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Newfields budget: health-insurance spike, transportation and SAU assessment drive increases
Summary
Board reviewed the first draft of the FY26 budget: carriers’ health/dental rates rose significantly (14.8–20.1% cited), transportation contract increased after renegotiation with First Student, and the PD line was increased $4,500. Timeline: November first review, December second review, January deliberative session, March vote.
Board and SAU staff presented a first-pass FY26 budget and explained the major drivers that are outside local control.
Molly, the district business administrator, said most budget lines were held flat and that increases are primarily contractual obligations. The largest drivers are higher health and dental premiums (reported increases between roughly 14.8% and 20.1% across plans), retirement and FICA costs tied to salaries, and a transportation increase after First Student renegotiated its contract. Molly said nonunion employees were proposed at a 3% raise; teachers’ and paraprofessionals’ increases follow collective bargaining agreements (paraprofessionals are in a negotiation year and their increases show as-is in the draft).
The board discussed who makes health-plan decisions; Molly said human resources (Heather Murray, director of HR) manages plan selection and HealthTrust sets the rates for the coming year. Board members asked staff to obtain more details and to have HR or the HealthTrust representative provide a summary at a future meeting.
Molly also reviewed appropriations accounting: grants and food-service funds will be appropriated within the district budget as required by auditors, but grant revenue offsets grant expense and does not increase taxation. The SAU assessment (already approved by the joint board) had a net 0% across the SAU but billed differently by district according to ADM and equalized shares.
Board and budget-advisory-committee members were invited to submit feedback ahead of the December budget presentation; the board plans a public information video and traditional public-hearing and deliberative-session steps before the March vote.
