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Westerly committee previews 2026 school budget with modest overall increase, asks town for larger appropriation
Summary
District staff presented a proposed fiscal 2026 budget with a 1.45% overall increase and a request to the town for $1,515,423 (3.09%). Officials warned a drop in state aid and health-insurance cost growth are driving the request and outlined a net staffing reduction of 5.85 full‑time equivalents.
Westerly School District staff presented a proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget that would raise overall spending by 1.45% over the current year and ask the town for an additional $1,515,423, a 3.09% local-appropriation increase.
Cindy (staff member) told the School Committee the package assumes no fund-balance carryforward, a reduction in state aid based on the governor’s recommendation, and the removal of expected tuition revenue from other districts. She said the governor’s recommended state-aid figure reduces district revenue by $172,947 and that the district removed a previously budgeted $57,352 in tuition revenue because it expects no incoming tuition students for the coming year.
Staff presented the major expenditure drivers: a roughly $390,000 increase tied to health‑insurance cost changes, a 10% upward adjustment in benefit rates the district used for its forecast, and multiple staffing changes. On the personnel side, the budget shows a proposed net reduction of 5.85 full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions: 11.56 FTE reductions offset by 5.71 FTE additions. Staff emphasized that the majority of the district’s spending remains in salaries and benefits.
The superintendent’s office and finance staff said the proposed budget relies on a modest revenue picture and urged the committee to consider whether to use fund balance for one‑time needs such as textbooks or capital items. Staff noted the district carried forward fund-balance funding for certain positions in the prior year and said that practice reduces near‑term pressure but is not part of the current proposed revenue plan.
Committee members asked about legal costs, contract negotiations and whether any additional cuts could produce the town request at a smaller percentage. Staff said legal spending has historically been managed by shifting savings from other lines, and that two contract negotiations are scheduled for the coming year. The superintendent and business office asked committee members to surface any specific reductions they want staff to analyze before the Feb. 25 deadline, when the committee must vote its proposed budget to send to the town.
The committee scheduled continued review and agreed to revisit site-level line items and one‑time purchases before formally approving the proposed budget on Feb. 20. No formal votes on the budget were taken at this meeting.
