Hingham Public Schools officials are considering increases in school fees to help balance the district’s budget while maintaining staffing levels and programs. The proposal, discussed at the January 27 School Committee meeting, includes new transportation fees and higher costs for athletics and parking.
According to Superintendent Kathryn Roberts, the district is working within a 3.5% budget cap outlined in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the town.
"Our task was to maximize the available budget to serve the needs of students," Roberts said. "We are in a very uniquely human business in education and want to make sure that we're approaching any conversations about budget with the appropriate care and sensitivity."
To avoid deeper cuts, school officials are proposing the following:
A new $360 bus fee for grades 7-12 (K-6 students living two miles or more from school would remain free).
Athletics fees increasing from $425 to $450 per sport, with additional fees for students playing more than one sport.
Hockey and football fees increasing to $750.
Parking fees rising to $225 for the close lot and $125 for the far lot.
The school committee noted that similar increases are happening in other districts.
"Every area district is also considering fees," Roberts said. "I think we'll be kind of marching in lockstep with these increases."
The district faces rising costs, including salary increases, utility hikes, and special education services. According to Roberts, "Our main budget driver is meeting contractual obligations," which include "salary increases ranging from three to 7%, increased tuition reimbursement, stipends longevity, and increased substitute costs to cover extended leave."
The school committee also discussed the challenge of maintaining programs and student services.
"Given the 3.5% MOU, we did make some budget assumptions going into this season," Roberts explained. "We took a zero-based budgeting approach for anything that's discretionary, which is a fairly small proportion of our budget."
Committee members debated how the proposed fees might affect student participation, particularly in athletics and transportation.
School Committee Member Matt Cosman raised concerns about the bus fee, noting that Hingham would have one of the highest transportation fees in the area.
"It looks like we're going to be the highest fee compared to other towns. Am I reading that correctly?" Cosman asked.
Roberts acknowledged that while the proposed bus fee is higher than some neighboring districts, increases are expected across multiple towns.
Some committee members also questioned the impact of the new cost structure for multiple sports, suggesting the family cap should be re-evaluated to avoid disproportionately affecting certain families.
The school committee will continue reviewing budget options, with a final decision expected in the coming weeks. School officials say the goal is to minimize the impact on students while ensuring financial stability.
"These are proposals that are a give and take in conversation," Roberts noted. "I will always make sure we're time stamping our slides… these are our proposals as of this date and they do tend to change over time."
A final vote on the proposed fee increases is expected before the district finalizes its FY26 budget.