Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Easton Board approves $306,171.55 in cuts, sets FY27 budget at $22.77 million
Summary
At a special April 6 meeting the Easton Board of Education approved $306,171.55 in recommended reductions to produce a FY27 budget of $22,772,449, citing a nearly $1 million projected shortfall driven largely by rising health insurance costs.
The Easton Board of Education on April 6 approved $306,171.55 in administration-recommended reductions and set a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget of $22,772,449, a 9.32% year-over-year increase.
Superintendent Dr. Jason McKinnon told the board the district faces “~$1M over budget for the next school year,” attributing the gap mainly to rising health insurance premiums and noting the administration had identified roughly $306,171 in possible reductions.
The list of proposed cuts Dr. McKinnon presented included: a 0.5 full-time-equivalent gifted and talented teacher (estimated $35,000), aligning health insurance to revised Brown & Brown projections (about $79,000), flat facilities funding (about $41,000), reducing one kindergarten section (about $65,000), decreasing a band teacher from 0.6 to 0.4 FTE (about $45,000), and delaying or removing the ARC reading curriculum for grade 6 (about $39,000). The administration’s total for those lines was $306,171.
Board members questioned specific lines, including Extended School Year (ESY) transportation costs and roughly $39,000 in after-school stipends that had not been flagged for removal. Members also discussed reviewing club enrollments and other program rosters to find savings.
Several members sought alternatives to preserve the 0.5 FTE gifted and talented teacher. The board discussed a possible Gifted & Talented club model and suggested approaching the Easton Learning Foundation (ELF) for startup support; Chair Wible also said the board could pursue initial funding help from the PTO and other community outreach.
A motion "to accept the reduction of $306,171.55 of Dr. McKinnon's recommended cuts for a new budget of $22,772,449, which is a year-over-year increase of 9.32%" was moved by Board member Young and seconded by Parker and passed 6-0. The approved motion was entered into the record at the meeting.
To explain the decision and gather public feedback ahead of the town vote, Chair Wible said the board will draft an article for the Easton Courier, contact the PTO to join a meeting, and arrange Q&A sessions in advance of the April 27 town meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m.
