Holliston administration outlines FY26 budget; priority needs add roughly $446,000 and could widen staffing shortfall
Loading...
Summary
School administrators presented a level‑services FY26 budget and a list of priority needs that would raise the requested budget and could require position reductions if the town cannot increase its contribution.
School administrators presented their FY26 level‑services budget on Feb. 13 and said priority staffing and service requests would raise the district’s request beyond the town manager’s placeholder, creating a possible shortfall that could affect staffing.
Administrators told the School Committee the FY26 level‑services budget — the cost to maintain current staffing and program levels — is estimated at $44,784,400, a projected 4.21% increase over the current appropriation. With the town manager’s modeled local contribution set near 3.25%, the district said that would leave a projected deficit of $414,594 under the level‑services model.
Superintendent’s office staff described priority needs that would add roughly $446,000 in personnel and program requests, including: two 0.5 FTE English language learner positions (Placentino and Miller), a 0.2 FTE increase in occupational therapy at Miller, a 0.5 ELL position at Placentino and additional tutors and performing‑arts staff at the high school and middle school. The administration said adding all priority requests would raise the district’s proposed total to about $45.23 million (approximately a 5.25% increase).
The administration reported progress containing special‑education tuition and transportation costs but cautioned those figures remain volatile. School staff noted out‑of‑district placements have declined in number but average placement costs have risen; the district carried a one‑time $750,000 town offset this year to help manage those increases. The administration estimated personnel costs (steps and lane changes plus a projected COLA) account for the majority of the increase in the level‑services projection.
The committee discussed options should town funding not cover priority needs. The administration said gaps of the magnitude modeled would likely require personnel reductions (the presentation noted an estimate of roughly 6–10 positions if the district had to absorb the full shortfall), and members said they would work with the administration and the town’s budget committee to refine targets and identify offsets.
Capital and cash‑flow requests were also presented, including a high‑school Wi‑Fi upgrade (with an estimated $33,000 rebate), auditorium lighting replacement (estimates reduced from more than $200,000 to a quoted $99,000 for essential components), and critical exterior door replacements that the administration said would align with future MSBA accelerated repair applications.
What’s next: The district’s budget subcommittee will continue refining assumptions in the coming weeks and expects to return to the full committee with updated figures ahead of the town’s budget timeline.
