Monty Tech leaders presented the regional vocational school’s proposed FY2026 foundation budget of $30,990,004.14 on March 21 to the Gardner City Public Welfare Committee, saying the plan relies on federal grants and careful cost control to limit assessments on member communities.

Thomas Brown, identified in the presentation as superintendent director, told the committee the district’s foundation enrollment is 1,488 students and that the foundation budget equates to $20,008.27 per pupil. Brown said Monty Tech’s FY2026 proposed total budget is $34,641,003.24, a 3.51% increase driven mainly by required net school spending increases, payroll and benefits, and higher utilities and insurance costs.

Brown said federal grants remain central to the school’s plan. “If we get those two grants…we’ll have about $4,200,000 just for this year that we earned from private grants,” he said, referencing a roughly $2.7 million baseline in awarded grants and a recently filed $970,000 Career Technical Initiative (CTI) grant. Brown also described Perkins, Title I and IDEA funding streams that pay for staff and industry-recognition fees for students.

Why it matters: Monty Tech’s budget determines the mandatory minimum assessment towns must pay. Brown walked committee members through how state formulas—using Chapter 70 and vocational coding—translate foundation spending into each municipality’s required contribution and explained that vocational rates are higher than standard high-school rates, creating a per-student difference the regional school receives.

Key details and discussion

- Funding and grants: Brown said federal grants (Perkins, Title I, IDEA) support staff and credential fees; the school has increased grant revenue to about $2.7 million this year and is pursuing additional grants (including a $970,000 CTI application) that would raise grant-funded support to about $4.2 million if awarded. He described a Clean Energy Center grant and a CDT partnership supporting specific programs.

- Enrollment and capacity: Brown said Monty Tech receives roughly 850–860 applications but has about 350–360 seats, leaving demand far above capacity. He described the MBP Academy housed at 270 Westminster Street as a converted warehouse that expanded access for students and adults and noted plans to add plumbing as a program if approved by the state agency.

- Programs and outcomes: Brown highlighted hands-on programs (carpentry, electrical, planned plumbing) and reported strong co-op participation: 235 students were on co-op last year, with about 228 already recorded in February. He said vocational students earn industry credentials and that some graduates go into the workforce while others pursue additional college training.

- Transportation and capital: The presentation showed contracted transportation at about $2.5 million (covering 30 buses and vans) and a proposal to apply $200,000 from a regional transportation revolving fund to reduce communities’ transportation assessments. The school plans $500,000 for capital and vehicles (a $10,000 decrease from FY2025) and proposes using $250,000 from excess and deficiency (E&D) to lower the capital assessment to $250,000 net. Brown also mentioned an engineering study for major electrical upgrades and an anticipated near–$1 million cost for that work.

- Admissions changes under DESE proposal: Brown summarized a DESE proposal submitted March 2 to move to a “weighted lottery” for admissions that would count attendance and serious disciplinary incidents as factors that can increase an applicant’s odds. He said the Board of Education may vote on the policy in late May and that, if adopted, the change would first apply to current seventh graders.

Committee questions and clarifications

Council members pressed on how student slots are apportioned by sending district, and Brown said slots are allocated by each community’s share of eligible students (he used Gardner’s 27% share as an example). Members also asked about transportation routing, contract length (three-year contract with two one-year options), grant-writing capacity (the school has a grant writer), and whether Monty Tech is reducing reliance on salaries by maximizing grants.

Formal actions at the meeting

- The committee voted to waive reading of the minutes from the Dec. 12, 2024 meeting; the motion passed (vote recorded as “Aye,” no roll-call tally provided in the transcript).

- The committee voted to adjourn the meeting; the motion passed (vote recorded as “Aye,” no roll-call tally provided in the transcript).

No vote was recorded on adoption of the FY2026 budget during the March 21 presentation. Brown closed by inviting committee members to visit the MBP Academy and see students at work.

Ending

Monty Tech leaders emphasized grant-seeking and restrained operating growth as the primary ways to limit town assessments, and they identified transportation costs, payroll and an upcoming electrical upgrade as near-term budget pressures. The school will await state decisions on admissions policy and competitive grant awards that could affect the FY2026 financial picture.