Auburn School Committee approves $67.31 million 2026–27 operating budget; plan moves to city council and June referendum

The Auburn School Committee voted to approve the Auburn School Department's proposed $67,310,744 operating budget for fiscal year 2026–27 at a special meeting on April 29, advancing the plan to a city council vote on May 4 and a budget validation referendum on June 9.

Dr. Sue Dorris, superintendent, said the budget is the product of a process that began last fall and included staff and administrator input, multiple school committee and city council workshops, and a public hearing. "This proposal is the result of a process that began in the fall and has included staff and administrator input, multiple school committee and city council workshops, and a public hearing," Dorris said, summarizing the outreach and review that shaped the proposal.

Dorris said the final proposed operating budget totals $67,310,744, a 4.4% increase over last year, and that the local contribution in the plan is $21,188,509, a 1% increase from the prior year. She told the committee staff reduced the original proposal by $375,000 through a combination of expenditure savings and updated revenue estimates, and said those reductions were made "while maintaining staffing levels, class sizes, and core programming." She also thanked staff, administrators and department directors for their work putting the budget together.

Adam Platt, the city council representative to the school committee, praised the process and expressed appreciation for what he described as the council's requested $500,000 reduction, calling that change reasonable in the broader context of municipal reductions and saying the collaborative process has helped morale and productivity across city operations.

Chair Pamela Albert said she was satisfied the budget is fiscally responsible and preserves current programming and staff; she noted that additional state funds and health insurance costs coming in lower than expected helped produce savings in the proposal.

The transcript records a motion to approve the operating budget, followed by a second; the meeting minutes do not identify the motion's mover or seconder by name and do not record a roll-call tally. Chair Pamela Albert called for the vote and said, "Motion carries." The committee then moved to adjourn; the meeting ended at 6:07 p.m.

Next steps: the approved budget will be transmitted to the Auburn City Council for action on May 4. If the council approves, the budget will be placed on the June 9 budget validation referendum as required by municipal procedure.