MARLBOROUGH – Budget season for both the city and Marlborough Public Schools (MPS) has been delayed pending contract negotiations with several unions within MPS.
The current contract with the Marlborough Educators Association expires this August. Negotiations began last fall, with meetings scheduled through at least late March.
The current contracts with paraeducators, administrative office support and administrators’ association (Unit B) expire on June 30.
An agreement was recently reached with the schools’ behavioral technicians, SEIU, Local 888.
A budget workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Negotiations Subcommittee is scheduled to meet with the MEA and the administrators associations through early April.
2025 Marlborough school calendar approved
The School Committee approved the calendar for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on March 12.
Opening day for MPS staff will be Aug. 26; the first day for students will be Aug. 28.
Kindergarten screening will take place on Aug. 28 and 29.
The first day for pre-K and kindergarten will be Sept. 5.
Grants and donations
As of mid-February, Marlborough Public Schools has received nearly $12,000 worth of in-kind donations from local businesses and organizations.
This includes backpacks from First Congregational Church and Henry Schein Inc., along with 60 stackable chairs from Doble Engineering, jackets from former City Councilor Samantha Perlman and gift cards from Immaculate Conception parish.
In addition, MPS has received more than $29,000 in cash donations, including about $6,000 from O’Connor Portraiture, around $800 from Hannaford Helps, and $750 from Boston Scientific.
State and federal grants accounted for an additional $4.5 million for MPS.
The school district is preparing to present its budget for fiscal 2025 in mid-March.
Bus update
According to Tom LaFleur, director of finance and operations, the schools continue to deal with a shortage of bus drivers. As of late February, there are two routes without assigned drivers. In addition, NRT – the city’s school transportation vendor – reported a third driver has resigned, and a fourth is on medical leave and not expected to return.
NRT does have four drivers in training; once that is completed and the drivers obtain their licenses, they will be assigned to Marlborough.
