NORWELL - November 24 - The Norwell School Committee received early budget projections for fiscal year 2027 showing a required increase of approximately $1.375 million to $1.6 million to maintain current services, setting the stage for difficult decisions ahead as the district confronts mounting financial pressures without additional revenue sources in place.
The Full Story
Superintendent Matt Keegan presented preliminary FY27 budget projections at the November 24 School Committee meeting, outlining stark financial realities facing the district. The initial projection shows $1.14 million in required salary increases alone, driven by contractual obligations and collective bargaining agreements. Combined with mandated increases in transportation ($65,000), maintenance ($40,000), utilities ($40,000), and curriculum ($90,000), the district faces approximately $1.375 million in unavoidable costs simply to maintain current operations.
“These are projections. This is very early. This doesn’t include retirements,” Keegan cautioned. “This is just looking at our contracts, making best guesses.” The projections represent roughly a 4% increase over the current $33.4 million budget.
The budget challenges come on the heels of significant cuts made after voters rejected an override in May 2024. The district eliminated six teaching positions through reduction-in-force procedures, cut technology funding, and eliminated positions including building-based aides and a district inclusion specialist. Those cuts are not restored in the current projections, leading School Committee member Christina Kane to characterize the forecast as “incredibly bare bones.”
“This doesn’t even include restoring any of the lost positions,” Kane said. “The two librarians that don’t exist anymore in our elementary schools, they’re not accounted for in this. The special education position we lost and absolutely needed, that’s not in this.”
Several areas require additional exploration beyond the baseline projections. Technology funding of $150,000, eliminated last year, remains unfunded in the current proposal. The district is now more than a year behind on teacher computer replacements and fifth-grade iPads, with some elementary technology equipment reaching 10 years old. “We can’t just put this off over and over again,” Keegan said, noting that outdated devices will soon be incompatible with required testing platforms and educational applications.
Special education transportation and out-of-district tuition costs continue to present volatile budget challenges. Warren MacCallum, Director of Finance Operations and Technology, presented the first quarter FY26 budget report showing the district’s circuit breaker reserve account projected to decline from $928,000 this year to approximately $600,000 next year. “If we continue on the road we’re on, we’ll be back down by 28 in this model, back to about $300,000, which is $1.2 million shy of where we should be in that account,” MacCallum warned.
The district is also managing unexpected emergency repairs, including a $20,000-25,000 domestic hot water heater replacement at the high school and pipe leaks requiring wall repairs at both the middle school and Cole Elementary School. “These are some surprises that are kind of a little out of our control,” MacCallum said, noting the district is attempting to absorb these costs within existing maintenance budgets.
Athletics emerged as another potential restoration area. High school students spoke passionately at the recent Congress of Councils meeting about the importance of freshman and JV sports that were eliminated last year. Those teams are currently funded by boosters and community donations exceeding $80,000. “Boosters and townspeople are paying for those teams,” Keegan said. “We really need to look at that and see what we need to put back.”
Perhaps the most pressing concern involves a projected surge in kindergarten enrollment for the 2026-27 school year. Birth data shows 136 births in the relevant cohort, with NESDEC enrollment projections estimating 199 kindergarten students. Current census data shows only 116 four-year-olds registered, though Keegan noted the census typically undercounts by about 50 students. The district enrolled 179 kindergartners this year despite projections of only 159.
“If we were even to come near 199 students, we’re gonna need an extra teacher at kindergarten, possibly two,” Keegan said. The district has moved up kindergarten registration to February 26, hoping to gather better data before finalizing the budget, though that information will come after the initial budget process concludes.
School Committee Chair Kristin McEachern emphasized the district’s proactive approach. “This is the same process we follow every single year, which is always very early, but now even earlier with the anticipation of us needing to make a decision about what’s gonna come at town meeting,” she said. “So this will be no surprise to anyone.”
Select Board member John McGrath informed the committee that the town’s budget is also “anticipated to be at service level,” meaning no additional revenue is expected. McGrath requested an accelerated timeline for the school committee’s executive budget, proposing a joint meeting in January to coordinate potential override requests across town departments. Areas requiring additional town funding include recycling services, fire department needs, and Sunday library hours.
“There’s probably a potential override coming because the town wants some of the things that were cut coming back,” McGrath said. “What does this overall picture look like?” As a private citizen, McGrath urged the committee to “put forward a budget that includes a lot of the things that were lost.”
McGrath also warned about “dangerous rhetoric around how well the schools have performed in light of some of these cuts,” noting that many parents don’t understand the stress on administrators and teachers working behind the scenes. “They’re just thinking, oh, everything’s fine. You cut, seems like you guys are operating just fine. And there isn’t a real issue systemically underneath.”
The meeting also included discussions about long-term capital planning. Keegan and MacCallum attended the Built for Learning Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina, November 12-14, gathering information on modern school design, infrastructure, safety systems, and preventive maintenance strategies. The district is considering commissioning a comprehensive 10-year capital facilities plan for all school buildings, particularly the middle school and elementary schools that have not been substantially updated since 2000-2001.
