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Mendon-Upton committee approves FY budget package and readies communities for override votes
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Summary
The Mendon-Upton Regional School District approved an operating budget package and related appropriations, and district leaders warned that a Proposition 2½ override is needed to close a roughly $4.1 million structural gap driven by health-insurance, salary and special-education costs.
The Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee approved a set of motions setting the district's operating budget and appropriations and moved the package to the two towns for upcoming town-meeting and ballot votes tied to an operational override.
Superintendent (speaker 5) and finance staff told the committee that the district faces a structural gap of about $4.1 million. The superintendent said the shortfall is driven primarily by rising health-insurance costs, salary increases (cost-of-living/steps) and increasing special-education expenditures. "Health insurance is the biggest driver we have," the superintendent said, adding the district expects premium increases of roughly 23 percent and that the combined budgetary effect will appear larger because this year's baseline was underbudgeted.
District leaders emphasized local options for closing the gap. The committee heard that towns can only raise property revenue within Proposition 2'—2' s limits (2.5 percent plus new growth) and that any additional tax impact requires a successful override ballot and town appropriations. Superintendent and staff described recent outreach to Mendon and Upton officials; Mendon officials are proposing a large stabilization contribution that could reduce Mendon's requested override by about half, while the district said it identified about $204,000 in internal reductions to improve the chance of success.
The committee voted on a package of motions read into the record that set the FY operating budget at $48,004,821 and specified town assessments, state aid appropriations and nonoperational revolving-account transfers. The motions were seconded and approved by roll call. Clerk/staff read the motions aloud before the vote; at roll call several members were recorded voting in the affirmative and the motions carried.
Board members repeatedly stressed the real-world consequences if the override fails. The superintendent warned that, absent revenue, the district would need deeper contingency reductions equal to the structural gap and that those cuts would likely affect more than 60 positions, increase class sizes, reduce safety and mental-health supports and curtail electives and extracurriculars. "Average class sizes are excellent right now," the superintendent said, "and without funding they'd move up to the high thirties in some places." The district also noted that special-education cost growth outpaces its reimbursements and that state and federal aid alone cannot close the gap.
Next steps: the district will provide assessment letters to the towns so municipal officials can finalize ballot language and appropriation schedules. Town meetings and ballots are scheduled in both Mendon and Upton in the coming weeks; district leaders said all four votes (town meetings and ballots across the two towns) must pass to implement the full override request.
