Blue Hills Regional presents $27.7 million FY26 budget to Braintree committee; Braintree assessment rises modestly

Jill Rosetti, a Blue Hills Regional representative, told the Town of Braintree Committee of Ways and Means on May 6 that the technical high school's preliminary fiscal year 2026 budget totals $27,719,605, an increase of about 4.28 percent over FY25. Rosetti said the district's request includes transfers for capital stabilization, other capital funds, and debt service and relies on a combination of Chapter 78-required local contributions, Excess and Deficiency (E & D) funds and regional transportation reimbursements.

Nut graf: The Blue Hills presentation explained how a state foundation formula (Chapter 70) and capital-debt allocation drive each member town's assessment; Rosetti said the district is contributing more than $686,000 to ease the towns' burden, but Braintree's assessment still rises modestly due to enrollment averages used for capital debt service and changes to required local contribution calculations.

Rosetti outlined core priorities for FY26: strategic financial management and capital planning (including athletic improvements), future-focused facilities and a proposed dental assisting program planned to open in September 2026, academic and technical program excellence across 17 existing programs, and staff development and student support. Rosetti told the committee the FY26 salary and benefits budget supports 148.5 full-time-equivalent positions and that salaries and benefits represent more than 73 percent of total expenditures.

The presentation listed budget drivers the district accounted for: fixed costs, inflation, technology upgrades, and program expansions. Rosetti said preliminary state figures showed a 2.2 percent increase in Chapter 78 and that the district factored inflation at about 1.93 percent. Rosetti said the district expects to rely on a mix of state aid increases and E & D funds to limit assessment growth.

On the municipal-assessment calculation, Rosetti explained the district uses a four-year rolling enrollment average and equalized property valuation to allocate long-term debt. She said the foundation budget (Chapter 70) total was presented as $20,652,008.51 and the required district contribution as $13,010,907 (a decrease of $154,371). Rosetti told the committee that Blue Hills' FY26 operating-budget assessment request totals $18,421,248 (an overall increase of about $481,002) and that Braintree's assessment was listed as approximately $3.0 million — an increase of roughly $60,593 from FY25 as presented to the committee.

Committee members asked detailed questions: Councilor Moran/ Morin (transcript spelling varies) questioned increases in the security/school-protection salary line; Rosetti explained the line funds 1.8 FTEs, including a security-booth operator whose role and negotiated salary changed. Councilor Reynolds pressed about reductions and reallocations in expense accounts; Rosetti said several historical charges were realigned to appropriate line items, and some professional development and instructional expense lines were reduced after review. Councilor Maglio asked whether families pay fees; Rosetti said students pay a $45 annual fee and that regional transportation reimbursement covers about 81 percent of transportation costs, with member towns responsible for the remainder.

Rosetti and directors also described student outcomes and credentials: many students pursue community college, apprenticeships, co-op employment, or industry credentials such as ASE (automotive), ServSafe (culinary), licensure for cosmetology, and other nationally recognized credentials; the district emphasized industry-aligned credentials across programs.

Ending: The committee thanked the Blue Hills presenters for a detailed presentation; no committee vote on the assessment or appropriation was taken at the May 6 hearing and the district's materials and assessments will continue through member towns' budget approval processes and the state budget timetable.