Blackstone-Millville officials outline FY26 budget, ask towns to absorb modest assessment increases

The Blackstone‑Millville Regional School District presented its draft fiscal 2026 budget at an annual budget summit, asking the two member towns to cover modest increases driven by enrollment growth, higher special‑education and insurance costs, and restored teaching positions.

Superintendent Jason DeFalco opened the meeting by framing the summit as “an opportunity to of course talk about the needs of the school system but also … the successes,” and the district laid out packet materials including an assessment sheet, major cost‑center breakdowns and the first year of a five‑year capital plan. Assistant Superintendent Jill P. Gallerani walked trustees through the district’s improvement strategy and student demographics, noting the share of low‑income students has increased to about 41.8 percent and English‑language learner (ELL) enrollment has risen substantially in the last year.

District finance staff said the FY26 proposal relies on a mix of recurring and one‑time revenue offsets. The presentation cited an expected, one‑time Chapter 70 aid increase of about $600,000 tied to changes in enrollment and funding formulas; staff also flagged federal entitlement grants and circuit‑breaker payments as major offsets. Grant figures discussed included an IDEA special‑education entitlement near $460,000, Title I funds of about $213,000 to support reading interventionists, Title IV funds (~$115,000) for social‑emotional supplies, and a preschool IDEA estimate (~$22,000). The finance presentation also described using roughly $856,000 for collaborative tuition reimbursements and a plan to prepay $350,000 this year to reduce next fiscal year’s costs.

On the cost side, presenters said health‑insurance and collaborative/private tuition increases are driving pressure; the budget currently uses an 11 percent health‑plan increase assumption while actual bids and rates are being finalized. Staff also noted a large substitute/coverage line that reflects multi‑year growth in absenteeism and some fills for ongoing assignments rather than only day‑to‑day substitutes.

The district proposed restoring several positions cut in a prior year to respond to rising enrollment: additional kindergarten through third‑grade teachers to maintain roughly 20 students per classroom, an increase in ELL staffing (from roughly 2.6 FTE to about 3.0), a middle‑school electives teacher, and bringing back certain high‑school core teachers. Presenters said these restorations are possible because enrollment is stabilizing or growing after prior declines.

The FY26 capital priorities included two Year‑1 warrant article requests: an estimated $70,000 for age‑appropriate playground equipment at one elementary school and replacement of a deteriorating sander/plow truck; larger building projects are being deferred pending a feasibility study expected in October that could change long‑term priorities.

Finance staff summarized prior savings: the district’s previous building reconfiguration yielded about $2.3 million in savings and eliminated roughly 18 FTE positions, and combined ongoing and one‑time revenue measures reduced the general‑fund impact by about $3 million. The packet presented preliminary assessment impacts to the member towns, with Blackstone’s assessment increase estimated at about 3.95 percent and Millville’s at about 2.54 percent based on the current draft.

Officials told the table they will present a certified budget at a public hearing and to the school committee on Thursday at 6 p.m., and they offered to attend selectmen and finance subcommittee meetings ahead of town meetings. No final votes on the budget were taken at the summit; the meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn that passed unanimously.

What happens next: the district will certify the budget at the scheduled public hearing and, if certified, forward warrant articles to the two towns for consideration. The feasibility study due in October may shift capital priorities and any large building investments will be revisited after that study.