You do not need to be a policy expert to advocate. Your lived experience matters.

• Speak during School Committee public comment, you can do this by going in person, or registering for their zoom link and raising your hand during public comment. 

• Next School Committee Meeting: Wednesday February 4, 2026 @ 7pm; this is the meeting agenda, click their zoom link to register and receive the link.

• Submit written public comment if speaking is not accessible, by emailing school_committee@framingham.k12.ma.us & citycouncil@framinghamma.gov

• Emailing your specific School Committee Member so they can hear your voice and consider this important matter when making decisions and the impact of those decisions when voting; here you will find their emails https://www.framingham.k12.ma.us/82106_2

• It is equally important our message also reaches city council as they are the ones that give the final approval of a budget proposal and have the capacity to decide if more funds are allocated to our schools; here you will find their emails https://www.framinghamma.gov/Directory.aspx?DID=90

Please share how special education supports impact your child’s day-to-day school experience and advocate for protecting special education staffing and services

Below, you will find examples of SEPAC public comments from all recent meetings, as well as emails we have sent . Families are encouraged to review these examples and use language that feels authentic to their own experiences.

Together, our voices help ensure that funding decisions do not put our children’s education and well-being at risk.

EMAIL SENT TO SCHOOL COMMITTEE SEPAC LIAISON ON FEBRUARY 2ND, 2026 

SEPAC  appreciates the administration adding the recent memo, “FY27 Budget Reduction Effort – Student Impact,” in an attempt to offer additional context around the proposed staffing reductions. Providing clarification and rationale is important, and we value the effort to communicate more fully with the community.

At the same time, several statements within the memo raise questions that remain difficult for SpedEd families and educators to reconcile. We would greatly appreciate your support as our School Committee liaison in helping obtain and share the data and criteria behind these decisions so families and staff can better understand the rationale.

The memo states that:

“Special education staffing allocations are reviewed annually through a districtwide process that looks closely at both compliance and student need. This occurs without any relation to the budget.”

It also acknowledges:

“The number of students on IEPs, and their various services are fluid and shift annually…”

If staffing decisions truly occur without relation to the budget, it is unclear why these reductions are happening now, in the context of a significant districtwide budget shortfall.

And if student needs are fluid and intensify throughout the year, reducing staffing to bare-bones levels seems misaligned with that reality. Bare-bones staffing does not create flexibility. It creates a reactive system where educators are stretched thin and students wait longer for legally required supports.

Teachers across our schools have shared with SEPAC that they would welcome greater transparency around caseload sizes, service delivery demands, and the numbers being used to justify these decisions. We agree. If reductions are truly data-driven, the data should be disclosed.

Without that transparency, the narrative remains unclear. If students have not unenrolled (such as it happened in Hemenway), if classrooms remain full, and if needs continue to evolve, it is difficult to understand how entire special education roles are suddenly deemed unnecessary. Children do not “age out” of need overnight, and IEP services do not disappear because of a spreadsheet.

This is especially confusing given that other departments facing enrollment-based reductions, such as ESL and Fine Arts, saw positions reinstated, while federally mandated special education staffing continues to be reduced.

We respectfully ask for clearer information to support the community’s understanding of these decisions, including:

-current and projected special education caseloads by school

-staffing ratios and service delivery requirements  

-the criteria used to determine reductions or reinstatements by providing service minutes

-the specific data that informed these choices

Families and educators want to work collaboratively and constructively with the district. Transparency will help build that trust and ensure decisions reflect both student need and legal obligations.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for supporting clarity around this important issue.

Respectfully,

Framingham Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)

EMAIL SENT TO SCHOOL COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 29TH, 2026 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AmB7syL84xqPnBymPA89IN0QlKOnJDKdTTJRr-6nPY0

PUBLIC COMMENTARY DURING JANUARY 28TH, 2026

We want to offer some important context as we think about this budget, especially related to special education.

We appreciate that some proposed staffing cuts have been restored in tonight’s revised budget proposal.  SEPAC is requesting clarity around decisions to eliminate or leave unfilled special education positions.  While the overall student population has declined, it is not clear if there has been a corresponding decrease in special education enrollment, and whether the proposed reductions in special education staffing are proportional.  

We respectfully request the district show how changes in total special education enrollment align with special education staffing levels, so the community can understand whether reductions are proportional to actual student need. For example, Hemenway experienced no enrollment decline but stands to lose one special education teacher whereas Potter Road had a decline of 49 students and stands to lose one special education aide.

In addition, SEPAC is concerned that without adequate investment in in-district special education programs and staffing, the district will face more legally mandated out-of-district placements—a consequence that is disruptive for students and families and far more expensive than building internal capacity.  

Our students with disabilities deserve transparent, data-driven budget decisions that prioritize stability, expertise, in-district capacity building, and improved outcomes.  

