Gloucester School Committee Receives $54.2 Million FY26 Budget Proposal

GLOUCESTER — March 12, 2025 — Gloucester School Committee receives $54.2 million FY26 budget proposal as federal grant risk looms. Superintendent Ben Lummis presented the proposed operating budget Wednesday — a $2.75 million, or 5.9 percent, increase over the current year's $51.5 million — calling it among the largest year-over-year increases the district has seen but warning that more than $2 million in federal Title I, IDEA, and related grants are "uncertain" under the current national administration. Health insurance costs are projected to rise $537,000 to $7.2 million, topping 13 percent of the operating budget for the first time, while a bus transportation lease formerly covered by ARPA funding adds another $376,000 to the general fund. The committee's first formal budget vote is scheduled for April 30. During public comment, multiple teachers pressed the committee over retroactive pay owed to six retired educational support professionals; Chair Kathy Clancy referred a separate teacher tuition reimbursement dispute — unresolved since the 2023-24 school year — to the following week's meeting for an administrative report.