School Committee Chair Beth Stafford shared with the School Committee on Wednesday, April 9, an email she received on behalf of the committee from the Hanson Select Board, asking respectfully that the committee reconsider the FY 26 operating assessment for Hanson voted by the committee on March 19.
While the board maintains a willingness to work cooperatively with the School Committee to find a solution that best serves students and educators, they stressed their position also requires they keep in mind the community’s financial position and asks that the school budget be reconsidered.
The Committee voted for Stafford to prepare a response to the Hanson Select Board, respectfully decline their request.
“We understand that crafting a budget to meet the educational needs of our students is no small task, and we appreciate the work and careful thought that has gone into the process,” the letter reads. “However, as stewards of the overall town budget, it is our responsibility to ensure that all funding priorities are balanced in a way that supports not only the needs of our schools, but also the broader needs of the community.”
The letter suggests there are “areas where adjustments could be made to better align with the town’s financial capabilities.”
Stafford said she had not responded to the letter because it is not her decision alone.
“This is up to you, also,” she told committee members, but said she was going to speak to something that “wasn’t going to be very nicely accepted.”
“I do not find that a select board can tell where adjustments could be made to better align [with town finances],” she said. “That’s not our job. Our job is to take care of the students and what’s best for the schools. I don’t know how that could tell us that there are things we could do better – I just had a really big problem with that statement.”
Stafford said the committee should discuss and take a vote on the letter’s suggestions.
She noted that Whitman is already beginning to hold public information forums starting this week on the $2 million one-year override its select board voted on April 1. Hanson’s Select Board is also planning public information forums.
Whitman has scheduled such informational forums for: Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall; Wednesday, April 23 at 10 a.m. at the Council on Aging [Senior Center]; and Thursday, May 1 at 6 p.m., most likely at the Whitman Public Library.
Hanson’s forum dates are: Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m., at Hanson Middle School; Thursday, April 24 at 9 a.m., Hanson Senior Center and Wednesday, April 30 at Hanson Middle School.
“This is pretty late in coming to make any changes, if we deem [them] necessary,” Stafford said, as she invited “short and sweet” comments from her committee members.
Rosemary Connolly said that Superintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak and the committee had put forward a five-year plan and proper business in the town is to look at that plan and budget.
“We know that other departments have grown and we know a lot of our services over the years have depleted,” she said. “I have to point to a lack of planning on the part of the town’s level to not plan for the budget that was presented in 2022.”
As a former member of Whitman’s Finance Committee, she said she could speak to departments in that perios of time that were doubled and “inflated costs” of offices around the select board.
“Both towns were told they needed overrides to meet standard services,” she said.
Kara Moser, who represents Hanson, said she is philosphically a collaborative person, but she has serious concerns about the timing of the Hanson Select Board’s communication.
“We have had open, public budget discussions as a committee, and I do not recall seeing a representative from Hanson here,” she said. “I have seen representatives from Whitman here on multiple occasions. … It feels really difficult, when as a committee, we have spent a significant amount of time, when administration has spent a significant amount of time, when our financial people have spent a significant amount of time, putting together a budget that doesn’t add anything [and] that is transparent as I think it can be … doesn’t feel collaborative in nature.”
She also expressed concern that if the School Committee holds its ground as she thinks it should, that would be used to scapegoat the committee and the school district as being responsible for “whatever else transpires in town.”
It’s unfair, but it’s an historic trend, she said.
Committee Vice Chair Hillary Kniffen, also of Hanson, honed in on the phrases “areas of adjustments” and “lower the assessment” to make sure education of students remains strong.
“In English class, I would tell my students that’s an oxymoron.” she said.
Kniffen also pointed to Whitman Select Board member Shawn Kain’s past comment that the FY ‘26 budget is not an educationally sound budget.
She also quoted other Whitman officials who cited the main reason for budgetary increases – higher health insurance costs, for one – with no discussion on how to lower it.
Whitman’s Finance Committee had several questions about the district budget, too.
“But at no point did they ask us to lower our assessment,” Kniffen said. “It’s insulting to receive this letter right now, when we, as a committee, voted 9-1 to support this budget, and the nine who did all said why we support this budget.”
“We’re damaging the lives of people,” Steve Bois said. “I mention that because this has been one heck of a whirlwind of a month – of a year – and we’re trying our best to keep stability within our classrooms, and giving the best that we can,” he said. “We learn a lot about how we give the best because of the people we have. … I’m probably not going have my job in a culture that just built me up and surrounded me with love and consideration and I don’t want that to happen to our students. … There’s more than money. It’s caring and fostering and just achieving for them.”
Member Dawn Byers said 43 percent of the revenue that pays teacher salaries is not going up at all.
“That’s state aid.” She said. “That’s other revenue. … That’s why the town of Hanson’s assessment, being 25 percent – and Whitman’s being 32 percent of the budget – is getting the assessment it is.”
She asked town officials to help the school district fight for more state aid.
“If we ask people to sacrifice, we need to show sacrifice, she added,” quoting Whitman Select Board member Shawn Kain “I appreciate the letter from the Hanson Select Board,” she said. “At the same time, I think that letter is poignant because it sounds like a negotiation.”
She also quoted Hanson Finance Committee Chair Kevin Sullivan’s March 11 remark about the school budgets of the recent past: “We never really had to worry about it, because we were always able to negotiate down.”
During her 10 years of following the School Committee, Byers said she never saw a negotiation.
“So, where did that negotiation down happen?” she asked. “I know where I saw it, among former [group of] 10 School Committee member who would reduce the school budget, and that’s where we sacrificed in the past.”
She said that, if the committee agrees to go lower, next year they’ll ask the committee to do it again.
“There’s no low that’s too low, as we’ve learned, for these towns,” Byers said, making a motion that the superintendent shall provide the committee with a monthly report of all notifications of student applications to Chapter 74 non-resident student tuition programs outside of the W-H school district.
She stressed her motion was not meant to prevent students from going to other programs, it’s to have an awareness of the financial impact on the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District. The Committee unanimously voted to support the motion.
Glen DiGravio of Hanson asked if anyone knew of any other department in either town that was, or was planning to, lower their assessment – or budget – to the town.
“We’re the only one being asked?” he said. “That’s what I’d like to know.”
Szymaniak said he received a document from the Hanson PTO, outlining what all town departments are asking for fiscal 2026.
“Nothing new,” he said. “I have not heard from Chief O’Brien or Chief Misch to that question.”
Hanson Fire is seeking under $400,000 more to add more firefighters.
“I’m in a situation where I’m a taxpayer and a father of a student here, so both sides make perfect sense to me,” he said. “It’s hard to decide and I don’t think anyone’s attacking anyone. I think everyone wants the best for students, but everyone’s situation is different and money matters.”
Hanson Select Board member Ed Heal said his board has asked all departments to tighten their budgets as much as possible.
“Our constituents are going to come [to Town Meeting] and say, ‘Why,’” he said. “And the why is what I want to know.” He said, if the problem is state funding, most people don’t know about that.
Szymaniak said a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) will be put out for public reference, but stressed thzt exploding special education costs and charter school costs are involved in the funding problem.