Voters rejected a proposed $7 million Proposition 2½ override Tuesday, leaving town and school officials to address a significant budget shortfall without the additional property tax revenue.
The Sept. 1 ballot measure failed 4,801 to 4,059. Voters at a June 15 Town Meeting had previously approved the override budget, but the tax increase also required approval at the ballot box before it could take effect.
Without the override, Marshfield faces an estimated $7 million budget deficit. The school department accounts for about $4.5 million of that gap. About 70 educators were notified in May that their positions would be eliminated as the district prepared for the possibility that the override would fail.
The Select Board voted 2-1 to send the override to voters after the vacancy left by Trish Simpson was filled. Opposition to the measure included concerns about school staffing levels as enrollment declines and calls for a deeper review of the school budget before asking taxpayers to approve a property tax increase.
Ahead of the election, town and school officials approved a five-year financial agreement establishing a new school funding formula. Under the agreement, Marshfield Public Schools would receive 68.5% of available revenue after shared municipal costs are accounted for, along with new financial reporting requirements.
The agreement also included a commitment not to seek another operational override for at least five years if voters approved the Sept. 1 measure, except in cases of extreme inflation or a significant reduction in state or federal aid. With the override rejected, town and school officials will now have to determine how to close the remaining budget gap.