Funding Saugus Public Schools – Superintendent’s proposed FY 2026 spending plan is $2.5 million more than the current budget

By Mark E. Vogler

The 2026 fiscal year spending plan proposed by Schools Superintendent Michael C. Hashem is nearly $2.5 million more than the $33.8 million operating budget approved at last May’s Annual Town Meeting.

“This budget reflects the needs of the district to move forward, as well as addressing a transition from using ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding to supplement the working budget,” Hashem noted in his budget message presented to the School Committee last week (Jan. 9).

“With the increase in the diverse needs of our students there are resources and supports that are necessary to make education accessible to all students. These services add to the cost of the baseline budget that is required of students learning in the year 2025 and beyond,” the superintendent said.

ESSER funds provide emergency relief to state and local educational agencies to address the impact of COVID-19 on elementary and secondary schools.

Town residents had an opportunity to comment on the superintendent’s proposed $36.2 million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 during a public hearing that was held last night. The Advocate will report on the proceedings in next week’s edition, as the meeting took place after the newspaper’s deadline.

During his budget briefing of the School Committee, the superintendent used a PowerPoint presentation to explain the four major components of the requested budget increase:

• Fixed cost increases, contractual obligations and potential out-of-district placements accounted for $1,4532,889 – or 59 percent of the total requested increase. These so-called Tier One details and costs included collective bargaining agreements, Special Education Out of District Tuition and SPED transportation in addition to regular day transportation.
• Tier 2-related expenses accounted for $219,581 of the proposed budget increase and involved expenses charged previously to Emergency Assistance Grants. These expenses involve curriculum materials in each of the three school buildings, districtwide professional development and two full-time equivalent English Language Learner (ELL) teachers.
• Tier 3 expenses accounted for $592,806 of the increase. This money involved reserves for all bargaining units negotiations and non-unit Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase.
• Hashem described Tier 4 as “the highest priority for additional staff.” He earmarked $209,162 for a full-time equivalent certified occupational therapist assistant, a full-time equivalent High School math teacher, a full-time equivalent High School Social Studies teacher and part-time school psychologist.

“Our district has gone through a series of challenging transitions over the last five years, and I am working with the School Committee, leadership, and all the stakeholders to attempt to get the district in a more stable place,” Hashem said in his budget message.

“I believe we have taken steps in moving our district forward. The budget was developed with the district’s need for stability in mind. It is also directly related to our District Improvement Plan and the recently adopted five-year Strategic Plan,” Hashem said. “As is the case with all school systems, our students and their needs are the main priority. This includes providing a safe and welcoming learning environment, support for our staff to provide instruction using high quality resources, and working to communicate with all stakeholders to provide transparency and accountability.”

Hashem cited three areas of district focus:

• Develop a work culture and environment to ensure Saugus is a district where educators are valued, appreciated and motivated. The budget tie in: maintaining professional development funding that was charged previously to ESSER and maintaining the teaching staff.
• Offer students in all grades access to opportunities that match their talents and interests. The budget tie in: offering instruction in key areas that provide students with the skills to be successful in college and careers, providing funding support for athletics and extracurricular programing and continuing to support the new Enrichment Program (which involves funds unrelated to the School Department’s operating budget).
• Provide all students with standards-aligned and consistently outstanding instruction in supportive learning environments. Budget tie in: maintain curriculum materials funding previously charged to ESSER and continue to fund staffing to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.

Hashem told School Committee members that he intends to be “fiscally responsible” while at the same time providing students “with a reason to go to school.”

“Don’t let the curriculum get abandoned, because we do that too many times,” Hashem said.

“Whether MCAS counts anymore or not, that [educational curriculum] needs to be maintained,” he said.

The superintendent identified these area’s as the school district’s top three financial needs:

• Curriculum – maintaining, developing and implementing
• Support – for teachers and students related to the growing needs of individual students.
• Activities – providing activities outside the school day in order to meet the needs of the whole child.

The superintendent’s proposed FY 26 budget identified nine “cost centers” within the budget, noting the proposed spending plan along with the increase.

Saugus Public Schools at a Glance

Veterans Early Learning Center: a $4.5 million proposed budget, a $113,051 increase, 66.38 full-time equivalent employees.

Belmonte STEAM Academy: a $7.1 million proposed budget, a $262,395 increase, 95.88 full-time equivalent employees.

Saugus Middle School: a $5.6 million proposed budget, a $108,909 increase, 64.26 full-time equivalent employees.

Saugus High School: a $7.6 million proposed budget, a $243,340 increase, 76 full-time equivalent employees.

Administration: a $1.2 million proposed budget, a $28,505 increase, 10.48 full-time equivalent employees.

Buildings and Grounds: a $910,091 proposed budget, no increase, 1 full-time equivalent employee (an outside contractor).

Non-Instructional Services: an $859,688 proposed budget, a $45,150 increase, 6.88 full-time equivalent employees.

District-Wide Instruction: a $1.9 million proposed budget, a $760,941 increase, 2.50 full-time equivalent employees.

Special Education: a $6.7 million proposed budget, a $912,147 increase, 30.35 full-time equivalent employees.

Total: a $36.2 million proposed budget, a $2.5 million increase, 353.73 full-time equivalent employees.