At last night’s Duxbury School Committee meeting, we voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The motion passed 3–2, and I voted in the affirmative.

While I stand by that vote, I want to be transparent: it was a “yes” cast with significant reservation.

We are operating in a reality where the town’s financial resources are severely constrained. The budget we approved—a 4.83% increase over the previous year —is a stabilization budget. It prevents us from falling off a cliff, but it does not restore what we have lost.

Here is why I remain concerned, and what I believe needs to happen next.

The Dilution of Educational Leadership

My primary hesitation stems from the staffing situation. While we are restoring a handful of positions, we are still operating with a significant deficit compared to where we were just two years ago.

Specifically, I am worried about the deep cuts to our administrative and curriculum leadership teams. During our November 19 meeting regarding MCAS results, we heard directly from our curriculum supervisors. These are the experts responsible for observing teachers, providing professional development, and ensuring our curriculum remains rigorous.

Because of budget reductions, these leaders have been stretched thin, taking on additional departments and responsibilities outside their core expertise. As I stated in the meeting, this dilution of leadership is a problem. When our leaders are covering gaps rather than driving strategy, we lose the ability to support our teachers and students effectively.

I fear that the encouraging academic results we are seeing now are a lagging indicator—the fruit of investments made three or four years ago. If we continue to dilute our leadership structure, we risk seeing a backward step in student achievement in the years to come.

The Need for Strategic Leadership

I voted “yes” because this budget is honest about our fixed costs and keeps the district running. However, the School Committee cannot solve Duxbury’s structural revenue deficit on its own.

We are caught in a cycle of year-to-year override debates and austerity measures. This is not a sustainable way to govern, and it is certainly not a sustainable way to educate children.

This brings me to the broader governance issue. Addressing the structural deficit requires strong, strategic leadership from the Duxbury Selectboard. We need a long-term financial plan that looks beyond the next 12 months. We need to move away from pitting departments against one another and toward a revenue strategy that supports the level of services this community expects.

Next Steps

The budget now moves to the Town Manager and Finance Committee for review. I will continue to advocate for our schools during this process, but I will also continue to ask the hard questions about how we, as a town, plan to break this cycle of scarcity.

Our students and our educators deserve a system that is not just surviving, but thriving.

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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.