Portsmouth board adopts FY2025–26 operating budget; two members oppose cuts to specific programs

The Portsmouth City School Board voted 7–2 on June 5 to approve the fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget, a final vote that board members said included difficult tradeoffs to fund pay and retention priorities while cutting some programs.

A board member who announced a no vote said the decision was not a rejection of teacher pay increases but an objection to program cuts that she said “set the course apart from other divisions,” naming STARBASE and Dual Language Immersion (DLI) as examples of programs she did not want to eliminate. Another board member also cited program cuts as the reason for a no vote.

Board discussion during the roll call period included how and when the district will notify parents and staff about canceled programs. Division staff said communication would go out to students currently enrolled in affected programs and that, now that the budget is passed, documentation can be distributed divisionwide so families and interested parties know programs are no longer available.

The board’s vote followed public business and prior motions to move consent items and to approve a revised FY 2024–25 general fund budget earlier in the meeting. The FY 2025–26 approval passed after a roll call; board minutes show the final tally as seven in favor and two opposed.

Board members said the division will notify affected families and staff and provide follow‑up information for students currently enrolled in programs slated for cancellation.

What happens next: division staff will prepare communications for families and staff about program cancellations and work to identify supports for students formerly served by the affected programs. The board indicated it may revisit program decisions in future budget cycles.