Dennett Elementary Deficit Tops $163,000, Town Meeting Relief Eyed

PLYMPTON -- November 18, 2024, Dennett Elementary School is projecting a $162,958 budget deficit for fiscal year 2025, with officials warning cuts could reach paraprofessional staff if the town cannot provide roughly $120,000 in additional support. The School Committee chair and school administrators told the Finance Committee at the November 18 meeting that three financial levers, a spending freeze saving an estimated $73,000, a $38,000 Halifax reimbursement, and a full draw of the $50,000 special education reserve fund, would still leave the school short. The deficit is driven by special education costs, multiple long-term leave replacements, a newly required ELL teacher, and $52,000 in out-of-district placements. Teacher Liz Bidman warned that losing three full-time general education paraprofessionals would leave just two staff to support 32 students with IEPs and 217 other students across seven grades. Officials said any remaining gap will likely require a warrant article at the annual town meeting in May 2025, and that out-of-district placements triggered by reduced in-school support could cost between $100,000 and $200,000 per student.