[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6227201,"mediaKeyId","3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e","parentId",3494119,"title","Triton regional leaders warn of $350,000 unresolved FY‑26 gap; state aid and savings could narrow shortfall","audioSeconds",117,"startMs",426000,"endMs",543000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e&start=426&end=543","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e/thumbnail_426000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6227201/Massachusetts/Triton-regional-leaders-warn-of-350000-unresolved-FY26-gap-state-aid-and-savings-could-narrow-shortfall","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227201-35a60780e34a869a05896ab4e0f9d6a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137881&Signature=gcQcYxHTVTRp3dtkgM5ckiKPeCha6V3ZD-g7jv0VcnxI1gudROX3jOJEsqtOnM6iGXtsfZ5X25bkjuWet2A7FbjISQ0zeZC2d-Li1Nn16fqEUMnDiwsH2Ok6~shTh-3j6Ou4y589j8EzkY0k5ZYCPgO7EqAJOlMYfoReHlm2eIBaZmsRbzHQC6Pl5m4w5WcPU-xVucsxWXm5801Qb5qkux7AFxDoYTMa3PAH47mpdV08jcNDP7Gsr623BcPi12Gn5SbV5lwEfPRfbXh5dzwZyZDbQ9mJqThcPsnJtivw~7CwD8b3ICsTNkz9PviTVGwp-BRWMfUXxyjTWJQRGYJsQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Triton Regional School District, MA","date","2025-05-24T16:38:55.667Z","article","Triton Regional School District officials told the District Coordination Committee on a budget‑focused agenda item that the district still has roughly $350,000 in undesignated cuts to resolve for fiscal 2026.

The committee heard that potential offsets include additional Chapter 70 state aid under discussion at the Legislature, savings from health‑care plan design changes already negotiated and year‑end accounting adjustments; officials said those elements together could substantially lower the remaining shortfall but that the figure is not yet final.

Why it matters: The district’s assessments to the three member towns will not change automatically when state aid moves; instead, officials said, state revenue changes typically alter the district’s top line and then flow through the fall adjusted budget. That means towns may not see assessment changes but district programs and spending decisions could shift in the coming months.

District staff described the current situation as a mix of revenue timing and prior accounting estimates. A staff member reported the committee still “has $350,000 of undesignated cuts in our budget that we’re going to need to decide moving forward,” and said that additional state Chapter 70 aid—if the Legislature’s proposals hold—could add roughly $160,000 to the district’s revenue picture. Separately, public employee plan design changes produced about $370,000 in health‑care savings, about $70,000 more than originally targeted, staff said.

Officials said those items — roughly $160,000 in potential extra Chapter 70 funds plus the $70,000 above‑plan health‑care savings — account for about $230,000 of the gap. The district is also considering delaying roughly $40,000 in curriculum implementations and keeping two buses funded in FY‑26 to address daily route reliability, officials said.

The superintendent and committee members emphasized that the fall adjusted budget (issued each autumn) is the vehicle for finalizing many of these adjustments. As explained at the meeting, the fall adjusted budget generally keeps the same assessment to member towns while reallocating line items (for example, salary contingencies and hiring differences) and reflecting updated state aid figures when they are finalized.

Discussion and next steps: Committee members urged earlier communication with municipal finance committees and select boards so town leaders can prepare and explain likely scenarios to residents well before January budget discussions. Committee members said they want periodic projections as negotiations and state budget decisions proceed.

Officials also flagged two other near‑term budget risks: special‑education and transportation costs. Staff said the district is carrying higher special‑education expenses that contributed to the current year’s pressure. On transportation, the district is operating 19 buses but said the “right number” is 21; officials said they have kept funding for two additional buses in the budget to avoid daily service gaps.

The committee did not take formal votes on budget changes during the meeting. Staff said they will return with updated numbers as the state budget process and contract negotiations progress and that any final changes to town assessments would be handled through the standard town budget and appropriation processes.

