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Two years ago on a budget of just $1,300, NRUE's advocacy convinced town leaders to recommend a budget that returned more than $700,000 directly to North Reading Public Schools, restoring valuable programs.

We need to continue our advocacy, but we cannot do so without financial support from parents and education supporters in North Reading. Please help us with a minimum suggested donation of $25 made payable to: North Reading United for Education and send to Pete Kaepplinger, 9 Fieldstone Way, North Reading, 01864

Important News

Read Gabrielle Gurley's article "Municipal meltdown" from the
Fall 2007 issue of CommonWealth Magazine

Key Links

 NR Public Schools
 NR Town Web Site
 Stand for Children
 Rep. Brad Jones
 Dept. of Education
 Dept. of Revenue
 Governor Deval Patrick



Notable Quote:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

- Margaret Mead

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The Need for Continued Advocacy

If you are interested in finding out how you can help advocate for sound, competitive education, please e-mail NRUE.

NRUE was created a few years ago out of necessity. Prior to that, a few concerned parents initiated communication with our legislators, town leaders, and school officials by creating a letter writing campaign to Sen. Tarr and Rep. Jones under the name Chapter 70 Committee.

When budget constraints left gaping holes in the school budget and parents were distracted with everyday life, our town leaders put education funding out to an override making that funding optional, and citizens were left to decide if in fact education was a priority for them.

The override failed and a dreadful year followed, with teacher and specialist layoffs, elementary and Middle School students going home at lunchtime every Wednesday, lots of study halls for Middle School students, and increased class sizes at the High School.

So you see, NRUE was born out of necessity and has worked tirelessly to let leaders, citizens, students, families and teachers know that education is a priority in North Reading, and budgets cannot be balanced by cutting education in a school system that already has one of the lowest per pupil expenditures in Massachusetts. NRUE's mission continues to focus on ensuring adequate education funding that maintains a solid core five-day per week education, with reasonable class sizes and program offerings that leave North Reading students ready to meet the challenges of competitive college admission and job markets. Education may seem stable this year, after federal stimulus dollars and tireless work by NRUE, Stand for Children, and our town leaders managed to stem the bleeding for this year. While we do not wish to cry wolf for next year, rest assured the budget looks very tight and our students continue to need concerned parents and citizens to advocate for a stable, sound education EACH and EVERY YEAR.

So while things are "okay" in our schools this year, every year it is necessary to ramp up our visibility and communication to protect precious funding resources that will preserve our children's education quality for the upcoming school year.

North Reading Per Pupil Spending Still Lags State Average

FY08 figures released by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue show North Reading’s per pupil spending at $9,908 versus the state average of $12,496.

Comparison shown to districts chosen by the North Reading School Department, because these districts are similar to North Reading on basis of structure, wealth, and enrollment. NRUE apologizes for the poor font quality in the chart above; detailed data is available here.
Data Source: MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Help NRUE Support Balance, Focus on Teachers and Curriculum, and Affordable Contracts and Benefits
At public meetings and in communications with elected leaders at the state and local levels, your involvement helps NRUE promote:

1) A fair and equitable budget that shares the responsibility for meeting the challenges of these tough financial times equally among all citizens and employees of North Reading.

2) A school budget directing funds toward maintaining basic education during the school day, including managing class size, programs, and curriculum to give all students the best education possible.

3) Affordable contracts and health-care agreements across the schools and the town to manage budgets for the long-term.

4) Ongoing evaluation of revenue sources, cost savings, and efficiencies that bring stability and balance to budgets in the near and long term.




Please bookmark this website and check back regularly for important news and updates on issues surrounding education in North Reading.

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