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A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE; WHAT TO EXPECT FOR BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL'S BUDGET NEXT YEAR

Article and Photo By Eesha Vishnumalakala

With the spring season in full swing, the budgeting season in Burlington has also begun. Town Administration has begun presenting the town’s budget step by step to the Select Board to get their approval for each department’s budget. This includes BHS’s budget as well as other schools in the town.

As of right now, most of the funding (about 90%) goes into payroll for school staff, custodians, and administrators. Otherwise, it would go into research purposes.

Richard Sheehan, assistant principal at BHS, weighs in on the research purposes that have funding put into them, and says a big part of the research they do is on curriculum, as well as the programs run in the school. He also adds that while he is not totally certain, a small part of the research could be on the structure of the building.

In the process of deciding the school budget for next year, department heads typically submit their budget. This would cover classroom materials and any annual expenses made. Then, the overall budget for the school would be decided from there.

“It’s a numbers game every year,” said Mark Sullivan, Principal at BHS, when asked about how the town decides school funding every year.

Typically, the town of Burlington will allocate a certain amount of funding for the schools in the district every year. Oftentimes, it is a certain percentage of an increase. However, Mr. Sullivan adds that schools are asked to come in with the same budget as the previous year, for the sake of consistency and in the case of a decrease. In the unlikely event of a decrease in funding, BHS would have to look at other ways to make up that money on their own.

Despite the potential increases or decreases in the budget, there has not been much of a change in the budget the school has each year. Mr. Sheehan remarks that there’s usually minimal changes and follows a very consistent pattern, while also doing their best at addressing student needs as they arise.

Although, as the year goes on and inflation increases, there may be a slight increase in the budget. This is largely due to the fact that classroom essentials, such as paper and pencils, as well as electricity and even faculty professional development have risen in cost.

“In the plan, you build in expected increases,” Sheehan concluded while discussing any changes he has noticed in the budget over the years.

According to Mr. Sullivan, Burlington is fortunate to not have to deal with dramatic decreases in funding, compared to other towns such as Melrose, that were previously asked to cut about 4 million dollars from their budget.

In a hypothetical situation, if the town of Burlington’s funding was dramatically reduced, programs such as art, music, and athletics would be cut to add more money to the budget. Core subjects such as English, math, science, and history aren’t allowed to be cut as that Massachusetts Department of Education require them to graduate. Even so, positions in each department can be reduced to make up that money.

“Burlington does not seek to make budget cuts of any kind. I feel fortunate that we are in Massachusetts where school funding is prioritized,” said Melissa Massardo, vice chair of the BHS school committee, when asked about the possibility of a budget decrease.

According to Massardo, the current inflationary climate will bring harm to school and town budgets and could directly affect students in the long run.

Overall, the town of Burlington’s school budget is very steady and this budgeting season, along with many others to come, will continue helping students have the best learning experience possible.

DIVERSITY, Equity, and Inclusion at BHS

Article and photograph by Mari Hylan. Published March 14, 2025.

President Donald Trump and Republicans, who presently make up the majority body of both chambers of the U.S. Congress, are dismantling the federal government through mass firings of federal employees and the closing of numerous agencies and departments that protect the environment and social services for working Americans.

On February 14, President Trump’s administration issued a two-week ultimatum for schools and universities across the United States to end all programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion or risk losing federal funding.

President Trump said he plans to dismantle the Department of Education, too. That department has already canceled some $600 million in grants for teacher training on race, social justice and other related topics that it does not like.

President Trump chose Linda McMahon, a billionaire and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, to be the head of the Department of Education. She had promised to follow through with President Trump’s order to dismantle the department and eliminate DEI programs.

In stark contrast, Danielle Holley, the President of Massachusetts’ Mount Holyoke College, has urged education leaders to stand up to the Trump administration and not voluntarily end diversity, equity and inclusion programs and initiatives.

The Burlington Public Schools had a Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for one year, from 2021 – 2022, but that director left the school district in early fall of 2022.

In lieu of a DEI director, the Bullington Public Schools now utilizes two staff as curriculum coaches with a DEI focus; one staff doing this work is at the middle school and the other is at the high school. What does President Trump’s ultimatum to end all programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion mean now for Burlington High School?

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lisa Chen answered that Burlington High School does their best to make sure students feel seen and heard while learning.

“I think that the belief system is that we’re continuing our work of ensuring all our materials are from a lens that represents all students,” Dr. Chen said.

She expressed a commitment to working on making math curriculum accessible for all students and has overseen an equity audit for math curriculum.

“We realized that for math, there were some tracks that weren't accessible to all students and so we’ve worked really hard to put in more pathways,” she said.

Dr. Chen emphasized that it is important to her that all students feel represented in the classroom.

Principal Mr. Mark Sullivan reported that he believes in fostering a learning environment where all students feel heard and supported.

