Business official outlines 2025–26 budget preview, capital projects and tax‑levy calculation

John O'Keefe, the district’s deputy superintendent and school business official, presented the board and community with the first formal overview of the 2025–26 budget process at the Feb. 11 meeting.

O'Keefe told the board that the district’s current budget is just under $282 million for 2024–25 and that he expects ongoing pressure from inflation and constrained levy growth. He reviewed reserves, noting a total of about $82.7 million in restricted reserves and an unassigned fund balance near the statutory 4% limit (about $11.2 million). He said the district appropriated nearly $13 million from reserves to balance the current year budget.

The presentation identified proposed capital projects totaling about $10.88 million for the next year. Major items included a full renovation of the South High School auditorium, an exhaust/dust collection system for the robotics lab, replacement of a 1,000+ gallon domestic hot water storage tank at South High/South Middle, a public-address upgrade at JFK, replacement of a deteriorating pedestrian footbridge on district property, roof work at Lakeville and replacement of a boiler at Cumberland. O'Keefe also proposed replacing three mini-buses (two equipped with handicap lifts and one 30-passenger) and adding targeted capital work at Village School (bathroom renovations) and North Middle (boiler replacement).

A separate proposition, discussed as a potential use of the district's capital reserve and requiring voter authorization at least 30 days before the budget vote, would fund a phase‑1 renovation of the North Middle athletic complex. That conceptual project would install a synthetic field, resurface the track, add lighting, a 1,000-seat grandstand with a press box, new bathrooms and a concession building, improved pedestrian walkways and sewer connections. The interior project paired with that field would be a renovation of “Room 21” at North Middle into a multi-purpose instructional space. O'Keefe estimated the combined two‑project cost at about $8.9 million, with an expected state building-aid reimbursement of roughly $886,000 (about 10% for this district’s aid rate).

On the tax-levy calculation, O'Keefe summarized the formula components (tax-base growth factor, allowable levy growth factor, PILOT adjustments and capital levy change). With the projects he outlined, he estimated a potential tax-levy increase of about $7.2 million or roughly 3.05% — within the statutory cap calculation and therefore requiring only a simple majority vote at the polls.

O'Keefe closed by outlining the budget timetable: two additional public budget presentations in March and April, a budget hearing on May 12 and the budget vote on May 20. Board members asked clarifying questions about reserves, capital project timing and the need to preserve discretionary fund balance.

The presentation was informational; no budget adoption vote was taken at the Feb. 11 meeting.