We urge the city to increase local contributions so that the budget is not balanced on the backs of our hard-working educators.

EMAIL SENT TO SCHOOL COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 27TH, 2026 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AVJAjxOdIR9XWgeFaus-xEFONcdGZIxR0RcQECpwIfA/

PUBLIC COMMENTARY DURING JANUARY 27TH, 2026

We want to offer some important context as we think about this budget, especially related to special education.

Each year, the state evaluates school districts using something called the Special Education LEA Determination. The highest rating is Meets Requirements. Framingham’s current rating is Needs Intervention, which places us two levels below that standard and one step away from the lowest designation, Needs Substantial Intervention.

For Framingham this year, this rating was not about paperwork or compliance issues. In fact, it did relatively well in those areas. The lowest scores came from student performance and outcomes; whether students with disabilities are being effectively supported in practice. The state is signaling that we are failing our students with disabilities in things like academic progress, graduation, and whether students’ needs are being effectively met, in the classroom 

Against that backdrop, the proposed elimination of at least 13 student-facing special education positions, not including 18 campus aides who often can support students with IEPs depending the school, is deeply concerning.  These are the educators and staff who make services real on the ground, who help implement IEPs, support inclusion, and respond to complex needs. 

It is important to highlight that this Sped Ed Determination rating did not come out of nowhere. Over several years, repeated budget cuts, including cuts to professional development for special education staff, have slowly reduced in-district capacity. Their effects accumulate over time, especially as student needs continue to evolve and have gradually impacted in-district capacity. 

Under federal law, when a district cannot meet a student’s needs in district, it must fund an out-of-district placement that can. Those placements are extremely expensive. A single placement can easily cost around $100.000 dollars per year, even before transportation. We shall highlight that Lincoln's latest memo indicates the district is currently tracking nearly nine students who may require out-of-district placements before the end of this school year. 

By comparison, investing in in-district special education staff allows the district to support multiple students, build expertise, and strengthen programs that keep students learning in their own community. Cutting these positions does not eliminate costs; it increases the likelihood that we weaken our in-district capacity and trigger far more expensive, legally mandated placements.

Our hope is that as decisions are made, we keep this full picture in mind. Keeping strong our in-district special education capacity supports students and families and is also a responsible fiscal strategy, especially at a time when the state is clearly calling for improved outcomes.

Thank you for your time and for your care for all students in our district

PUBLIC COMMENTARY DURING JANUARY 21TH, 2026

We appreciate the mid-year FY26 financial update presented to the School Committee and recognize the complexity of managing the district’s budget. The memo also highlights how limited the remaining financial flexibility is, particularly given the ongoing and legally required costs associated with special education. As the Committee also discusses an anticipated $8 million shortfall for FY27, we believe it is important to view these conversations together.

Our organization is deeply concerned regarding the impact of the proposed staffing cuts.  These reductions would directly impact students who rely on consistent, specialized support to access their education and succeed academically and socially.

These supports are not optional; they are required to ensure students receive a free and appropriate public education and to allow them to make effective academic and social progress.

 Protecting special education services is essential to ensuring equity, inclusion, and the well-being of our most vulnerable learners.

We urge an increase in city funding for the school budget because strong schools are essential to a thriving community. Adequate funding ensures that students receive the academic, social, and emotional supports they need, educators have the resources to do their jobs effectively, and schools can meet growing and diverse needs. Investing in our schools is an investment in Framingham’s future.

Thank you.

PUBLIC COMMENTARY DURING JANUARY 7TH, 2026

SEPAC serves as an advisory body to the district and the School Committee, representing families of students with disabilities and collaborating to support policies and budgets that ensure students can make effective progress.

We recognize that this is a difficult budget season, with real fiscal constraints and uncertainty ahead. At the same time, we urge the district and the city to pursue creative and responsible solutions to close the budget gap without compromising the supports and services students need to access their education meaningfully and safely.

Framingham’s strength lies in its diversity. That diversity includes students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students whose success depends on consistent staffing, specialized instruction, and inclusive learning environments. When resources are reduced, these students are often the first to feel the impact—through larger caseloads, reduced services, or barriers to inclusion.

We strongly support providing educators with the resources they need to meet the needs of all learners. Protecting core supports is not only a legal obligation—it is also a sound investment that helps avoid higher costs down the line and ensures equitable outcomes for our community. Early and adequate supports help prevent more costly interventions down the line, including increased out-of-district placements, transportation costs, and crisis responses.

As budget decisions move forward, SEPAC asks that any proposed reductions be evaluated through an equity and special education impact lens, with transparency around both the rationale and the anticipated impact. Understanding not only what is reduced, but how those reductions affect students’ access, safety, and progress, is essential.

We strongly support providing educators with the resources they need to meet the needs of all learners. SEPAC looks forward to continued collaboration throughout this process and appreciates the Committee’s commitment to all students and families across Framingham.