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Freetown‑Lakeville committee hears $53.6M FY27 budget proposal as insurance, staffing and technology costs rise
Summary
District finance staff presented a FY27 recommended budget of $53,619,217 (7.55% increase) driven by health insurance, negotiated staffing costs and technology replacements; committee will review assessment sheets when state and town numbers arrive and return to the budget next week.
At its Jan. 14 meeting the Freetown‑Lakeville Regional School Committee received an overview of the fiscal 2027 recommended budget, which Director of Finance Jack Higgins said totals $53,619,217 — an increase of $3,734,234, or about 7.55%, over the current year. Higgins said that number includes federal grant money and one‑time uses of carryover funds.
Higgins told the committee the increase is driven by several large factors: the planned use of excess and deficiency and school‑choice carryover that must be absorbed into the general fund, a staff‑cost estimate of roughly $1.2 million tied to negotiated increases, and a health‑insurance estimate budgeted at about 12 percent. Technology needs are another major item, he said, noting replacement…
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