2026 Local School Budget News
CBRSD Member Towns Will See Higher Assessments
Iberkshires March 9, 2026
Despite budget cuts made by Central Berkshire Regional School District, its seven member towns can still anticipate higher assessments. The district has decreased its initial operating projections from nearly 10 percent down to 4.9 percent. However, the town assessments range from increases of 7.3 percent to 15 percent….With the number of costs outside the district's control, even a zero percent increase would still result in higher town assessments. …Driving increases include health insurance, which rose 8.75 percent, and an anticipated 10 percent increase in property insurance; the charter school assessment, which is set by the state, rose by $50,000, and increases in special education costs by $253,916.
Frontier School Committee OKs $13.76M budget with 7 position cuts.
Greenfield Recorder March 6, 2026
The Frontier Regional School District School Committee approved a $13.76 million budget for fiscal year 2027, representing a 3.63% jump of $482,460 over the current fiscal year, on Thursday night. On Tuesday, Director of Business Administration Shelley Poreda explained that these cuts will include a building monitor, three instructional assistants, a part-time school adjustment counselor, a special education teacher and the librarian, who would be replaced with a library aide….“These are heartbreaking cuts that we are considering, and Sunderland Elementary is looking at much more severe cuts than a librarian,” said member Jessica Corwin, who also serves as chair of the Sunderland School Committee. Tearing up, she added, “I apologize to everybody whose hearts are very much with the librarian and special education, but Sunderland needs a possible reduction so we can still have a functional elementary school.”
Mount Greylock Schools Draft Budget Sees Double-Digit Percentage Hikes for Towns
Iberkshires March 5, 2026
The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Tuesday began consideration of whether it wants to send its member towns fiscal year 2027 assessments that are 12 to 13 percent higher than the bills Lanesborough and Williamstown paid for the current school year. The committee held a special meeting with a single item on the agenda: the draft FY27 budget prepared by the administration. That spending plan, which comes with no net increase in staffing or services, would result in an 11.73 percent increase in the assessment to Lanesborough (up by $801,742 from FY26) and a 12.71 percent increase to Williamstown (up by $1,883,944).
Hadley braces for sweeping cuts amid $1.5M budget deficit
Hampshire Gazette Feb. 26, 2026
While a $23.89 million budget is needed to maintain level school and municipal services, the budget presented is for $22.37 million, which is $385,572 less than this year’s spending plan…. Based on this plan, 14 positions will be impacted, totaling 7.5 full-time equivalents lost, with an additional 10 positions possibly to be eliminated at the public schools.
Amid nearly $221K cut, Hawlemont faces reduction of teaching staff, paraprofessionals
Greenfield Recorder Feb. 26, 2026
To decrease the overall budget figure [$2.86 million], the district made reductions amounting to $220,744 in areas such as instruction, student services, maintenance and operation…. “It’s a really challenging budget year, not only for Hawlemont … but also across [western] Franklin County and western Mass in particular,” Lataille explained. “Most budgets are coming in around 10% for increases. We’ve worked really hard to come in under that.”
Early figures show West Springfield schools face $3.5 million budget gap
The Reminder Feb. 22, 2026
It is still in the early stages of the fiscal year 2027 budget process, but West Springfield Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Adam Tarquini provided the Town Council with a budget overview on Feb. 17. The outlook for the budget, which will take effect on July 1, is stark….He said a level service budget would equal $61.5 million… due to contractually obligated increases and the rising cost of expenses….However, Mayor Will Reichelt has asked for a level funded school department at $58.2 million, which will leave the town needing to make up $3.5 million….Councilor Diana Coyne said, “We’re finally at that tipping point. Everything’s going to have to be on the table.”
BHRSD [Berkshire Hills Regional] Superintendent Dillon: ‘Fiscal 2027 is a difficult and impactful budget situation’
Berkshire Edge Feb. 16, 2026
“As part of the budget, [Superintendent] Dillon is projecting that employee health insurance rates will increase by 8.75 percent ($352,235) and dental rates by eight percent….For W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School, Dillon plans to reduce paraprofessional staffing by 1.0 FTE (full-time equivalent), and 6.0 FTE at Monument Mountain Regional High school.’
‘Heartbreaking’ choices for Hampshire Regional: Staff, program cuts loom amid budget shortfall
Daily Hampshire Gazette Feb. 13, 2026
“Significant service cuts could be on the horizon at Hampshire Regional as the district grapples with a $2 million increase in level-service costs, driven largely by soaring health insurance premiums…. During a Feb. 9 meeting that lasted more than three hours, the Hampshire Regional School Committee approved a preliminary budget of about $19.7 million for fiscal 2027 — a $400,000 shortfall from what it would take to maintain the level services.”
