[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6075389,"mediaKeyId","2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0","parentId",2979814,"title","Blackstone-Millville regional schools present FY26 certified budget; district aims to reduce town increases with offsets","audioSeconds",2282,"startMs",3755000,"endMs",6037000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0&start=3755&end=6037","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0/thumbnail_3755000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6075389/Massachusetts/Blackstone-Millville-regional-schools-present-FY26-certified-budget-district-aims-to-reduce-town-increases-with-offsets","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075389-339d86aba3a89de882c780a8d850f009/orig.mp4?Expires=1770856865&Signature=fGRkxJBvWnv1PeIMpLR-x6JobY1eb7un0UEcFkcjs0PAmWVpPHk1382R5r2bHW8KiOLe7eEYxxYDGEkPzz5vgojZbsUxwKaAwS4yYDgbzE0Qf8DAka4J3ztf5rRFRx9r-Jz4tUOPZEFb66DuoQMvTnbL2zYnHs0Wq8r-~y1StKP1ebzsN93rxxmjertCw-WbVKn9Yu9FoiuJ6cHJbRRj3sMDdb7dF5ssZNs0cCBDtM1IoCm6Yi71G~OnaiULDO2Nerb7tJOfuCtBKop0-q6-BDhRCN8vEFctwk6725sLAT~GgeumgJB-yyGFMK329HcZcBsGwBmrEOo9bnou5QM7AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Blackstone, MA","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","Blackstone Finance Committee members heard April 9 from the Blackstone-Millville regional school district on its FY26 certified budget and how the district plans to reduce the net impact on member towns.

The district’s presentation said the FY26 certified budget is $32,054,718, a year-over-year increase of $2,196,885 (7%). District staff told the committee they had identified recurring and one-time revenue offsets including a one-time Chapter 70 “foundation” increase tied to rising enrollment, prepaid collaborative tuition, circuit-breaker special-education reimbursement, and available special-revenue fund balances. The district’s finance officer said those offsets reduce the total impact on town assessments by roughly $3,659,040.

Why this matters: The regional district’s minimum local contribution calculation and additional exclusionary costs (transportation, retiree medical, capital) are directly borne by member towns; plan changes and timing for prepayments can change the amounts assessed to Blackstone and Millville.

Key numbers and offsets described by district presenters Joe (district finance) and Dr. Filico (superintendent): Chapter 70 (state school aid) was reported to increase by about $614,058 this year after the district moved out of “hold harmless” into foundation aid; the district expects $733,030 in circuit-breaker reimbursement for special-education placements for FY25 to be available for FY26 planning; the district is certified to use $508,000 of E&D and the school committee has applied $50,000 of E&D to OPEB in the FY26 plan. The presenters said the district plans to prepay $350,000 in collaborative tuition and would ask school committee approval to add another $150,000 in prepayment; that additional prepayment would reduce Blackstone’s increase from 3.33% to about 3.0%.

The presentation outlined planned staffing shifts tied to enrollment growth: the district reported overall enrollment rising (presenters cited a current district enrollment above 1,500 and projected around 1,515), and the FY26 proposal contains hires intended to restore some classroom positions trimmed in the prior year’s consolidation (the presenters listed two elementary teachers, one middle-school world-language teacher, three high-school teachers and a 0.4 FTE English-language-learner teacher among the proposed restorations).

Special education and out-of-district placements: district staff told the committee that students placed in collaborative or private out-of-district settings are budgeted and that some individual placements can be costly; district staff noted some collaborative placements can exceed $100,000 and in some cases can approach several hundred thousand dollars per year depending on services.

Capital and facilities: the district presented a five-year capital plan with approximately $1.7 million in FY26 projects, including a proposed replacement plow truck (roughly $120,000 estimate presented) and $70,000 for middle-school playground equipment tied to an expanded grade configuration. The presenters also described ongoing work with the Massachusetts School Building Authority and a $500,000 bond anticipation note the district has received for a feasibility study; presenters said the feasibility financing will be managed to smooth the transition to eventual bonding if the project moves forward.

