Plymouth‑Canton board adopts budget, renews transportation contract and approves facility purchases

The Plymouth‑Canton Community Schools board approved a slate of administrative items Wednesday, including the district’s FY2026‑27 proposed budget and a five‑year transportation contract renewal that district leaders said will stabilize services and could net savings for special‑population routes.

The board adopted the 2026‑27 budget in a 6‑0 vote after trustees acknowledged the difficulty of program reductions and expressed hope for additional state support. Board members confirmed the budget eliminates the copy paper position.

On transportation, trustees approved a five‑year renewal with Durham School Services that the administration said includes a 4.25% route‑rate increase the first year and 4.5% annually thereafter, while consolidating special‑population routes to reduce costs and improve driver recruitment. The administration said Durham’s proposal could lower per‑rider costs compared with other providers; trustees asked that service KPIs be monitored closely during implementation.

On facilities and equipment, the board approved replacement of five rooftop HVAC units at the Educational Support Center (total cost $127,950, funded from 2023 bond funds), purchase of two outdoor electronic message centers (quoted at $47,872, to be paid with bond funds), weight‑room equipment for Salem High School, and a grand piano for the PCEP choir program. All of those votes carried 6‑0.

Where possible, the administration said purchases will be integrated with ongoing bond‑program site work to minimize installation timing issues. Trustees asked administration to provide follow‑up metrics on implementation timelines and to make expulsion and targeted‑intervention trend data available in upcoming board notes.