Brookline schools present $8.4 million gap for FY26 as town, committee debate short-term options

The Brookline School Department told the Select Board on April 15 that its original FY26 budget request of $149.99 million leaves a remaining gap of $1,000,716 after the school committee’s recent reductions and some revenue adjustments. Superintendent and finance staff said the full, originally proposed budget rose about $13 million year over year, driven largely by step/column increases, added mandated special‑education costs and out‑of‑district tuition, and grants that expired and had to be absorbed into the operating budget.

The department’s presentation, delivered by School Business Administrator Susan Givens and temporarily by Dr. Guillory, laid out key drivers: salary increases and step/column plus cost‑of‑living adjustments (about $5.3 million), additional staff and restored positions tied to student needs and programs ($1.9 million in new-position requests in the initial proposal), and recurring non‑salary increases largely driven by special‑education tuition and transportation ($3.6 million). Givens told the board that 85 percent of the school budget is salary‑related.

Town and school officials emphasized the…