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School Board — February 25, 2026

The meeting was marked by significant public pushback regarding the shift toward digital learning tools and the impact of staffing cuts on education quality.

Date Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Duration 1.5h Speakers 17 Public comments 7 Decisions 1 Contentious
▶ Video

Public ⁠impact

Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01

FY27 Proposed Budget and Tax Impact

7.68% expense increase with an estimated 5.03% tax impact. Affected: All Brunswick property taxpayers
tax increase
02

Staffing Reductions

Reduction of 7 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Affected: Students and faculty
service reduction

Decisions ⁠logged

Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Adjournment of the meeting.
The meeting was adjourned following the conclusion of the board discussion.
Unanimous (implied)

Topics ⁠discussed

Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 03:16 FY27 Proposed Budget Overview

Superintendent Potenziano and administrative staff presented the proposed FY27 budget, noting a total expense increase of 7.68% and an estimated 5.03% tax impact. The presentation detailed revenue sources, expenditure breakdowns (with 79% for wages and benefits), and the role of the unassigned fund balance.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 09:33 Budget Driver: Special Education

The administration identified unforeseen out-of-district special education placement costs—approximately $1 million—as a major budget driver due to new student enrollments. They discussed state reimbursement processes (ED-279 and high-cost placement requests) to mitigate these local costs.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 15:28 Budget Driver: Wages, Benefits, and Curriculum

Discussion on the costs of staff recruitment/retention, negotiated wages with unions, and a budgeted 15% increase for health insurance. The administration also highlighted curriculum updates in literacy and math as strategic priorities.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 22:18 Budget Driver: Safety, Maintenance, and Facilities

The budget includes projects for exterior signage, security cameras, high school roof replacement, and repairs at Harry Beecher Stowe School and Coffin School. It also notes a request to the town for window replacements and heat pump support.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 27:33 Budget Reductions and Efficiencies

The administration reported over $955,000 in proposed reductions, including $125,000 in supplies and 7 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions achieved through retirements, realignment, and efficiencies.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 43:05 Public Comment: Educational Technology

Multiple community members and staff expressed concerns regarding the use of screen-based educational technology (e.g., MyPath, iReady) and its impact on student learning and mental health. Several residents and a teacher expressed concerns regarding the prevalence of screen-based technology and 'gamified' math programs, advocating instead for increased funding for human staff and face-to-face instruction.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 46:00 Public Comment: Staffing and Human Resources

Community members expressed concern regarding the reduction of staff positions (7 FTEs) and emphasized the value of face-to-face instruction over digital tools.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 68:33 Budget Discussion: Curriculum and Facilities

Board members discussed the intersection of curriculum and budget, specifically addressing the need for proactive maintenance of facilities to avoid higher long-term costs.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 74:03 Budget Discussion: Personnel Costs and Reductions

The board debated the complexities of reducing budget through personnel, noting that salary/benefit variations make estimation difficult and that further reductions in supplies would be detrimental.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 80:53 Budget Discussion: Health Insurance and Insurance Bids

Discussion regarding the rising costs of health insurance and the status of property and liability insurance bidding processes.

Speakers: Unidentified speaker

Controversy & ⁠dissent

Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.

Potentially controversial issues

01

Educational Technology vs. Human Instruction

Multiple community members and staff argued that heavy reliance on 'gamified' screen-based programs (like MyPath) is detrimental to student learning and mental health, suggesting funds should be reallocated to human teachers.
Board position: The administration and board signaled a continued reliance on digital tools as part of the curriculum, though they promised more transparency via an FAQ.
high concern
02

Staffing Reductions

The budget includes a reduction of 7 FTE positions. Teachers and community members expressed concern that this would increase class sizes and degrade the quality of face-to-face instruction.
Board position: The administration presented these as efficiencies and retirements, but noted that further reductions would be difficult and detrimental.
medium concern

Community vs. board tension

Action ⁠items

Who owes what, by when.
Update the budget FAQ page with answers to public questions regarding technology costs, test scores, and staffing details.
Assigned: Superintendent/Administration · Due: Ongoing
Provide guidance to the board regarding budget levels (increase, decrease, or maintain) to finalize specific position reductions.
Assigned: Superintendent · Due: Following board guidance
Update the FAQ page with specific dollar amounts for curriculum costs, facility drivers (e.g., bathroom renovations, tennis court resurfacing), and a historical breakdown of health insurance increases in dollars rather than just percentages.
Assigned: Administration/Sue Ellen · Due: Ongoing/Real-time
Provide scenarios for different FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) cost levels (top, middle, and beginning of scale) to assist the board in understanding potential budget impacts.
Assigned: Administration · Due: Before next budget meeting
Review property and liability insurance bids to determine if they allow for budget reductions.
Assigned: Administration · Due: Before April 8th

