On Tuesday, January 20, the Duxbury School Committee held its first of two Budget Advocacy Sessions at the Duxbury Free Library. I want to thank the folks who came out. The questions were sharp, the dialog was respectful, and it reinforced why these face-to-face conversations are so critical.

One of the themes that bubbled up—both in the room and in conversations around town—is the complexity of the modern classroom. Specifically, there is often confusion about what drives costs when enrollment numbers fluctuate.

I want to take a moment to drill down into a specific term we use often in budget discussions: Compliance.

The Educational Reality of 2026

When we look at the school budget, it is easy to look at a spreadsheet and simply divide the number of students by the number of teachers. But that math fails to capture the educational reality of how a school operates today compared to twenty years ago.

In the past, a teacher might have lectured to rows of desks (the “sage on the stage” model). Today, classrooms are kinetic and interactive. But more importantly, the physical setup of a classroom is often dictated by federal and state legal mandates.

When we talk about “social-emotional requirements” or “student support” in a budget context, we are not necessarily talking about a specific curriculum or discretionary program. We are often talking about logistics and civil rights.

It’s About the Law, Not Just the Lesson Plan

A significant portion of our student body accesses education through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans. These are legal documents.

They often mandate specific accommodations that directly impact class size and staffing ratios. For example:

• Preferential Seating: A student may require specific proximity to a teacher or a low-distraction zone.
• Space Requirements: A student may require designated space for sensory regulation or medical equipment.
• Staffing Ratios: A classroom may require additional adults (paraprofessionals) to support inclusion.

This is the distinction I want to make clear: Compliance is non-negotiable.

Whether we are discussing special education or 504 accommodations, these are legal mandates. We cannot “defund” a student’s civil rights. Meeting these diverse needs—social, emotional, and academic—costs more per pupil today than it did in the past.

Because of this complexity, maintaining manageable class sizes is actually more critical now. We cannot simply pack 30 students into a room because the “average” suggests it fits; the legal composition of that specific class might make that impossible.

The Enrollment Paradox

This leads to a paradox: The cost to educate a single child is higher than ever, even as total enrollment dips.

Rising fixed costs (contractual obligations, healthcare, out-of-district tuition) and these compliance mandates are outpacing any savings we might get from a headcount reduction. We cannot dismantle our infrastructure during a lull in enrollment only to scramble (and overspend) to rebuild it when the numbers rise again.

Let’s Keep Talking

The FY27 budget attempts to strike a difficult balance: respecting what the taxpayer can afford while meeting the legal and educational standards families expect.

We have one more advocacy session coming up. If you want to understand the “why” behind the numbers, please join us.

• Session 2: Monday, February 23 at 7:00 PM (Duxbury Free Library)

I encourage you to bring your questions. The more we understand the mechanics of the budget, the better decisions we can make as a community.

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Note: The views and opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect the official policies, positions, or endorsements of the Duxbury School Committee. For official information about Duxbury Public Schools and the Duxbury School Committee, please visit duxbury.k12.ma.us.