LONGMEADOW — The Longmeadow Select Board met with the School and Finance committees on March 10 to discuss budget issues for fiscal year 2026.
Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea presented the School Department $44.85 million budget as approved by the School Committee on Feb. 11. Despite funding level services without any major additions from FY25, the budget is $1.42 million, or 3.2%, more than the current year. Of that increase, $1.28 million would come from the general fund.
The superintendent explained that the gap is widening between the foundation budget, which is the amount the state determines is required to provide a basic education, and the Chapter 70 funding the state provides. In other words, the state is requiring more money be spent on education while providing less help in meeting that number. This year, the foundation budget is $1.37 million more than last year, while the increase to Chapter 70 is $204,675. This translates to $75 per pupil, the minimum legally allowed by state law.
“It’s unsustainable to think that communities anywhere can maintain services in the face of $75 in Chapter 70 aid,” O’Shea said.
The difference between the two figures is what the town is expected to cover the minimum local contribution. In years past, the town has provided funds beyond the minimum local contribution. In fact, the town provides 92% of the School Department’s budget.
O’Shea explained that steps had been taken to limit the year-over-year increase, including having vacancies from retirements be filled with newer personnel who have lower salaries. The School Department is expecting to need one fewer preschool section due to enrollment levels. This will come with the reduction on a teacher and assistant. Services for deaf and hard of hearing students are also expected to be reduced due to decreased need. Some special education services previously provided by Longmeadow Public Schools staff will be accommodated through a partnership with area colleges.
Nevertheless, the pressures of inflation, contractual obligations, student supports, technology, special education and transportation are proving difficult to overcome. According to O’Shea’s presentation, the transportation budget has risen 40% in the past six years, while the budgeted amount for special education has skyrocketed 76% in that same period.
A major portion of special education costs is out-of-district tuition for students whose needs cannot be met by the district’s programs. While not as dramatic as last year’s 14% hike, FY26’s 3.7% increase is “still above historic levels,” O’Shea said.
Compared to other area school districts, O’Shea said that this year’s request was a “reasonable proposal” with a “significant return on investment” when considering the schools now have more students categorized by the state as high needs or low-income. That said, O’Shea added, “We recognize that the budget may be more than is manageable.” He said the School Department was willing to work with town leadership to reach a figure that Longmeadow can afford.
Town Manager Lyn Simmons commented, “When it comes to challenges, we come together and face them as a town.”
Select Board member Andrew Lam shared that when Simmons learned the requested increase was 3.2%, she began working on cutting non-essential items elsewhere in the budget period, however, he said that a 2.75% increase would be needed to level fund the town.
Reflecting on the limited funds available, Levine said, “If our schools slide, the town slides.” However, he shared Lam’s assessment that the request would need to be lowered to provide for all town departments.
Finance Committee Chair Erica Weida noted that the town is not required to spend that additional $1.42 million because it already meets the minimum local contribution. She asked if the increased demand for funds is more pronounced in some schools than in others. O’Shea said the salaries are all driven by union negotiations. Teachers are not paid different amounts based on the grade they teach. He said the need for support is universal throughout the grade levels.
When asked about whether the cost of a salary is a factor in hiring decisions, O’Shea said, “The single biggest factor in a child’s education is the teacher in front of them.” He said the School Department does not look for inexperienced teachers who will cost the town less. Instead, he said the natural flow of attrition fills that role.
During the presentation, O’Shea presented a list of areas that the School Department would like to fund if possible. These included student behavioral supports, including board-certified behavioral analysts and counselors, fully funded athletics to eliminate the need for student fees, full-day preschool, instructional coaches, fully funded curriculum renewal and in-district special education to lower out-of-district placement costs.
Hensch said that each item on that list should be provided by the schools, but added, “There’s not a lot of wiggle room” to cut other items from the budget to fund the list.
Finance Committee member Maury Garrett Jr. asked how much full-day preschool would cost. O’Shea did not have a figure, but when asked about charging for preschool, he explained that the school district is required to provide a preschool education for students needing an individualized education program. The department already charges for students without an IEP, called peer role models, and O’Shea said they cannot charge enough to cover additional staff for preschool without pricing out families.
Select Board member Mark Gold asked if the School Department had spoken with the legislative delegation regarding the budget issue. O’Shea told him that the legislators had been “attentive” and “supportive,” But that help would have to come in the form of changing the formulas for Chapter 70 and other educational calculations.
Select Board member Dan Zwirko said he was under the impression the School Department had fully funded the athletic programs. He asked how much such a move would cost, as athletics are “crucial” for student development. Hensch explained that the athletic programs were funded through a combination of family fees, general fund and booster clubs. O’Shea said that fully fund the programs would require “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” and even then, it would be likely cuts would have to be made elsewhere.
Weida said the town should not dismiss the idea of a Proposition 2 1/2 override, but Lam cautioned against that. He said doing so would bake that figure into the operational budget and require overrides year after year. He also said the town may not have the appetite to do so in the same year they will be voting on funding the middle school. However, Weida responded that the town may not have a choice in the future.
Simmons will present the townwide budget to the Select Board for consideration on March 24.
