Brooklyn Board approves $24.9 million recommended budget for 2026–27 after cuts

The Brooklyn Board of Education approved a $24,867,583 recommended budget for the 2026–2027 school year at its Feb. 25, 2026 meeting, the board announced. The board voted unanimously, 6–0, to adopt the superintendent’s revised estimate of expenditures following targeted reductions to lower the district’s increase over last year.

The board’s superintendent, Michele Raynor, originally proposed a $25,346,309 spending plan for 2026–27, a $1,544,464 (6.49%) increase over 2025–26. Raynor and the board identified primary cost drivers as salary increases, high school tuition, special education, health insurance and transportation. To trim the total, the board-approved adjustments eliminated one school bus (reducing the fleet from 13 to 12, with estimated savings of $80,000), lowered the health insurance increase assumption from 20% to 9.9% (estimated savings $190,084) and removed three teaching positions (two instructional coaches and one fifth-grade teacher), a change estimated to save $206,444. After those changes the revised proposed total is $24,867,583, an increase of $1,065,738 (4.48%) over the 2025–26 budget.

Dr. Melissa Perkins-Banas moved to approve the superintendent’s proposed estimate of expenditures; Justin Phaiah seconded the motion. The board recorded the vote as 6–0 in favor. Superintendent Raynor also said the March 24 budget workshop will be cancelled and that the board is scheduled to present the Board of Education budget to the Board of Finance on April 7, 2026.

Board Chair Mae Lyons opened the meeting at 5:30 p.m. with a roll call confirming a full six-member quorum. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn at 5:52 p.m., also approved 6–0. The board’s budget recommendation will now move to the town’s Board of Finance as part of the municipal budget process.