Blackstone Millville leaders preview $32.05 million FY26 budget; towns see higher mandated contribution

School and town officials from the Blackstone Millville Regional School District (BMR) reviewed the district’s draft fiscal year 2026 budget and five-year capital priorities at a joint budget summit, laying out a $32,054,773 spending plan and a mix of one-time and ongoing revenues intended to limit the assessment impact on the towns of Blackstone and Millville.

The presentation, led by Superintendent Jason DeFalco, Assistant Superintendent Jill Pilagalarani and Director of Finance and Operations Joe Spada, emphasized rising enrollment and student needs as the main cost drivers. “We are continuing to make moderate progress toward our goals as a district,” Pilagalarani said while reviewing accountability and student-performance measures that administrators said support proposed staffing and program investments.

Why it matters: The draft budget would increase the district’s total assessment but uses state aid growth and federal grants to reduce pressure on town tax levies. Spada told officials the proposal relies on a mix of increased foundation aid and targeted offsets to avoid a larger assessment increase: “the total budget is $32,054,773,” and, later, “the total reduction with all of these ongoing, revenues and 1 time, revenues is exactly $3,659,040,” he said, describing how one-time and recurring revenues were applied to lower the towns’ shares.

Key details

- Budget total and revenues: The proposed general-fund budget is $32,054,773. Spada showed projected state revenue at…