Silver Lake Regional School Committee Approves $44.1 Million Budget for FY2026
Committee Uses E&D Funds to Close Budget Gap and Add School Resource Officer
KINGSTON - February 25 - The Silver Lake Regional School Committee unanimously approves a $44.1 million budget for fiscal year 2026, using Excess and Deficiency funds to avoid deeper cuts and add a full-time School Resource Officer at the middle school.
The committee votes to use $1.25 million from the district's certified E&D funds to offset a budget shortfall and maintain educational services. This decision comes after the Department of Revenue certified the E&D number at $2.14 million on the morning of the meeting.
"I've been a steward in this committee for a decade at this point of the E&D fund and the capital plan," says committee member Jason Fraser. "E&D is not supposed to be used to offset operating expenses because it's often looked at as one-time revenues. We have proven year after year that these are not one-time revenues."
The approved budget includes $40.64 million for operating expenses and incorporates $3.53 million from anticipated circuit breaker reimbursements and grant funding. The total represents a significant reduction from the level service budget of $42.24 million initially presented.
Several committee members express concerns about the sustainability of using E&D funds for operating expenses, with Paula Hatch noting the potential challenges ahead.
"In all the years I've been on this committee, other than last year, we have never touched E&D to fund operating budget," Hatch says. "I think next year may be a very brave repeat of this year, unfortunately, and we'll be even in a more difficult place."
The budget gap stems from several factors, including increased special education costs. Director of Finance & Operations Sarah Hickey reports that two student placement changes require an increase of $140,490 to the tuition line, while two move-ins necessitate an additional $233,000.
Transportation costs also contribute to the budget pressure, with the district's vendor increasing costs by 10% for next year, requiring an additional $313,794 for special education transportation.
To help offset these increases, the committee approves an estimated $87,000 in additional revenue from increased student fees for activities, athletics, and parking. The committee ensures that provisions remain in place for students with financial hardships.
The committee also votes to add $80,000 to the budget to fund a full-time School Resource Officer for the middle school, a position that has been sought for some time.
Fraser emphasizes the importance of continued advocacy for increased state funding, noting that any additional state aid approved after the budget would flow directly into E&D for next year.
"We need to keep fighting. We need to keep pushing so those dollars do come in, even after tonight. Because that's what's going to replenish E&D for next year," Fraser says.
Mark Guidoboni, who chairs the SAFER committee, raises concerns about the district's capital needs, noting that a recent facilities comprehensive review estimates costs "in the $50 million range" for maintenance of the high school and middle school buildings.
"The debt that we have currently, I would think, would be prudently invested in your capital plan to keep the buildings you have so you don't end up replacing them as we had to do 20 years ago," Guidoboni says.
Committee Chair Gordon Laws notes that debt related to the construction of the district buildings will be fully retired in two years, with the final payment for the middle school coming next May and the high school debt being reduced to approximately $1,000 thereafter.
The committee acknowledges that using E&D funds at this level is not ideal but views it as necessary to maintain educational services without forcing the towns to consider override votes.
"I'm fully in support of what you have proposed, only because I feel like we're between a rock and a hard place. And these towns cannot handle overrides and don't even want to hear the term override," Hatch says.
Fraser secures assurances from all three town managers that if Silver Lake experiences a catastrophic physical issue, they would convene special town meetings to address the issue, given the reduced E&D reserves.
The approved budget will result in assessment increases of 5.5% for Halifax, 3.2% for Kingston, and 0.4% for Plimpton. When combined with the elementary school budgets, the total education costs represent increases of 11.3% for Halifax, 5% for Kingston, and 7.3% for Plimpton.
The committee directs Hickey to send the updated assessment numbers to the towns in the coming days.
Full meeting available via Area 58.
KINGSTON - February 25 - Just prior to the Regional School Committee meeting, the joint meeting of Silver Lake Regional and Union 31 school committees approves a shared cost budget after considerable discussion and an amendment to remove the float nurse position from the shared expenses.
The committees initially struggled to reach consensus on the budget, with several members abstaining or voting against the original proposal. After deliberation, the committees agreed to eliminate the float nurse position from the shared cost budget, which allowed the revised budget to pass with strong support from both committees.
"I think actually the complexity of this position trying to be a shared cost and shared between Silver Lake and four other buildings, for me, I just want to abandon the idea at this point of the float nurse," states Jason Fraser during the discussion.
The float nurse position had been included in the budget with an increased allocation compared to previous years. The administration had proposed the increase with the goal of hiring a permanent float nurse rather than continuing to rely on more expensive contract services.
However, committee members expressed concerns about the position, noting that they had been unable to fill it previously and questioning whether the increased budget would be sufficient compared to current contract expenses.
The committees also approve the Year 6 option for their bus contract with First Student for fiscal year 2026. Silver Lake had previously voted to exercise this option, and Union 31 follows suit during this meeting.
Sarah Hickey, Director of Finance & Operations, explains the financial advantages of continuing with the current provider rather than seeking new bids.
"The contract was settled with First Student, but it went out to bid, and the bid was received, and the contract was signed in the summer of 2020, and the percentage increases year over year are significantly lower than anything anybody has seen now when they go out to bid for contracts," she says.
She notes that the contract includes "single digits as far as cost increases" for exercising the Year 6 option with First Student, making it financially advantageous compared to current market rates.
In another budget-related move, both committees vote to transfer food service supervision costs from the shared account to a revolving account. This change moves these expenses out of the shared cost contract and into a line that is covered by grants, providing budget relief.
The meeting also addresses several other shared contracts and costs. The committees authorize the administration to move forward with negotiations for various shared cost contracts that were presented during the executive session portion of the meeting.
The full-time school resource officer position is not part of the shared cost budget as it is strictly a Silver Lake position included as part of that district's assessment.
The budget approval process reveals the complexities of managing shared resources between school districts. When the initial budget vote fails, with several members abstaining or voting against it, the committees work to identify the sticking point – the float nurse position.
The joint meeting concludes with both committees voting to adjourn, with Silver Lake Regional continuing to a separate meeting immediately afterward.