Do we have to wait for the next law suit or

crisis to fix the problems in our town?

We waited until we faced possible loss of
accreditation before we renovated the high school.

We waited until no parts were available (due to age)

before replacing our police communication system.
We delayed updates to our town hall until we were
sued and hit with a possible $500 per day fine.

Special education funding in Dracut was inadequately

funded until the town was sued. (BSEA #08-5330, 15 MSER 78-2009)

Fixing these problems depleted funds in other areas:

Operating budgets very lean in Police, DPW, and Fire departments

Number of regular education teachers reduced from 230 to 183 in ten years
Understaffed departments facing increased overtime expense
Delays in money saving energy retrofits at Brookside, Campbell
Technology NOT FUNCTIONING in lower-grade school buildings

With the loss in state aid due to exodus from public schools, a drop-out rate
exceeding state average1, and a loss in property values relative to surrounding
communities, 2 is it finally time to make an investment in our town?
-----------------------------------------------------------------1
2

see: http://goo.gl/94ZPZN DESE Profiles, accessed 5/2015.

see: http://goo.gl/MtfjDw Globe North, Jan. 11, 2015.

This fact sheet was prepared by Dracut Fiscal Working Group, a group of residents working for long term
solutions to Dracuts fiscal problems. Mailing list: dracut-fwg@googlegroups.com

2012
12.5%
17.0%

2014
14.5%
17.1%

(source: DESE per pupil spending report, 2014)

Lowest funded districts in MA

Dracut
#5
Grafton
#4
Douglas
#3
Southampton
#2
East Bridgwater #1 lowest

2010
11.7%
17.0%

email: dracut-fwg@googlegroups.com

Prepared June 2015 by

Dracut Fiscal Working Group

(source: DESE)

year
2008
Dracut 11.1%
State ave. 16.9%

Special Education Participation

Rising but Below State Average

(source: town budget book & public hearing 2016)

(source: DESE)

2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

$8.43 million
$8.94 million
$10.33 million
$9.23 million (GIC)
$9.74 million (GIC)
$10.67 million (est.)

year

Sudden Spikes in Health

Insurance Claims?

$1.5 million

$1.0 million

$0.6 million

$0.5 million

$0.4 million

$0.4 million

cost to town

2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

$1.8 million
$2.8 million
$2.1 million
$0.8 million
$2.4 million

free cash

6.0%
7.2%
6.9%
5.4%
7.9%

% of budget

year
2009
2011
2013
2014

special ed
29.0
29.0
29.0
28.5

(Shows grant and revolving fund expenditures,

not including school lunch program, or bus fees,
or athletic fees for Dracut from DESE ppx
report)

After stimulus ended, Dracut

schools saw additional $600k
drop in federal funding
2008
$2.879 million
2009
$4.573 million
2010
$4.062 million
2011
$3.627 million
2012
$3.805 million
2013
$2.846 million

185.5
183.0

201.5

218.0

reg. ed

(full time equivalents, from DESE)

Number of Teachers in Dracut

Public Schools

2015
7.557
29.566
5.051
32.866
28.500
16.727

2008 growth rate

6.874
1.4%
27.620
1.0%
1.0%
4.716
31.856
0.4%
-0.4%
29.283
12.544
4.2%
(source: town budget book, with additional analysis from DESE per pupil spending reports)

Public Safety
Dracut Schools, w/ external SPED
Dept of Public works
Dracut PS including state/federal $
DracutPS-all funds in District Only
General Govt & Insurance

(millions of dollars)

Not Just School Dept Affected by Budget Crunch

$2.6 million
$2.7 million
$3.3 million
$3.7 million
$4.2 million

stabilization

Stabilization Fund Report

51
53
79
114
150
160?

# charter

Town Losing State Aid When

Kids Leave for Charter Schools

Dracut Town Meeting "Budget Cheat Sheet"