Hingham Schools Face Tough Choices as Budget Cap Looms
Committee explores fee increases, cost-saving measures to minimize impact on educational services
HINGHAM - January 16 - The Hingham School Committee is grappling with potential staff reductions and program cuts as it works to stay within a 3.5% budget increase cap agreed upon with the town for fiscal year 2026.
At a January 16 meeting, committee members and school officials discussed various fee increases and cost-saving measures to minimize the impact on educational services while meeting the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the town in 2023.
Superintendent Katie Roberts outlined the budget process, noting that planning began in October with a review of the current year's budget and determination of priorities for FY26.
"We did ask our leaders to propose reductions and or reallocations in light of the 3.5% MOU that we have with the town of Hingham," Roberts said.
The district faces contractual obligations, including salary increases ranging from 3 to 7 percent for most bargaining units when factoring in cost of living, steps, and lanes. Additionally, fuel and utility costs are rising, with electricity anticipated to increase by 6 percent next year.
Aisha Oppong, Executive Director of Business and Support Services, presented financial data showing the district's budget is largely composed of contractual and personnel costs, with only about 4 percent considered discretionary.
"In the prior year's budget, we made some significant decreases to those lines, and we found that even in terms of computer software, we went through and made many decreases in those areas," Oppong said. "And in some cases, it has been difficult this year for our buildings in terms of being able to operate because of those reductions."
To address the budget constraints, the committee discussed several potential fee increases, including:
- Raising the athletic fee from $425 to $450 per student, with a new family cap of $1,250
- Increasing the parking fee at the high school from $20 to $125 for far lots and $225 for close lots
- Implementing a new transportation fee of $360 per student for grades 7-12 and K-6 students living less than two miles from school
Committee members expressed concerns about the impact of these fees on families and student participation rates.
Member Tim Miller-Dempsey expressed concern about incentivizing drop offs and creating a traffic problem by charging to take the school bus.
The committee also discussed potential reductions in staffing and programs, though specific cuts were not finalized at the meeting.
Roberts emphasized the importance of aligning resources with the district's strategic plan and Portrait of a Learner document, which outlines skills and competencies students need for their future paths.
"One of the most important levers that we have to drive forward improvements in a school district is professional development, and so in our budget planning process, professional development is a high priority," Roberts said.
The committee did not make final decisions on budget cuts or fee increases at the meeting. They plan to continue discussions and gather more information before finalizing the budget proposal.
The next budget meeting is scheduled for January 27, where the committee will revisit all presentations and share updated information.