Town and Schools Scramble to Revise School Budget and Bring It Forward for Another Vote

by Inanna Arthen
In the wake of Annual Town Meeting voting down the entire Winchendon Public Schools budget by a stunning two-thirds majority on May 20, the School Committee, Superintendent and Town Hall have been working non-stop to schedule an extra Special Town Meeting and present a revised school budget to voters before the end of this fiscal year.

With the school budget rejected by voters, the town may not appropriate any funds to the school district, even though it has the funds, leaving the district with no money to operate after June 30.

On Thursday, May 23, three days after Annual Town Meeting, the School Committee held an extra meeting (their usual meeting dates are the first and third Thursdays of each month).

Following a public comment period that lasted over an hour, Dr. Goguen began her Superintendent's Report. She began by explaining that the budget she was working with was difficult to understand and had been built on a previous reorganization. She had asked the School Committee to re-vote on the current year's budget just to allocate funding correctly among the buildings. She also said that when she started last August 14, "what I walked into here was quite dysfunctional." She'd had to hire eight administrators in order to open schools just two weeks later. There has also been a "revolving door" on school district business managers, as well as in Town Hall with accountants and financial persons.

There were serious concerns about the accuracy of numbers, Dr. Goguen said. The reason 7.5 FTE (full time equivalent) positions were moved into the budget from "alternative" funding sources was that those funding sources didn't have enough money to cover the positions. "There was no sustainability. The chart of accounts that schools must use to account for specific line items were not correct," she said. It was extremely difficult to build a budget on historical expenses because they were so confusing.

Student safety is their absolute first priority, Dr. Goguen said. "The decisions that were made in regards to reductions were made over months of looking at student data, student programming and open positions that were in the budget. There were the first easy thing, like the positions that weren't filled, were on the list. And then we looked at enrollments." If enrollment goes up, the numbers will be reworked.

Dr. Goguen continued, "given the fact that we have no budget, I have been advised by legal counsel that I cannot do any hiring right now. We are in a frozen state. We have also been advised that this is so serious that we should be planning for giving pink slips out...This position that we are in in this community is very unprecedented. A community must must have a school district budget before July 1 or the school district shuts down."

After concluding her general report, Dr. Goguen got very serious. "It is certainly the town's responsibility to vote a budget, but the seriousness of not voting a budget is what we're here tonight to really talk about. If there's not a budget, there's no school district. We actually have sent out letters for summer school. We won't be able to have summer school. We have to notify all of our contracts. Breach of contract which we don't have any money. We won't have anything to pay. All of our employees will be given pink slips--everyone, not just teachers, everyone--and be entitled to unemployment. The unemployment will bankrupt this community. You know we have to partner to get through this very difficult time."

Dr. Goguen spoke to the confusion about cuts, saying none of it was personal, and changes were made based on what would least impact students. "Just for clarity purposes, a non-renewal is not a cut on a position. It is a cut on a person...there have been 11 reductions. Out of those 11 reductions...there were four unfilled positions this year. There are decreasing enrollment positions, and those three decreasing enrollment positions are being absorbed through retirements. And then we have given four Reduction In Force letters. And I am very glad to be able to say that the people who have received those four Reduction In Force letters will have a job in an area that they are certified in."

Dr. Goguen said they had been trying to let people "know where they would be in a courteous way" that they would not be renewed so they could find another job. Winchendon cannot interview or hire anyone until there is a budget.

Committee Chair Karen Kast asked Dr. Goguen what her recommendations were. Dr. Goguen began, "I'd like to recommend that we hire a certified elementary librarian and go back to sharing music. That means that one of the music teachers, the least seniority music teacher in the elementary schools would have a position because there's two positions open." In the previous budget, they had planned to add a full time elementary music teacher, but the music teachers would also be teaching library. Now there will be a certified librarian for those classes. The second music teacher could move into the Middle or High School, where there are two open positions for music teachers now.

In much the same way that the town is doing, the school district is drawing on one-time funds to cover a $1.1 million shortfall. For example, it is using next year's Circuit Breaker funds of $600,000. State aid only increased this year by $70,000. "There is no 'wiggle room' in the current budget," Dr. Goguen said, for unforeseen needs like new families moving into the district or a SPED student who needs out of district placement. Ms. Kast said, "this is a major problem, because that means that any special needs students that move into this district, we're going to have to scramble financially."

