Sudbury school officials detail $745,000 in cuts that loom without override

SUDBURY — February 15, 2023 — Sudbury schools detail $745,460 in cuts and the loss of busing for 800 students if override fails. Superintendent Brad Crozier, Business Director Don Sawyer, School Committee Chair Sylvia Intercessi and Vice Chair Meredith Gerson walked the Finance Committee through an FY24 budget that depends on a proposed override to preserve 12.19 positions added this year at a cost of $631,441 plus new mental health and support specialist staff. Without the override, the district would cut 7.5 FTEs — $577,000 from teacher salaries and $168,460 from pupil services — raise class size guidelines by three students to as high as 27 in grades 3-8, and retreat to state-minimum busing, eliminating service for K-6 families within two miles and all seventh and eighth graders. Intercessi said charging higher bus fees instead "creates a real disparity in town." Out-of-district tuition is running $204,000 over budget at $1.37 million, and a $455,482 electricity line was disclosed as a typo for $155,482.