Cohasset Officials Question State Funding Amid Budget Shortfall

Cohasset school officials are facing an $800,000 budget deficit and anticipate further financial strain in the coming years, citing rising costs in special education, transportation, and utilities. The discussion took center stage at the March 5, 2025, Cohasset School Committee meeting, where state legislators provided an update on education funding.

State Rep. Joan Meschino and Sen. Patrick O’Connor attended the meeting, detailing the current budget process and the outlook for local aid. School Committee members pressed the legislators on the financial challenges affecting the district.

Rising Costs and Funding Gaps

The committee highlighted special education and transportation costs as primary drivers of the budget shortfall. Additionally, increases in health insurance and energy costs have contributed to the funding gap.

"Right now in Cohasset, we're looking at... about an $800,000 shortfall for this year," said Lance Dial. "That's going to carry forward next year after we give our steps and ladders to our teachers and our payroll is going to be on top of that $800,000, another million dollars."

Lance Dial also noted that additional financial pressures could lead to increased student fees and potential cuts to programs.

State Legislators Address Concerns

Rep. Meschino and Sen. O’Connor acknowledged the financial constraints faced by Cohasset and other districts statewide. O’Connor emphasized the need to revise the state's education funding formula, which determines local aid allocations.

"The education funding formula is broken," said Sen. Patrick O’Connor. "I don't think that it accounts for what's actually happening right now in our schools."

Both legislators pointed to ongoing state investments in special education reimbursement (circuit breaker) and Chapter 70 aid, but acknowledged that these increases have not been sufficient to offset rising costs in communities like Cohasset.

"We're trying to fill little buckets with more money to try to offset the fact that Chapter 70 is only going to go up $100,000 when your fixed costs are going up substantially more than that," said Sen. Patrick O’Connor.

Calls for Education Funding Reform

In response to the concerns raised, O’Connor detailed legislative efforts to increase special education reimbursements and adjust Chapter 70 funding to reflect inflation. He also urged Massachusetts municipal leaders to advocate for long-term funding solutions.

"This needs to be at the forefront of a lot of major discussions," said Sen. Patrick O’Connor. "We have about a three-year window to get something done that's substantial."

Meschino added that the timing of school reimbursements creates additional financial uncertainty for local districts.

"The way we budget is year to year, but circuit breaker, for example, is extraordinary expenses, but the student could arrive tomorrow and you have to cover it today and then you get reimbursed for it," said Rep. Joan Meschino.

As the state moves into the FY 2026 budget process, school officials hope for additional funding measures to alleviate the strain on districts like Cohasset. However, without immediate changes, the committee will have to consider cost-cutting measures in the coming months.

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