School Committee addresses concerns regarding school choice funding

Continuing its Fiscal Year 2026 budget discussion, the School Committee looked to clarify how school choice funds have been used and how they may be used in the coming years at its Monday, March 3 meeting.

Dartmouth Public Schools began its school choice program in 2017 to give out-of-district high school students the option to attend Dartmouth High School, which in turn granted the district the school choice revolving funds.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations James Kiely said that school choice funds have so far largely been used for technological improvements as well as renovating Dartmouth Memorial Stadium in Fiscal Year 2017 through 2024. These funds were not used to fund staff salaries at the time.

By receiving a “significant amount” of grant money during the Covid pandemic for technology resources, the district was able to reserve some of its school choice funds, he said

“Thankfully we do because we’re using them right now to survive,” he added.

In Fiscal Year 2025 school choice funds were used to fund 11 staff positions, and as the budget stands, will continue to do so through 2028.

“For obvious reasons, we didn’t want to approach it that way until now that we have to,” Kiely said.

Between Fiscal Year 2025 and 2028 the largest expenses in the school choice budget are currently paying staff salaries and implementing the district strategic plan. Starting in Fiscal Year 2026 another large expense would be funding summer and after school programs, according to the budget plan Kiely presented.

Prior to the Covid pandemic, school choice funds were used to support one-time costs, including curriculum updates, technology purchases and facility improvements, Superintendent June Saba-Maguire said.

“Now, shifting the school choice funds to recurring personnel costs creates a structural deficit,” she said. “We are aware of that.”

Saba-Maguire recognized using school choice funds to maintain essential staffing levels is not “sustainable in the long run,” adding that this is something the School Committee knows “more than anyone.”

“We don’t want to wait until the last minute to be going to the town to look for additional funding, and that is why we continue to discuss school choice money and how we’re using it,” Saba-Maguire said.

She added, “We just really need the community to understand that the way school choice funds are being used are in the best interest of the students and the community in Dartmouth.”

On Monday, March 24 the School Committee will have a hearing, offering people the opportunity to speak about the budget and giving the Committee additional time to further consider the budget. At the following School Committee meeting, Kiely will ask the Committee to vote on a proposal.