Cohasset School Committee Approves FY26 Budget Amid Cuts

COHASSET — The Cohasset School Committee voted on April 2 to approve a balanced $24.8 million budget for fiscal year 2026, closing a $1.4 million shortfall through a combination of staff reductions, increased user fees, and the reinstatement of tuition for full-day kindergarten.

The decision followed months of public discussion and comes just days after the Committee voted in a special session to bring back kindergarten tuition, a move that drew frustration from families who had expected the program to remain free.

“Free kindergarten is just not something the district can currently afford,” said Chair Craig MacLellan. “It's not a permanent decision... we'll continue to prioritize it and ensure that if it ever becomes feasible again... we will return that service to Cohasset.”

Vice Chair Lance Dial clarified that the original move to offer free kindergarten was never fully funded through a grant, but rather relied on anticipated increases in Chapter 70 state aid, which ultimately fell short.

“It had to require no additional money from the town. That did not happen,” Dial said. “So we tried to absorb those costs... but there's nothing there. That’s how we got here.”

The $1.4 million budget gap for FY26 was closed through reductions in supplies, professional development, and several staff positions, including a central office administrator, custodians, a bus driver, and educational support personnel. Additional revenue will come from increased athletic, transportation, parking, and rental fees — as well as $300,000 in expected kindergarten tuition.

Superintendent Sarah Shannon presented the breakdown, saying, “We are presenting you this evening with a balanced FY26 budget that we can support and that meets the needs of the district as best it can.”

Looking to the remainder of FY25, Shannon said the district is working to reduce its current-year deficit from $953,000 to approximately $569,000. The remaining amount would be covered by the town.

“We think that by the end of June we will be able to draw down that deficit... and hopefully we can even do better than that,” Shannon said.

Committee members praised the administration for developing a solution, while also acknowledging the cuts only offer temporary relief.

“This solves a symptom, not the problem,” Dial said. “We should take some of the energies... and think about more permanent solutions.”

Ted Carr, who serves as secretary, echoed that sentiment.

“It is a Band-Aid on a problem,” he said. “It will be important because it is a Band-Aid on a problem. I think we need to just continue to figure out how to do this differently, better.”

Committee members also noted that the town will still vote on the school budget at the upcoming Town Meeting, where residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on the district’s funding plan.

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