It was a quick and lightly attended Board of Finance hearing on Thursday, Mar. 26, regarding the Board of Education‘s $100,459,485 budget proposal.
Despite the myriad issues the BOF is having working its way through the Board of Selectmen‘s town-side budget, which will be discussed on Monday, Mar. 30 in a public hearing — also to be held at Middlebrook School auditorium at 7p.m. — there has barely been a question raised about a BOE proposal that, in essence, came in at the exact amount the finance board had requested.
The proposed Fiscal Year 2027 BOE budget represents a 3.6% increase over the current FY 2026 $96,968,334 BOE budget, which was a 4% increase over the previous year, FY 2025. In both cases the BOE, led by Superintendent Kevin Smith, devised a budget that exactly met the recommended guidance of no more than a 3.6% increase that the BOF had requested.
While the BOF will be deliberating on the budgets starting Tuesday, Mar. 31, it is unlikely that the BOE budget will be changed.
On Thursday, BOE Chair Ruth DeLuca presented a 20-minute overview of that budget, including reasoning and logic behind the choices made. She noted that this budget, which was adopted by the BOE on Feb. 26, had been reduced from an earlier iteration that had a larger increase.
“This budget is transparent. Every dollar is accounted for. This budget is also carefully considered,” she said, citing “serious and challenging” questions that were asked by both the BOE and the BOF.
As usual, the greater part of the BOE budget is consumed by salaries and benefits, amounting to roughly 80%, driven by contractual increases and an expansion of staff by 7.6 FTEs (full-time employee). This area is increasing approximately $3 million from last year, though district enrollment is showing a decrease.
In previously presenting his budget, Smith has noted that the district has embarked on several initiatives for cost savings, including striving to keep students with special needs inside the district for programs rather than outplacing them, which is far more costly. For a second year, the district also intends to purchase a van aimed at reducing transportation costs.
“With this budget we maintain current class sizes, recognize our professional and financial commitments to teachers and staff, and support the district’s continued improvement initiatives,” DeLuca said.
“This budget holds the district steady, keeps it ready and moves it forward,” she said, “keeping our mission for a better world both a reality and a dream.”
Resident Steve Hudspeth was the only member of the public to share any thoughts, commending the town officials and school staff on its work and indicating his support for the budget.
“My only concern in all I saw up there is that we remain in the low end of all the schools in this area in terms of growth of budget, which is a little scary,” he said, “although you do it very, very well, so I commend you for using resources so effectively, but that is a lingering concern when it extends over multiple years.”
BOF Chair Tim Birch opened the meeting by stating that his board was still in the process of reviewing budgets, though he noted that they were handcuffed this year because the town’s Finance Department has yet to reconcile figures for Fiscal 2025, with the annual audit delayed as a result.
He said that his board takes many factors into consideration in figuring out the final budget, including public input. He encouraged everyone in town to complete the BOF survey, which is open through Saturday, Mar. 28, at 5 p.m.
While Birch said that the current numbers, including debt service, reserves and potential operating budget, add up to a 3% increase in the Mill Rate, but that this was tentative, as the numbers were not yet final.
“There is a requirement that the budgets be finalized before Apr. 15,” he said, in order to make the Annual Town Meeting in May.