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Blackstone-Millville begins FY26 budget process as enrollment and special-education placements drive costs
Summary
Superintendent Jason DeFalco and Finance Director Joseph Spagna previewed FY26 budget drivers—an 11% assumed medical increase, rising retiree costs, new out-of-district placements (two new students projected to cost $343,000/year), and capital/facility needs—and scheduled budget workshops.
Superintendent Jason DeFalco and Director of Finance Joseph Spagna presented an FY26 budget kickoff to the Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee, highlighting key cost pressures and the district’s next steps.
Spagna said the administration is assuming an 11% increase in health-insurance costs for FY26 and noted a retiree-funding increase of nearly 20 percent imposed by retirement systems. He told the committee that two newly enrolled students in out-of-district placements could collectively cost about $343,000 next year, underscoring the volatility of special-education transportation and tuition costs.
The administration described a large set of function-code adjustments, step-salary movements and a request for several new positions (three at the high school, two at elementary level). The presentation also reviewed capital pressures tied to aging facilities and the ongoing feasibility study for a high-school project with MSBA involvement.
The committee set budget-workshop dates in late January and February to review line items in detail and scheduled a public hearing for March 6 as part of the FY26 timeline.
Why it matters: Health insurance, retiree costs, unanticipated out-of-district placements and capital needs are material drivers for the FY26 budget and could result in spending adjustments the towns must absorb.
Next step: Administration to provide detailed line-item workshops on the selected dates and supply updated revenue projections after the state budget release.