Ending: Officials asked the three towns’ leaders to continue joint communications and outreach to help residents understand how regional funding formulas and state aid changes affect local assessments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DCC Meeting 5-22-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Triton Regional School District officials told the District Coordination Committee on a budget‑focused agenda item that the district still has roughly $350,000 in undesignated cuts to resolve for fiscal 2026.","taxTitle","Triton Regional School District, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",69227,"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},6227182,"Triton committee emphasizes broad student pathways beyond test scores; internships and career prep expand",10,3853000,3863000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e&start=3853&end=3863","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e/thumbnail_3853000.jpg","/articles/6227182/Massachusetts/Triton-committee-emphasizes-broad-student-pathways-beyond-test-scores-internships-and-career-prep-expand","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227182-572004eb2b4a9728ce7a3303a5b9c600/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137881&Signature=Q2pCUqu1kNfGTQQj6kk-hZbWrlUgB-XtYsFc7piPstFyIQ2vIiJto-vczaDai-oVzpE-7KG0R5Lp2JUkGMU~UX1EURtq5ztsIMpHGUlWyvq9h9yW3akDRsS3JQ-WpFGx8CJeLlGnop~oAYs-tW-wLCjNjnVPuXj96JjftM95L~GFnqieInqxLlEIeXrMO0ycB3Bk89lUCcf~uAwf~V4R1eeCnYodnd15pkXZy985~bM4OwPrXyMoWpCU0xRHiHWALsJHZp6of6tcGeA50ftCzB3BemZn10EOJuMxPzPN-Gi5UuDcuoYFfG2EZJYgdOny1gcVOME6dy5PLIj-clRu2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members spent substantial time discussing how Triton measures student success and the district’s expanded career‑pathway programs.

Several committee members cautioned against over‑reliance on standardized test scores as the sole measure of school quality and pointed to the district’s portrait of a learner — a framework of core competencies and dispositions meant to capture broader student outcomes such as resilience, community membership and readiness for multiple post‑graduation pathways. Those comments were framed as context for town outreach and communications about district performance.

Officials also reported the district completed its second full cohort of senior internships. Staff said students participated in spring‑semester internships of roughly 25 hours per week with placements that included commercial banks, the Salisbury Fire Department and municipal agencies. District staff praised the internships as providing meaningful career and technical experience, producing students with associate‑degree coursework completed concurrently with high school and offering direct entry into trades, public safety and entry‑level careers.

Why it matters: Committee members said emphasizing a broader set of outcomes helps show how the district prepares students both for college and for careers or apprenticeships, and that such outcomes are not captured fully by a single standardized test snapshot. The district asked the committee and town leaders to help communicate that nuance to residents during budget and outreach conversations.

Ending: The committee recommended continued public presentations to town audiences on topics such as test‑score context, the portrait of the learner work and internship outcomes so residents better understand the district’s educational scope and results.","Committee members debated the role of standardized tests and highlighted district work on a 'portrait of a learner,' senior internships and career pathways. Officials said the district had a second full cohort of 25‑hour‑per‑week senior internships across local employers including the fire department, banks and regional colleges.",{"_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},6227187,"Triton officials describe transportation contract differences, driver shortages and bus shortfall",731,11000,742000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e&start=11&end=742","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e/thumbnail_11000.jpg","/articles/6227187/Massachusetts/Triton-officials-describe-transportation-contract-differences-driver-shortages-and-bus-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227187-349ecd2c639306c6da71358f131106e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137881&Signature=LQcD9EsnL4oKXzbLqJZOiHC~t4AiZ9Q3RWpU8KYadPS8HBNRVqxteMYpFwOptis7LCztysXlih5wWR2QsIFVV~RJp~eLtMobO2xWBlYUnppaT3EHVwYuRtrUCzx2p6Tb0694-aZz8HGiseSkfVfQ-wYPnlY663S-YO~mx6c6HkwNLzqsVvHgZ9YraxciZU9PzysfV6o8YbJ9CxEuHtIxfZI~lRH7lsVJNY91OdwfFYHgCsZO~Nip371meM-8wbwNCfrxf~1m6SEy8QRpQq6Ion4auhjJSwl2YGW0pMpryq6selIXDcwZw7eYb2STLIdO4-3mcGb8ekmTUFGPGDRukQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff told the committee that student transportation is a continuing challenge and that the district is operating fewer buses than the “right number” to cover routes reliably.