Committee member Michael Barbaro spoke frankly to this point. "In our budget, if you look at it, special education goes up $900,000. That's a huge number. That is what we would call a budget buster. That's why a lot of the money is not being put in different places. Because when you do like a lot of communities our size, have a very high special education population...years ago we've had a student that was a $600,000 expense. It kills budgets. We've had special education costs up to $2 million in this district. And we educate children till they're 22. This is required by law."

Mr. Barbaro said that people perceive that the School Committee doesn't care. "We've lost the public trust," he said. Promises like override money and money from the solar fields never were put in place. Now the town isn't in a position to increase the school's funding. "We are where we are right now because of lack of communication and transparency, and the trust has to be rebuilt," he said.

There was some discussion as to whether all staff would be considered unemployed as of the last day of school (June 14 for the elementary schools, June 18 for Murdock Middle High School due to the water heater issue closing that building last November). This would mean the town would be obligated by contract to pay staff in collective bargaining agreements unemployment benefits after the last day of school.

However, President of the Winchendon Teacher's Association Stephanie Rondeau said that there is no date in the teachers' contracts when staff must be notified that they are unemployed. As long as the budget is passed by July 1, meaning the contracts for FY25 can be honored, no pink slips need to be issued. She couldn't speak for other employees with collective bargaining agreements, besides the teachers. But, she said, "anecdotally, I know it was a bit of a different situation in 2017. There had to be a Special Town Meeting because of a failed override. The Special Town Meeting didn't happen till June 28. We were not pink slipped that year."

This information will need to be double-checked with legal counsel.

Chair of the Board of Selectmen (at that time) Audrey LaBrie spoke to the impact on the town of not passing the school budget. "The town is obligated legally to make net school spending. We are obligated to vote and expend that money to the schools. If this budget doesn't pass, part of that budget is the town's spending on net school spending. So by July 1, the town has not committed to spending that net school spending. Now this dominoes over to the town side. It could affect our ability to get state grants, we may not be getting our tax rate set."

Ms. Kast said that if a town defaults and doesn't maintain its schools, the state can come in and force the town to come up with twice its regular net school spending amount and tell the School Committee to use two thirds of that to find some plan to educate the town's kids. The state will not come in and pay for education for us--it will make us pay far more.

In the concluding discussion, Committee member Dave LaPointe said that back in 1980, when he was a high school student at Murdock, there had been talk of regionalization. It might be time to talk about that again, although regionalization is a "two to three year process" and not an immediate solution.

The revised budget is now posted on the Winchendon Public Schools website. The post may be seen at https://www.winchendonk12.org/o/wps/article/1620370. Besides the certified librarian and shared music at the elementary schools, the third change is "Reduced superintendent's estimated salary and updated actual salaries on all other administrators." The final total amount to be appropriated remains $17,432,926.

The budget details may be seen at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZjkjlygLYKxplyxxbYLA8tYMxzq9AjbL/view. Expenses are now expanded into individual line items, which is a much more clear way to see and understand them, especially salaries.

Taste of Winchendon IV Rocks With Music, Art, Food, Dance and (Once Again!) Perfect Weather

Attendees enjoy food at tables around the "dance floor"
Photo by Inanna Arthen

The line for delicious (free!) food ran all the way Pleasant Street
Photo by Inanna Arthen

by Inanna Arthen
The fourth annual Taste of Winchendon festival, organized by the Youth Changemakers, was held on Saturday, May 25 on the lawns around Beals Memorial Library. More than 300 people attended the festival to enjoy free food, listen to musical performances, participate in dances, visit booths and tables run by local businesses and organizations, get raffle tickets, paint puzzle pieces at the Buy Local table and generally have a mellow good time. The weather was perfect, with bright sun, a breeze and moderate temperatures.

Highlights of the day included performances by local band The BIG RanDom and local musician Cailte Kelley, an impromptu salsa dancing lesson, and an indigenous Boriken Taino dance performance and participatory circle dance led by Taino Chali' Naru Dones.

Kids enjoyed the "dunk tank" and bounce-house set up at the side of the lawn throughout the afternoon. The Winchendon Garden Club had a seed planting activity for the kids, as well as a plant sale for grown-ups. Numerous local vendors had tables around the lawn, and the Fidelity Bank Ice Cream truck handed out free ice cream treats. The Youth Changemakers' mobile Sunshine Café sold fresh-made lemonade.

More than 300 people lined up for free multicultural food prepared by local makers, chefs and volunteers. Rice, egg rolls, empanadas (cooked fresh in a fryolator on site), and many other unique dishes were available to try.

