Greater New Bedford RVT school committee adopts $58,292,985 FY2027 budget, votes against School Choice participation

The Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School District School Committee adopted its fiscal year 2027 operating and capital budget of $58,292,985 during a regular meeting and public hearing on April 28, 2026.

A committee member moved the budget, which the motion said "includes $400,000 from the END" and authorizes transferring that amount into the FY27 capital renovations line. Committee members recorded an affirmative roll-call vote and the motion carried.

The vote followed the statutorily required public hearing on the proposed budget, which the committee opened at the start of the meeting under Chapter 71, section 38N (as referenced in the meeting record). The chair read the legal notice and invited public comment; no members of the public spoke at the hearing.

In the same session the committee approved a treasurer's certification of assessments levied on member municipalities for the district’s FY2027 budget period, with assessed shares recorded in the meeting record for Dartmouth, Fair Haven and New Bedford. The figures in the transcript appear garbled and are flagged in the meeting record for clerical clarification.

Also during the meeting the committee voted not to participate in the Massachusetts School Choice program for the 2026–27 school year. District staff recommended the non‑participation vote because the district is oversubscribed with in‑district students; the motion was moved, seconded and approved by roll call.

The committee additionally approved a procurement/proclamatory item related to a construction craft laborers project; members discussed the procurement overview and cited potential long‑term savings before approving the item by roll-call vote.

The committee will next convene on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the student forum for its regular meeting schedule and follow-up items.