School committee reviews FY26 adjustments for Articles 1, 4, 5 and 7; substitutes, transportation and paid‑leave cited as drivers

Lewiston Public Schools officials presented proposed adjustments to the district’s FY26 operating budget covering Articles 1, 4, 5 and 7 and described personnel and nonpersonnel drivers that raise costs in the next fiscal year.

The committee reviewed tables showing year‑over‑year increases concentrated in staff compensation, substitute coverage and extended‑day transportation, and staff said a state paid family medical‑leave contribution also increases the district’s employer side of payroll costs. There were no final votes on the budget at the meeting; committee members directed staff to return with more detail at later workshops.

Why it matters: Article 1 covers regular instruction — classroom teachers, instructional staff and other school‑based personnel — and accounts for the largest share of the requested increase because steps, contract adjustments and benefits rise with staff costs. Article 4 pays for extended‑day and summer programs (for example, after‑school 21st‑Century programs and summer school) and includes transportation to those programs. Article 5 covers student and staff support services such as guidance, nurses, instructional technology and professional development. Article 7 funds school administration functions.

School officials told the committee they are trying to limit nonessential purchases and to rely on actuals (the current year’s spending data) to refine requests. However, multiple budget lines require more funding even in a tight overall plan because of contractual obligations and new or elevated costs: - Substitutes: Projected substitute spending rose districtwide to reflect extended leave use, an ongoing hiring shortage in some roles, and expected overlap when staff use accrued leave that still requires coverage. - Transportation for extended programs: Officials said they shifted some transportation costs into Article 4 so federal and grant restrictions on after‑school funding would not force staff cuts. That raises the district’s local transportation line for extended‑day routes. - Paid family medical leave (PFML): District staff explained the state PFML program creates an employer contribution; the district budget includes its expected share as required under current rules.

Officials emphasized that many of the dollar changes are concentrated in a few lines. For example, after accounting for grant support and program reallocations, the remaining local increases are driven most heavily by personnel‑related lines (teacher and support staff pay, substitute coverage) and by transportation tied to after‑school and summer offerings.

What comes next: Administrators said the committee will receive additional detail at upcoming workshops: special education (Article 2) will be discussed at the next meeting, with a later joint session covering broader transportation questions and the city council joint meeting scheduled thereafter. Committee members asked for line‑by‑line follow‑up on such items as stipends, contracted services (including pre‑K provider agreements) and the district’s strategy for covering PFML costs.

In the meeting the committee moved into executive session on a personnel matter (no public budget votes were taken).