North Providence School Committee weighs FY26 budget, approves AI policy and several school policies; OKs bleacher quote and assistant principal job description

The North Providence School Committee on an evening meeting reviewed a fiscal 2026 budget proposal that asks the town for a $1,297,000 increase and approved a package of district policies, including an artificial intelligence policy to take effect next school year. The committee also voted to approve a quote for replacement bleachers in North Providence High School gymnasium No. 2 and to approve an elementary assistant principal job description and contract template.

The budget presentation, delivered by Superintendent Joe Gohor and staff, proposed a local appropriation request of $34,147,734 for fiscal year 2026 — an increase of $1,297,000 from the FY2025 local appropriation of $32,850,000. "This is not a budget that is expanding. We're not expanding staff. We're not expanding programs. This is just to maintain what we have," Gohor said during his overview. The presentation projected state aid of $30,000,704 (an increase the district said was roughly $391,862 over 2025), but Gohor warned that a forthcoming state recalculation could reduce that figure by an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 because preschool students had been counted as full‑time instead of half‑time.

Why it matters: The administration said the request approaches, but does not exceed, the statutory local cap (3.94% of the tax levy request; the legal maximum is 4%). Officials said the district has little access to the one‑time federal COVID-era funds that previously helped bridge gaps and that continuing to use fund balance for recurring operating costs is not allowed. The superintendent told committee members that the district has already cut about $1.1 million from its original request (including reductions in contracted nursing, out‑of‑district special‑education tuition and Chromebook replacements) to limit the local increase.

Budget details and constraints The administration identified several revenue and expense items central to the FY26 forecast. Projected Medicaid reimbursement was listed at about $500,000 compared with roughly $700,000 in earlier years; staff…