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School committee approves FY26 budget after public hearing
Summary
The Rockport School Committee approved a $16,962,077 proposed FY26 operating budget (town appropriation request $14,745,139) after a public hearing that highlighted $1.2M in reductions, enrollment-driven staffing changes and public concern about special education costs.
The Rockport School Committee voted to approve the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget after a public hearing and committee discussion. Superintendent Mark Ranco presented a proposed budget of $16,962,077 and said the district is requesting a town appropriation of $14,745,139 — a 2.9% increase over last year’s town appropriation. "We're gonna propose a school budget of $16,962,077 with a request for a town appropriation of 14,745,139," Ranco said during the presentation.
Ranco and the leadership team told the committee and the public that the budget includes more than $1.2 million in reductions and about $36,938 from reserves to close the final gap. After public comment and committee questions, Vice Chair Nicole Alterri moved to approve the budget and Mark Lorenz seconded. The chair called for the vote and recorded 'Aye' responses; the chair then declared the budget approved and outlined the public timeline leading to town meeting on April 5.
Why it matters: the approved budget frames staffing and program decisions for the coming school year, funds a new intensive learning program aimed at keeping students in-district, supports curriculum review and professional development, and relies on a combination of town appropriation, circuit breaker reimbursements, school choice revenue and competitive grants. The superintendent said hard copies of the budget will be distributed to town hall and the library and the district will run a 'budget roadshow' between Feb. 6 and Apr. 5 to present details to residents.
Provenance: The budget figures and explanation were presented by Superintendent Mark Ranco; the motion and vote occurred later in the meeting following public comment and committee questions.
