Residents urge council to fully fund Board of Education as town faces enrollment-driven costs

The Town Council heard more than two hours of public comment on the Board of Educationproposed 2026–2027 budget after Dr. Solan presented staffing and benefit-cost pressures that he said are pushing the districtbudget above $100 million.

Dr. Solan summarized his earlier recommendation of ‘‘a little over $101 million,’’ saying the Board of Education reduced that request by about $1.2 million during January deliberations and that the district is seeking a net increase of eight certified teaching positions for 2026–27 to respond to enrollment growth. He warned that without hires the districtwould face historically large class sizes and listed possible areas that could be cut to reach a proposed $300,000 reduction, including middle-school athletics, deferring staff desktop replacements and small supply accounts. He also said an outside firm (USI) projected a 6.97% increase in medical benefits, roughly $1.3 million annually, and reported the districtmedical claims reserve at 2.31 months (the…