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North Brookfield superintendent says FY27 avoids cuts; committee approves school-choice seats
Summary
Superintendent reported the FY27 budget presented to the compliance committee allows the district to enter the year without personnel or program cuts; the committee voted to continue school choice for 2026–27 and approve the proposed seat allocations.
The North Brookfield School Committee heard from Superintendent (speaker 4) that the district
will enter fiscal year 2027 without making cuts to personnel or programs, based on the version of the FY27 budget presented to the compliance committee.
The superintendent said the FY27 plan he presented to the compliance committee included more detailed indirect-cost figures and that the district has rebuilt several revolving accounts. "We are going into the fiscal year, next fiscal year without making any cuts to either personnel or programs," the superintendent said, describing the outlook as "a very good space" for the district.
Why it matters: the committee's budget outlook shapes what services, courses and staffing the district can sustain next year and informs a required town budget hearing prior to Town Meeting.
At the meeting the committee also approved a recommendation to continue participation in the state's school-choice program for the 2026–27 school year and the proposed seat allocations. Superintendent (speaker 4) presented projected class sizes and the number of seats available by grade and asked the committee to adopt the proposal. Committee member Speaker 5 moved to approve the school-choice seats; another member seconded and the motion carried on a voice vote. The committee did not provide a roll-call tally in the record.
Context and next steps: the superintendent said the analysis assumes current Chapter 70 funding levels and noted the district has been running advocacy efforts with state legislators about the Chapter 70 funding formula. The superintendent said the finance committee will schedule a budget hearing in May to allow public comment prior to Town Meeting.
Actions recorded: the committee's approval of school-choice seat allocations was taken by voice vote at the meeting; no recorded roll-call tally was provided in the transcript.
Additional details: The superintendent said the FY27 presentation to the compliance committee included indirect costs and projected that the district could maintain programming while relying on 100% net school spending from the town, and he urged continued outreach to state officials about rural-school funding adjustments to the Chapter 70 formula.