“We need to start looking at a 10 year feasibility study for all the schools so that we not only know what the expectations for regulations in Massachusetts are,” Keegan explained, citing questions about heating systems, roof replacements, HVAC upgrades, and the proper sequencing of major projects.
During public comment, several residents voiced concerns about transparency and priorities. Kara Vautour of Pine Street questioned the 9.5% teacher contract increase approved four days after the override failed, arguing it contributed directly to staff eliminations. She also criticized the elimination of elementary reading specialists as removing “essential testing and early literacy support, tier three services mandated under state and federal law.”
Former School Committee member Mary Lou O’Leary urged the district to send information about current budget challenges directly to all residents. “You have that opportunity now,” O’Leary said. “It’s not a campaign time.” She noted that the district can legally communicate about existing conditions including staff and program cuts, and suggested utilizing the approximately $900 cost to mail all residents.
Sharon Bellinghausen, active in the Vinal PTO, offered to help communicate budget information to parents. “I’m tired of misinformation going out there,” Bellinghausen said, noting she volunteers in her son’s school library and sees the resource challenges firsthand. “Use me, use my fellow PTO members, my fellow parents to be communicators about this information.”
The committee also received an update from Director of Student Services Sue Theodorou on special education programs and recent state accountability reviews. The district received its highest designation of “meets requirement” in its 2024 accountability report. An integrated monitoring review identified three areas of partial implementation related to procedural timelines, though no substantive programmatic deficiencies were found. The district currently serves 342 students with disabilities, representing 15.6% of enrollment, slightly below the state average.
Theodorou reported that parent-requested evaluations have increased significantly this year, with 40 requests already submitted by November compared to 67 for all of last year. “I do think we do a good job reaching out to each family individually and explaining the process,” Theodorou said, though she plans to survey families to better understand the surge in requests. The vast majority come from elementary level parents.
The committee approved the FY27 budget assumptions and priorities unanimously, acknowledging these represent preliminary guidelines subject to substantial revision. Keegan emphasized the district still needs to complete its full budget development process, meeting with all department heads in January to refine projections before presenting an executive budget on January 26.
Why It Matters
Norwell residents face potentially significant property tax increases to maintain current school services and restore eliminated programs. The $1.4-1.6 million shortfall, combined with additional town department needs, likely necessitates an override referendum. Without additional revenue, the district cannot restore positions like elementary librarians, reading specialists, and building-based aides while also addressing contractual salary obligations, emergency facility repairs, and potential enrollment growth. The decisions made in coming months will determine class sizes, program availability, and the breadth of educational services for years to come. Families with elementary students face particular uncertainty as kindergarten enrollment projections could require immediate staffing additions. The budget challenges also affect municipal services beyond schools, as the teacher contract settlement leaves less funding available for other town employee raises and operational needs.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: To approve the consent agenda, including minutes of October 20, 2025 meetings, accounts payable warrants 17-21, refund warrant, and amended student increase for Italy excursion April 15-26, 2026. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:00:44)
Motion: To adopt for budget planning purposes the FY27 budget assumptions and priorities as proposed. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:02:22)
Motion: To approve policy IKFB (competency determination requirements) for second and final reading as proposed. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:03:30)
Motion: To approve the establishment of an SSEC (South Shore Education Collaborative) capital reserve account with specifications as proposed. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 00:07:07)
Motion: To adjourn the meeting. Outcome: Approved. (Timestamp: 01:42:14)
Public Comment
Five residents spoke during public comment periods. Mary Lou O’Leary urged the district to communicate current budget conditions directly to all residents via mail, noting this is legally permissible for factual information about existing cuts and challenges. She also suggested policy amendments to clarify agenda item requests versus public comment procedures, and recommended relocating July/August meetings to Town Hall for recording access. Kara Vautour questioned the 9.5% teacher contract approved after the override failed, criticized elimination of elementary reading specialists as removing legally-required services, and called for greater transparency including recorded meetings. Sharon Bellinghausen volunteered PTO networks to help communicate budget information to combat misinformation, noting she witnesses resource challenges while volunteering in her son’s school library. John McGrath, speaking as both Select Board member and resident, emphasized the need for transparent communication about staff stress levels, warning that parents may not understand the operational challenges behind apparent normalcy.
What’s Next
The school district will open kindergarten registration February 26, 2026 with hopes of gathering enrollment data by early March to inform staffing decisions. The superintendent will meet with department heads throughout January to refine FY27 budget projections before presenting the executive budget January 26, 2026. School Committee and Select Board are coordinating schedules for a joint meeting in January to discuss potential override requests from both school and municipal sides. The district will continue monitoring first quarter FY26 budget performance, particularly special education costs and emergency facility repairs. Student Services will continue processing the elevated number of special education evaluation requests, with 30-day timelines for completion. The high school building committee will begin MSBA feasibility study work in February 2026. The district is scheduling a meeting December 4 with safety technology vendors following the Built for Learning Summit. Bathroom repairs at Cole and middle school buildings are scheduled for completion during winter break.