Chariho presents FY26 omnibus budget; officials flag transportation costs, fund-balance concerns

Chariho Regional School District Superintendent Gina Picard presented the district's fiscal year 2026 omnibus budget to the Chariho School Committee and regional town representatives, framing the proposal as fiscally responsible while warning that transportation costs and unfunded state mandates are the largest current pressures on local taxpayers.

"This budget ensures Chariho stays on track to provide high quality and rigorous public education to all of our students," Picard said as she opened the presentation, adding that the figures discussed were based on the governor's preliminary FY26 budget.

The nut graf: The proposed FY26 budget shows a 3.2% spending increase before state aid and a 2.1% increase after using the governor's current aid numbers. Officials and public speakers used the omnibus hearing to press for legislative changes to how the state funds regional transportation and to urge the district to revisit its fund-balance policy amid rising health-care and special-education costs.

Most important details first: Picard said the district is using the governor's Jan. 14 estimate of state aid, $15,304,248, and an estimated $3,000,000 in career-and-technical tuition revenue to build the FY26 budget. She noted the district's preliminary budget increase of 3.2% is "before state aid" and therefore becomes a 2.1% increase after the current state-aid estimate.

Picard and district staff pointed to several drivers of higher costs: projected health-care premium increases of 15% to 20%, updates to science curriculum materials, rising utilities and facility needs, higher out-of-district…