Duxbury School Committee approves $46.47 million FY27 budget after debate over special education data and full‑day kindergarten

The Duxbury School Committee voted to approve the district’s FY27 operating budget, $46,474,501, representing a 4.83% increase over FY26.

The vote came after more than two hours of presentation and discussion. Superintendent Dr. Klingemann framed the proposal as a “strategic needs‑based plan” intended to restore staffing and services lost after last year’s failed override and to protect class size, curricular access and instructional materials. Finance presenter Lisa Freely said salary costs represent roughly 82.47% of the proposed budget and described offsets that reduce the net tax ask, including circuit‑breaker reimbursements, grants and revolving funds. The district identified $788,392 of costs above a “level services” baseline.

Discussion focused on several high‑profile items. Committee member Matt asked about a proposed 0.2 FTE teaching addition for world language to restore an entry‑level course at the high school; administrators said the 0.2 teaching line is separate from a reallocation restoring several curriculum‑supervisor FTEs. Several members, including Jen and Kathy, pressed for more detailed line‑item justification and additional data on special‑education spending before finalizing personnel restorations.

A lengthy exchange centered on special‑education counts and district reporting. Administrators acknowledged errors in some publicly available DESE/Radar outputs — attributing the anomalies to an incorrect filter and Aspen state‑reporting configuration — and promised cleaned data and a program evaluation focused on autism and related disabilities.

The committee also debated absorbing full‑day kindergarten into the operating budget versus continuing to charge tuition. Public commenter Jay Zisk urged keeping full‑day kindergarten in the proposal as a curricular necessity; other members said the program’s personnel and transportation costs are large and recommended further discussion about fees and supports for families.

Votes were then taken on cost centers in sequence; motions to approve individual centers (administration, curriculum and instruction, other student services, operations and maintenance, fixed charges, tuition programs) carried after separate discussion. The final roll‑call on the full budget passed 3–2: yes votes from Matt, Laurel and Kelly; no votes from Jen and Kathy. The committee closed the hearing and scheduled follow‑up briefings in January.

Administrators said the board’s approval will go to town meeting processes and that staff will return with clarified spreadsheets and the special‑education program evaluation timeline in January.