Nashoba presents FY26 budget workshop; operating request up about 10%, officials warn cuts likely

School officials presented the Nashoba Regional School Committee with a preliminary FY26 budget on Jan. 15 that would raise the district’s operating request to $73,217,999 — a 10.07% increase over FY25 — and projected further borrowing for the high school renovation.

"This is just the beginning of the process," Superintendent Kirk Downing told the committee, stressing that the workshop reflects the aggregate of requests from buildings and departments and that some proposed items may not be funded as the budget is refined.

Why it matters: The proposed operating increase and the separate high-school debt service would change assessments to the district’s three member towns. Officials said the district must close a multimillion-dollar gap between proposed spending and the level towns are likely to accept, through a mix of increased revenues and spending reductions.

Key figures and drivers - Operating request presented: $73,217,999 (10.07% increase over FY25). Ross Mulcahren, who led the financial presentation, said the total district budget picture also accounts for high-school construction borrowing and debt service. - Debt planning: officials described a multi-stage borrowing plan for the high school and said an upcoming bond sale could be roughly $80 million; the second borrowing would add to annual debt-service assessments. - Personnel and program asks: the package presented includes districtwide personnel requests totaling roughly 3.8 "unit A" (licensed educator) FTEs, 2.8 "unit C" support FTEs and 2.0 nonrepresented FTEs, plus proposed new elementary academic tutors and health/nursing positions. - Transportation and special-education costs: special-education transportation rose sharply after a summer contract change; out-of-district tuition and transportation costs rose and the district said circuit-breaker reimbursement rates have fallen (transportation reimbursement for circuit breaker dropped from ~75% in FY22 to ~44% for FY25), increasing net local expense. - Insurance: the district applied a 12% placeholder for active-employee health insurance pending final rates; retiree health costs also rose.

Officials offered budget-reduction scenarios to the committee. The presentation included a table showing how much would need to be reduced from the proposed operating budget to reach specific operating-increase targets: for example, reducing the FY26 operating increase to 5% would require approximately $3.3 million in cuts from the proposal presented.

Committee questions focused on class-size standards, kindergarten registration timing and the distribution of staffing requests among the schools. District leaders said their staffing proposals use five-year rolling averages and literal interpretation of class-size standards to show need; they said final class-section and staffing decisions will be made as registration data and state revenue numbers arrive.

Officials also noted timing: the district expects the governor’s proposed budget and the state’s preliminary aid/cherry-sheet information in late January; the next committee budget workshop is scheduled for Jan. 29 and will include updates.

Votes and formal items - Consent agenda: the committee approved the consent agenda for Jan. 15, 2025, with the Veil Middle School donation acceptance request removed for separate consideration. That motion was made on the floor and passed by roll-call vote.

What's next: Administrators asked committee members to submit specific follow-up questions so staff can prepare reduction options and updated revenue projections for the Jan. 29 workshop. Officials emphasized that final assessments to towns will change as state aid, enrollment and insurance rates are finalized.