After careful study of the proposed budget, it is clear that the school administrators and the Superintendent of Schools have not put forth a level-service budget for the school district given the faculty cuts at each of the four schools. We ask that the School Committee and the Administration reinstate the cut faculty positions so that it is a true level-service budget from the perspective of the teachers and, most importantly, the students. We also ask that special consideration be given to those class sizes already projected to be at or approaching twenty-five (25) or more students.

We ask that the School Committee and Administration take another look at administrative positions in the Central Office and various schools as a way to cut cost in the budget. In 2015 we will have a Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent with similar backgrounds and skill sets in curriculum and administration of the Common Core Standards. We also ask for a roll back of the one time 13% salary increase given to all levels of Administration between the fiscal years of 2013 and 2014 with the support of the School Committee and Interim Superintendent.

Finally, we ask that the School Committee and Administration table any plans to redistrict the Groton children from Florence Roche. The Administration accepted a large number of school choice students from other towns that drove up the numbers in this school. Although once accepted, we are legally bound to keep the students through graduation, current choice students from other towns should be (and can legally be) redistricted to the less populated school. The large number of accepted choice students also negatively impacted our SPED program since many of these students from outside our district require services. We are already out of compliance with our obligation to current IEPs for students living within the towns of Groton and Dunstable.

We, the residents of Groton and Dunstable, ask the School Committee and Administration to revise the budget to reflect a true level service to our students. We have already had significant loss of faculty, support staff, and programs over the last 3 to 5 years without their reinstatement.