Fall River schools present $197.8 million FY26 operating budget and press state on transportation funding

Fall River Public Schools Superintendent Tracy Curley and district financial staff presented a proposed FY26 operating budget of $197,837,210 and a proposed transportation budget of $13,100,000 during a joint meeting with the City Council and the School Committee on April 8.

The presentation opened with Superintendent Tracy Curley describing the budget as an ‘‘extension of our district priorities’’ and saying the FY26 plan grew from a process that began last fall with staff and community input. Curley said the district prioritized investments in staffing, special education and multilingual supports, infrastructure and student supports.

CFO Kevin Almeda walked the joint body through cost drivers and state funding context, noting Fall River is entering year five of six under the Student Opportunity Act and describing the related effects on net school spending and required local contributions. "We are entering year 5 of 6 for the Student Opportunity Act," Almeda said, and showed net school spending climbing from roughly $170 million in 2021 to an estimated $274 million for FY26 under the governor's House 1 figures.

Almeda and COO Ken Pacheco also outlined enrollment and operational changes: the district reported roughly 435 additional students overall, including increases in grades 9–12, and said pre‑K…