Northbridge committee hears FY26 budget with $692,000 shortfall; proposes 4.95% override phased over five years

Northbridge Public Schools Superintendent (name not specified) told the school committee on March 11 that the district’s proposed fiscal 2026 level-services operating budget still shows a $692,000 deficit after planned reorganization and reductions.

The shortfall persists despite a proposed town appropriation increase of $391,000, expected Chapter 70 state aid of about $16,200,000, roughly $1.1 million in grant revenue, and a planned use of $4.6 million from district revolving ("revolver") accounts. The superintendent said the committee is proposing a 4.95% override to be phased in over five years, totaling $4,950,000, to close multi‑year funding gaps.

The proposal would also move Northbridge Public Schools’ eighth grade into Northbridge High School next year. The superintendent said the shift reduces costs by $324,000 and aims to increase eighth-graders’ access to advanced courses, athletics and career/college opportunities by sharing facilities and staff.

Why it matters: the budget presentation framed a structural funding problem the district has warned about for years — rising special-education and transportation costs, lower enrollment and state aid increases that do not match expense growth. Committee members and the superintendent said the district has relied on one-time or temporary funds (ESSER, other grants and revolver balances) that cannot sustainably cover recurring costs.

Key budget math and revenue choices The superintendent described the district’s revenue mix: Chapter 70 state aid and the town appropriation together fund the appropriation used at Town Meeting; grants and revolver accounts fill the remainder. The presentation projected a $533,903 increase in total appropriation (the town contribution plus state aid) for FY26, grant revenue near $1.1 million and $4.6 million available from revolver funds this year. The superintendent warned that relying on large one‑time uses of revolvers makes future years’ shortfalls larger because annual revolver revenue is lower than the one‑time drawdown.

To illustrate scale, the presentation noted that the district’s FY23 per‑pupil expenditure was about $16,723, below the state average of $20,767. The superintendent emphasized that an individual student with multiple needs can cost far more than the base per‑pupil figure: "For students with disabilities, add another $32,000," the superintendent said. The presentation said the district expects 33 students to need out‑of‑district placements next year; the superintendent noted van runs for some placements can average about $68,000 annually.

Staffing additions, reorganizations and reductions The recommended FY26 budget includes several personnel changes the superintendent said are intended to meet student needs and limit higher-cost out‑of‑district placements: - Add a culinary/home economics teacher at the high school (responding to strong student interest). - Add a middle‑school special‑education inclusion teacher tied to the eighth‑grade move. - Add a BCBA (board‑certified behavior analyst) to support substantially separate programs. The superintendent said adding a BCBA can reduce more expensive out‑of‑district placements in the long run. - Reorganize high‑school positions by combining the dean/vocational coordinator and the athletic director roles and add a full‑time athletic trainer. - Adjust nursing coverage (consolidating a resource nurse and per‑diem coverage into a full‑time per‑diem role with flexible assignment). - Adjust speech‑language staffing to use an SLPA (speech‑language pathologist assistant) where licensure rules allow.

If the override is not approved, the superintendent outlined potential cuts and reorganizations that would together reduce about nine full‑time equivalents, including reductions to kindergarten and early‑grade sections (changing class counts and increasing class sizes), eliminating a high‑school foreign language teacher, and cutting some middle‑school athletics and other non‑student‑facing supplies. The superintendent warned that single‑year reductions do not solve the multi‑year structural gap; a $692,000 reduction in FY26 would still produce a projected $2.6 million deficit in FY27 under a level‑services scenario.

Committee discussion and next steps Committee members asked for clarification about the magnitude and drivers of step increases in teacher salary grids, transportation contract increases (the new contract added over $200,000), and the mechanics of revolver balances. The superintendent said the district has used revolver funds in recent years to delay deeper cuts and that those balances were built partly by positions remaining vacant or one‑time underspending.

The committee set a public hearing on the proposed budget for March 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the high‑school auditorium and planned additional presentations to the town finance committee. The superintendent noted resources from the Homeland Security audit will be used to pursue grants for building security improvements and said the district will run a districtwide "See Something, Say Something" safety campaign.

Votes at a glance - Approval of consent agenda (minutes): passed by roll call (Heather Alden: yes; Shannon Kenois: yes; Jill Leonard: yes; Jonathan Kenois: yes). The motion and second were not named in the record. - Motion to enter executive session (Mass. Gen. Laws cited in the meeting): passed by roll call (Jonathan Kenois: yes; Shannon Kenois: yes; Jill Leonard: yes; Heather Alden: yes). The motion and second were not named in the record.

Discussion vs. decisions Discussion points: budget drivers (special education, transportation, salary step costs), the rationale for the eighth‑grade move, options for closing the gap, and the sustainability of revolver uses. Direction/assignments: hold a public hearing March 18; present the budget to the town finance committee; continue negotiations with staff unions; pursue grant funding for security recommendations from the Homeland Security audit. Formal decisions: the committee did not adopt a final FY26 appropriation or vote on an override at this meeting; they voted only on routine minutes and to move into executive session for negotiations.

Clarifying details extracted from the presentation - Expected Chapter 70 state aid: about $16,200,000 (as stated in presentation). - Proposed town contribution increase: $391,000 (presentation figure). - Revolver funds planned to use in FY26: $4,600,000 (presentation figure); revolving annual incoming revenue projected ~ $2,600,000. - Initial FY26 budget gap before adjustments: approximately $1,100,000; adjusted draft deficit presented at meeting: $692,000. - Estimated cost reduction from moving eighth grade to high school: $324,000 (presentation). - Number of students projected in out‑of‑district placements for next year: 33 (presentation). - Example transportation/van run average annual cost cited: about $68,000 (presentation).

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Community relevance and next steps The proposed budget affects staffing, classroom sizes and student programs across Northbridge; town voters will ultimately decide an override if the committee advances it. The committee encouraged public attendance at the March 18 public hearing and further review with the town finance committee. The superintendent cautioned that using one‑time revolver funds is not a long‑term fix and that the district may need deeper reductions without new recurring revenue.

Ending note: the committee made no final budget decision at the March 11 meeting; public hearings and further negotiations were scheduled.