Youth Changemaker Abby Bradley, one of the "founders" of Taste of Winchendon who has worked on all four festivals, was presented with a beautiful piece of wood art hand-made by Mike of TMO Laser, who also had a booth at the festival. Abby will be leaving for college this fall.

The Buy Local Initiative had a table with information, and a community art project that everyone was invited to participate in. Mike of TMO Laser created a wooden mural base and cut it into giant jigsaw puzzle pieces. Each piece will be painted in a picture or design representing what the artist thinks is great about Winchendon and local businesses. About three quarters of the pieces had been painted by the end of the day. When all the pieces are painted, they will be assembled into a community mural spelling out "Buy Local Winchendon" and displayed around town (location to be determined--it may move around).

After four straight years, Taste of Winchendon is an unqualified success. If you've never attended it, be sure to check it out next year!

The painting table (for all ages) is ready to decorate puzzle pieces
Photo by Inanna Arthen

Resident Leader and Makers Hub coordinator Jordyn Lynds, center, with two young artists
Photo by Inanna Arthen

Citizens, Parents, Staff and Students Bring Questions to School Committee

by Inanna Arthen
At the School Committee's meeting on Thursday, May 23, a number of citizens rose to speak during the public comment at the beginning of the meeting. Some of them had also spoken at Town Meeting and previous School Committee meetings. The issues raised did not all relate to the FY25 budget. Concerns were also voiced about staff non-renewals which were not part of the FY25 budget changes.

Resident Dwayne Huggins rose to question why a "temporary" staff person, that is, the Interim Superintendent, was getting a pay increase. "I have never heard of anyone in a temporary position getting an increase in pay," he said. Stating that the increase was stated to be 10 percent, Mr. Huggins said that was twice the typical amount. "Without being given all of the information, how is anybody going to give and make a wise and just decision on how our money is being spent," he said.

Committee Chair Karen Kast responded that the budget had been based on former Superintendent Thad King's salary, where Mr. King had no prior experience as a Superintendent. When Dr. Goguen was brought in, she was making a higher amount commensurate with her long experience as a school superintendent. So the amount in the FY25 budget is not based on Mr. King's salary but on Dr. Goguen's salary, and represents a $5,000 increase for next year. The persistent belief among residents that it is an $18,000 increase is incorrect, Ms. Kast said.

Committee Vice Chair Dave LaPointe added that the district has not yet received a waiver from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) granting them permission to rehire Dr. Goguen, a retiree. If the waiver is granted, Mr. LaPointe said, an Interim Superintendant can choose to serve for a longer time, such as several years, and their salary would then be negotiated each year.

But, Mr. LaPointe went on, the School Committee would be hiring a permanent Superintendent for FY26, starting this August or September. "We're going to start putting together a search committee. We're going to start getting applications and then we're going to let the interested townspeople who want to serve on that committee, let them make the choices and send them to our board," he said. "We were forced to do it this way, to bring on an interim, because there was nobody, there were no applicants. There was no time to do that. We were trying to build our plane while we were flying it, and I'm happy to say that we're flying and and who knows where we go from tonight."

Resident Audrey LaBrie rose to comment on the problem she saw with communications. One thing that would helpful, she said, would be a budget spreadsheet showing past years' actual expenses, not just the amounts budgeted each year, and showing the line items that funds were put into. That would help people understand the comparisons from year to year, and make things like a salary increase more meaningful. Ms. LaBrie also mentioned that the lack of minutes contributed to lack of communication. Not every citizen has time to watch the videos of every meeting, and some don't have access to online videos. "You have the backstory of all these decisions, all these line items that don't always come across in the paperwork. Again, that's more information that would help us as citizens and as voters to get a better idea of the items you're asking us to vote on," she said.

Two more residents rose to emphasize what Ms. LaBrie said about the importance of detailed, line-by-line budget information, including actual expended amounts in past years as well as past years' budgeted amounts. Resident Susan Burdsall also commented on the confusion in changes in where the funds for line items was coming from, and where the funds went when, for example, a position not filled because the district hadn't been able hire someone was going to be left unfilled purposely. Where did the budgeted amount for that line item go? If the School Committee approved transfers of expenses to other line items, the public needed to see where that was done, to avoid the kind of confusion that had been happening.

