Pembroke Schools Face $2.3 Million Budget Increase, Explores Cost-Saving Measures
PEMBROKE - December 17 - The Pembroke School District is projecting a $2.3 million increase in its budget for the upcoming fiscal year, prompting officials to explore cost-saving measures and prioritize spending to maintain current services without significantly impacting educational programs.
During a recent school committee meeting, Superintendent Erin Obey presented the maintenance of effort budget for fiscal year 2026, which is estimated to be $40,910,000, up from the current year's $38,580,000.
"Obviously, it is super early in the process," Obey said, noting that the increase is not out of line with previous years' projections at this stage. "A ton of work happens on that number before we are at the admin recommended budget or even at town meeting."
The budget increase accounts for inflation, contractual increases, tuition hikes, and rising utility costs. Special education tuitions, which make up a significant portion of the district's resources, are anticipated to increase by 3.67 percent.
Transportation costs are also set to rise, with a 4.25 percent increase in the contract with First Student for regular busing and an estimated $160,000 increase for special education transportation.
Despite the challenges, Obey emphasized that the situation is manageable. "The sky is not falling," she said, "but it's going to be tough because all you really have is people. There's not a ton of discretionary funds."
To address the budget constraints, the district is considering various options, including using circuit breaker reimbursements differently and potentially tapping into the special education stabilization fund, which currently holds about $600,000.
In more positive news, the Pembroke School Committee approved the addition of two new Advanced Placement courses for the upcoming school year: AP Seminar and AP Pre-Calculus.
Marybeth Brust, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, explained the benefits of these courses. "AP Seminar sounds extremely challenging and very high level. It sounds great, a class that merges discourse with research and presentation," she said.
The new courses aim to provide students with more challenging academic opportunities and potentially boost college readiness. However, Brust cautioned that college credit for AP courses is not guaranteed, as each institution has its own policies for accepting AP scores.
The meeting also addressed safety concerns on Learning Lane near the High School. Officials are considering infrastructure changes and behavioral interventions to improve traffic and pedestrian safety.
"We are working with the town manager and the DPW to get some ideas around what pricing would look like for that," Obey said, referring to potential changes such as moving crosswalks and adding signage.
The district is also exploring behavioral interventions, including the possibility of assigning detentions to students who dart into traffic and implementing a staggered dismissal system.
Marc Talbot, High School Principal, noted the challenges of managing traffic flow. "We do not have a junior lot. That is not Pembroke High School. That is not a Pembroke High School parking lot," he clarified, addressing misconceptions about parking areas.
The School Committee plans to seek input from student representatives on potential safety measures and dismissal procedures.
The school committee will continue to refine the budget in the coming months, with department budget presentations expected to begin in late January or early February. The final budget will need to balance maintaining current services with potential new investments in areas such as special education support staff.