North Brookfield school committee approves $7.20 million FY26 budget to present at town meeting

Town of North Brookfield officials voted on June 3 to forward a $7,199,204 fiscal year 2026 school budget to the town moderator for consideration at the June 13 town meeting.

Superintendent Tim McCormick presented the FY26 proposal and told the hearing the district had pared an earlier, larger request through staffing realignments, program offsets and grant revenue. “We are committed to continuous improvement, innovation and the celebration of diversity,” McCormick said as he opened his presentation on the district’s needs and finances.

The budget package presented by McCormick shows a school-side operating request that the superintendent described as “just shy of $7.2 million” and identified transportation at about $950,000. The presentation listed roughly $1.88 million in offsets, including an increased circuit-breaker (special-education) reimbursement projected at about $885,000 and additional state reimbursements tied to school choice and other special-education figures that McCormick said were verified with DESE staff.

McCormick explained several categories of reductions and savings the district used to reach the proposed figure: staff realignments and replacements after retirements or resignations that yielded about $225,000 in savings; contract-driven salary adjustments totaling roughly $90,000; fuel oil reductions estimated at $40,000; a $75,000 state grant that can offset $25,000 of a STEM teacher position; and other instructional and custodial cuts. He said those measures combined with hiring at lower rates produced approximately $524,000 in direct savings and about $359,467 in additional salary reductions across the district.

The proposal retains the district-wide art and music programs, McCormick said, while trimming several part‑time and full‑time positions. He listed examples of position changes and estimated savings: an occupational-therapy retirement that yields an estimated $36,000 in savings after hiring a 0.8 FTE replacement, caps on projected salaries for an incoming principal and facilities director that reduce projected costs, and reductions to ELA, media specialist, music and other positions in varying degrees. McCormick said the final FY26 budget would represent less than a 2% increase over FY25.

Public commenters spoke during the hearing. Ken Schubert, identifying himself as a North Brookfield resident, questioned state funding and representation in Boston. A resident who identified herself as an ELA high school teacher criticized a question about accreditation and said the comment was “completely insulting,” saying staff had worked through the district’s recent NEASC accreditation process. Another commenter, identifying herself as a grandparent, expressed support for the schools and concern about program reductions.

Committee member Sheila LeBlanc asked for clarification about whether Medicaid revenue was included in the operating total; McCormick responded that Medicaid should not be counted in the operating figure and reiterated the recommended operating total of $7,199,204.

During a brief discussion after the presentation, Chairman Figueroa put the motion to approve the proposed FY26 school budget for submission to the town moderator. The chair then called for a voice vote. “All in favor of approving the budget as presented — the fiscal year 2026 school budget of $7,199,204 to present to the town moderator for the town meeting on 06/13/2025,” Chairman Figueroa said. The voice vote was recorded as “Aye” and the motion carried.

The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the action recorded in the hearing minutes is a voice vote approving the submittal of the FY26 school operating budget to the town moderator for the June 13 town meeting. The superintendent said final state numbers — including chapter 70 and rural school-aid figures — could still be revised by the Legislature and governor, and reminded the committee that some offsets reflected recent confirmations from DESE.

The hearing adjourned after the vote and brief public comment.