West Bridgewater School Committee Approves $18.6 Million FY26 School Budget

WEST BRIDGEWATER -- March 10, 2025, West Bridgewater School Committee unanimously approves $18.6 million FY26 budget, adding back one teaching position. The committee voted 4-0 Monday to adopt a fiscal year 2026 appropriation request of $18,609,916, a 5.47 percent increase over the current year, the smallest proposed increase in at least three years. Member Carrie Lazzardi moved to add $62,579 to the teaching services line, raising that cost center to $6,803,163, arguing the administration's right-sizing assumptions were "too aggressively" cutting positions and that the addition would preserve flexibility to protect specialist instruction at the elementary level. A projected $324,000 increase in tuition and transportation for up to 15 students attending Bristol County Agricultural and Norfolk County Agricultural schools accounts for a large share of the budget's growth; agricultural school applications remain open until April 1, meaning the figure could rise before Town Meeting, scheduled for the following week. The committee also voted unanimously to open three policies, IGC, IGC-R, and JL (Student Welfare), for revision, with updated language to return in April following an insurance audit recommendation. Member Carrie Milton was absent.