West Bridgewater committee approves FY27 operating budget amid debate over new positions and a recusal

The West Bridgewater School Committee voted March 9 to adopt its fiscal year 2027 operating budget after several hours of review and line‑by‑line votes.

The committee approved the FY27 budget with an appropriation request of $19,526,865 and a total budget figure of $22,566,341. The final approval followed cost‑center votes taken sequentially; committee members discussed and approved individual lines, debated several proposed new staff positions, and recorded one official recusal.

Chair summarized an email from David Gagy, the town administrator, who wrote that the town prefers the committee hold increases at or below 4.5% and cautioned against adding staff without offsets. The chair and other members pushed back in part, saying the school committee’s primary role is to advocate for resources that meet students’ needs. "Our primary role as a school committee is to build and advocate for a budget that meets the needs of our students," one committee leader said during the debate.

Superintendent-level staff presented data showing a multi‑year increase in high‑needs students (rising from about 24.1% to 35.6% over 10 years) and tied recent FTE growth to special education, multilingual and mental‑health supports. The presenter also noted the district budgets school‑choice tuition for 230 students (currently about 228) and explained that circuit breaker special‑education reimbursement is funded at roughly 75% by the state this year; pending legislative changes raising that share to 90–100% could materially affect district costs (the presenter estimated a roughly $145,000–$150,000 benefit to the district if the state share increased to 90% based on current numbers).

Members debated specific additions that were part of the FY27 request. Notable proposed positions included a middle/high school library/media specialist who would also manage instructional technology, a 0.5 floating nurse to help cover increasing medical needs (the presenter and a head nurse noted medical cases such as type‑1 diabetes have risen), and additions to related services and reading support. The cost center covering teaching services — which includes the librarian, music and reading specialist lines — passed with a recorded committee vote of 4–1; one member said he opposed adding positions at this time given concerns about long‑term fiscal sustainability.

A committee member publicly recused himself from the principal's cost center (3220) and related salary lines because his wife is paid from that center; he identified the secretary salary amount as $45,341. That member abstained where appropriate during subsequent votes.

During public comment after the formal votes, Nancy Maloney (who identified herself and referred to past service on the school committee) urged the committee to focus on students rather than assuming broad public opposition based on a single low‑turnout town meeting result. Julie Djixson, who identified herself as head nurse, described a rise in significant medical needs among students and said "we have seven right now" students with type‑1 diabetes, urging support for nursing coverage.

The committee set its next regular meeting for April 6, 2026, and moved into executive session for collective bargaining under Mass. General Laws, Chapter 30A, Section 21(a)(2).

Vote details: several cost centers were approved unanimously; the teaching services cost center was approved 4–1; the overall FY27 budget was approved with one recorded abstention from the previously recused member.