Assessments: the presenters showed Blackstone’s projected total assessment and explained that exclusions for transportation and capital are separated from the minimum local contribution; after offsets and the optional prepayment request, Blackstone’s FY26 increase was presented as about 3.33% over FY25 and Millville’s as 2.54% (the presenters said a recently proposed $150,000 additional prepayment would lower Blackstone’s increase to roughly 3.0%).

The committee asked about federal grant risk under changing federal policy; the presenters explained federal entitlements (Titles and Perkins) are recurring but acknowledged uncertainty about federal-level changes, and they summarized which revenues are entitlements versus competitive awards. Presenters also emphasized the district’s goal of limiting supplemental town requests: “we have not in recent history come back to ask for a second bite,” a presenter said, describing the district’s approach to living within the certified budget.

Ending: District officials said they would ask the school committee to recertify at a slightly lower number the next day to reflect additional offsets; they offered to provide the finance committee with additional detail on capital planning and collaborative tuition prepayment if requested.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Blackstone: Finance Committee 04-09-25","oneSentenceSummary","Blackstone Finance Committee members heard April 9 from the Blackstone-Millville regional school district on its FY26 certified budget and how the district plans to reduce the net impact on member towns.","taxTitle","Town of Blackstone, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",61658,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6075394,"Valley Tech presents FY26 budget to Blackstone finance committee; emphasizes grants, MSBA roof process",2323,132000,2455000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0&start=132&end=2455","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0/thumbnail_132000.jpg","/articles/6075394/Massachusetts/Valley-Tech-presents-FY26-budget-to-Blackstone-finance-committee-emphasizes-grants-MSBA-roof-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075394-41aadda03693b17d2ad49684baa67e29/orig.mp4?Expires=1770856865&Signature=Zfcf6ocHd~MGgYRvRVHWrDCij07Qx2-n6ABig-gsqKAYU6DIpynmEbXLlHeENFOS1~8A-vMswqCtV1eTYfNdweBHjaMmpSi1f6~XOD~OZUi1pHnanmycrbENJQfN1GDoaL51NW0QXx3VXFg7AAAOakW3mlrIf3tc0T1YAaQtGdONEc4qklZUioD9X2ZTxW-rsksRDaLLgqnJF2Ex1YxAfTEj-5ah9V7ztp4rsUVy2fHjcaw-fYeQWrsm30~Fj~h-s6VHzlxsuQqWQUY6MCpeSilJE6Kg86dspmPl8bw0QZ2Mj1FRK11tM6dCO71V3798T2uDJxqNTNaAD98Z5wQ1vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blackstone Finance Committee Chair Jeff Silverstein heard a presentation April 9 from representatives of the Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District on the district's proposed fiscal 2026 budget, which the presenter described as a 5.77% increase overall.

The presenter said the district is using competitive grants and fund balances to reduce town assessments and highlighted several near-term items that affect the FY26 proposal. The presenter said the district had roughly $2,800,000 in grant awards listed in the budget booklet and that recent additional awards bring the total closer to $3,000,000, which the presenter described as roughly \"$2,400 per student\" in offsetting revenue.

Why this matters: Valley Tech is a regional vocational-technical district whose operating costs are apportioned among 13 member towns. Changes to the district's aid, transportation reimbursement or use of excess-and-deficiency balances directly affect Blackstone's town assessment.

The presenter told the committee the district had secured a relatively low increase in employee health insurance for two consecutive years, saying, “we were able to secure a 4% increase in employee health insurance,” and credited their broker by name. He also called out a one-time $200,000 pension-relief item that auditors advised the district it could release after an old billing issue passed the statute-of-limitations threshold; the presenter said that $200,000 was placed on the revenue side of the FY26 budget as a one-time item. The district also disclosed a planned use of excess-and-deficiency (E&D) balances in the proposed budget and a separate disclosure that the school committee may utilize up to $700,000 of E&D for grant matching and capital work.

