The Cohasset School Committee unanimously endorsed a $26,311,005 budget for Fiscal Year 2027 on Tuesday night, moving forward with a financial plan that relies on significant staffing and program reductions to bridge a nearly $1 million funding gap. Superintendent Sarah Shannon presented the final figures, which represent a 4.83% increase over the current year. However, even with that $1.2 million boost in funding, the district faces a $990,944 deficit compared to the amount needed to maintain level services. This 4.83% increase leaves us with a $990,944 deficit from level service funding which has been addressed through reductions in staff and resources, Shannon explained, noting that the budget includes the loss of a central office position, a high school front office role, and various teaching and specialist positions across the district.

Resident Victoria Latanzi raised concerns about the fairness of the town’s allocation during public comment, arguing that the school department's share of the overall town budget has dropped from 42% to 40%. While we are seeing significant cuts with this proposed fiscal year 27 school budget, the town budget as a whole is seeing significant pay increases and budget increases, Latanzi said. She suggested that municipal departments have moved line items into a shared town budget to protect their own operating expenses while the schools are forced to cut full-time teachers and student programming. The town budget is not taking equivalent cuts, she told the committee.

Committee members acknowledged the fiscal strain while defending the necessity of passing the budget to ensure continued operations. Member Corey Evans argued that delaying the vote would provide no leverage and would only jeopardize the district's ability to function. If we don't vote a budget, we don't get any money. It's that simple, Evans said. It doesn't quite logically make sense that we would hold teacher salaries hostage. Member Jacob Squatrito echoed the sentiment of a district under pressure, stating, I absolutely believe that there is a problem of underfunding in the schools. I don't think it is something that is done out of malice or carelessness... it's just simply from the fact that the schools are the biggest item on the budget and mathematically with Prop 2 and a half, there's only so much you can increase the school budget.

Vice Chair Craig MacLellan directly addressed the equity concerns raised during public comment, noting that he had reviewed the municipal side of the ledger. To the question of whether the school budget represents an equitable use of tax dollars, MacLellan stated, My answer to that question is yes. Secretary Lance Dial characterized the budget as the best possible outcome following intense collaboration with town officials but warned that the current path is not sustainable. I think we have pulled every budgetary trick, pushed every button, pulled every lever that we could possibly do to get us where we are now, Dial said. We are going to need the cooperation, the help, the support of everyone in the town to support a structural override so that we can get a sustainable level of funding for our schools.

Motion Made by L. Dial to approve the overall budget of $26,311,005 for Fiscal Year 2027. Motion Passed (5-0).

The approval of the budget comes as the town continues to navigate long-term infrastructure challenges, including the MSBA middle-high school building project and ongoing fiscal scrutiny from the Advisory Board. Chair Jennifer Lesky concluded the meeting by acknowledging the difficult trade-offs required to reach the final number. We can hold two truths, Lesky said. It is hard to know that we have made concessions in terms of our faculty and staff and our programming for next year, and be incredibly proud of the work that the district has done to get a budget that brings us close to level service.