Auburn School Committee leans on fund balance to meet $500,000 city reduction; approves advisory committee, iPad purchase and Harriman contract

The Auburn School Committee on April 16 discussed options to meet a City Council request for a $500,000 reduction to the school department portion of the FY2025–26 operating budget and signaled a preference to use fund balance rather than cut special-education tuition. The committee also approved several motions, including forming an AMS advisory committee, transferring $149,700 from a capital reserve to buy Grade 7 iPads and contracting with Harriman Associates for the facilities plan.

Superintendent Sue Doris brought the committee up to date on revenue and expense changes that reduced the proposed operating budget. "The increase came in at 13%. And we had budgeted for a 15% increase. So this results in a savings of $168,531," Doris said, and noted a lower-than-expected cost-sharing payment to LRTC that saved an additional $56,469. "So together, those updates reduced our operating budget by 225,000. So the revised proposed operating budget now stands at…