Southampton School Committee Approves Calendar, Eyes Full Budget Restoration for FY27

School Committee · Meeting of February 11, 2026

Southampton School Committee hears $81,000 deficit charge against town free cash and signals full restoration budget request for FY27. Business Office Director Dawn reported that closing the FY25 budget required drawing on more than $333,000 in additional grant revenue beyond voted amounts, including rural aid, REAP grants, and circuit breaker funds, and that roughly $81,126 in deficit balances will hit the town's free cash, with reconciliation to the Town Accountant about one day away. Superintendent Vito and Principal Aliza detailed the impact of last year's cuts at Norris School: class sizes of 20 to 22 in kindergarten and first grade, lost intervention staff, no art teacher, and no STEAM program that peer schools already offer.

Hampshire Regional Representative Jen reported the regional preliminary budget settled at a 5.6 percent increase, putting Southampton's assessment at $6,216,888 should it pass. Chair Kimberly said she would carry a full-restoration-plus-STEAM budget priority to a February 26 joint Finance and Select Board meeting, framing the ask plainly: "We should be asking for what we need to be."

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Source: the School Committee meeting of February 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.