Acton-Boxborough Schools to Seek Restructuring Consultant as Enrollment Decline Deepens

ACTON -- February 27, 2025, Acton-Boxborough School Committee advances plan for restructuring consultant as enrollment and budget pressures intensify. The committee, meeting February 27, heard Superintendent Peter Light outline a compressed timeline for issuing a request for proposals for a consultant to guide potential school reconfiguration across the district's eight funded facilities, which have shed roughly 600 students over eight years. Light said a draft RFP should be ready for the March 13 budget hearing, with finalists potentially appearing before the committee before the school year ends and any structural changes arriving no earlier than fall 2026. The committee also unanimously approved a consent agenda that included appointment of Teresa O'Leary as assistant district treasurer. On the FY26 budget, Light reported no significant changes from the February 8 budget Saturday presentation, with new out-of-district placements consuming whatever flexibility remained to restore cut positions. Member Tori Cronin pressed the policy subcommittee on graduation requirements, warning that eliminating the MCAS standard could "move the finish line mid-race" for vulnerable students including multilingual learners and special education students, especially since DESE has not yet amended its regulations. The district is also watching a $2.75 million IRS tax credit payment for Boardwalk Campus geothermal work, money it needs to fund a roughly $3.5 to $4 million high school rooftop replacement.