Burlington superintendent proposes level-service FY26 budget, estimates 2% property-tax decrease

Superintendent Flanagan presented the Burlington School District's proposed fiscal 2026 budget at the school board meeting on Jan. 7, recommending "a budget that maintains the current level of service," and telling the board the package would result in an estimated 2% decrease in property taxes if the proposal and state figures hold.

The proposal keeps overall services intact while aligning staffing to enrollment, increases targeted RISE (equity) allocations for higher-need students, and restores funding for central facilities maintenance. Flanagan said the district is also reducing central-office budgets by 2% while moving money to building maintenance needs such as replacing a boiler at Champlain Elementary School.

Why it matters: The budget package frames short-term reductions and reassignments alongside investments targeted to students identified as most in need. The district described the proposal as a level-service plan that balances enrollment-driven staffing…