Plympton School Committee Approves $4.4 Million Budget for FY26
Budget maintains staffing levels while meeting town's financial needs
PLYMPTON - March 24 - The Plympton School Committee unanimously approves a $4.43 million operating budget for fiscal year 2026, successfully balancing educational needs with town financial constraints.
"We believe we're at a place tonight where we have a budget that can support the needs of the students here at the Dennett, can maintain all of our staffing as we promised, and also meet the financial needs of the town," says Jason Fraser, School Committee Chair.
The approved budget represents an 11 percent increase from last year's initial $4 million budget. However, committee members note that when compared to the actual $4.25 million spent during the current fiscal year, the increase is closer to 4.25 percent.
Fraser emphasizes the importance of understanding this distinction, stating he "would have no problem sitting down with anyone who questions this percentage increase and explaining to them that that is completely misleading."
The total expenditure plan for the schools amounts to $4,703,363, with $273,363 coming from additional funding sources. These include $117,272 in anticipated circuit breaker special education reimbursement and $156,091 in anticipated grant revolving account funding.
A significant portion of the budget discussion centers around the application of rural aid funds. The committee plans to apply all rural aid received next year directly to the operating budget at Dennett Elementary School.
"I continue to be hopeful we can get rural aid increased to the $60 million that we've been trying to get for the past four or five years at this point," Fraser says.
He expresses a commitment to advocating for increased rural aid with the goal of adding more educational support staff. "If we get a sizable increase there, that we come back to the table and we add additional aids to our staff here at the Dennett for next year to help maintain the quality of education."
The budget approval follows extensive collaboration between school officials and town leadership. Fraser acknowledges the teamwork involved in reaching this budget agreement.
"I'd like to thank the administrative team, both at central office and here at Dennett, for working with me and working with the town," he says. "I'd be remiss if I didn't give our town manager, Liz Dennehy, a lot of credit for helping to coordinate what we needed from the school side and what the town could do from its side."
Committee member Jon Wilhelmsen notes the challenges faced in recent years, saying, "This is the third year in a row that we've had to absorb these increases in derelict deficits. So it's just a challenge because the well is getting drier."
The committee also discusses the allocation of $144,000 in rural aid currently on hand. They approve a plan to allocate $50,000 toward an HVAC system, hold back $54,000 to address a projected $49,000-$50,000 deficit for FY25, and put $40,000 into the special education stabilization fund.
This allocation helps address immediate needs, including replacing one of seven air handlers on the school roof. The current project will cost between $75,000 and $80,000, significantly more than the $35,000 earmark provided by the state.
"We hate to lose the assistance of the state, so we're going to try and take care of both of those, and then we'll only have five units to replace," explains Dr. Jill Proulx, Superintendent.
Fraser notes that Senator Fernandes and Representative LaNatra have been approached about securing another $80,000 earmark for another air handler in FY26.
During the meeting, committee members also discuss potential ways to optimize services and resources. Attendee Alex raises questions about the possibility of bringing some outsourced behavioral management services in-house.
Currently, the district budgets approximately $53,035 for PACES services, which provide wraparound support for students with IEPs, including home-based services and behavioral assessments.
Dr. Christine Panarese, Director of Student Services, notes that while in-sourcing is possible, there are challenges including competitive pay rates and qualification requirements. "PAC offers much more money for the hourly rate for the services that they deliver," she explains.
The committee also receives updates on various educational initiatives, including the development of a new district literacy plan and ongoing math curriculum review.
The budget vote represents the culmination of months of detailed financial analysis and planning. Sarah Hickey, the Director of Finance and Operations, explains that this year's budget process was complicated by a chart of accounts conversion, making year-to-year comparisons more difficult.
"Next year the budget will be back out of the financial software, all of those sheets that you're used to and you'll be able to see the FY26, FY27 side-by-side comparisons with the percent increases," she says.
The next Plympton School Committee meeting is scheduled for April 28, following the spring break that runs from April 18 to April 28.