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Salem schools project FY26 personnel and special-education transportation shortfalls
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth Pauley told the School Committee the district expects to be over budget in both personnel and non-personnel lines for FY26, citing a projected $700,000 personnel gap and a roughly $400,000 overage in special-education transportation driven by six added wheelchair vans and monitors.
Salem — The Salem School Committee heard a fiscal update Dec. 1 outlining strains in the district’s FY26 budget, with leaders warning of a personnel shortfall and rising transportation costs tied to special-education needs.
Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth Pauley told the committee the district’s total general fund appropriation is $78,000,000 and that while about 72% of the personnel budget appears unspent at this early point, projections show a personnel deficit "of about $700,000" if current trends continue. She attributed the pressure to several factors, including lane changes tied to additional educator credentials, salary adjustments for renewed contracts, new positions created for enrollment…
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