Trustees of Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School on March 25 heard a detailed preview of the district's proposed fiscal 2026 budget and were asked to set priorities while the state's nonresident tuition rate remained undetermined. The administration presented a draft built on a 3 percent assumed tuition increase and modest enrollment growth, and warned that level funding for materials and 'extraordinary maintenance' would reduce services even if staff positions were held steady.

The administration said official state guidance on the nonresident tuition rate had not arrived by the meeting; the budget as presented assumes a 3 percent increase and roughly 594 students in 2025'26. Officials said that assumption yields a proposed operating budget near $14.5 million, about a 3.9 percent increase over FY25, but cautioned the figure could change once the state posts the official nonresident tuition rate.

Why it matters: Smith draws students from multiple sending towns, and the board must balance the local cost to Northampton with revenue from nonresident tuition, capital projects funded by the city, and rising operating costs. Trustees were asked to indicate whether to preserve staffing levels, restore or increase supply and materials budgets, or set aside funds for extraordinary maintenance and pending contract settlements.

Administrators walked trustees through several interlocking pressures. The school is budgeting only two additional nonresident students for FY26, a much smaller increase than in prior years; transportation for Northampton students is funded from a tuition-revolving account, and administrators said about 7.94 additional nonresident students (under the draft assumptions) would be needed to cover that contract cost. The presentation noted that leveling materials and equipment budgets effectively buys fewer supplies because vendor prices have risen, and that leaving extraordinary maintenance at $0 would eliminate a supplemental funding source used in recent years for building repairs and small capital projects.

Trustees received a rundown of other budget drivers: completion of the horticulture building project, potential effects of federal actions on state funding, and pending labor negotiations with Unit D. The administration said the city has approved roughly $635,000 in capital projects (including HVAC/AC projects) that are accounted for separately from the operating budget but reduce available city funds for recurring operating needs.

Administration officials flagged choices for trustees: accept level funding for materials and zero extraordinary maintenance to protect staff positions, or prioritize facility and materials spending and consider staffing reductions if necessary. The presenter asked trustees to give clear priorities so the administration could return with a balanced budget for a formal vote at the board's April 8 meeting when the state tuition rate is expected to be available.

Background and context: The board received enrollment data (587 students reported on Oct. 1; the administration said the active count was about 584 on the night of the meeting) and an update on admissions and DESE's proposed changes to vocational-technical admissions rules. Administrators also noted a longer-term trend of leveling enrollment across regional vocational schools in Western Massachusetts, which affects revenue projections.

Next steps: Administrators said they will update the draft after the state posts the nonresident tuition rate and will incorporate trustees' priorities into the April 8 budget vote. Trustees asked for more detail on assumptions used in the draft and the likely financial impact of pending contract settlements.