Nantucket Public Schools presents FY26 budget plan: projected $43.15 million, focus on curriculum and instructional supports

Nantucket Public Schools leaders presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 school budget and instructional priorities to the Town Finance Committee. Presenters described demographic shifts, enrollment projections, federal grant support and planned uses of one-time funds while saying the district will not add permanent staff beyond roll-forward amounts for FY26.

Dr. Beth Allen and district finance staff outlined enrollment trends and student subgroup changes. Dr. Allen noted the district’s largest subgroup is now Hispanic, saying, "Our highest subgroup percentage is actually Hispanic at 43.4% of the whole district and 41.7 is white, 8.5 is African American, and then 6.5 is considered other." Presenters showed enrollment has been fairly stable in recent years and described growth in the English-learner (EL) and special-education populations.

Martin (district finance) presented the FY26 spending projection and said the district intends to use $300,000 of one-time funds (free cash) for a districtwide English language arts curriculum adoption. He summarized the FY25 budget and said projected FY26 spending totals $43,146,176. Martin said approximately $300,000 of the operating and salary increase will be funded by one‑time free cash to purchase a new ELA curriculum; he described about $2.78 million in operating and salary increases overall, of which $300,000 is one-time.

School staff described the district’s revenue mix, including state Chapter 70 aid and federal grants. The presentation listed total federal Title grants and IDEA funding at roughly $630,000 combined; line items shown in the slides included Title I ($83,495), Title II ($27,000) and Title III ($51,181). Martin told the committee that he had submitted reimbursement requests of roughly $300,000 to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that were approved quickly and expected to be received.

District leaders emphasized instructional priorities tied to access and equity. The presentation introduced an instructional focus that includes sheltered English immersion, inclusive instruction and universal design for learning; staff framed the work as linked to teacher evaluation and professional learning. "We will continue to provide those strong supports for special education programs and services, including targeted interventions for students in need," Dr. Allen said.

Presenters described budgetary pressures. The district’s per‑pupil spending ranks above the Massachusetts average and presenters said contractual salary increases will push per‑pupil figures higher in coming years. District staff said operating costs — chiefly facilities repair and maintenance, out‑of‑district special‑education tuition and supplies — are an area of concern; the finance presenter said operating expense growth gives him the most concern because payroll is driven by multi‑year contracts.

Committee members asked about student achievement metrics, special-education costs and facilities needs. Dr. Allen and Martin said MCAS and nationally normed benchmark (MAP) assessments guide instructional change and that new math and literacy curriculum adoptions require multi‑year implementation to show achievement gains. On special education, presenters said costs can vary widely because placements for high‑need students can be expensive and unpredictable.

Questions touched on recruitment and retention. Dr. Allen said the district had trouble filling specialized roles such as school psychologists and BCBAs and cited housing affordability on Nantucket as the primary retention challenge. Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) were discussed; Stephanie Hoban, the district’s technology director, told the committee she is forming a team to evaluate education‑focused AI platforms for responsible classroom use.

The presentation included a breakdown of school budgets by building — Nantucket High School, Nantucket Intermediate School, Nantucket Elementary School and Cyrus Peirce School — and a community school revenue chart that shows reliance on general fund subsidy, gifts/donations and participant fees. The committee did not take a vote on the school budget during this meeting; the budget will proceed through the town’s budget process and may appear on a later warrant article for appropriation.