MERSD Newsletter

MERSD FY26 Budget Update

On March 18, the MERSD School Committee will adopt the FY26 budget. Each year, our overarching budget goal remains the same: to provide a high-quality education while managing financial challenges responsibly. Over the past five years, it has become increasingly difficult to meet that goal as financial pressures continue to grow.

This year, MERSD faces significant financial hurdles. Years of using reserves to balance the budget have brought us to a critical point where that approach is no longer sustainable. Rising costs—including a 27% increase in healthcare premiums—alongside inflation and contractual obligations have pushed expenses beyond our ability to manage them down to the target 3–3.5% annual growth rate. Additionally, a shift in enrollment has led to an apportionment imbalance, affecting how costs are shared between Manchester and Essex. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to maintaining the quality of our programs.

The FY26 Proposed Budget seeks to balance the budget while protecting programs through efficiency measures like eliminating administrative roles and reallocating staff to priority areas. However, without additional revenue, MERSD faces tough choices.

In addition to the FY26 Proposed Budget, the School Committee has been provided several scenarios for consideration, each attempting to balance competing priorities and trade-offs between financial sustainability and program preservation.

• FY26 Budget Proposed balances assessment increases with moderate use of reserves while covering all contractual obligations, including a 27% healthcare renewal. Administrative reductions and staffing reallocations help manage costs.
• FY26 Budget – Achieve 3.5% Assessment w/ Reserves uses a higher level of reserves to minimize assessment increases, prioritizing financial relief for the towns. Includes staffing reallocations from the high school to middle school (world languages) and elementary (class size).
• FY26 Carry-Forward Level Services Budget maintains current service levels without significant reductions but still relies on some reserve funding. Reflects contractual obligations and health care cost increases without major restructuring.
• FY26 Budget – No Reserve Usage eliminates reliance on reserves, fully funding obligations through higher assessments. Results in the largest tax impact but maintains financial reserves for future years.

MERSD has a reputation for strong academic achievement, high-quality faculty, a commitment to small class size, and a robust co-curricular program. Our goal with each budget is to maintain and build upon this strong foundation to deliver the best possible education for our students and families. The decisions made this spring will directly impact our ability to sustain a high-quality educational program.

I encourage the MERSD community to stay informed, ask questions, and participate in the process to help deliver a budget that keeps MERSD strong.

Upcoming Meetings

📅 SC Finance Subcommittee Budget Workshop – March 12, 4:00 PM (Essex Elementary)
📅 SC Meeting & FY26 Budget Adoption – March 18, 6:00 PM (Manchester Essex MHS Learning Commons & Webex)

For full budget details, visit: MERSD Budget

Elementary Opportunity: Please join our elementary instructional coaches for a parent/caregiver Math and Literacy presentation.

• Memorial Elementary - Project Room 1- Wednesday, March 19, 6-7pm
• Essex Elementary -Cafeteria- Monday, March 24, 6-7pm

Literacy Coach Beth LeDoux and Mathematics Coach Hana McGowan will share strategies and engaging activities to reinforce math and literacy learning at home. This event is for parents/ caretakers. We look forward to meeting you!

The MERSD Library Task Force is working to enhance our school libraries, and your input is essential in shaping their future.

Please take a few minutes to complete our Community Survey and share your thoughts on how our libraries can better serve students, educators, and the community. Your feedback will help guide improvements in resources, technology, and programming.

During the week of March 31, 2025, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will conduct a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review of the Manchester-Essex Regional School District. The Office of Language Acquisition will review each district’s and charter school’s ELE program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English learners’ student assessments, identification of English learners; what programs English learners are placed in, parent and community involvement, curriculum and instruction, student support services, licensure requirements for faculty, staff and administration, program plans, and evaluation and recordkeeping.

In addition to the onsite visit, parent outreach is an important part of the review process. The district will send a survey to the parents of students whose records the review team examines with.The survey focuses on key areas of their child’s English learner education program. Survey results will be reviewed by OLA and they will contribute to the monitoring report.

Parents and other individuals may call Samantha Kodak, Office of Language Acquisition Review Chairperson, at (781) 338-3561 to request a telephone interview. If an individual requires an accommodation, such as translation, to participate in an interview, DESE will make the necessary arrangements.

Within approximately 60 business days of the onsite visit, the review chairperson will provide the (district or charter school) with a report with information about areas in which the (district or charter school) meets or exceeds regulatory requirements and areas in which the (district or charter school) requires assistance to correct or improve practices. The report will be available to the public at https://www.doe.mass.edu/ele/cpr/.

For more information contact: Allison Collins, Ed.D., Director of Student Services, Manchester-Essex Regional School District

On the night of March 3, our community engaged in session #2 of our Digital Wellness Series. Facilitated by Kerry Gallagher, J.D., we focused on the digital tools most commonly used by kids and parental controls including how they can be best utilized and their limitations.

You can view the slides from the event HERE.

Additionally, Kerry shared a URL to the 1 hour webinar for Safer Internet Day that ConnectSafely partnered with the National PTA to produce. She recommends folks listen to it like a podcast. It's chock full of helpful easy-to-implement strategies for parents including:

• Scams
• Sextortion
• Screen time strategies
• Talking to our kids and teens about strangers online
• Kerry’s “Play the tape forward” strategy
• How to talk to your kids about using AI in school
• Online bullying & harassment

This year MERSD is completing a Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) curriculum review. During this time, we review all aspects of our STE curriculum and programming. We are seeking your input to help us evaluate our program from a broad perspective. Please complete this brief survey to share your family's experiences. Please share your feedback by March 31.

Science, Tech, & Engineering community feedback survey: https://forms.gle/cifybRLv8M42hwrd6

The Open Door Food Truck will visit Essex Elementary School and Manchester Memorial Elementary School. This resource is available for anyone in the Community. For more information about The Open Door please visit their website.

36 Lincoln St.

Manchester, MA 01944

https://www.mersd.org/

Phone 978.526.4919

Fax 978.526.7585