Plymouth Officials Present $325 Million Budget for FY26
Transportation Costs Drive School Budget Concerns as Town Balances Needs and Fiscal Responsibility
PLYMOUTH - January 28 - Plymouth officials unveiled a $325 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, representing a 3.59% increase from the previous year. The budget aims to maintain services while addressing rising costs and investing in key areas like road improvements and stabilization funds.
Town Manager Derek Brindisi presented the budget to the Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee during a joint meeting Jan. 28. The proposed budget includes $281 million for general operating expenses, a 3.6% increase from FY25.
"When we look at the split, you know, we said we have approximately $10.8 million in new revenues, and that we would split those funds 39% to the town and 61% on the school side," Brindisi said.
The budget maintains the 61-39 split between school and town expenses that has been used in recent years. This allocation provides $4.2 million in new revenue to the town and $6.6 million to the schools.
Brindisi highlighted several key investments in the proposed budget, including $500,000 for the Nuclear Stabilization Account and $500,000 for the Facility Maintenance Stabilization Account. The Capital Road Improvement Plan will see a significant boost to $2.65 million, up from $1.5 million last year.
"Last year, with last year's appropriation, we were able to pave approximately 30 miles worth of roads. The highest number of road miles paved in our previous construction season was about 15 road miles," Brindisi said.
On the school side, Superintendent Christopher Campbell presented a $127.2 million operating budget for Plymouth Public Schools. Campbell emphasized the district's efforts to control costs while maintaining educational quality.
"We feel very fortunate to have the collaborative relationship that we have with the town and have worked with administration for many years as well and feel confident that, again, we're one community and we're all trying to balance our budgets," Campbell said.
A major concern for the school district is transportation costs. Plymouth's unique geography and size lead to higher-than-average expenses in this area. The district is exploring ways to reduce these costs, including a transportation study and potential legislation for additional state funding.
"We're seeing more and more traffic issues on Long Pond Road, leaving PCIS, something that should be very quick to get to the highway. Some of our buses are taking 15 minutes just to leave PCIS to then get to the highway, not even starting their route," said Dr. Stacey Rogers, Assistant Superintendent.
The school district is working with state legislators to develop a bill that could provide financial relief for communities like Plymouth that face extraordinary transportation costs.
"Hopefully this bill will get some traction, but it could bring some relief if it were supported," Campbell said.
Both town and school officials emphasized their efforts to find efficiencies and control costs. The town implemented a vacancy factor across multiple departments to balance the budget without reducing services. The school district is looking at ways to optimize software usage and transportation routes.
The budget presentation sparked discussion about the total cost of education in Plymouth. While the school operating budget is $127.2 million, the total education-related expenses in the town budget amount to $184 million. This figure includes costs for out-of-district placements, charter schools, and other education-related expenses beyond the public school system.
Select Board member David Golden emphasized the importance of clear communication about these figures. "I think you just, you gotta, I mean, you do a great job inundating us with information," Golden said. "But I think you should just game that out in anticipation of these questions. Because the people who are sitting at home, they don't care about the nuances. They want to know how much it costs to educate the people, the kids that live in this town."
The budget will now move forward for further review and potential adjustments before being presented to Town Meeting for approval.