Residents of Jefferson will consider whether to validate the proposed education budget during the referendum election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, the town’s third attempt at passing an education budget for the 2026 fiscal year.
The education budget as proposed totals $9,369,346.88, an increase from last year’s budget of $818,950.30 or 9.58%.
The proposal is a decrease, however, of $677,470.98 or 6.97% from the second version of the budget, which voters approved at a special town meeting on July 9 but failed to validate at the polls on Aug. 12 with a vote of 279-152.
The Jefferson School Committee originally put forward a $9,763,805.37 education budget in May, which residents approved at a special town meeting May 21 but failed to validate at the polls June 10 with a vote of 92-90.
The figure voters will face at the polls, which is the lowest of the three drafts presented this year, was approved by the Jefferson school and budget committees on Sept. 9. Residents voted to approve the budget at a special town meeting on Oct. 1 at Jefferson Village School.
AOS 93 Superintendent Todd Sanders said at the Oct. 1 special town meeting that the main driver in budget increases has been the special education budget and the town’s need to pay out-of-district tuition costs for special education services due to a lack of staff at JVS.
“We had a significant shortage of teachers and support staff in special education for the 2024-2025 school year,” Sanders said. “That necessitated us paying out-of-district tuition for students, special purpose tuitions, and hiring contracted service providers, which cost much more than a certified teacher that we’ve hired ourselves.”
Sanders said that due to an increase in staff, more students were able to be educated at JVS, The budget for special education is $2,686,882.74, a decrease of $545,986.98 or 16.88% from the version the school committee approved in July.
Compared to what voters approved in fiscal year 2025, the budget categories are as follows: regular instruction totals $3,437,892.65, an increase of $101,247.49 or 3.03%; special instruction totals $2,686,882.74, an increase of $688,149.11 or 34.43%; career and technical education is $100, the same as last year; other instruction is $43,202, a decrease of $4,900 or 10.19%; student and staff support is $435,752.08, a decrease of $32,837.46 or 7.01%; system administration is $284,804.43, an increase of $47,990.40 or 19.81%; school administration is $292,515.10, a decrease of $68,757.86 or 19.03%; transportation is $677,500.47, an increase of $153,975.49 or 29.41%; facilities and maintenance totals $664,747.97, a decrease of $55,461.43 or 7.7%; debt services is $783,949.44, a decrease of $19,564.44 or 2.43%; and food service totals $60,000, an increase of $10,000 or 20%.
The polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jefferson fire department, at 204 Waldoboro Road in Jefferson. For more information, go to aos93.org/o/jvs or call 506-3044.
