GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Gloucester’s school committee is working to bridge a $3 million gap in the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget that could bring program and staffing cuts.
Dozens of parents, students, and teachers rallied outside Gloucester High School Wednesday calling for city officials to fully fund the district without any cuts for the upcoming year.
The $3 million deficit could reportedly bring cuts to district arts programs and roughly 40 roles.
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At a school committee meeting later Wednesday night, concerned residents voiced their frustration with the prospect of district cuts.
“If your bucket is leaking, you don’t pull more of it off,” said one resident.
A student added, “Band in the Gloucester public schools is alive, and it doesn’t deserve to disappear anytime soon.”
The school committee, district leaders, and Mayor Gregory Varga proposed additional funding at the meeting that would cut the deficit by roughly $1 million and would safeguard arts programs like theater, music, and more.
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They called these developments that have yet to be finalized “significant progress and allows [them] to reduce the number of planned cuts and ensure there are fewer cuts to student support and no cuts to arts, performing arts, or music.”
School committee chair Kathy Clancy told Boston 25 that the earliest they could vote on the proposal to be brought to the city would be in roughly two weeks.
“It’s going to be hard for the city to fund all of it,” she explained. “We know that we are still going to advocate for what we think we want.”
The committee cited spikes in transportation and special education programs for much of the deficit. They are still evaluating the possibility of state and federal dollars helping the deficit.
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Clancy continued, “There is still some COVID grant money on the city’s side that can hopefully bridge some of the gap.”
There was no vote on the proposal at Wednesday’s meeting.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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