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Methuen School Budget Shortfall Forces 142 Cuts, No Tax Override

4/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Methuen, Massachusetts faces a $9.6 million school budget shortfall, and Mayor D.J. Beauregard says the district must cut “from bone.”
Interim superintendent says cutting 142 positions and expanding classes to 30 students would still leave a gap of over $3 million.
President Kara Platt cites an 11% expense rise versus 2.3% aid growth as the cause; officials reject a tax override and will hold a workshop on April 30.

History

Historical Context

Passed by ballot in 1980, Proposition 2½ capped municipal property taxes at a 2.5% levy ceiling and a 2.5% annual increase, a rule that began shaping Massachusetts budgets in 1982. Though state aid temporarily offset cuts, reductions in aid during the early 1990s exposed towns like Methuen to severe shortfalls, prompting today’s proposed 142 layoffs.

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Story summary

Methuen, Massachusetts faces a $9.6 million school budget shortfall, and Mayor D.J. Beauregard says the district must cut “from bone.”
Interim superintendent says cutting 142 positions and expanding classes to 30 students would still leave a gap of over $3 million.
President Kara Platt cites an 11% expense rise versus 2.3% aid growth as the cause; officials reject a tax override and will hold a workshop on April 30.

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