High School.

Warren MacCallum, Director of Finance, Operations and Technology, presented the financial forecast, stating, "By 28, we're looking at potentially [three] quarters of a million in debt through the circuit breaker, which is supposed to be there to help us when situations turn ugly, and instead it's going to be actually hurting us."

The committee discussed the need for increased town funding to address the shortfall. Superintendent Matt Keegan explained, "We have focused on an increase of $500,000 for some time. And if we were able to move that $1.5 million to $2 million all the way through, we would be okay, but we still wouldn't fix the issue."

Committee members expressed concern about the sustainability of the current funding model. One member stated, "I feel like we're dysfunctional moving forward this way. I hate to say it, I know I've been around for a long time, and I've looked at this slide year after year after year, but we should do something about it before it happens to us."

The possibility of an override at the next Town Meeting was mentioned as a potential solution. Keegan noted, "This isn't going to be solved on a state level. This is going to have to be solved by the town."

On a more positive note, the committee approved a co-op waiver for a wrestling program with Rockland High School. This partnership will revive wrestling opportunities for Norwell students after the program's previous discontinuation.

Keegan explained, "JJ has been working on providing a wrestling program that we had for many years. It kind of fell out a couple of ADs ago. And we have an opportunity for a co-op with Rockland."

The agreement with Rockland is set for two years. Rockland will provide the equipment and space for the program, while Norwell students will need to arrange their own transportation.

"This is a really nice opportunity because they have all the equipment and the space. Our students will need to get there under their own direction," Keegan added.

In other news, the school district reported an increase in enrollment, with 18 to 24 more students than the previous year, primarily at the middle and high school levels. Keegan noted, "Interestingly, we're up about 18 to 24 kids, mostly up at the middle and high, which is interesting. Biggest increases were there, about 10 students in both places."

As the meeting concluded, the committee set their next meeting date for Oct. 21, where they plan to review Oct. 1 information and potentially discuss MCAS and accountability data.