North Middlesex finance subcommittee advances 3.06% FY27 budget request to public hearing after Ashby debate

NORTH MIDDLESEX — The North Middlesex Regional School District finance subcommittee voted Jan. 26 to forward the superintendent’s FY27 budget message and supplemental scenario materials to the public budget hearing, advancing a 3.06% budget request while leaving the final district vote for March.

During a nearly 75-minute discussion, administration staff and committee members reviewed four budget scenarios — a town-supported level, the 3.06% request, an ‘optimal’ staffing-and-services budget, and an estimate for reopening Ashby Elementary. Nancy Haines, an administration representative, said the governor’s proposal — including a $75-per-student increase and higher transportation and special-education circuit-breaker support — could improve the district’s bottom line once final numbers are adopted. “I do have a draft for January as to where we are. I don’t have any major changes since the last conversation we had,” Haines said, adding she would model the governor’s numbers as soon as they are released.

Committee members pressed for clarity on how the scenarios differ and recommended clearer public-facing language to avoid misreading. Kevin Cormier, who walked members through the detailed 3.06% scenario, said the towns-can-support column (roughly a 2.47% increase in his table) would likely require additional use of excess and deficiency (E&D) funds and an estimated $120,000 of adjustments to close gaps. He warned that separating costs tied specifically to reopening Ashby is difficult without forensic, line-by-line work.

“ We received a letter from the town managers about what their desired budget increase would be,” Cormier said as he described the middle column reflecting what towns indicated they could support.

The debate centered on whether to present the larger ‘optimal’ ask — which the administration estimated at about a 5.35% increase — or to present the 3.06% request that leaders judged more likely to gain town support. The reopening-Ashby estimate was close to the optimal scenario in percentage terms (about 5.27%), prompting members to emphasize clear labeling so readers do not assume one scenario implies the inclusion of another.

Keenan Francois, a committee member, urged caution about pursuing a larger ask that could force towns into overriding their budgets. “I don’t think an override is possible. I don’t think it will pass,” Francois said, arguing the timing and local political climate make an override unlikely this year.

Other members said presenting multiple scenarios — along with a clear slide explaining assumptions — would help residents and town officials understand trade-offs. One proposal from committee members was to add a single clarifying line in the table (for example: “optimal budget assumes Ashby remains closed”) and place fuller narrative explanations later in the packet.

The administration also flagged near-term uncertainty around utility costs because of a colder winter and billing lags; the committee confirmed a recent state announcement of a 25% utility reduction applied to residential customers only and therefore likely will not reduce district utility spending. Nancy Haines reported the district’s excess and deficiency was approved and is approximately $33.5 million (amount reported in meeting packet and discussed during the meeting).

After discussion, the committee voted to bring forward “the superintendent’s budget message with the supplemental material as provided to the school committee in his email on Jan. 21,” to the public budget hearing, with the caveat that numbers from the governor’s forthcoming budget be incorporated to attempt to show a 2.64% scenario for discussion. The motion to forward the materials was moved, seconded and approved by roll call. The public budget hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9; the committee’s final vote on the FY27 budget remains scheduled for March.

The subcommittee also scheduled a follow-up meeting for Feb. 6 at 8 a.m. to review slides after the governor’s numbers are released.

What changed: The action advances the district’s public-facing budget message and preserves options — the 3.06% request will be presented at the hearing, while the committee will continue to model alternatives and refine the public presentation after the governor’s release. The committee did not adopt an amended or final FY27 budget at the Jan. 26 meeting.

Next steps: The administration will update revenue projections with the governor’s numbers, circulate revised slides and materials to committee members, and present the proposals and scenarios at the Feb. 9 public budget hearing. The full school committee will take its formal vote in March.