Burrillville superintendent asks town council to consider set-aside accounts to avoid FY26 cuts

Superintendent Dr. Salito told the Burrillville School Committee on June 10 that he and town representatives will attend the town council meeting on June 11 to advocate for full funding of the district's fiscal year 2026 budget request and to ask the council to consider set-aside accounts for specific cost areas.

Dr. Salito said the town manager's recommendation falls short of the district's request. He asked the council to consider three set-aside accounts the district would access only if needed: utilities ($175,000), transportation ($175,000) and out-of-district tuition ($200,000). He said those funds would be returned to the town if not spent. Dr. Salito said using set-aside accounts in prior years sometimes avoided cuts that would have "directly negatively impact[ed] teaching and learning." He said the district hopes to avoid further reductions that would affect students.

The superintendent also reported that the district had transfers in FY25 that the committee approved and that administrators are preparing for several administrative openings created by retirements; interviews for at least one middle-school administrative post were underway. He said the district expects to fill remaining administrative positions prior to July so schools "hit the ground running" in the new fiscal year.

No vote at the June 10 committee meeting changed the district's FY26 request; the superintendent and another district representative planned to attend the town council meeting to advocate for full funding and for use of the set-aside accounts.