Declining Enrollment Complicates Council's Approval of School Budget

The loss of 755 students over the last two years raised concerns about the effectiveness of the Cambridge Public School Committee to manage its school district at a meeting between the City Council’s finance committee and the School Committee last night.

Some councillors said that the School Committee’s inability to retain students led to reluctance on the part of the city to approve the school district’s budget.

“We cannot continue to pour money into a school system that is hemorrhaging students. It’s not going to happen,” said Councillor Craig A. Kelley. “This isn’t a blank check.”

Kelley also said that the School Committee’s lack of consideration for a consolidation plan to merge schools in response to declining enrollment was potentially wasteful of the city’s funds.

“I think we need to be honest about the future of the school system,” he said. “Hope is not a plan.”

However, School Committee member Nancy Walser said she was worried that “premature” talk about consolidating schools could drive enrollment numbers even lower by worrying parents.

“I really do think that all of this premature talk of consolidation is damaging,” she said. “There is such a thing as a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

But Councillor Michael A. Sullivan cautioned against Walser’s lack of desire to discuss enrollment in a public forum.

“I don’t think we should be in the business of telling people they shouldn’t ask tough questions,” he said.

While Kelley suggested that consideration of the district’s budget be postponed until next Thursday, Sullivan said he felt a decision regarding the budget should be made more immediately.

Sullivan explained that the School Committee would not be able to identify causes for the declining enrollment in Cambridge schools until its market study is completed sometime in the next school year.

The finance committee decided it will put the issue before the full City Council for a vote on the district’s budget.

Cambridge Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Fowler-Finn said that the enrollment issue would not be solved in one night.

“That debate continues to rage [and] I think many people have their own conclusions,” he said. “That is exactly why we’re doing the marketing study.”

—staff writer Laura A. Moore can be reached at lamoore@fas.harvard.edu