Ellsworth council approves FY2026 school budget package, including $6.6 million in additional local funds

The Ellsworth City Council voted to adopt the Ellsworth School Department’s fiscal 2026 budget package after a public hearing and discussion, approving the school operating budget, additional local funding to cover costs not paid by the state and a set of reserve allocations and authorizations for grants and receipts.

The approvals formalize the school board’s budget recommendations for the 2025–26 fiscal year, including a recommended total operating appropriation, a $6,624,474.25 request in additional local funds beyond the state’s essential programs and services allocation, and several reserves: $100,000 for student and staff support technology, $15,000 for food-service contingency, and $50,000 for unanticipated special-education costs.

The school board and school administration told councilors the extra local funding is needed to cover costs the state model does not fully fund, specifically facilities maintenance, special education, technology, transportation and administration. Sarah, presenting for the city manager, told the council that "the school budget is slated for the vote tonight" as part of the FY26 approvals. The school leadership thanked council members and city staff for collaboration: the superintendent said, "We greatly appreciate the collaboration that we've had this year," and named district finance staff who supported the process.

Council discussion and a short public hearing preceded the roll calls. Councilor Kelser Hallen announced on the record that he would abstain because his wife is employed by the school department. The council then approved each of the school-related orders and the consolidated motion to authorize the school board to expend awarded grants and additional receipts; the motions passed with no roll-call tallies read aloud in the record and with Hallen recorded as abstaining.

Votes at a glance - Council Order 042501A — Approve state/local EPS funding allocation; school board recommended $8,173,085. Outcome: approved. (Motion read and seconded; no roll-call tally in the public record.) - Council Order 042501B — Raise/appropriate annual debt-service payments for non-state-funded school construction projects; school board recommended $75,023.57. Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501C — Raise and appropriate $6,624,474.25 in additional local funds (amounts above the state model) to fund the school board’s recommended budget. Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501D — Authorize the school board to expend total school operating budget for FY2026 of $32,014,754.69 from all sources (state subsidy, local funds, tuition, receipts). Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501E — Appropriate $266,084 for adult education and raise $266,084 as local share (motion text contains a minor numeric inconsistency in the published motion). Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501F — Appropriate $7,272,719.23 for the school food-service program and authorize expenditure of unexpended balances and additional receipts. Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501G — Authorize the school board to expend additional federal/state grants or other receipts received during the fiscal year provided no additional local match is required. Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501H — Authorize establishment of reserves from FY2025 ending fund balance: $100,000 for student and staff support technology; Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501I — Authorize addition to reserves from FY2025 ending balances: $15,000 for food-service contingency and $50,000 for special-education tuition contingency. Outcome: approved. - Council Order 042501J — If the school department receives more state education subsidy than included in the budget, authorize the board to use additional subsidy to increase expenditures, increase reserves or decrease the local cost share. Outcome: approved.

What the votes do and why they matter The approved package combines the state-recommended allocation with local dollars to cover district costs that the state model does not fully recognize, notably special education, facilities maintenance and transportation. The decisions set the school department’s spending authority for the 2025–26 fiscal year and will factor into the city’s property tax calculations when the full municipal budget is adopted.

Clarifying details in the record show several reserve and contingency amounts and that the school board will be authorized to spend federal and state grants as awarded during the year. The council did not provide roll-call vote tally numbers in the public record for each order; council minutes record the motions, second and that the orders were approved. Councilor Kelser Hallen’s abstention was stated on the record prior to the votes because of a family employment relationship with the district.

Next steps The school department and city staff said they will proceed with the implementation of the approved operating budget and reserves. The council and school board will coordinate remaining municipal budget steps so that the city can finalize its FY26 budget and complete tax-billing preparations.