Revere City schools budget rises $5.28 million; district to cut 35 classroom positions to balance books

Revere City Superintendent Diane Kelly told the Ways and Means Committee on June 23 that the proposed fiscal 2026 school department appropriation will rise by $5,282,420, driven largely by negotiated salary increases and higher special-education costs.

Kelly said the district will use an anticipated $5,250,000 from carryforward funds and just under $1,700,000 from the district reserve to balance the budget, leaving roughly $7 million mobilized to cover the FY26 gap. “We are activating $5,250,000 from carry forward,” Kelly said.

The budget summary in the committee packet shows a 3% increase in salary spending from $89.7 million to $92.7 million and a 6% non‑salary increase of about $2.2 million, most of which Kelly said pays for outside tuitions and contracted services for students with special needs.

To achieve balance, Kelly said the district will eliminate a number of positions, primarily teacher leadership roles that will return to classroom teaching, and that the net effect will be 35 fewer classroom teachers next school year than this year. She said the district avoided any reduction in force and that layoffs were…