After six months of trying and failing to validate an education budget for the 2026 fiscal year, Jefferson residents validated the third budget proposed by the school committee with a vote of 667-510 during the referendum election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Thirty-five of the ballots were left blank for the education budget.
The revised budget totals $9,369,346.88, a decrease 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 latest figure, which is an increase of $818,950.30 or 9.58% from fiscal year 2025, is the lowest of the three drafts presented by the school committee this year. The Jefferson school and budget committees approved the budget on Sept. 9, and residents voted to approve the budget at a special town meeting on Oct. 1 at Jefferson Village School.
Danielle Bernier, the chair of the Jefferson School Committee, said she and the rest of the school committee are grateful to the community for validating the budget at the polls.
“We acknowledge that it was a difficult process for everyone involved, including our community’s taxpayers,” Bernier said. “I want to thank the committee and administration for their hard work with this budget, the lowest version out of the three that were voted on. Together we were able to reduce the final budget while keeping the needs of all of Jefferson’s students as the top priority. Moving forward, the school committee remains committed to ensuring that every decision we make supports our students while being fiscally responsible. We will continue to work together to provide the best possible education for our students, even in challenging times.”
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 Jefferson School Committee next meets at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10 at JVS. For more information, go to aos93.org/o/jvs or call 506-3044.
