Marshfield Schools Detail 66-Position Cut List Ahead of Override Vote

MARSHFIELD -- March 24, 2026, Marshfield schools face a $5.7 million cut list that could eliminate 66 positions and close an elementary school. Superintendent Pat Kelley and Assistant Superintendent Tom Miller walked a School Committee subcommittee through an unprioritized inventory of potential fiscal year 2027 reductions on March 24, the eve of a Select Board vote on whether to pursue a Proposition 2½ override to address a $7.1 million town deficit. The schools' share of cuts without any override is estimated at $4.5 million, a figure that does not include three unresolved collective bargaining agreements estimated to add another $1.274 million at a 3 percent increase. Major items include closing one elementary school (estimated at $700,000 in savings), eliminating all five elementary assistant principals ($419,072), removing 14 kindergarten education support professionals ($411,833), and ending all freshman athletic programs ($70,000). The district is also weighing doubling the student transportation fee from $180 to $360, generating roughly $200,000. Kelley noted the district has already cut $1.6 million and nearly 20 positions over the past two years. The full School Committee is expected to take up the list publicly at its March 31 meeting.