Abington School Committee Approves Teacher Evaluation MOA, Hears $1.6 Million Override Warning

ABINGTON — March 24, 2026 — Abington School Committee approves teacher evaluation agreement and confronts a $1.6 million budget gap ahead of a May override vote. Director of Finance Sarah Gainey told the committee Tuesday that three budget adjustments — including elimination of one out-of-district placement, a reduction in projected transportation cost growth from 20 percent to 15 percent, and a higher circuit-breaker reimbursement estimate — have trimmed the proposed FY27 increase by $141,843, setting the level-service versus level-funded gap at exactly $1,622,114, the figure heading to Town Meeting on May 4 and a ballot override vote on May 16. Superintendent Dr. Felicia Mizhella warned the committee that a failed override would trigger a 28.1 full-time equivalent reduction, eliminating reading specialists and math interventionists, cutting electives and wellness offerings, reducing mental health supports, and likely placing most middle and high school students in at least one study hall period: "These cuts will have an impact, will hurt kids." The committee also unanimously ratified a memorandum of agreement with the Abington Education Association aligning the district's educator evaluation tool with the state's 2024 DESE rubric, the product of a joint labor-management committee that met from November through February.