The district described a new evening adult education effort planned under a Career Technical Initiative grant from Massachusetts workforce development. The program would offer industry-certified courses in HVAC, electrical, machining, welding and plumbing; the presenter said the state grant framework allows adults with incomes under $77,000 to take those courses free of charge.

On transportation and state aid, the presenter used an 80% reimbursement estimate for regional transportation and noted the state raised Chapter 70 school aid by an amount he summarized as “$75 per student” in current year commitments; he cautioned final transportation and Chapter 70 numbers will not be firm until the state completes its budget work later in the spring. The presenter said fixed costs (wages, insurance, transportation, utilities and pensions) make up roughly 88% of the proposed increase and that the budget includes no net new full-time-equivalent positions (the FTE count was flat to slightly down by 0.4 FTE in his presentation).

Capital and facilities: Valley Tech reported it has been accepted into the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Accelerated Repair Program for a roof replacement and related schematic planning. The presenter said the district has been assigned an owner’s project manager and architect and that MSBA site visits had occurred; he added MSBA’s schedule is slow and the district does not anticipate major borrowing in FY26. When asked about project cost, the presenter said the application process uses recent comparable projects with an MSBA escalation factor and that it would be “premature” to give a precise number but that the project would not exceed $10,000,000, as phrased by the presenter.

Enrollment and outcomes: the district reported enrollment at approximately 1,257 students (the presenter said the number was essentially unchanged from the previous year) and noted steady application rates for seats. The presenter highlighted programmatic success including a 100% graduation rate, frequent student medals at SkillsUSA competitions, and a national teaching award in engineering.

The committee asked questions about expected operating impacts to member towns, specifics of stabilization and E&D uses, and timing of MSBA feasibility and design estimates. Presenters repeated that final state reimbursement figures and MSBA cost estimates will be clearer later in the spring and that the district would come back to member towns if any borrowing or formal capital authorizations were required.

Ending: The presenter offered to take follow-up questions after the meeting and provided the committee with a printed budget booklet and a green-sheet summary showing revenues, E&D disclosures and member-assessment calculations.","Representatives for Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District presented a FY26 budget showing a 5.77% increase, heavy reliance on grants and stable enrollment, and said the district is in the MSBA accelerated roof repair queue but does not expect borrowing in FY26.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6075380,"Finance committee approves January meeting minutes, pays transcription invoice and schedules follow-up budget session",135,7101000,7236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0&start=7101&end=7236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0/thumbnail_7101000.jpg","/articles/6075380/Massachusetts/Finance-committee-approves-January-meeting-minutes-pays-transcription-invoice-and-schedules-follow-up-budget-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075380-03a25e81c66e1dc2c2d8c11dcd123b29/orig.mp4?Expires=1770856865&Signature=AMnVJZk-hG63Y~CLOMtQCdYYL3b46ep-PiZAHOsa3ymFYiMbeognoTxbAKr2jGQl0KzZsP8Dw-1A4m6QGS7DN3C~58~F5qGKMbXtk~iS17IMMfBYWCo6rwlLCmf6C0apHlEi69LB8XQtuPEPxdslFChZCZqZ3IkZf1iLMIINSxA9eXB6tiofg2l1dngZ3NSbMkovqBiR00A6hKuH5CXPzNB-1oIGO2eitUUhwADOvzGDQd3GfCofReUcUBhwnffV2q70VdGieom5K9YUQHzBHl3afxENVPFoqk3T99HkZ0g~7wxxQAbWU-i~3J1iGc0PasRp2qizX8GneMa~9uTwcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Blackstone Finance Committee approved two administrative items and scheduled a follow-up budget hearing during its April 9 meeting.

Committee members voted unanimously to approve minutes from the January 6 and January 9 meetings; the motion carried without recorded opposing votes. The committee then voted to approve payment of a $120 invoice for transcription of those minutes. Both votes were taken by voice and recorded as unanimous “ayes.”

The committee chair also announced the committee will hold another budget review session next Tuesday evening; members agreed to begin at 6:30 p.m. to accommodate other board meetings and requested agendas for public safety, public works and remaining general government budget items.

