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New Shoreham officials press for fairer school‑aid floor as state funding covers about 2% of school budget
Summary
Council members told state legislators that New Shoreham receives only about $99,000 in proposed state school aid for FY26—roughly 2% of the local school budget—and asked lawmakers to consider a funding floor or base amount to avoid disproportionate funding swings for very small districts.
Lede: New Shoreham officials told visiting state legislators on March 12, 2025, that the town’s proposed school aid for fiscal year 2026 is $99,000 on a roughly $6,000,000 school budget and asked that the General Assembly consider a base‑level or floor to ensure small districts are not disproportionately affected by formula changes.
Nut graf: Council members and legislators agreed the state formula can produce sharp disparities for very small or unique districts. Legislators suggested exploring a floor or base amount that would recognize fixed building and compliance costs in small communities.
Body: A town speaker described the FY26 preliminary state school aid number as, “$99,000 for the entire year, for the entire school, on a $6,000,000 budget.” Councilors asked whether the state could provide a base amount or floor to stabilize aid for municipalities with only one school or very few students.
Representative Tina Spears and Senator DiMariu said they would pursue comparisons and seek data to support an argument: lawmakers requested the council provide information on the town’s costs and the share of its operating budget that state aid covers. Speakers noted that while short‑term relief is unlikely in a constrained fiscal year, establishing a floor could be pursued in longer range budget work.
Ending: Legislators invited the town to draft proposals showing an equitable floor or base amount for state school aid so representatives can press the case in committee and budget negotiations.
