North Middlesex finance subcommittee advances 3.06% FY27 budget request to public hearing after Ashby debate

NORTH MIDDLESEX — The North Middlesex Regional School District finance subcommittee voted Jan. 26 to forward the superintendent’s FY27 budget message and supplemental scenario materials to the public budget hearing, advancing a 3.06% budget request while leaving the final district vote for March.

During a nearly 75-minute discussion, administration staff and committee members reviewed four budget scenarios — a town-supported level, the 3.06% request, an ‘optimal’ staffing-and-services budget, and an estimate for reopening Ashby Elementary. Nancy Haines, an administration representative, said the governor’s proposal — including a $75-per-student increase and higher transportation and special-education circuit-breaker support — could improve the district’s bottom line once final numbers are adopted. “I do have a draft for January as to where we are. I don’t have any major changes since the last conversation we had,” Haines said, adding she would model the governor’s numbers as soon as they are released.

Committee members pressed for clarity on how the scenarios differ and recommended clearer public-facing language to avoid misreading. Kevin Cormier,…