The Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District is set to present a proposed budget of $33.5 million to voters, aiming to restore important programs such as activities, athletics, and preschool education for four-year-olds. This comes after a previous budget of $30.78 million, which was adopted in March 2025 following a cut of $3 million during the district’s deliberative session.
After community feedback indicated support for these programs, the district utilized surplus funds to temporarily reinstate some services that had been cut, including after-school activities and universal preschool access. Superintendent Reuben Duncan informed attendees at a budget hearing that while many costs remain cut, approximately $1 million would be allocated to the restoration of activities and preschool in the upcoming budget.
During discussions surrounding the budget, School Board Chair Lisa Wiley emphasized the importance of including these items directly in the budget rather than as separate warrant articles. She noted that if funded separately and the district faced a default situation, those programs could be at risk again. Duncan stated, “As a practical matter, if we think it’s important, it should be in the budget.” The proposed default budget for the 2026-27 school year stands at $31.99 million.
Attendees raised concerns about the potential for further budget cuts at the upcoming deliberative session. Wiley expressed apprehension, stating, “Absolutely not,” regarding the district’s preparedness for another significant budget reduction. Factors contributing to the budget challenges include unavoidable cost increases, such as a $550,000 rise in insurance expenses.
The district’s initial proposed budget was approximately $3.8 million, which the board directed to reduce by around $308,000. Details on which specific areas will face cuts remain to be determined, but Wiley indicated that staffing reductions may be necessary. The board plans to add a position for an assistant superintendent of learning systems, estimated to cost $196,677. This position would combine the roles of facilities director and curriculum coordinator, both currently vacant.
Petition Articles and Additional Proposals
Two petition warrant articles have been submitted for consideration, pending verification of signatures by registered voters. The first would establish a budget cap calculated based on a set cost per pupil. If enacted, this cap would limit proposed budgets to no more than $24,944 per pupil, factoring in inflation. Based on the current average daily membership of 1,088, this would result in a proposed budget of $27.1 million for the current year.
The second petition seeks to implement a policy mandating that students use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex or utilize a gender-neutral, single-stall restroom. The warrant states that this policy would respect students’ choices while ensuring their privacy.
The board decided against voting to recommend these articles until the signature verification process is complete, scheduling a meeting before January 26, 2026, to finalize the warrant for the deliberative session.
The district is also proposing a three-year agreement with the support staff union, which would increase costs by $236,283 in the first year. This increase would impact local tax rates, adding 11 cents for Jaffrey and 9 cents for Rindge. The subsequent years of the agreement would see budget increases of $214,174 and $245,290.
Additionally, a non-monetary warrant article aims to adopt provisions of an open-enrollment law, allowing students to attend public schools outside their home district. While Jaffrey-Rindge plans to accept up to 150 students, it seeks to restrict its students from enrolling in other districts. Duncan clarified that the current financial situation does not permit large-scale tuition payments for students attending outside schools.
The district proposes to establish two new capital reserve accounts, one for Employee Benefits, seeded with $25,000 from end-of-year funds, to cover unexpected costs such as the recent $585,000 bill from their insurer, SchoolCare. The second request is for $350,000 to address repairs and equipment purchases for school buildings.
The deliberative session is scheduled for February 4, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the Conant Middle High School, with voting on all articles to take place on March 10, 2026.
