Superintendent presents $37.5M FY27 school budget

School Committee · Meeting of January 8, 2026

Saugus's superintendent presented a $37,485,066 fiscal 2027 school budget, a 7.81 percent jump over this year's $34,768,535 appropriation. The level-service portion alone would rise $2,520,741, or 7.25 percent, driven mainly by collective bargaining costs, out-of-district special education placements and transportation. The superintendent noted the share of students classified as "high needs" by the state has climbed from 39 percent in fiscal 2016 to 68.5 percent today, even as full-time teaching staff fell from 406 to 333 positions over the same period.

"So even if we pick out one as far as the town itself is changing, is our low income numbers went from 25% 10 years ago to 36%, and now it's 52%," the superintendent said. The School Committee took no action on the budget itself, voting only 5-0 to adjourn, and will hold a public hearing on the spending plan January 22 at 6 p.m.

In the full story:

• The Full Story
• [00:07:32] — The superintendent
• [00:14:23] — The superintendent
• [00:00:38] — Tom Whittredge, Chair
• Why It Matters
• Key Motions & Votes
• Source
• Saugus's community access TV: School Committee meeting, January 8, 2026
• The complete report: 650 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of January 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.