Interim Superintendent John Robidoux presented a $49,120,285 level-services school budget for fiscal year 2026 at a School Committee budget workshop Feb. 13. That is a 5.05% increase over the current school budget. Robidoux announced that the district will not need a general override to cover salaries and programming.
Robidoux emphasized that this level-services budget includes all the services, staffing and supplies from the current year, including salary increases.
“We are confident that the level-services budget will allow us to move forward with this budget and provide all the services necessary to educate our students and make sure our students and staff have all the resources they need.”
An override or layoffs may be necessary in upcoming years to fund new four-year teacher contracts approved in November. The largest wage increases happen in the later years of the agreement.
Tax hike ask for new MHS roof
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Mike Pfifferling announced last week that the schools will ask for a $8.6 million debt exclusion override that will raise taxes for 15 years. If passed at Town Meeting and the June election, the roof override would add $86 to the tax bill of the median-priced home the first year.
“The roof on this high school needs to be replaced. It’s leaking,” Robidoux said Thursday night. “I was in there today. It was raining, and there were buckets catching water again. I’m hoping the town will understand that we have kids and staff in this building, and it’s not a want, it’s a need.”
Budget breakdown
According to Pfifferling, the largest piece of the budget (82%) covers salaries at $39,083,209. The next largest portions of the budget include:
- Out-of-district tuitions: $3,562,163
- Contracted services: $2,579,043
- Utilities $1,922,408
- Supplies: $1,675,794
- Other expenses: $179,461
Out-of-district tuition and transportation costs (for students whose academic needs cannot be met in Marblehead schools) are a large part of the budget. Assistant Superintendent for Student Services LisaMarie Ippolito said she expects 47 out-of-district students next school year, compared to 50 this year.
The School Committee and administration said they are committed to improving the district’s special education programs with the aim of keeping more kids in the district and reduce OOD costs.
“I guarantee that you will see that number of out-of-district placements go down because we’re going to continue to bring kids back into the district, make sure that they have programs that are solid,” Robidoux said.
Capital requests
In addition to the roof debt exclusion override request, the district is also asking for funding for several other capital improvement projects, totaling $607,548. The requests, which would not require an override, include:
- Glover School HVAC in the cafeteria: $70,000
- Glover playground: $120,000
- Reupholster seating in the Veterans School Performing Arts Center: $140,000
- Paint the PAC: $200,000
- Special education van: $77,458
Next steps
The public is invited to the School Committee’s budget hearing scheduled now for Thursday, Feb. 27.
In March and April, the Finance Committee will weigh in on the school’s proposed budget. Town Meeting will vote on the budget on May 5.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
