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Portsmouth School Committee approves FY26 budget, requests 3.1% town appropriation increase
Summary
The Portsmouth School Committee approved a $46.17 million fiscal year 2026 operating budget on March 11, asking the town for a 3.1% increase in appropriation; the committee approved the measure 6–1 after rounds of staff and program reductions.
The Portsmouth School Committee approved a $46,173,521 operating budget for fiscal year 2026 on March 11, asking the town for a 3.1% increase in the town appropriation. The vote was 6–1 in favor.
The superintendent and finance director presented the final draft after several rounds of adjustments to meet local constraints. The proposal represents a 3.3% increase in total district expenditures over FY25 and a 3.1% rise in the town appropriation, officials said.
Committee members and district leaders described multiple revenue and expenditure changes made between the second and final drafts. Finance staff reported $622,009.73 in further expenditure reductions achieved largely through staffing adjustments and benefit-line changes; those reductions included eliminating 1.4 teaching full‑time equivalents (FTE) and one IT technician post. The administration also adjusted revenues after updated state guidance that reduced a high-cost special-education aid estimate and after adding projected tuition from three additional students; those revenue changes partially offset expenditure cuts.
Superintendent Kenworthy summarized personnel and program trade-offs used to reach the final figure: retention of a building-based substitute at each school, maintenance of a science instructional coach, and retention of certain special-education staff and a requested math teacher at the high school. To reach the final appropriation request, the district removed two instructional-coach positions (ELA and math), reduced professional development time (removing an additional professional-development day), and eliminated other requested positions including a modern world language teacher at the middle school and an additional IT technician.
Finance Director Duro explained the main budget movements in detail and noted an actuarial revision reduced the town pension contribution requirement, which trimmed an associated line item. The finance team said they expect the district’s restricted federal and state grant revenues to remain estimates until state allocations are finalized after the town and state budget processes conclude.
Committee members pressed for clarity on staffing-detail tables, revenue assumptions and lingering uncertainties — especially health and dental premium figures and outcomes of collective-bargaining negotiations — that could affect the budget later in the fiscal year. Several members urged outreach to the town council and community to explain the choices made and the items that remained unfunded.
After discussion, the committee voted 6–1 to approve the FY26 operating budget and transmit it to the town administrator for inclusion in the municipal budget cycle. The town council will review all department requests and hold a public hearing; the council must finalize the municipal budget by June 30 under the charter.
The superintendent and finance director said the district will monitor state aid allocations and other variables and report back to the school committee and the public as numbers change.
