Auburn School Committee previews FY27 draft budget, flags special-education growth and federal-grant risk

Auburn — The Auburn School Committee on Dec. 3 reviewed a draft fiscal year 2027 budget that leaders said relies heavily on offsets and faces pressure from rising special-education costs and uncertain federal funding.

Superintendent Dr. Chamberlain opened the presentation and said the draft follows the district’s 2023–2026 strategic plan while reflecting “very few financial changes other than the contractual obligations,” and added the district is trying to minimize new positions. She told the committee the budget as presented represents roughly a $1.4 million increase over last year and uses offsets to limit the town impact.

Why it matters: Committee members flagged that special-education enrollment has risen sharply in recent years — the presentation noted nearly a 9% increase since last year and about a 50% increase since 2021 — and that those students often generate higher placement and tuition costs. “If that money were to not come through the federal government…we would be hard pressed to run this district,” Dr. Chamberlain said, reflecting concern that delayed or reduced federal grants (IDEA, Title I) would force difficult trade-offs.

Key details and numbers: The leadership team identified projected offsets totaling $3,765,153 from grant carryovers, revolving funds (building rental, preschool, athletics), and other revenue; the presentation listed projected Medicaid reimbursement of about $170,000 and noted a 7% increase in the transportation contract. The business manager, Mrs. Stanek, said she was not requesting new positions and that the salary-reserve line reflects three pending contract negotiations and longevity payments totaling about $250,000.

Staffing and program changes: Dr. Chamberlain described several retirements and position adjustments the draft would not replace to reduce costs, including retirements among foreign-language teachers and a consolidation of an LPN plus a .4 RN into a single RN for cost savings. She also said one EL tutor position would be reduced based on primary-level enrollment trends.

Budget process and contingency: The superintendent emphasized the district must submit a draft to the town by Jan. 7 and said the committee will meet again Dec. 17 for follow-up. Committee members asked what would be cut if the town required a lower number; Dr. Chamberlain said most plausible cuts would hit personnel because district costs are heavily staff-driven.

Grants vote: The committee approved acceptance of the school-department grants presented for the 2025–26 year by voice vote. Members reiterated that federal grant timing and amounts are a critical risk to the FY27 budget outlook.

Next steps: The committee will continue review at a Dec. 17 meeting and must finalize the draft for the town and subsequent budget hearings. The presentation materials and offsets cited will guide that work.

Representative quotes from the meeting: “ We are investing in hope, ” Dr. Chamberlain said when summarizing the budget’s aims and constraints. “ If that money were to not come through the federal government, we would be hard pressed to run this district, ” Dr. Chamberlain said when warning about the impact of delayed or reduced federal grants.

Ending: The committee accepted the grant list and scheduled further budget review before submitting the FY27 draft to town officials.