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North Kingstown schools present preliminary FY2026 budget; enrollment projected to dip slightly
Summary
The school department presented a preliminary FY2026 budget with projected expenditures of $82.4 million and an anticipated town appropriation of about $63.8 million, citing contract negotiations and rising health-insurance and transportation costs as key drivers.
The North Kingstown School Department on Monday presented a preliminary FY2026 budget that projects $82,433,179 in expenditures and anticipates a town appropriation of $63,823,289.
Superintendent (presenter identified in the record as Doctor) told the joint meeting of the town council and school committee that the district used the October 2024 census figure of 3,787 students for state reporting and currently projects total enrollment of 3,703 for the next school year. He noted increases at preschool and in early-intervention special-education populations while forecasting modest declines in other grades.
The presentation listed several budget pressures: ongoing negotiations with education-support personnel, a contractual 3% increase for certified staff, a projected 6.5% rise in health-insurance costs, and potential transportation cost increases tied to bus-contract negotiations. The superintendent said federal ESSER and ARP grant funding that supported some positions has ended and those roles will need to be absorbed into the operating budget where necessary.
The presentation also described the district’s maintenance-of-effort (MOE) calculation options under state law and provided a projected MOE figure of $2,472,995 when calculated as 3% of operating budget. The superintendent cautioned that figures are preliminary and that enrollment projections will be revisited as administrators submit final requests.
Councilors asked whether ongoing contract negotiations with support staff will be resolved before the budget is finalized; the superintendent said talks had just begun and did not guarantee timing for settlement. Finance questions also touched on custodial services and which CIP items count toward facility maintenance under state rules.
The school committee and town manager emphasized continued collaboration on the budget and announced a budget advisory committee that will include community members and staff to dig deeper into expenditures ahead of formal hearings in January.