“I think we try to send the message all students are welcome” he said. “All students are seen and valued, and they have opportunities to discuss things with peers and adults.”

When asked about the ways students are supported in school, Mr. Sullivan said students have access to guidance counselors and student associations such as Southern Asian Students Association, the Black Student Association, the Gay Straight Alliance, the Spectrum Club, the Advocacy Room and Amnesty International.

Mr. Sullivan also mentioned that the school district provides free meals, free bus transportation, free tutoring, and pays for students to take tests like the PSAT and SAT.

According to the Trump administration, programs like student associations, free school meals and free transportation fall under the category of “DEI”, but Mr. Sullivan sees these programs as student resources.

“I think about creating equitable access and high-level opportunities for all kids to be successful and thrive here at Burlington High School,” Mr. Sullivan said. “I don't view those as DEI programs. I view them as having kind of a 360-degrees of services and opportunities for all kids.”

Senior Jack Carey, an ally of the Gay Straight Alliance club, reported positively about that club’s impact on school climate. “As far as events have gone, the GSA has - in my experience - been very proactive in including BHS students in the wider LGBT community in the town of Burlington, helping to host pride events and give a safe space for LGBT students to communicate concerns at BHS and the wider Burlington community.” The GSA provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and their allies.

President Trump’s attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have not yet changed things at Burlington High School, where changes to DEI initiatives occurred before he was sworn in for a second term as president.

As Dr. Chen and Mr. Sullivan explained, the administrators and educators at BHS are committed to academic achievement for all students and work on fostering a safe and welcoming place for all students.

25-26 School Calendar debate

Article and Photo By Lindsay Hurley

After collecting feedback from the community, the School Committee has voted on the 25-26 school calendar. The School Committee has voted for school to start on September 2nd before Labor Day and end on June 18th without snow days.

Public school systems are legally required to be in session for 180 days. Every year the School Committee and Superintendent come up with a school calendar that will outline how we are going to meet this requirement.

There are many complicated decisions that need to be made while making this calendar. These include what religious holidays we should have off, how long winter break should be, should we start school before or after Labor Day, and more.

This year the School Committee and Superintendent sent out a survey to receive feedback on these discussions for the 25-26 calendar. The survey laid out three different calendars they were considering.

In the first option, school would start on the 27th before Labor Day. Winter break would start on December 24th and the last day of school with no snow days would be June 15th.

In the second option, school still starts before Labor Day on the 27th but winter break would start on December 20th. The last day of school would be June 17th.

In the third option, school would start after Labor Day on September 2nd. Winter break would start on December 24th and school would end on June 17th.

The survey results were 21% for option one, 33% for option two, and 41% for option three. In the final decision the School Committee and Superintendent tried to reflect these results with the new calendar they approved.

The survey also asked some questions about professional development days and giving more planning time to teachers. At this point in time the professional development days are set for next year but the more planning time for teachers is still being discussed.

On the survey questions were also asked about what religious holidays people think we should have off. Currently the only religious holiday we have off is Good Friday. The decision for us to have this day off seems to be more of a staffing issue though because a lot of teachers end up taking off that day.

What seems to be the most likely solution to the issue with religious holidays will be for there to be no school days off on any religious holidays. Students and staff will then be encouraged to use religious days to individually take off the holidays they celebrate. It is possible we will still continue to have Good Friday off because of the staffing issue though.

The purpose of this survey was to gain community feedback on the school calendar and what days we should have off. The survey received 857 responses, but the survey was only sent directly to parents and teachers. The survey was not sent directly to students. When you open the survey there is an option to click if you were a student taking the survey but the only way a kid would have been able to take the survey is if an adult told them about it.

Vanessa Morris, BHS freshman, said she was confused on why the form was not sent to students. Vanessa said if she was able to vote she would have voted for the second option.

“I'm okay with school starting earlier, you know, it's not great, but I'll take it,” Vanessa said. “I do need like winter break. It ends up being way more essential to me than school starting early.”

BHS freshman, Ishita Upadhyay, agrees with Vanessa that the second option is the one she prefers.

“It would lead to earlier breaks and whilst I would like to end school early the lack of time between breaks and stuff would be annoying,” Ishita said.

Ishita also expressed wanting to be able to be part of the survey. She said she wished she had known about it.

“I wouldn’t mind [school] starting before Labor Day personally. I’d actually prefer it to a longer wait for break,” Ishita said.

These are the types of opinions the survey was looking to collect. It was possible that students could have shared their voice through their parents but not receiving their own version of the survey made it a lot harder for them to do so. This means that many students probably didn’t get a voice in this crucial decision that would impact them the most.

Surveys like this for the community are great but it's important all people impacted by an issue are included. Everyone deserves a voice.

At the end of the day, everyone has their opinions and it’s great that some people got to share theirs but the final decision on what the calendar for the 25-26 school year will look like is up to the School Committee and they have made their decision whether all people agree with it or not.

