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School board and city staff begin discussion on shifting school budget vote date; no formal request made
Summary
Steering committee members and school leaders discussed whether the school budget vote should move off traditional town meeting day to allow more time for budget development and community engagement. The board has not made a formal request; legal and turnout implications — including whether a charter change would be required — were raised.
School board members and city officials discussed a preliminary proposal to change the date on which school budgets are voted, with the superintendent telling the steering committee that the board has not yet made a formal request and that additional community engagement would be required.
Superintendent Violet Nichols described the problem that sparked the idea: in recent years late changes in state education funding substantially altered the district’s budget proposals after the board had warned its budget for town meeting day. "Overnight, that 12% budget became a 23 and a half percent budget," Nichols said, describing the timing pressures that followed unexpected state funding…
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