Duxbury School Committee Approves Tight Budget Amid Override Discussions

Town faces potential override vote to maintain services as financial constraints loom

DUXBURY - December 4 - The Duxbury School Committee voted 4-1 Dec. 4 to approve a level-funded budget of $44,331,607 for fiscal year 2026, representing a 2.5% increase over the current year. The decision comes as the town grapples with potential staff reductions and program cuts due to financial constraints.

The approved budget falls short of the district's "real needs" budget of $46,931,022, which would have represented an 8.51% increase. School officials warn that the approved budget could result in the elimination of up to 18 staff positions across the district.

"I'm sick to my stomach because this is the first year where it's not going to happen," said member Kellie Bresnehan, referring to the town's history of finding additional funds for the school budget. "We are really at that point where we're going to have to have an override to maintain our schools."

The budget vote followed a lengthy discussion about the town's financial situation and the potential need for an override vote to address budget shortfalls and maintain current service levels.

Betsy Sullivan, a Chair of the town's Finance Committee, explained the process moving forward. "A balanced budget will be presented at town meeting. That will be Article 5, and that will be your horrible budget, right? It is one nobody wants. That has to pass so that we have a guarantee that we can go forward and do business as a community."

Sullivan added that there will likely be a second article on the warrant for a potential override. "Hopefully, and I feel pretty strongly that there will be an article on the warrant in the town meeting for a number. X amount of dollars, and I'm not even going to hazard a guess what X is."

The override process would involve educating the community about the financial challenges and the impact of budget decisions on town departments. Sullivan emphasized the importance of explaining to residents what a level-funded plus 2.5% budget means for the community and its services.

"We understand that we have to do a balanced budget, but this means there will be less cops, there will be less firemen, there will be less teachers, there will be less money to do all of the things that we expect people to do," Sullivan said.

Superintendent Danielle Klingaman highlighted the district's efforts to rebuild learning post-pandemic and correct gaps in the pre-K-12 educational program. "We now have intervention opportunities at all levels, including at our middle and high school. We are seeing our students succeed academically as well as socially and emotionally," she said.

Klingaman warned that the level-funded budget would result in "a devastating impact on our school district and will be detrimental to our students." She noted that the district has already made 13.5 net reductions in staffing between the current fiscal year and the proposed FY26 budget.

The school committee's decision to approve the level-funded budget was not unanimous, with member Matt Gambino voting against it.

As the town moves forward, officials will work to determine the exact amount needed for a potential override and how that would impact individual taxpayers. Sullivan noted, "We will spend a more amount of time between now and then working on our second Chapter 2 so that when we come to the town meeting that we have talked to people and hopefully persuaded them that this is in the best interest of the entire community to support the schools and to support the town departments."

The next steps in the budget process include presenting the balanced budget to the Select Board on Monday, followed by continued discussions and community outreach to explain the financial situation and the potential need for an override vote.

Full meeting available via The Local Seen and Duxbury Public Schools.