Ending: A motion to adjourn passed by voice vote and the meeting concluded after the committee confirmed the next session date and time.","The Blackstone Finance Committee unanimously approved minutes for Jan. 6 and Jan. 9, voted to pay a $120 invoice for the minutes, and set a follow-up budget review meeting for next Tuesday evening.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":44,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":50,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6075384,"Blackstone Library seeks modest operating increases; asks for assistant director pay adjustment",3144,6899000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979814-e02b9d3b2de64cd6fd017390326860d0&start=3755&end=6899","/articles/6075384/Massachusetts/Blackstone-Library-seeks-modest-operating-increases-asks-for-assistant-director-pay-adjustment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075384-2474fb9dd3eceae638c10cd316a6df87/orig.mp4?Expires=1770856865&Signature=VawBBJx0cg3yJ3j~RSJkPVKjRrXjvzhc-vbVyYNLdQXSWEP0JaoNcXWm6pikz7llWIAKOkVKfMX7w1VihsfSkN8U953ZxV-OWfsWiqHIWjl4rC59X7XtyqUxFead1t67rW6rNdCGvJhzf50o6lsGIy1MxMvpgAmZ4zQjIZ3FHGgbxkfpd6X6BTELAVkWaA~42Y3S5I5-KkpaQ~DT0QHYD~OwWqL6z2X6tCOamuDyKlii1CMV1SKHdpgGIw5UziKT5iAZ8trRvEuwwaUE-D6iB247dff~43m7ZAM9Nxa5RIMhkjuL4g7AI9jmLFsI6h~XKDxSul37bx1pBicKOEH9XA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Library Director Lisa Cooper and a trustee (Mary Lou) presented the Blackstone Library’s proposed FY26 operating budget to the Finance Committee on April 9, citing modest increases for staffing and technology and describing state aid and grant revenues that offset some operating costs.

Why this matters: The library requested targeted increases to keep part-time wages competitive, improve technology support for patrons, and fund a replacement web-provider and related annual maintenance. Library staff also noted certification requirements that drive minimum spending on books and periodicals.

What the library asked for: The presenters said the revised total request (the version provided to the committee that night) is $690,826. The budget includes a 5% increase request for the assistant director (the presenter said the assistant director has served about 20 years and is “grossly underpaid”), a new part-time technology assistant position at $16.50 per hour, and modest increases in part-time wages generally. The library also plans technology line increases for a new reservation/calendar vendor and to buy two staff computers. The library said the books and periodicals line was raised to meet the state certification threshold (the presenter cited a 19% rule used for certification).

Grants and donations: the presenters told the committee the library received $38,777 in grants and $11,126 in donations that are administered through the trustees’ gift account and used for programming and other non‑operating expenses. The library also reported it received $27,969 in state aid for 2025.

Usage and services: presenters provided usage statistics: physical circulation of approximately 46,000 items (not counting e‑books/audio), 3,575 ebook checkouts, 6,089 audiobook checkouts, 2,148 hoopla circulations, roughly 3,000 computer sessions and about 43,845 visitors over the year. The library noted some unpaid contractor support for building repairs and landscaping that reduces operating costs.

The committee asked clarifying questions about the technology increases and the assistant director’s pay; library representatives explained the increases respond to vendor closures, end-of-life equipment, and an assistant director salary they said previously predated a compensation study.

Ending: The library presenters thanked the committee and offered to follow up with detail if members requested further line-item explanation.","Library directors told the finance committee they are requesting a revised operating budget (revised total $690,826) that includes modest wage increases, a new part-time technology assistant and funding for an updated website and vendor replacements.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Blackstone-Millville regional schools present FY26 certified budget; district aims to reduce town increases with offsets

Valley Tech presents FY26 budget to Blackstone finance committee; emphasizes grants, MSBA roof process

Finance committee approves January meeting minutes, pays transcription invoice and schedules follow-up budget session

Blackstone Library seeks modest operating increases; asks for assistant director pay adjustment