Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brentwood board recommends removing unfilled teacher post to hold FY27 increase to 3.35%
Summary
The Brentwood School Board reviewed an updated draft FY27 budget and the central office recommended removing an unfilled teacher position, a change that would keep the proposed tax-levy increase at about 3.35%. Board members asked for clearer packet graphs on enrollment, class size and salary history before presentation to the budget committee.
The Brentwood School Board on Monday reviewed a draft fiscal year 2027 budget and heard a central-office recommendation to remove an unfilled teacher position, a change that staff said would bring the proposed increase to 3.35%.
Administrators told the board an updated budget packet is in members’ materials and that the chief difference among options is whether to retain an unfilled position. The presenter said they are confident instruction quality would be maintained through early screening, tiered interventions and robust professional-learning-community work across buildings.
Board members asked for clearer, voter-facing graphics showing recent enrollment trends, five-year state testing comparisons and a 10-year teacher-salary history so the public can compare ‘apples to apples.’ Staff said they will prepare viewer-friendly charts and limit some comparisons to comparable testing windows to avoid misleading long-term trend lines.
The packet also lists a line for open-enrollment tuition, included in response to recent legal changes, and an estimated $249,000 in “major changes” to the proposed FY27 budget. Administrators said the district has a locked transport contract with First Student in its first year and that a $13,000 transportation increase is included in the draft.
One member observed that retaining the position would reduce average class size to about 14 in the affected grades, while removal keeps the district around a 16-student average—near the seven- to eight-year mean. Several members cautioned that research shows the largest academic gains occur when class size drops from the low 20s into the low teens, concentrated in K–3, and asked staff to highlight those trade-offs for voters.
The board moved to adopt the presented FY27 budget for submission to the budget committee; staff said the board’s motion is to present the recommended document and that final decisions will ultimately follow the budget committee and town-voter processes.
