Franklin School Committee approves $80.4 million FY26 budget as educators warn of program losses

The Franklin School Committee voted Tuesday to approve the superintendent's recommended fiscal year 2026 operating budget of $80,395,338, a 3.78% increase over FY25 that district leaders said would require resolving a $3.6 million structural shortfall before the appropriation can be fully funded.

Committee members approved the measure by voice vote after a presentation from district staff and more than a dozen public comments from Franklin educators pressing the community to support the budget through an override. The committee’s approval moves the proposal forward to the town budget process, where final funding and any required adjustments will be determined.

District officials said the recommended budget restores several positions and preserves class-size targets while relying on a one-time consolidation benefit tied to the district’s redistricting. “The total budget request is for $80,395,338. That’s a 3.78% increase over FY ’25,” the superintendent said during the presentation, summarizing the district’s projections and the central role resolving the structural deficit will play in making the budget operable.

Why it matters: educators said the line items behind those figures…