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Northbridge school committee approves superintendent's proposed budget, plans presentation to selectmen
Summary
The Northbridge School Committee voted to approve the superintendent's proposed budget and will present it to the Board of Selectmen on Feb. 23. Committee members voiced support while acknowledging the district faces a likely shortfall and may seek community support or future action.
The Northbridge School Committee voted unanimously in favor of the superintendent's proposed budget Tuesday night and will present the plan to the Board of Selectmen on Feb. 23.
The vote followed brief remarks from committee members expressing support for the budget as a baseline level of services while acknowledging the district likely faces a funding shortfall. The chair called for a roll-call vote; Shannon Canoy, Pam LaPorte, Carl Cowan and Heather Alden each recorded a “yes,” and the motion passed. One committee member, Jonathan Kennoy, filed a written statement indicating his support despite being absent.
Why it matters: The committee's approval sends the budget forward in the town's process ahead of a March 13 warrant deadline for spring town meeting articles. Committee members and the superintendent emphasized the budget is intended to preserve core programs while continuing work on priorities identified in the district strategic plan, but they warned additional community support or future fiscal actions could be needed if revenues fall short.
The superintendent and staff will present the budget to the Board of Selectmen on Feb. 23 and continue outreach to families and the public, including a planned town hall and an informational email with linked documents. The meeting record reflects this action as the primary formal decision taken at Tuesday's session.
Details: The committee discussed the scope of the budget as primarily level services with certain state-mandated items included. Members praised the work behind the proposal and encouraged public engagement ahead of selectmen review. The transcript did not record a formal mover/second associated with the budget motion by name; the roll call names and recorded yes votes are as listed above.
Next steps: The budget will proceed to the Board of Selectmen presentation on Feb. 23. Committee members noted the March 13 warrant deadline for potential town articles and discussed possible joint town-school articles for capital funding if needed.
