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Acton school committee says higher state aid could cut town assessment and restore staff
Summary
Two school committee members told the select board that proposed increases to Chapter 70 aid could let the town reduce its assessment and restore staff; the committee plans a June 12 vote on a budget amendment.
Two members of the Acton school committee briefed the Select Board on state budget developments and the committee's plan to amend the FY26 budget if state aid materializes.
Tori Campbell (School Committee member) and Leila Ramos (School Committee member) said they had canvassed residents and would vote on a budget amendment that assumes higher state Chapter 70 aid in fiscal year 2026. "Both House and Senate versions actually of the budget now propose $150 per student for FY '26," Ramos said, noting that the Senate also proposed a commission to review the funding formula.
The school committee said it had pledged at Budget Saturday to reduce the town assessment by $150,000 if the state aid increase occurred. The committee plans to discuss the amendment at its June 5 meeting and to vote June 12; if the school committee approves the amendment the treasurer, Sherry Matthews, will send the select board a revised budget reflecting a higher total budget and a lower town assessment. The memo outlining the proposed amendment was prepared by Adam Klein, the school committee members said.
The school committee members asked the select board to indicate whether it intended to call a town meeting within 45 days to enact the amendment; if the select board does not call a town meeting, the amendment would automatically take effect after the 45-day period. They said prompt notice would help staffing decisions because hiring depends on budget certainty.
The remarks were informational; no formal select board action was recorded at the June 2 meeting.