Murdock student Bradley Wightman then rose with a question about staff. "I'm a music student at the high school," he began. "And we have seen our music teacher has been non-renewed as of the fiscal year of 2025. And what we've seen is that there are still postings for a music teacher to be rehired and still continue our music department. So my question to the School Committee is for what reason was this teacher non-renewed when we are continuing this position? And this information I can understand in certain cases, where this cannot be public information, but teachers are public servants of the state so their records of why they're being non-renewed, fired or reduced, I feel should be public information. And if they are, that's great, I just need to know where to locate them. But this non-renewal has definitely hit very hard among music students and staff. I understand that the School Committee themselves does not decide who gets non-renewed or such. But if you have any idea, or any inclination of why this teacher was not renewed even though this position is just going to be refilled, I would love to hear it."

Ms. Kast responded that by law, personnel decisions are confidential. Employers may not say anything about why a particular employee left employment, even if they quit voluntarily. Mr. Wightman then asked how students could seek to overturn a decision, "in a democratic, safe controlled way." Who should they talk to? Ms. Kast said that she did not have an answer for that.

Mr. Wightman's mom, whose first name was not clear, rose to speak further about the topic, saying, "Can you tell us who we can go to to see if we can get that teacher back? Because I know...there has to be someone because this teacher is stellar. My son has played the trumpet for many years and he has had multiple, multiple music teachers. It's like we just don't keep the same music teacher, and I don't understand that. But it's this particular music teacher that has pushed and pushed and pushed these students to the best of their ability, that Quinn Richards and my son last night just got the John Philip Sousa Award." Ms. Wightman went on that she knew the teacher was about to get tenure, and suddenly she was let go. "The school system is not putting enough money into the music program and and just keeping the same music teacher these students have grown to love this, this person," she said. She described the music students in tears at their concert the night before, and that not one principal or vice principal had attended the concert to support the music program.

Murdock student Nikolaus Brauer-Chagnon rose to speak further about the non-renewed music teacher. "My sister and my brother who is bullied immensely at school and has been physically harassed by students can never have the same safe place I did when I went to Murdock, where I felt I wouldn't be shunned for being myself. Tell me why they can't have the same experience I did with the teacher that I immensely care about, because she changed my life. Mrs. Erwin was one of the people I always felt most comfortable with because she taught me how to be myself. She taught me how to spot a bully and she taught me how to be more confident," he said. He went on to describe how many students depended on this teacher for her support, and that "multiple students have bawled their eyes out in her classroom several times this week, all because they do not know what to do without her. Her resignation has had a ripple effect on all of her students...because we know that Mrs. Erwin was the light in a dark time for all of us," he said, adding "She is the reason that some students are even able to wake up in the morning and be alive."

Mrs. Erwin helped the students improve academically and have better mental health, Mr. Brauer-Chagnon said. "So how is it that is decided that Mrs. Erwin is being fired even though she's not only making her students want to go to school, be happy and be a better version of themselves, but also increase the grade point average of students in a failing school system? She has cleared the path for so many to be the truest versions of themselves that they can be. So Mrs. Erwin, our teacher, our mentor, our role model should not be fired and should be renewed for next year. And that should be the end of the discussion on that."

Resident Tina Santos rose to ask whether the schools were getting money she understood was promised to them from the town, such as past override money and solar PILOT funds. She also asked what the mechanisms were for deciding whether to cut a given staff person, and whether secondary school students were also guaranteed to get "specials" such as music.

Resident Lisa Tenney rose to speak at length about "the students that have no voices right now." She asked how much time the superintendent has actually spent in the classrooms, especially the SPED classrooms, the ALL room, the kindergarten classes, and so on. "How much time has the board spent speaking to all teachers, not just a few teachers, not just teachers that are on special committees--all teachers, all paraprofessionals, all people who are in the trenches, all special ed teachers, all people who are working with all these children that have no voice right now," she asked. She described how a classroom with 24 to 27 children might have five or six with IEPs (Individualized Education Program) and several with behavioral issues. There might be kids hitting people, jumping on tables, and needing constant redirection. What happens when paraprofessionals and trained staff are cut from these classrooms?

Ms. Tenney said that it didn't make sense to give salary increases to administrators and clerical staff when teaching and classroom staff were underpaid and being cut. The teachers aren't doing this for the money, she said. But students' IEPs in the district are not being met, and there is a designated student-to-staff ratio that isn't being met, as well. "When we're talking about children, and we're talking about services, let's start at the bottom people. Let's get into the schools, look at what's happening there. Put the money there," she said.

Resident Meghan LaFreniere rose to say that she believes the budget has to be approved because the schools need an operating budget. But she did have concerns. "Transparency is something that has been lacking for the past few years from the school committee and the administration," she said. "This is something that can and needs to be improved to quell some of this infighting. If the numbers in the budget presentation are not correct, or the actual numbers, then they need to be updated to actual numbers for the current fiscal year. How are community members supposed to make decisions without accurate information? I understand that many things are confidential and cannot be shared. But the school committee needs to make a better effort to share all the information they're able to."

