Kingston School Committee Reclaims Budget Savings to Restore Support Staff

Declines School Choice Participation

KINGSTON – April 6, 2026 – The Kingston School Committee moved to bolster classroom support this week, announcing that unexpected savings in vocational tuition will likely be used to restore a paraprofessional position. In a busy session that also served as a farewell to long-time member Jeanne Coleman, the committee voted to opt out of the state’s school choice program for the upcoming year, citing a need to prioritize existing resources and maintain manageable class sizes for local students.

The Full Story

The meeting began with a public hearing on “school choice,” a state program that allows students from other districts to attend Kingston schools. Chair Megan Cannon noted that the district historically has not participated in the program, and the committee saw no reason to change course this year. Member Sheila Vaughn made the motion to withdraw from school choice, citing concerns over current staffing levels and classroom capacity. The committee voted 4-0 (with Jeanne Coleman absent from the roll call) to maintain Kingston’s schools for residents only. [41:00]