Rochester leader proposes closing Maple Street school, 40 job cuts

Superintendent Jared Fulgoni has proposed closing the Maple Street Magnet School and eliminating 40 positions as part of the $4.5 million in cuts needed to produce a budget that’s compliant with the city’s tax cap.

The potential cuts have parents and School Board members concerned.

On Feb. 4, in a special School Board meeting, Fulgoni said closing Maple Street Magnet School would save about $1.7 million. The school selects elementary school students who apply by lottery, not by where they live, like the rest of the city’s elementary schools.

The 40 staff cuts would be across the district, but were not identified.

Reached on Feb. 5, School Board Chair Matt Pappas said no decisions have been made and because of the seriousness of the budget cuts, all options are on the table.

During the board meeting, Pappas told the board the city gave the district a number they are expected to meet. The amount of the city’s total budget target for the schools was not mentioned in the meeting, and Pappas declined to comment on it when asked by Foster’s Daily Democrat.

“Any and all decisions on cuts will be made in committees in the coming weeks,” Pappas said.

Director of Finance Adriana Komst said the school district must bring a tax cap-compliant budget to the city in May.

Rochester opened the new Salmon Falls School in fall 2025, and it has consolidated its elementary schools in recent years from eight to six.

Maple Street Magnet School parents push to save school

Parents of students attending Maple Street Magnet School are gearing up for a fight.

Cindy Peters-Hoffman is spearheading a movement to save the school. She is distributing fact sheets and urging parents to contact their School Board members, including their contact information.

“If there is a budget deficit, why are we paying for it by punishing teachers and children?” Peters-Hoffman said. “I fought to get my child in MSMS. She has severe anxiety, other problems. The entire staff there know her name and she is comfortable with them.”

Peters-Hoffman is originally from Salem, Massachusetts. She said her son is about to graduate from Spaulding High School in Rochester, and thrived while attending Carlton Innovation School in Salem.

“I will fight for this school and I am sure other parents are ready to join me,” she said.

Rochester School Board member Anne Grassie said Maple Street Magnet School is a treasure, recognized by the state as such.

“It is heartbreaking to me,” she said. “And now we’d have to turn this building back to the city.”

Fulgoni acknowledged the special services and programs at MSMS are excellent. He said Assistant Superintendent Sherri Nichols is working to ensure those programs are spread across the city’s other five elementary schools.

“We are looking not to limit those services, but to see them spread across the district,” Fulgoni said. “Maple Street Magnet School was supposed to be a sort of laboratory with the intent to expand from there. That hasn’t happened. Dr. Nichols is on it so it will no longer matter that it takes place at Maple Street Magnet School.”

“This is not a fun meeting,” said School Board member Sam Oliver. “My son went to MSMS, and he liked it. I get we get to make the final decision, but as much as I like Maple, if we disperse it around, it’s not the same. I am excited to hear of MSMS programs spread out through the district. It was supposed to be a pilot program all along.”

40 position cuts may not result in layoffs, superintendent says

Fulgoni noted savings from closing the school would not only be staff. He said two school buses could be eliminated, and the district would see saving in areas like heat, electricity and maintenance.

Fulgoni said staff positions would not all be from educational staff, but will be across the board, including the SAU administrative office. As for staff, he said the district had 28 vacancies and 11 retirements anticipated. Nineteen open positions are in special education and must, by law be filled. By reassigning Maple Street Magnet School staff, he said there may be no layoffs.

Without closing the school, Fulgoni said, that would not be possible.

Discussion of using surplus money the district returns to the city each year prompted Pappas to explain keeping the money for the district would require a change to the city charter. That would have to take place in a future city election, the next one coming in November 2027.

There are many more budget finance meetings to come before final decisions are reached. Board member Nick Bellows urged residents to bring their concerns and questions to their ward’s School Board member.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat. Reporting by Karen Dandurant.