Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
LEXINGTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Lexington Public Schools is set to lay off multiple teachers and other staff members as they try to grapple with a significant budget shortage.
This comes 6 months after Lexington residents voted to approve a tax increase to fund the development of a new high school that will become the state’s most expensive at $660 million.
The district announced the cuts last week in a community message posted online writing, “Some news is simply hard to deliver."
In the message, the district pointed to multiple factors, like declining enrollment and the rising cost of health care, transportation, utilities, and staff salaries for the cuts.
The layoffs are set to affect 65 employees, and the district plans to notify those affected before April break begins during the week of April 20th.
The cuts have left many in the community shocked, especially the parents of children who attend these schools.
“We’d heard earlier in the winter that some budget cuts were going to happen, but I don’t think anyone had expected them to be this severe,” said Liesl.
“I would really like to see more of a wholesome plan on how they’re going to replace those positions because they can’t do without some of these,” said another parent.
Those who voted against the tax increase to fund the new high school say that there should have been more clarity about the possible outcomes for voters making such a major choice.
“When the layoffs started being announced this year, we were all taken aback because this should’ve been discussed last year when people went to vote for such an expensive high school,” said Shubra.
However, some who voted for the new school are standing by their decision.
“I voted for it, and I do not regret my vote," said David. "I think the town needed a new high school badly."
A town meeting discussing a new school budget is set to take place on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
The layoffs come after Boston Public Schools recently announced that they will be cutting a multitude of positions due to financial pressures.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.