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Hoosac Valley Regional committee previews FY26 budget, proposes staff reductions and new severe‑needs program
Summary
Superintendent Aaron Dean told the Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee on March 10 that FY26 faces a $1 million out‑of‑district tuition increase and a 16% insurance spike; the administration proposed targeted staffing reductions, new partnerships and using Circuit Breaker and school choice funds to limit town assessment increases.
Chairman Adam Emerson called the Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee to order Monday and introduced a FY26 budget proposal Superintendent Aaron Dean described as “a difficult year in how to make the numbers work.” Dean told the committee that member towns cannot sustain double‑digit increases, so the administration has crafted a budget with revenue offsets and targeted reductions to avoid immediate, large assessment hikes.
The superintendent said the district faces several major cost drivers, including “1 million increase in out of district tuition” and a “16% increase in insurance costs,” and that those pressures require a combination of consolidations, strategic partnerships and short‑term use of revolving funds. Dean emphasized the proposal is not a long‑term solution, warning the district will exhaust reserves without further planning.
To reduce high-cost outplacements for students with severe needs, administrators described a plan to develop in‑house programming. Monica Zanin said the district "have not had teachers that have been qualified for these positions" and presented a proposed collaboration with the New England Center for Children, supported by a $215,000 allocation from school choice funds to build severe‑needs capacity and potentially accept tuition students in the future.
Kristen Palatt outlined the district’s math curriculum process, saying teachers across pre‑K–8 piloted options and "unanimously approved" a recommended curriculum; the administration plans to bring a formal recommendation to the committee in April. The budget retains core instructional leadership roles and district‑level positions the administration described as necessary for post‑COVID demands, including curriculum and student‑services leadership.
The administration recommended specific alternative revenue uses to help close the FY26 gap: applying $275,000 from Circuit Breaker reimbursements and $500,000 from school choice toward out‑of‑district tuition, and directing $215,000 from school choice to the severe‑needs programming proposal. Erika reviewed Chapter 70, enrollment trends for Adams and Cheshire, and preliminary budget pages that list expenditures by program and function; the packet shows a 2.91% increase in total expenditures in the preliminary budget.
Committee member Fred Lora asked for an organizational chart to support staffing tables; Superintendent Dean said he would share that document. During public comment, Jen Solak, a parent and SEPAC member, urged the district to do more public outreach about special education during budget season so that personal stories accompany the financial figures.
The committee approved the February 10, 2025 minutes on a motion by Andy Przystanski and second by Robert Tetlow; the vote was unanimous. The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. on a motion by Erin Milne and second by Andy Przystanski, also by unanimous vote.
Next steps: administration will provide requested backup documentation, the math curriculum recommendation will be presented in April, and the committee and towns will continue budget review ahead of formal adoption.
