Town Meeting 2025 – Member questions whether the School Department has made the most of the Supplemental Student Support Reserve Fund

By Mark E. Vogler

Saugus Public Schools has only spent a quarter of about $4 million it has available in a fund created three years ago to help the students who are behind, Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian said during Monday’s Annual Town Meeting session. “The Town of Saugus Town Meeting did a great thing by establishing this fund to have students get caught up from remote learning,” Manoogian told his colleagues during discussion of four warrant articles submitted by Superintendent Michael Hashem for “enrichment programing” totaling $675,000.

“To date, I’m shocked by the lack of programming, if you will, to address those needs. Should we assume that the students are caught up? You know, research shows the deficits that occurred in student learning as a result of COVID and remote learning,” Manoogian said.

“Only one million dollars is spent out of four. I would hope the School Committee and the superintendent would come up with something to help kids. It’s either that or they are all caught up and they don’t need anything,” he said.

Manoogian was referring to the Supplemental Student Support Reserve Fund that was introduced by Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree at a Special Town Meeting in the fall of 2022 and approved by Town Meeting members.

Crabtree said that then-Gov. Charlie Baker provided additional monies in Chapter 70 funds for public school, amounting to about $3 million for Saugus Public Schools. This money would allow for a variety of educational programs in the school district that are not currently covered by the School Department’s operating budget.

Manoogian, a retired educator and former Saugus School Committee member, did some groundwork on the article that Crabtree authored. The fund can be used for the following purposes:

1. To develop and provide enrichment programs outside of the school day, including summer school, evening school, and before and after school programs not currently existing in the school budget

2. To deliver at home tutoring for students who have been identified as needing one-on-one support from a qualified educator

3. To procure and administer norm referenced student assessments to identify individual student deficiencies in mathematics and reading

4. To develop and implement parent/guardian communication and training programs that will help facilitate student learning and success

5. To supplement existing ESL / ELL learners, including but not limited to, materials and properly credentialed staff to support these learners

6. To ensure access to technology for students who have been identified as not having such at home

7. To develop and implement extended day programs for students as needed

8. To develop any program deemed appropriate and proven effective with the goal of bringing about student academic and social recovery from two years of remote learning

In order for the Saugus Public Schools to access these funds, the Superintendent and School Committee must submit a detailed plan to the Saugus Finance Committee, who will determine that such plans are supplementing current educational programming and not supplanting it.

During Monday’s Town Meeting session, Town Meeting voted unanimously in support of:

Article 17: $250,000 for enrichment programming at the Belmonte STEAM Academy. This includes afterschool programing, tutoring and summer and other enrichment activities for all students in grades 2 through 5.

Article 18: $250,000 for enrichment programming at the Saugus Middle School. This is open to students in grades 6 through 8.

Article 19: $100,000 for enrichment programing at the Saugus High School. This is open to students in grades 9 to 12.

Article 20: $75,000 for enrichment programming at the Veterans Early Learning Center. This is available to all students in grades k to 1.