Halifax School Committee Approves Budget Cuts Amid Financial Strain
Committee votes to reduce FY2026 budget by $448,000, gambles on carryover funds to minimize impact on education
HALIFAX - March 10 - The Halifax School Committee has approved a reduced budget for fiscal year 2026, cutting $448,000 from their initial level-service request in an effort to increase the chances of passing a town override vote.
During Monday's meeting, the committee voted to reduce their budget request from $8.2 million to approximately $7.6 million, representing an 11.4% increase over the current year rather than the original 18.4% increase.
"We value education, everyone in this room values education and wants the same thing," said School Committee Chair Lauren Laws. "It's really what do we do in the meantime with this extremely difficult situation? Understanding that it's hard to ask people to pay more."
The committee is taking a calculated risk by freezing $200,000 in circuit breaker funds from the current year's budget to apply to next year, potentially saving teaching positions if the gamble pays off.
"I think it's pretty safe to say we're just going to take $200,000 of that excess that we have and apply it," said Student Services Director Dr. Christine Panarese. "We have facts that tell us there's $200,000 that we could apply to next year's budget."
The committee also removed $38,600 for an out-of-district vocational placement and approved cutting approximately $210,000 in staffing, which could mean the elimination of teaching positions.
Committee members expressed concern about the impact of deeper cuts on education quality, with member Karyn Townsend stating, "I fear that if we ask for too much, we'll get nothing. I feel like we have to meet in the middle and say we did what we could possibly do."
The budget crisis facing Halifax schools is part of a statewide issue, with many Massachusetts communities facing similar financial challenges in education funding.
"When you have towns like Duxbury that are $6 million in a hole and towns like Norwell that are $5 million in a hole, the fact that you're seeing it across the state means the problem flies a lot higher than Halifax," said Jonathan Selig, a Halifax Selectman in attendance.
The committee discussed several options for generating additional revenue, including charging for bus transportation and implementing fees for full-day kindergarten, but ultimately decided against these measures due to equity concerns.
"I would not vote to charge for kindergarten," said Townsend. "I don't think it's fair and equitable for children to have some parents who can afford to pay for it and some parents who can't."
If the town fails to pass an override to fund the schools at the requested level, the consequences could be severe. The committee discussed the possibility of class sizes increasing to as many as 34 students per classroom in some grades under a worst-case scenario.
"If we don't get the override, then we'll have all the cuts proposed," Laws explained. "If we don't get the override, and then we're in a position again next year, we would most likely go into receivership the following year, which means the state takes over your school."
The committee hopes that by demonstrating fiscal responsibility through these cuts, they can convince town voters to support the override needed to maintain educational quality.
"We're trying to deal with something that's broken right now and doing the very best that we can," Laws said. "We live in a state that values education, but we really need as a community to pull together for it."
Several community members spoke during public comment, expressing concern about the impact of budget cuts on students and urging the committee to explore all options before cutting teachers.
"Please consider all options and think outside the box so our children have good school experiences and our educators want to stay teaching in this town," said Robert Mullen, a parent with one child at Halifax Elementary School and two at the middle school.
Sarah Tonello, another community member, emphasized the importance of transparency in the budget process. "A strong school system is the strong foundation of a strong town. Without a strong school system, the children will suffer and the community will weaken."
The committee's budget will now move forward to town meeting, where residents will vote on whether to approve override funds for the schools at the requested level. An override would also need to be put to a ballot vote by the Selectmen.
Other items approved at the meeting included:
• Updates to the student handbook to comply with Department of Education requirements
• Acknowledgment of a $54,871 REAP grant from the federal government for next year
• An increase in adult meal prices from $4.28 to $5.62 (including tax) effective August 2025
• Discussion of a potential $40,000 contribution from the PTO that could be applied to curriculum costs
The next Halifax School Committee meeting is scheduled for April 14, which will include the school choice discussion.