School District Considers Self-Funded Athletics, Fee Increases to Address Budget Shortfall

Superintendent outlines potential $900-$1,000 per sport fee, ending BASE as part of plan to close $6.4 million gap if override fails

BRIDGEWATER - April 16 - The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District is exploring significant fee increases, including potentially self-funding athletics with user fees of $900 to $1,000 per student per sport, as part of efforts to address a projected $6.4 million budget shortfall.

Superintendent Ryan Powers presented these options during the April 16 School Committee meeting, outlining parallel budget scenarios depending on whether voters approve an operational override in both towns.

"We have been spending a good majority of our time working on those possible scenarios," Powers said, referring to contingency plans if the override doesn't pass.

The district is examining multiple revenue sources before considering staff reductions. Among the most significant proposals is making athletics self-funded.

"Do athletics need to become self-funded? I think we're talking about a $6.4 million shortfall and large numbers of potential reductions in force. I think everything has to be on the table," Powers told the committee.

If implemented, the athletic fee structure could cost three-sport athletes between $2,700 and $3,000 annually. Current athletic programs operate with a user fee but receive district funding as well.

The district is also reviewing other fee structures. Facilities Director Michael Chiocca has begun examining the district's facility rental fees, which haven't been updated since 2019.

"We would like to streamline, itemize and update our current fee schedule to ensure we are charging enough and the fees are clear and itemized," Budget Subcommittee Chair Rachel King reported.

Additional programs under review include club and extracurricular fees, parking fees, and the Excel program. The BASE after-school program is also being evaluated to ensure it's not operating at a deficit.

"If it's not self-sustaining, that'll be something we have to talk about because again, we can't continue a program that's costing us money where we're eliminating teachers," King said.

The district faces difficult decisions after presenting three budget scenarios to the towns. Even the "level services" budget of approximately $102 million would require an override, as the towns have indicated they can only provide about $96 million without one.

If the override fails, the impact on education would be severe. Powers outlined potential class sizes reaching 30-36 students at the middle school level and 28-30 students in elementary grades 2-4. High school classes could have 30-50 students, with some students potentially assigned to multiple study halls daily.

"We may have students that are in multiple study halls per day. Obviously, that's not something that any of us would recommend," Powers said.

The district has already identified 16 retiring staff members and is determining which positions can remain unfilled. However, Powers indicated that non-professional teaching staff would receive reduction notices after April vacation, with 76 non-professional status teachers potentially affected.

Professional status staff would also face cuts, with the high school expected to "take a huge hit," according to public comment from teacher Ashley Mallard.

"If I just did quickly math based on some of the numbers you threw out, I will just on my own be teaching almost 200 students. Last year I had about 100. So in a year and a half, my caseload will double," Mallard said.

The district is pursuing other cost-saving measures, including negotiating lower health insurance increases. The initial projected increase of 20 percent has been reduced to 17 percent, with efforts continuing to bring it down to 15 percent.

"As we go from 20 down to 15, that is hundreds of thousands of dollars we're talking about," Powers noted.

Additional savings could come from redirecting capital funds to operational expenses, potentially freeing up $1.2 million. The district is also considering using funds from its excess and deficiency account.

Both Bridgewater and Raynham are moving toward potential override votes. The Raynham Board of Selectmen has directed their town administrator to draft a warrant article for the May 19 town meeting. If approved, a special election for an override vote could occur in June.

The Bridgewater Town Council has referred the matter to their Budget and Finance Committee, with potential action at their April 22 meeting that could lead to a special election.

The School Committee tabled a request from the Raynham Board of Selectmen asking them to commit to accepting the voters' decision on an override and forgo the option of calling a joint town meeting if the override fails.

The next Budget Subcommittee meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 12, following the annual town elections on April 26 and School Committee reorganization on May 7.

This is an AI generated news article. Please contact bridgewaterraynhamnews@gmail.com with any accuracy concerns.

Editor’s note - the Bridgewater Town Council will consider action at its next meeting on April 22, not June 22 as previously noted.

Watch the complete meeting courtesy of the Bridgewater Raynham Regional School District YouTube.