The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District is coming to voters this year with a $33.5 million budget that restores activities, athletics, and preschool for 4-year-olds, all of which were paid for last year with surplus funds.
Last year, the district’s proposed budget of $33.78 million was cut by $3 million during the district’s deliberative session, with the voting public adopting the now $30.78 million budget in March. The district made personnel and program cuts to meet the new budget target, but after community feedback, used surplus funds to restore some of those programs, including after-school activities and universal access to preschool.
Superintendent Reuben Duncan told audience members who attended the district’s budget hearing on Thursday evening that there are many costs that were cut that have not been restored in the 2026-27 proposed budget, but activities and preschool, representing about $1 million, are. Those costs include transportation, coaches, referees, supplies, fees, and teachers’ salaries and benefits.
School Board Chair Lisa Wiley said the board had extensive discussions on whether those funds should be included in the budget or funded as separate warrant articles, and that she herself had gone back and forth on the issue.
Duncan said the board ultimately decided to include the items within the budget, noting that if they were approved as warrant articles, they would not be included in the default budget the following year, and if the district ends up in a default situation, those programs would once again be on the chopping block.
“As a practical matter, if we think it’s important, it should be in the budget,” Duncan said.
The proposed default budget for 2026-27 would be $31.99 million. When asked by attendees if the district was prepared for either another cut at the deliberative session or a default situation, Wiley said, “Absolutely not.”
Wiley said the district was not prepared last year, and cannot be prepared this year to face such big decreases in the proposed budget. She said some increases are out of the district’s control — for example, insurance increases, which this year were about $550,000.
The district’s initial proposed budget was about $3.8 million. The board directed administration staff to reduce that target by about $308,000. Wiley said where those reductions will come for has yet to be determined, but will likely include at least some staff positions.
She said she cannot say at this point what will be cut from the budget if there is a default scenario, saying the board would have to “go right back to the drawing table.”
The district plans to add a position for an assistant superintendent of learning systems, which Duncan said will take over the roles of facilities director and curriculum coordinator, positions currently empty. The cost for that position is estimated to be $196,677.
Petition warrant articles seek budget cap, bathroom rules
There are two articles that have been submitted by petition. The board read both articles, but said that they were still verifying that there were sufficient signatures by registered voters to appear on the ballot.
The first petition article would implement a budget cap on the district, based on a set cost per pupil.
The article would require that the School Board, or the Budget Committee if the district ever adopts that system, limit proposed budgets to no more than $24,944 per pupil times the average daily membership in the district, with allowance for inflationary increases each year.
The district currently has an average daily membership of 1,088, meaning that if the policy were in place for this year, the proposed budget would be $27.1 million.
The second petition warrant article would direct the district to create a bathroom policy requiring students use only the bathroom that corresponds to their biological sex, or to use a gender-neutral, single-stall restroom.
“Such a policy would respect the choice of the individual students to express their beliefs in a manner that respects their personal values and affords each of them the privacy they deserve,” the warrant reads.
The board chose not to vote on whether to recommend the articles until the signatures are verified, and agreed to schedule a board meeting before Jan. 26, when the warrant must be finalized and posted for the deliberative session.
Other articles on the warrant
The district has proposed the adoption of a three-year agreement with the district’s support staff union. The new agreement would result in an increase of $236,283 in the first year. That would result in an 11-cent impact to Jaffrey’s tax rate, and 9 cents for Rindge.
The following two years of the agreement would include increases of $214,174 and $245,290.
A non-monetary warrant article would adopt the provisions of an open-enrollment law that allows students to choose to attend public schools outside of their home district. Jaffrey-Rindge, like several other area schools, has proposed allowing the acceptance of students into the district, but restricting Jaffrey-Rindge students from enrolling in other districts. The district would accept up to 150 students.
Duncan clarified that the law requires that the “home” district pay tuition for students to attend outside schools. He said that the district cannot afford that at this time on a large-scale basis.
The district is proposing two additions to capital reserve accounts, including a new account.
Article VI would establish a new capital reserve for Employee Benefits. Duncan explained that last year, the district was hit with an unexpected $585,000 bill from their employee insurer, SchoolCare, due to overages. He said the fund could cover situations like that, but also less dire unexpected increases, such as employees switching from single to the more-expensive family plans. The board proposed seeding the fund with $25,000 from the end-of-year funds.
The second capital reserve request is $350,000 for reconstruction and repair of school buildings and the purchase of capital equipment.
The district is scheduled to hold its deliberative session on Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Conant Middle High School. Voting on all articles will be held on March 10 in the district towns.