Ms. LaFreniere also spoke of the need for a long-term solution, rather than a "temporary" superintendent. She went on to express concerns about class sizes and lack of support for classroom teachers. Paraprofessionals need to be increased. The schools can't rely on parents and volunteers to spend time in the classrooms and help the teachers. Paraprofessionals who can give students individual learning time makes a documented difference in outcomes.

She went on, "I just wanted to bring up the idea of--I'm sure everybody's thought about it--regionalization. Graduating classes with 50 students is not sustainable. The longer our district struggles, the more students we're going to lose to other opportunities. It's my opinion that we need to aggressively search for a regionalization partner. I seriously question the long term stability of our town in maintaining an independent school district. Regionalization may benefit the older students in the district greatly, allowing them opportunities that are not feasible in such a small learning environment. Our students deserve to have the opportunity for advanced and diverse coursework, strong athletics and various clubs and activities. Murdock Middle High School has done extremely well within the constraints of budget and small student population. But we need to recognize that we can do better for the students of Winchendon not only this fiscal year, but in the future as well. Regionalization can help to reach the goal of offering the best program to all of our district students."

Resident Heather Connor, a former paraprofessional at Memorial School kindergarten classes, rose to say her greatest concern was student safety. She described conditions in some of the classrooms she had helped staff, with students that were out of control, and feeling that the teachers couldn't get support quickly. "The stories I could tell you are things that you haven't probably seen," she asserted, describing whole classrooms having to be cleared because of one student. Children are not able to learn when they're in such an upsetting environment, she said. It came down to needing more staff in the classrooms.

The public comment period for the meeting ran for over an hour before everyone had spoken and the Committee was able to continue with its agenda.

Town Posts New Community Outreach Coordinator Position

by Inanna Arthen
The town of Winchendon will be hiring a full time Community Outreach Coordinator, according to a job posting on the town website. The 40-hour-a-week position will pay $47,840 to $54,080 and replaces the previous full-time Recreation Coordinator position. Tiffany Newton, who has served the town as the Recreation Coordinator for the past year, tendered her resignation in early May and has accepted a position in another town.

The Community Outreach Coordinator position will be shared by the Winchendon Council on Aging and be paid half from that department and half from the Parks & Recreation Department budget. The person selected for the job will be responsible for all programming at the town's community parks, and will help develop programs at the Senior Center for Winchendon's senior population and the general public outside of Senior Center hours.

The scope of the job description is quite broad and includes overseeing "the development and implementation of community engagement and outreach programs year round for the Town of Winchendon, The Winchendon Senior Center, Other Town Parks and Institutions (Library, Housing, [G.A.R. Park], etc), other key community partners such as the Winchendon CAC, YMCA, etc." The Coordinator will also manage all promotion and advertising of events, all social media and websites, manage monthly expenses and write grants. Qualifications include "extensive knowledge of wrap-around services...including housing, financial coaching, SNAP/EBT/HIP, healthcare, etc" and certification as a Community Health Worker.

Last year, previous Town Manager Justin Sultzbach implemented a three part "Organizational Change to Staffing" which involved the creation of three new positions--the new full-time Recreation Coodinator and two Supervisor positions with the Department of Public Works--merged the positions of Director of Department of Public Works and School Maintenance Director, eliminated the position of Director of Planning and Development and upgraded the Planning and Use Coordinator to Planning and Use Agent. To do this, Mr. Sultzbach had to bring the changes to Town Meeting for approval. Town Meeting debated the article for 39 minutes before finally approving it.

Mr. Sultzbach explained that the Recreation Coordinator position would be paid for by grant money from the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation to start, but the goal was for it to be funded entirely through revenues from park events within three years.

The Courier reached out to Town Manager Bill McKinney, and Board of Selectmen members Audrey LeBrie and Rick Ward, to ask if this position would need to be brought before Town Meeting, and whether it would still be funded through Recreation Department receipts. Mr. McKinney responded that he would need to look into these questions. Senior Center Director Miranda Jennings did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Anyone who would be interested in applying for the position can view the job description at https://www.townofwinchendon.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif8401/f/uploads/community_outreach_coordinator_job_description-posting.pdf. Cover letter and resume should be sent to Town Manager Bill McKinney, bmckinney@winchendon-ma.gov before Monday, June 3, when applications will be reviewed.

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