Leominster presents $111.3 million preliminary FY26 budget; officials cite enrollment and low‑income increases

Leominster Public Schools officials presented a preliminary fiscal 2026 budget that asks for $111,313,888 in net school spending and highlights rising enrollment, growing low‑income student counts and continued pressure from special‑education costs.

Melanie (presenter name listed as Melanie) walked the School Committee through the district’s foundation budget and line‑item changes. She said fiscal 26 shows a net school spending increase of $7,579,126; of that amount, $5,952,698 is attributed to Chapter 78 (state aid) and $1,626,428 to required local contribution adjustments. "In fiscal 26, the preliminary increase in net school spending amounts to $7,579,126 Of this, dollars 5,952,698 is attributed to Chapter 78, while $1,626,428 comes from the required local contribution," she said.

The presentation listed key totals: wages and salaries requested at $70,037,582 (about 63% of the general fund budget), other expenses of $34,499,878, and indirect charges estimated at $6,776,429 for a combined total of $111,313,888. Melanie said districtwide enrollment used for the Chapter 70 foundation had increased by 113 students to 6,122 as of the October‑1 foundation snapshot. She also said the district’s low‑income student count rose 9.1%, yielding roughly $3.3 million in additional targeted funding tied to Student Opportunity Act calculations.

District staff identified several cost drivers: contractual salary adjustments, step and lane increases, 12 currently posted positions costing about $882,000 and 12 additional new positions request totaling about $925,000 to address enrollment growth and student needs. Benefits and fixed charges were projected to rise about 10% ($1,581,372) driven by insurance premium changes and added staff. Special‑education tuitions remain a volatile element; staff projected $9,277,000 for tuitions in the general fund, with a 6.8% year‑over‑year increase estimate on that line.

Committee members asked whether the October‑1 enrollment snapshot reliably predicts next‑year counts and how the district will manage staffing if demographic changes prove transient. The superintendent and budget staff said they monitor seasonal changes and use school choice, early kindergarten registration and enrollment trend analysis to reduce uncertainty.

Melanie said one‑time federal COVID (ESSER) funding has largely been exhausted and the district has worked to move items previously paid by ESSER into the general fund where appropriate. The presentation closed with staff noting the House and Senate budget processes still need to be completed at the state level and that a public hearing on the budget would be scheduled.

There was no final budget approval at the meeting; staff asked committee members to hold questions until the end of the presentation and to use forthcoming public hearings to submit formal feedback.