Ayer-Shirley School Committee approves $651,949 E&D transfer to erase FY25 deficit

AYER -- June 2, 2026, Ayer-Shirley School Committee unanimously approves $651,949 E&D transfer to wipe out FY25 general fund deficit. The June 2 vote, presented by Superintendent Adam Renda in the absence of Business Manager Bill Plunkett, draws from the district's certified FY25 excess-and-deficiency fund of $868,521, certified by the Department of Revenue on April 30, and brings the fiscal year 2025 general fund shortfall to zero, with $216,572 remaining in certified E&D available for transfer to capital stabilization or special education reserves before June 30. The committee also approved a 3.5 percent cost-of-living increase for all non-unit employees for FY27, matching the ASREA teachers union rate, while ASME unit contracts for custodians, clerical, food service, and paraprofessional staff remain under negotiation and are expected for a vote at the June 17 meeting. The meeting opened with a student showcase of the ASRHS Internship Program, now serving 65 to 70 students per semester across all four district schools and more than a dozen community hosts, and closed with Athletic Director Steve Kendall delivering his final sports update before departing for Leominster, leaving behind a program that has produced four state championships in three years, including the girls track team's first-ever Division 6 state title this spring.