Missisquoi Valley School District presents $52.15M FY27 budget; residents press board on cuts, transparency and facilities

Missisquoi Valley School District officials on Wednesday presented a proposed FY27 budget of $52,153,854 and highlighted a per‑pupil spending figure of $12,173, below the county and state averages. The informational meeting reviewed academic gains, facility work completed this year and the drivers behind the budget, and closed with a public question‑and‑answer session that focused on cuts, transparency and future capital work.

The district said revenue adjustments and targeted expense reductions produced a $572,000 net decrease in education spending compared with the prior budget year: roughly $285,000 of increased revenue projections plus about $287,000 in cuts tied to contract changes, unfilled positions and a reduced mental‑health/virtual‑learning contract. Officials said the reductions were identified primarily through retirements and unfilled roles rather than layoffs, with administrators seeking to avoid removing core student services.

"Our full line‑by‑line budget is available in the online budget book," said Laura Mallister, director of finance and…