Health benefits costs driving sharp hike in Lenox school spending forecast
Berkshire Eagle Jan. 4, 2026
“In a bleak early forecast for the 2026-27 school district budget, a double-digit increase is projected, largely driven by benefits. The preliminary spending plan presented recently to the School Committee by Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Melissa Falkowski includes an expected 20 percent increase in health benefits costs for current and retired employees. The impact of skyrocketing health insurance expenses nationwide is the main driver of the district’s overall operating budget increase, currently projected at 10.9 percent.
Four towns: Amherst regional school budget next year unrealistic
Hampshire Gazette Jan. 13, 2026
Officials in the four towns that make up the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools are cautioning school leaders that a level services fiscal year 2027 budget is unrealistic if it means assessments for each community going up by at least 9.5%.
Pelham Elementary School faces budget deficit, possible closure
Hampshire Gazette, January 25, 2026
Between a likelihood that the town won’t provide a budget increase next year or support a five-year capital improvement plan for the building, the survival of Pelham Elementary School is in question as a deepening fiscal crisis has forced district administrators to start discussions on a process that could lead to shuttering the building…. With a level-funded budget, that means the elementary school is facing a $186,071 deficit. A 2.5% increase would have brought the budget from $1.8 million to $1.85 million, still more than $140,000 below what is needed to maintain existing services.
Monomoy School Budget Up 7.04 Percent
Cape Cod Chronicle February 4, 2026
The latest draft of the fiscal 2027 Monomoy Regional School District budget shows a 7.04 percent increase, but school officials said questions remain in several areas and will have to be answered… In all, district staffing will be reduced by four full-time employees over last year…
HWRSD tackles budget reductions for fiscal year 2027
The Reminder, February 6, 2026
[Superintendent John] Provost [Hamden Wilbraham Regional] estimated somewhere north of 20 FTEs with a $2 million gap in the budget estimates…. School Committee member Tim Collins said that if taxes weren’t cut by the governor, there would be money available to support the school districts in the commonwealth that are underfunded by the state. He said he encourages people to communicate with legislators and let them know children of the vast majority of school districts are being shortchanged.
South Hadley School Committee discusses potential cuts, tax override in FY27 budget
The Reminder, February 3, 2026
The town of South Hadley has spent the last few months discussing these potential deficits and complications from increasing costs, such as health insurance… If the School Department went the $3 million override route, [Superintendent] Voyik said they would have to cut all sports, all after-school activities and eliminate music from the middle school and high school….Three administrator positions and 15 student-facing positions would also be reduced, and the potential cuts would increase class sizes to 25 students per class for kindergarten and first grade. Second and grade and fourth grade class sizes would increase to 27 to 30 students per class, and fifth-grade to 12th-grade classes would rise to 30 students per class.
Pioneer eliminating director of teaching and learning as part of $18.2M budget
Greenfield Recorder, February 10, 2026
The Pioneer Valley Regional School District plans to eliminate the director of teaching and learning position as part of its $18.2 million budget for fiscal year 2027.
Superintendent Patricia Kinsella told members of the School Committee, and member towns’ finance committees and selectboards, on Thursday that school officials have been working to make $800,000 in cuts from the first draft of the budget, which had included a $974,343 increase in town assessments. “We made some deep cuts,” Kinsella said…. Director of Finance and Operations Taffy Bassett-Fox said that cuts made from the original draft of the budget included cutting the existing director of teaching and learning position, eliminating plans to reinstate a certified librarian at Pioneer Valley Regional School and building-specific substitute teachers, and implementing a new literacy curriculum.
Hoosac Valley Regional Faces Challenging Budget Season
iBerkshires Feb. 11, 2026
Hoosac Valley Regional School District is looking at a 7 percent budget increase out of the gate. The School Committee on Monday night got a first look at a draft budget of $24,763,431, up $1.62 million from this year. Superintendent Aaron Dean said he and Business Manager Erika Snyder have been "trying to nail Jell-O to a tree" with this budget the last three weeks.
Mohawk Trail proposes cutting 6.5 teaching jobs, 12 paraprofessionals in FY27 budget
Greenfield Recorder February 14, 2026
The Mohawk Trail Regional School District is preparing to cut 6.5 teaching jobs and 12 paraprofessionals as part of a $28.9 million fiscal year 2027 operating budget. The district is budgeting for a 13% increase in health insurance costs in FY27, an 8% increase to payroll, a 7% increase in transportation and a 67% increase in special education transportation costs. Meanwhile, the district is anticipating decreases in the revolving fund and grants used to offset local assessments, including a loss of a $114,900 Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) grant and $723,620 in School Choice revenue.