Notable ⁠statements

We had unforeseen out-of-district special education placements that significantly constrained our budget cycle this year... approximately a million dollars of unforeseen. — Unidentified speaker · Explaining the primary driver for the budget increase. ▶ 09:53
Future reductions are not going to be easy... future reductions are going to have impacts beyond what you've seen tonight. — Unidentified speaker · Warning the board and community about the difficulty of further budget cuts. ▶ 29:29
It's better to spend the right amount of money to have a great school than to spend a little less to have a mediocre one. — Unidentified speaker · Public comment regarding the value of school funding. ▶ 42:05
We're in this budget freeze but we do have the money for this ed tech... It comes down to what we value more. — Unidentified speaker · Public comment questioning the allocation of funds toward digital platforms versus human staff. ▶ 558:00
Any concerns that you ever have about curriculum... we welcome and are open to hearing from you guys. — Unidentified speaker · Clarifying the role of the curriculum committee in response to public concerns. ▶ 68:28
We are not in a position at this point to make any changes in the negotiated wage increases that are already completed for this year. — Unidentified speaker · Clarifying that budget reductions via wages must involve staff reductions, not cutting individual pay rates. ▶ 79:05
Any [further reductions in supplies and materials] will be detrimental. — Unidentified speaker · Explaining that the administrative team has already maximized cuts in the supplies/materials category. ▶ 78:44

Public ⁠comment

What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
7
Total speakers
1
Addressed
2
Partial
4
Not addressed
Lucas Lincoln
▶ 43:00
Partial
He expressed support for the school district but raised concerns about the use of the MyPath math app. He argued that gamifying math may be ineffective or even harmful to student engagement and requested information on its specific cost. Key concern
The effectiveness and cost of the MyPath math technology.
Board response
The Board Chair stated they would add the answers to the budget FAQ page.
The board did not answer the cost or effectiveness questions immediately during the meeting but promised to include them in the FAQ document.
David Lowe
▶ 50:00
Partial
As a high school teacher, he expressed concern regarding the elimination of seven staff positions and the potential negative impact on class sizes. He also questioned the value of educational technology like MyPath and Magic School, suggesting that investments should prioritize human teachers over digital platforms. Key concern
Staffing reductions and the efficacy of educational technology versus human instruction.
Board response
The Superintendent explained that the seven positions were 'full-time equivalents' involving retirements and efficiencies rather than just seven teaching roles. He also noted that the board would provide more clarity via the FAQ.
The board clarified the nature of the staff reductions and the process for curriculum concerns, but did not provide immediate evidence regarding the efficacy of the tech platforms mentioned.
Samantha Susi
▶ 55:00
Addressed
A parent who spoke in support of the proposed budget. She argued against cutting funds due to declining test scores, comparing it to starving a hospital during a health crisis, and highlighted the importance of infrastructure and pre-K investment. Key concern
Supporting the budget to maintain essential services and infrastructure.
Board response
The Superintendent responded by noting that he would update the FAQ regarding statewide test score data.
The Superintendent acknowledged the topic and committed to providing more data on test scores in the FAQ.
Dacey Kelly
▶ 60:06
Not addressed
She advocated for prioritizing human teachers and support staff over screen-heavy technology. She suggested that if tech is used, it should be tools like ad-free YouTube to help teachers navigate quality online content. Key concern
Prioritizing human interaction and staff over digital/screen-based learning.
The board acknowledged her speech but did not offer a specific response to her suggestion regarding YouTube or the preference for humans over screens.
Alex Lloyd
▶ 62:00
Not addressed
Echoed the concerns of previous speakers regarding the prevalence of screens and technology in the classroom. She requested that funds be reallocated toward non-screen teaching and additional human resources. Key concern
Reallocating funds from technology to human teachers and resources.
The board did not respond directly to this speaker.
Heather Pratt Lowe
▶ 63:00
Not addressed
An 8th-grade teacher who emphasized the importance of face-to-face teaching and social-emotional skills. She highlighted the negative impacts of digital devices on student attention and learning attainment. Key concern
The negative impact of digital device reliance on student learning and emotional regulation.
The board did not respond directly to this speaker.
Ashley Bishop
▶ 65:00
Not addressed
Expressed concern that educational technology is expensive and not necessarily effective, noting that her daughter 'games the system' on math apps without truly learning. She advocated for more money being directed toward human connection. Key concern
The effectiveness of math gamification and the high cost of educational technology.
The board did not respond directly to this speaker.
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Report composed by grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4-fast, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-05-30.