District overview
Acton-Boxborough
Funding structure, how it compares to peers, and where major projects stand.
What is changing across the district?
Acton-Boxborough is a regional district governed by an elected Regional School Committee. Its most consequential current project, AB Forward, closes the five named Acton elementary schools as organizations, creates four K-3 and 4-6 schools at the Boardwalk and Parker-Damon campuses, keeps Blanchard K-6, and replaces open enrollment with geographic assignment.
The Committee sets policy and budget
It adopts district policy, the regional budget and assessments, and hires and evaluates the superintendent. Acton and Boxborough then vote their assessments at Town Meeting.
Local assessments fund most of FY27
The adopted $122.59 million FY27 budget assesses $82.83 million to Acton and $17.73 million to Boxborough after state aid, reserves, and other receipts.
Elementary assignment is now geographic
Scenario 7 boundaries and flex zones take effect July 1, 2026. Flex zones apply to new registrants to manage class-size differences; current students are not routinely shifted by the flex mechanism.
A leadership transition follows
Superintendent Peter Light plans to remain through 2026-27 and leave for a new role in July 2027. The Committee selected the Collins Center to conduct the successor search.
The reorganization is intended to create recurring personnel savings and avoid capital work at Conant, but the records also document substantial disruption, one-time transition costs, class-size pressure at Blanchard, and family and staff concerns. Long-term outcomes are not yet available.
Where the district stands
For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Excludes preschool and separately reported out-of-district placements.
Context calculation: $122,593,238 divided by 4,896. This gross figure includes debt, transportation, benefits, facilities, and district-wide services, so it is not a classroom allocation.
The same record describes roughly $465,000 in first-year operating savings after one-time reserve use.
Major projects
AB Forward elementary reorganization
Implementation for 2026-27The district is moving from six K-6 elementary schools and open enrollment to four Acton K-3/4-6 schools plus Blanchard K-6, with geographic zones, flex zones, staff reassignment, building moves, and transition supports.
- Committee adopts Option 5v2 and geographic enrollment
- Committee adopts Scenario 7 boundaries, flex-zone procedures, and limited grandfathering
- New school organizations and boundaries take effect
Funding
Operating budget and up to $1 million of E&D transition contingency
Projected recurring personnel savings are about $1.5 million annually after transition.
Superintendent search
Search firm selectedThe Committee is conducting a national search for a superintendent to succeed Peter Light after the 2026-27 school year.
- Departure and 18-month transition announced
- Collins Center selected as search firm
- Target start for successor
Funding
School Committee contracted-services budget
February records reserved approximately $30,000-$40,000 for the search.
High-school rooftop HVAC replacement
Funding plan under developmentThe district plans replacement of aging high-school rooftop units, supported by clean-energy grants and existing set-aside funds, with additional borrowing expected.
- $500,000 Green Communities grant announced
- Capital update identifies 11 rooftop units and likely additional borrowing
Funding
Existing capital funds, grants, and anticipated bond
March records cite about $2.5 million set aside, a $500,000 grant, and possible bonding up to about $5 million.
This overview uses all 52 records in the trailing-year Regional School Committee archive. Reported figures cite collected official packets; derived per-student context is labeled as a calculation.
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