Plympton School Committee Unanimously Approves $4.43 Million FY26 Education Budget

PLYMPTON -- March 24, 2025, Plympton School Committee unanimously approved a $4,430,000 local operating budget for fiscal year 2026 at its March 24 meeting, with total planned school expenditures of $4,703,363 when circuit breaker reimbursement and grants are included. The committee also voted to allocate $144,000 in available FY25 rural aid three ways: $50,000 to supplement a state-earmarked HVAC replacement at Dennett Elementary, one of six aging rooftop air handlers still needing replacement, $54,000 to cover the school's current FY25 operating deficit, and $40,000 through a town meeting warrant article to replenish the Special Education Reserve Fund drawn down this year. The chair acknowledged the budget represents an 11 percent increase over the FY25 original appropriation but called that figure "completely misleading," noting actual FY25 spending ran $250,000 over budget, making the real operational increase roughly 4.25 percent. The committee also adopted three civil rights compliance policies on a single emergency read following a DESE coordinated program review, and approved a 2025-26 meeting schedule.