School committee holds first reading of FY27 budget and approves 3.25% COLA for nonunion staff

The Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical School Committee received a first reading of the proposed FY27 budget on April 15 and approved a 3.25% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for non-union employees as part of routine budget action.

Administrators walked members through a slide presentation and a line-by-line budget packet. The budget uses October 1 enrollment (2,176 students) for apportionment under the regional agreement: 1,718 New Bedford students, 284 Dartmouth and 174 Fairhaven. The packet showed an anticipated $3.4 million increase in revenue and roughly $3.9 million in expense increases, producing a projected structural gap of about $538,000 pending final adjustments.

Key budget items highlighted included $1.2 million to fund the proposed 3.25% COLA (to cover steps and lanes for GNBEU, GNBAU, Teamsters and non-union staff), a projected 5% increase in health insurance (about $400,000), $1.2 million allocated to expand the construction craft labor program, and $438,000 proposed for textbooks across career-technical and academic areas. Administrators also noted built-in allocations to respond to potential reductions in Title I funding and to add two EL and two special education teachers if enrollment trends require them.

On a separate vote, the committee approved the 3.25% COLA for non-union employees after a motion, second and voice/roll call vote. The budget itself was presented as a first reading and will return for adoption at a subsequent meeting.

Administrators said receipts of acceptance letters for new students and the enrollment confirmation process in May will inform final staffing decisions and the second-round admissions follow-up. The committee will consider final budget adoption at the next scheduled meeting.