To the Editor,
As an Essex resident and a mother with three children who will be in the Middle and High schools next year, I am deeply concerned about the impact of the proposed MERSD budget on our schools—particularly the elimination of the Middle School principal position.
The middle school model is fundamentally different from the high school model, and removing a key leadership role threatens the structure that makes middle school work for our kids. Middle school is a unique and critical transition period, requiring a balance of academic rigor, social-emotional support, and age-appropriate guidance. Unlike high school, where students are expected to navigate more independently, middle school depends on strong, specialized leadership to ensure students get the support they need. Merging administration across these two very different age groups risks stretching leadership too thin, reducing focus on middle school needs, and diminishing the experience for both students and teachers.
Concern about the schools isn’t mine alone. I hear it in conversations with other parents—and those in our partner town—where discontent is growing. We regionalized our district because we believed in the strength of our schools working together, and we need to make sure that partnership remains strong.
At the same time, we cannot afford to see cuts to core teaching staff or to classes that make the education in our district excellent. Keeping class sizes down to a manageable level and appropriately staffed in both Memorial and Essex Elementary School is also key. We need to ensure that our kids and our educators are supported, not overwhelmed.
One major factor in this budget that the general public may not fully realize is the sharp rise in healthcare costs. The district’s estimates came in 27% higher this year—a staggering number that has an outsized impact on the budget. Healthcare costs are a reality every employer faces, but for a school district, they are an unavoidable expense. There is no way around it. This is not a bargaining chip.
The choices we make now will shape our schools and our district’s bond for years to come. We need a budget that prioritizes both fiscal responsibility and educational quality—one that ensures our children have the leadership, teachers, and resources they need to succeed. Cutting essential roles and allowing class sizes to spiral is not the answer.
I am proud to live in Essex and to send my kids to school in this district and would fight to keep it that way. Education is a priority for me and our family. But it will take some much-needed cooperation to keep our district’s educational standards on track.
I encourage our community to engage in this conversation, understand the real numbers behind the budget, show up at the ballot box when necessary and support a plan that keeps our schools strong for all students, together as a district.
