School Committee begins FY27 budget work amid state aid cuts

By Neil Zolot

The Everett School Committee is beginning its work to formulate the Fiscal Year 2027 School Department budget. At its meeting on Monday, April 6, it referred the matter to a meeting of the Budget Subcommittee of the Whole on Thursday, April 16, during which they will review the budget in detail. “There will be challenges given Chapter 70 state aid will be diminished,” Schools Superintendent William Hart acknowledged. “We’re looking at different ways to manage this.”

“We’re hoping we can find creative ways to fund the budget,” School Committee member at-Large and Chair Samantha Hurley added. A Committee or Subcommittee of the Whole meeting convenes an entire committee as an informal study group to discuss issues in detail, but not as a voting body.

The current Fiscal Year 2026 school budget is $142.1 million, a 4.9% increase over $135.5 million in Fiscal Year 2025, which was a 5.21% increase over $128.6 million in Fiscal 2024. Hart is planning on an increase of about 5%, about $7.1 million, for Fiscal Year 2027 for a Level Service Budget or one that maintains level services with additional funding needed to cover cost increases. A Level Funded Budget would cut some services to cover cost increases in others. “There’ll be no reduction in service,” he said. “No child will lose services or extra attention. We’ll try not cut services to continue to offer the same programs.”

In other items, the Committee accepted a $25,000 grant from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to expand the My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) program to 6th grade. In it, students are asked to ask themselves who they feel they are and what they’re interested in, with a goal of considering a career.

On Monday, March 30, the Cafeteria Subcommittee met to discuss a tour they took of cafeterias at the High School and Lafayette and Webster neighborhood schools on Thursday, March 19, following a discussion of food offerings and portioning at the High School at a full School Committee meeting on Monday, March 2. Subcommittee members Margaret Cornelio (Ward 1), Joanna Garren (Ward 2) and Joseph D’Onofrio (Ward 6) took the tour; Joseph LaMonica (member at-Large) was absent. “We found the food very good,” Cornelio, who chairs the Subcommittee, reported. “It’s well prepared and there’s plenty of it and plenty of items to choose from.”

She conceded that making sure there’s enough food for students in late lunches is challenging, one of the issues brought up by Ward 4 member Robin Babcock on March 2. Cornelio was also pleased with vendor Whitsons Culinary Group’s practice of staggering preparation to have enough food for late lunches. “They cook so kids in the end group will have things to choose from,” she said.

The minutes of the March 30 meeting also indicate Whitsons Regional Manager Joe Armenti saying “while EHS never runs out of meals, Whitsons is working with the EHS Chef to ensure that all of the day’s offerings are available for all lunch periods. Sometimes, certain items are not available by the time the fifth lunch period begins.”

He also said staffing levels are strong, with no need to have more people.

Whitsons General Manager Michael DiMascio added his assessment that food service is effective “in delivering a wide selection of quality items in a timely manner.”

Prompted by a question from Garren, Hart said he will look at redesigning the lunch schedules but still suggested Whitsons explore options. Armenti answered that a salad bar at the High School is being considered as well as a “grab and go” option at the neighborhood schools. Grab and go carts are used for breakfast at the High School — but not during lunches — to accommodate seating.

He also said staffing levels are strong, with no need to have more people.

DiMascio added, “Once the salad bar opens, Whitsons will make the necessary adjustments for speed and efficiency,” such as placing protein in pre-proportioned cuts to prevent long lines.