I’m sure everybody here is aware of our school’s budget situation. Maybe you noticed it via the decreased class sizes and cut staff members. In fact, our school district is facing severe financial strain due to a growing gap between rising expenses and stagnant funding. This deficit comes from increased costs and declining revenues, and its effects are already being felt by students, teachers, and families alike. According to the Superintendent’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), total expenditures are projected at $116,135,080 which is an increase of 3% over the previous year. Despite this rise in spending, revenues have steadily declined over the past two years, pushing the district further into a financial hole. As the AB Schools website notes, “The reality of the present day is that costs keep rising ahead of revenues. We anticipate this pattern to persist for a minimum of a few years—unless the state modifies its funding formula.” One of the main drivers of the falling budget is declining student enrollment. With fewer students, the district has been forced to reduce teaching positions and increase layoffs.
This change will increase class sizes and reduce course offerings, which ultimately sacrifices mentorship and learning opportunities. According to The Acton Exchange, the reduced staffing is equivalent to about 90 full-timers in just over four years. But staffing cuts aren’t the only consequence. Some clubs are no longer being approved, reducing the scope of student engagement. All students are required to pay a fee in order to participate in clubs as well, further highlighting the struggle for clubs to stay afloat. Athletic teams and arts clubs now compete for funding for new equipment and money for travel. Even enriching experiences like field trips are being reduced or canceled altogether. In the past, language classes like Chinese would travel to Beijing, China. Even classes like United States History would travel to Washington DC. In addition, some students are left to use loaner Chromebooks for extended periods due to delayed repairs. In response, the School Committee voted unanimously to set the new school district budget at $116.8 million. To fund the new budget, the towns of Acton and Boxborough are carrying an even heavier financial burden. Acton’s contribution will rise to $79,835,435, a 0.97% increase from last year and Boxborough will see a sharper hike of 5.25%, contributing $16,798,204, likely because of an effort to even out the amount paid per person in AB. However, even with these increases, our district is still losing money, and the aforementioned programs are still underfunded. Although the overall budget has grown, revenue hasn’t increased at the same rate largely because of reduced state funding tied to declining enrollment again. Meanwhile, operational costs like utilities, contractual obligations, and salaries continue to climb. Inflation has also played a huge role in AB’s budget struggles. Perhaps most critically, the state’s school funding formula has not been updated to reflect ActonBoxborough’s current needs. As a result, the district must do more with less jeopardizing even the most essential programs. Currently, discussions and debate about next steps are crucial to the future of our schools. District leaders are now urging the community to stay informed and united. They are lobbying for an updated funding formula and exploring cost-saving measures that maintain vital services, as well as pursuing alternative funding sources like grants. Without action, they warn, the impacts of the budget deficit will only worsen in the years ahead. Community members can play a vital role. Attending School Committee meetings and budget hearings is a great way to stay informed and make your voice heard. Contacting state legislators to push for school funding reform is another powerful step. Supporting local fundraising efforts for athletics, the arts, and extracurriculars can also help preserve important opportunities for students. With these budget challenges ahead, only through the collective efforts of students, parents, teachers, and community members can we ensure that Acton-Boxborough remains a strong and vibrant place for education. Hey everyone, It’s Matthew and Vani, your new Editors-in-Chief! We will be missing Isabella and Shree and wish them the best in this new chapter of their lives (keep up the Spectrum spirit at Northeastern and Wisconsin!). We thank them for all of their hard work and hope they will continue to remember all that they learned in this time! With many of our beloved readers graduating soon, we want to wish them the best in whatever may follow suit. Our amazing seniors are going everywhere across the country and around the globe. Make sure to check out our senior map to learn where all our graduates will continue their next chapters. Need any college advice? Read our articles on school tuition and roommates! If that’s not for you, we have many other options. There’s
