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Dover superintendent says schools'' FY27 budget requires tax-levy increase as special-education costs surge
Summary
Superintendent Christine Boston and district finance staff told the Dover City Council the school department's FY27 proposal is over the city's tax cap, driven by a rise in health benefits, collective-bargaining assumptions and a 17% spike in special-education transportation costs. The district seeks limited new positions tied to legal requirements and program stability.
Christine Boston, superintendent of schools for the Dover School District, told the council the district is presenting a budget that preserves its strategic plan while limiting new programs and positions to those “required under changes in the law.”
The finance overview presented by the school district estimated the proposal will push the district’s portion of the levy over the tax cap and, when combined with other factors, would require a tax-levy increase the presenters described in the meeting as "about $5,700,000," according to the district revenue slides.
Why it matters: district leaders said the budget rise is driven by three main categories — personnel costs (wages and benefits), transportation for special-education placements and negotiated contract…
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