The committee heard that the district currently runs 19 buses but that the appropriate fleet size to cover daily routes is 21 buses; the district said it retained funding for the two additional buses in the budget to avoid chronic rerouting and late drops. Officials also discussed the district’s competitive procurement for transportation services: NRT is the contractor (noted in the meeting as owned by Beacon Mobility) and the district observed that price differences exist between Triton’s contract and neighboring districts’ contracts (for example, Pentucket’s contract rates were discussed as lower). Staff said factors behind rate differences include mileage driven, age of vehicles and specific contract provisions.

Officials said the committee had previously added liquidated‑damage provisions to the transportation contract after earlier performance concerns and that the presence of competing bidders in other procurements had affected pricing. The district asked the transportation vendor to prioritize backup drivers and vehicle availability to reduce daily call‑outs, reroutes and repeated trips.

The discussion included a practical scheduling note: committee members asked staff to avoid scheduling graduations on the same night for multiple district schools in future years because overlapping ceremonies created conflicts for families and staff.

Ending: Staff said they will continue to monitor vendor performance, pursue contractual remedies where appropriate, and include two buses in the budget for reliability pending recruitment of drivers or alternate vendor arrangements.","Officials said NRT (owned by Beacon Mobility) remains the contractor after a competitive bid and that the district operates 19 buses though the service needs 21. Officials noted rate discrepancies with neighboring contracts and said they are negotiating with the vendor for backups and to address mileage and equipment age.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227192,"Triton finance staff report resolves much of FY25 overspend; incoming director starts July 1",149,1799000,1948000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e&start=1799&end=1948","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e/thumbnail_1799000.jpg","/articles/6227192/Massachusetts/Triton-finance-staff-report-resolves-much-of-FY25-overspend-incoming-director-starts-July-1","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227192-201874b16f2910c503b78df8c49bd64d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137881&Signature=I0mmo1HwB8nNKkBpQn2~xlkHfoqbl~MHS9gzfi4A~HbeKoGnDvsfEFl6bdVoAtZjgYHRKt8xehMlcdTUBLDh-fDTTGtm9LWxcKVsuyTJJ9X7HRhej5mGfS2scNL3OujlINLiqjid5-X7NVba0yFLcdpQvgDOzt2qV5T3XsbcSQZ4LQ4kZ8rryfYdutg~wNnhU145x9cOmx5Ihu6tXpaAhOLvX375BsMhLfe4MqKOYN65D8u1FkRqfT6f1bFibB1ODVvVx27ZXLKKscP2nof1Wxlq4fXd1ZEhoAMNa5OgAVIHn2EBOGi8OxiDLgttWozpySiZM3Rv86Ej2xQdAZsqkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District officials told the District Coordination Committee that prior finance reports through March showed inaccurate balances and that subsequent reconciliation work has reduced the apparent year‑end deficit.

