The Hingham School Committee voted Monday night to approve a $70.3 million fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget but delayed decisions on proposed staff reductions. The committee cited pending data on student enrollment and special education costs as reasons for postponing layoffs.
The budget follows a 3.5% annual spending cap established in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the town. The district is also implementing new fees, including a transportation charge for grades 7-12, to help close budget gaps.
"It is not easy to talk about any kind of reductions," Correnti said. "I know that you're working all kinds of hours to prepare all of this information. But as a town, we did go through and have an override back in ‘23 with this memorandum of understanding that we would stick to a growth rate no more than three and a 5% other than carving out that special piece for special ed."
The committee debated whether to approve both the budget and the associated staffing reductions at the same meeting. Some members suggested delaying the staff reduction vote to allow more time for additional enrollment data to come in.
Superintendent Kathryn Roberts explained that fluctuating kindergarten registration numbers and special education placements could impact final staffing needs.
"We will be submitting revised enrollment data based on our kindergarten and in fact our one to 12 enrollment in late spring for that refined projection," Roberts said.
The budget plan includes eliminating 15 staff positions across multiple schools, including interventionists, teachers, and administrative assistants. Some committee members expressed concern about the impact of these reductions on student services.
School Committee Member Michelle Ayer urged the community to remain engaged in discussions about public education funding.
"We do as a community and a town need to be paying attention to what’s going on with potential cuts to the Department of Education funding and be prepared for that," Ayer said.
For now, the School Committee will revisit staffing decisions at its February 24 meeting, with a final vote expected in the coming weeks.