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South Country board hears options to close $8.7 million shortfall; trustees warned of steep cuts if state help fails
Summary
District officials told the Board of Education the quickest way to close a roughly $8.7 million gap in 2025–26 is special‑act financing; alternatives include short‑term borrowing, borrowing against future state aid, or $5.67 million in additional cuts to avoid piercing the tax cap. Trustees and public questioned transparency and personnel decisions.
The South Country Central School District’s board received a condensed budget briefing Tuesday that framed an $8.7 million multi‑year shortfall and outlined three principal ways to cover the gap: special‑act legislation to authorize long‑term deficit financing, short‑term borrowing (tax anticipation or deficit notes) for cash flow, or deep program and staff cuts that would bring the levy under the state cap.
District presenters told the board they had identified more than $8 million of reductions so far and were trying to preserve classroom programs and staff. The presentation included a draft‑five budget of $150.5 million (a 2.28% spending increase) that would require a proposed tax levy increase of about 13.45%…
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