Officials said the district had higher special‑education costs this year — an estimated $550,000 in overspending for transportation, contracted services and out‑of‑district placements — and that month‑end accounting and software encumbrance differences produced a larger headline number on paper. A staff member said a general fund report showed a $710,000 overspend on paper, but after accounting corrections and recognizing additional state aid and other revenue sources the actual shortfall was closer to $87,000 on paper, with other adjustments leaving the district about $375,000 ","District leaders told the committee that earlier accounting reporting was inaccurate and that after adjustments the apparent year‑end general fund hole is much smaller. The district said it has an interim and an incoming director of finance and operations to tighten reporting going forward.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227195,"Triton building project moves to MSBA module 2 work; district reserves $1.7 million for feasibility phase",151,1169000,1320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e&start=1169&end=1320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3494119-b33f1fd757562b864746968d38f18f5e/thumbnail_1169000.jpg","/articles/6227195/Massachusetts/Triton-building-project-moves-to-MSBA-module-2-work-district-reserves-17-million-for-feasibility-phase","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227195-8401adbd85ea7a02976e64720b5861e9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137881&Signature=csT2HrcWYpOVKXGB9MEralGOtn4cn52s~FSZTs5xUuzy-0tLNdkT8bsOYbwhbCnyBRxbS1KdjsMcgib1jMbtaPtaUBviWXTfBfwNX5EpqcCDoyDvnrdkw1DxCNwS~Ql2uOVLEtha1TbrYRyCr-rXvbU6nGAT20t1KSx6IML-lg3HR~Yg3A-bQN4HNKMFr5azagsyMYCEsJ22uT7vY8fgMh3AydaQvlXN95he0BRWEX6PSjN3HX-NGNL4KiXwSDylWpqtzG-nII1WF~bpv8L9NrJqlgC1ig-UJ-3STmVFrRvaS6vxBIqd3MyfiLWA779uD5Jgystm04L~yv1SRePKSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Triton Regional School District officials updated the District Coordination Committee on the district’s building project and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) timeline, saying they are collecting enrollment and housing permit data and plan to press for an MSBA module‑2 welcome meeting and a feasibility phase.

The district reported it has set aside approximately $1,700,000 in stabilization funds to pay for the feasibility and schematic design phase so the towns would not bear that initial cost. Officials said the district does not intend to ask town voters to appropriate funding for the feasibility study because the stabilization funds are available for that work.

Why it matters: MSBA participation can cover a significant portion of a construction project’s cost. District staff said the MSBA will set the “design enrollment” that drives room counts, auditorium, gym and cafeteria sizes; that enrollment figure is a key determinant of building scope and the state’s reimbursement.

Timeline and process: District staff described the typical MSBA schedule and the district’s target milestones: an enrollment meeting and other MSBA tasks through July, an October MSBA board meeting (targeted October 29) for a potential module‑2 acceptance, designer selection in late 2025 or early 2026, and a roughly two‑year feasibility and schematic design period that could carry through spring 2028. Staff characterized an aggressive earliest‑case town vote as late 2027 but said that outcome is “very highly unlikely,” and they favor a 2028 town vote timetable to give communities more time.

Officials emphasized the enrollment number’s importance: if MSBA agrees to a design enrollment of about 1,000 students, the building program and room sizing will be based on that headcount; district staff said they will press for an enrollment number that reflects students who may currently be leaving the district because of building conditions.

The committee also discussed options for the grade configuration that the feasibility work will study, including whether to renovate the existing campus or pursue a full rebuild, and whether to move sixth grade or create a single 7–12 campus. Those configuration questions will be studied during the feasibility phase, staff said.

Ending: District staff said they will bring a recommendation to the building committee and the district coordination committee after the July meeting and requested the towns continue to provide requested housing and enrollment data to support MSBA tasks.","District leaders said they are preparing enrollment and housing data for the Massachusetts School Building Authority and plan to request that the MSBA place Triton into the next project module. Officials said they have set aside about $1.7 million in stabilization funds to cover feasibility and schematic work so the town taxpayers would not carry","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Triton regional leaders warn of $350,000 unresolved FY‑26 gap; state aid and savings could narrow shortfall

Triton committee emphasizes broad student pathways beyond test scores; internships and career prep expand

Triton officials describe transportation contract differences, driver shortages and bus shortfall

Triton finance staff report resolves much of FY25 overspend; incoming director starts July 1

Triton building project moves to MSBA module 2 work; district reserves $1.7 million for feasibility phase