Ayer-Shirley School Committee Authorizes $500,000 in Reserve Funds for FY26 Budget Closeout

AYER -- May 6, 2026, Ayer-Shirley School Committee authorizes up to $500,000 in reserve funds to close FY26 budget. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to allow access to no more than $300,000 from the Special Education Reserve Fund and $200,000 from the Capital Stabilization Fund if needed to balance the books at June 30, 2026. Finance Director Bill Plunkett said the district does not expect to use the full amounts but wanted the authorization in place following guidance from the state Department of Revenue after a recent excess-and-deficiency certification review. A separate $10,000 Other Post-Employment Benefits contribution was deferred to a June meeting after members pushed back on skipping it entirely, with one arguing the payment shows "we know it's a giant liability, we're doing what everybody else does." The committee also voted unanimously to open school-choice enrollment for 2026-27 based on available seats, reappoint Superintendent Dr. Renda to the Keystone Collaborative board, open contract negotiations with Renda, and received a detailed briefing from Renda on a new state seclusion law, effective August 22, that bans classroom removal of dysregulated students and even blocking a doorway, forcing the district to evacuate entire classrooms instead; Renda said he and a coalition of superintendents are pushing back on the regulation. The ASRSD robotics team was also recognized for winning a national championship, the first in program history.