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Committee member warns rising school budget requests and Tri County project will strain local budget

Finance Committee · March 5, 2026

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Summary

A committee member told colleagues that recent school spending requests—roughly $1.1 million combined—and the phased-in Tri County project are beginning to put pressure on the town budget; the committee will hear from three school districts at a meeting moved to Tuesday, March 4.

A finance committee member warned that higher school spending requests and the phased-in Tri County project are starting to strain the town budget and its taxpayers. The member urged frugal stewardship of public funds and said the committee will hear presentations from three school districts at a meeting moved to Tuesday, March 4.

"We don't wanna waste any money either, especially it's sacred trust that we have with taxpayers money," the committee member said, arguing that the committee must balance the budget while covering rising costs for special education, instructional aid and teachers.

The member provided approximate figures for the district requests, saying one increase was "about $600,000" (the speaker referred in the record to "Drake" and "KP") and that Plainville Public Schools was seeking roughly $500,000; the speaker combined those amounts as "about $1,100,000." The member contrasted that total with the town's estimated new-growth revenue of about $1,200,000, saying the growth figure does not leave much headroom for additional spending.

On the Tri County project, the committee member said the project began affecting budgets last year and that this year it is "not the full $1,200,000"; the member added, "it's at $9.87 or something," but did not specify what that number represents (the transcript does not identify units or a rate).

Committee members moved the schools' presentation from Wednesday to Tuesday so all three districts could be heard together; one committee speaker confirmed the date as March 4. The conversation also touched briefly on relative student counts—one speaker noted Plainville had been passed by Walpole by two students.

The committee did not take a formal vote in the recorded segment. Members directed staff to continue budget work with department heads and prepare for the schools' readout, with more detailed figures expected at the March presentation.