Members of the School Committee discuss the school calendar during their meeting on March 11th.

Veras Connolly, Former BHS student and current BCAT production coordinator holds up a pride flag.

BHS: Is it a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community?

Article and photo by Lena Menkello

Burlington High School has a diverse student population and support for LGBTQIA+ students has been increasing dramatically since 2007. Some supports in place include counselors and the GSA (Gay straight alliance). However, changes within public policies from President Trump’s executive orders about gender identity and sexuality have the power to impact our community.

While BHS has shown students and teachers how much they care for and support the LGBTQIA+ community with clubs and activities, this support is not universal, either in the U.S. or in the world, and current political rhetoric from the Trump administration has specifically targeted the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I definitely think that nowadays it (homophobia and transphobia) is rampant, I wouldn't say it's rampant so much here but it is rampant in the world and some of it is leaking to here.” Said Veras Connolly, former BHS student and current BCAT production coordinator. “And I think that is very dangerous when we have important people or these higher figures who are saying things, and then we have younger impressionable kids or students who hear these things and echo them.”

There will always be people in the world or within the US government who disagree with beliefs surrounding the LGBTQIA+ community and attempt to make laws against them. What BHS does not want is students or teachers coming to school and repeating what they hear on the news or from their families.

“We try to maintain a healthy and respectful environment for students” Mr Sullivan, BHS principal, said.

Luckily, some students do feel that they can be their full true self at BHS without issues of homophobia, transphobia, or conformism getting in the way of their true identity.

Antonio Casarano, BHS freshman, says that compared to what he experienced at Marshall Simonds Middle School, “BHS as far as I'm aware has not had any incidents regarding any LGBTQ issues.”

Thankfully, with support systems in place, Burlington high school students find it somewhat easy to be themselves within our community. The Gay Straight Alliance has been a great support system for LGBTQIA+ students, helping them feel more comfortable with being themselves at BHS, giving them a safe space to talk about any issues and discuss what it’s like being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in today’s society.

“I think now when we’re in this climate where a lot of history is being erased and people don’t feel as safe, that it’s important to have a safe space where people can gather and talk and just know that they’re not alone,” Ms Carey, BHS teacher and GSA club advisor, said.

With the world changing rapidly, it is important to have safe people to talk to and to know that you are in a safe environment. Burlington high school takes pride in showing acceptance and support toward students and faculty, putting support systems in place and enforcing rules.

BURLINGTON LOCAL ELECTIONS

Article by Majorine Mulungi

An election is a formal and organized choice by vote of a group of peoplefor a political office or other positions. We are having Burlington Local Elections on Saturday April 5th, and these elections are held to select members of a town council.

According to the BCAT, the only vacancies to be contested for this year are the Planning Board, School Committee, Select Board, and Town Meeting in the first, third, sixth and seventh towns. As well as Town Clerk, which will have one candidate Jennifer Priest.

Bill Gaffney, Ernie Covino, and Gregory Ryan are the candidates running for the Planning Board, Chair Christine Monaco and Vice-Chair Melissa Massardo are running for School Committee, Vice-Chair Mike Espejo and Member Nick Priest are running for Select Board.

The Planning Board provides for and guides the orderly growth and development of the community.

The Select Board has power to prepare the town meeting warrant, to make appointments to town boards and offices, and to employ professional administrative staff and town counsel.

The Town Clerk municipality's record keeper and often the chief election officer, and the

The School Committee shall have the power to select and to terminate the superintendent, review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district consistent with the requirements of law and statewide goals and standards established by the board of education.

“It is important to vote because people’s voices can be heard and that’s a way to have a say in the community,” Ms. Northrop, associate principal at BHS, said. “They also help to budget how much money is spent, and if laws in towns are broken they need to be solved.”

Students may wonder if these elections affect the school.

“They definitely do affect our school policies,” Ms. Northrop said.

“Yes, these elections do affect the school due to the school committee,” Mr. Saxon, a History teacher at Burlington High School, said.

According to BCAT, the last day to register for the voting this year is Wednesday March 26. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is Monday March 31. Burlington’s Annual Town Election will be Saturday April 5th, will polls open at Burlington High School from 8 am to 8 pm.

“As a public employee and History teacher, I do not discuss who people should or should not vote for but I would encourage people to vote,” Mr. Saxon said. “Sometimes people think it is only important to vote for president but this is also important because it's about your community.”

“So people should find newspapers or anything that can help them to describe every candidate and then see the one who matches your need and who believes in the same things that you do and vote for that person,” Mr. Saxon said.

According to BCAT, there are debates that are going to be hosted for Burlington's candidates for Planning Board, The three candidates competing for seats are Jeremy Harrington, Jack Kelly and Gregory Ryan. And don’t forget, the Local elections are on April 5.

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