School Committee addresses budget deficit as deadline nears

With three weeks remaining to vote on their budget for Fiscal Year 2027, the Dartmouth School Committee and Select Board are looking for ways to bridge the gap between the committee’s proposed budget and what the town can afford.

Currently, the school district is looking to increase its budget by 6.85%. This would be an increase of $3.8 million from 2026 and a total budget that comes out to $59,226,287.

Town Administrator Cody Haddad has said that the town’s budget can only afford an increase of 4.5% because of the funding needs of the town’s other departments. 

A 4.5% increase wouldn’t cover the expenses in the school district’s key budget factors, which includes costs like teacher salaries, according to James Kiely, the assistant superintendent of finance operations.

The budget would need to increase by 5.02% to meet base needs, Kiely said.

“I personally feel that the schools need at least level funding, because to go backwards it’s very hard to go forward,” School Committee Chair Elizabeth Coughlin said.

The deficit between the school district’s proposed budget and what the town can afford is not a uniquely Dartmouth situation, with districts across the state also tackling the challenge to properly fund their schools.

According to Haddad, state aid for all town departments is only increasing by 1.2% this year.

Constraints from Proposition 2 ½, which states that towns can’t increase taxes by more than 2.5% each year without voters approving an operational tax override, has also limited the town from raising taxes to meet district needs.

“New growth is really the only opportunity beyond 2.5% to bring in additional revenue,” Haddad said, noting that in Fiscal Year 2027 Dartmouth is expected to make $800,000.

New growth includes revenue generated by new construction, renovations, increases to the property tax base, and is also dependent on the overall economy.

During a joint meeting between the School Committee and Select Board on Monday, March 23, School Committee member Chris Oliver said that he would only approve of the school’s budget if they include newly proposed positions that are “forward facing.” 

He added, “Our teachers need the support. The behaviors, the concerns that these kiddos are coming in with we’ve never seen before.”

This would include education support professionals, an adjustment counselor, a job coach and the return of the elementary instructional music program.

Committee members John Nunes and Kathleen Amaral spoke in favor of keeping the proposed budget as is.

“I often like to compromise and take that approach … but we put together a budget that is an incredibly lean budget … what is in here reflects the needs of the students,” Amaral said.

Nearly 20 Dartmouth residents spoke during the meeting, including parents, lifelong residents who no longer have school-aged children and residents who moved to Dartmouth for the schools.

“If we are truly One Dartmouth, then the financial challenges facing the town should not rest solely on one department — the school department,” said Joe Silva, co-president of the Dartmouth Educators Association.

At the beginning of the joint meeting Select Board Chair Heidi Silva Brooks said, “We are balancing the needs of all town departments, the impact on taxpayers and the long term business stability of the town.

Kiely, Superintendent June Saba-Maguire and their budgeting team will be looking for ways to reduce the school budget.

They will reconvene with School Committee members next week before voting on the budget at their next School Committee meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, April 13.