Superintendent Dr. Homan and newly introduced Chief Financial Officer Chris Schweitzer presented the FY27 budget kickoff to the school committee on Nov. 6, outlining a draft calendar, community-engagement plans and guidance to budget managers.

The administration asked budget managers to prepare level-funding proposals and to also describe what "level service" would require, so the committee will have both constrained and full-service scenarios to weigh. The district is building some funding formulas and has done chart-of-accounts cleanup to improve reporting to DESE, Dr. Homan said.

CFO Chris Schweitzer said he had joined the team this week and described the budget process as collaborative. The administration plans community forums in spring and will post an updated calendar on the district website.

Several committee members urged the select board to choose the earliest possible override election date, arguing that delaying to June could harm hiring efforts. A committee member warned that if an override vote is postponed, "you will lose staff" and that uncertainty could leave the district with unfilled positions even if a later override eventually passes.

What the administration will do next: post a public FY27 calendar, solicit model staffing and allocation proposals from school leaders, and schedule community engagement sessions once timelines are confirmed.

Speakers: Dr. Allison Homan (superintendent), Chris Schweitzer (CFO, newly introduced), committee members (discussion on override timing).