Despite Calls for Unity, Battle Lines Being Drawn over School Budgets

Report on the Meeting of the Budget Coordination Group, November 10, 2026

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present

Sean Mangano (finance director), Paul Bockelman (town manager), Mandi Jo Hanneke (town council president, at large), Lynn Griesemer (town Councilor, District 2), Sarah Marshall and Laura Jane Hunter (Amherst School Committee), Shannon Bernacchia (school finance director), Anna Heard (Shutesbury representative, Regional School Committee), and Sharon Sharry library director)

---

Finance Director Sean Mangano presented the early budget projections for FY2028. The presentation was identical to what was presented at the joint meeting of the Town Council, Finance Committee, Library Trustees, and Amherst School Committee on November 2. The early estimate showed a $168,000 shortfall between revenue and expenses, which Mangano indicated was “acceptable” for this stage of the budgeting process.

Early financial indicators showed an estimated increase in tax revenue of 3.5% with the 2.5% allowable increase in the base property tax, plus $650,000 for new growth, largely from the mixed-use building under construction on Amity Street and University Drive and the rebuilding of the private dormitory on Olympia Drive that burned while under construction last November.

Miscellaneous revenue does not include contributions from UMass because the current strategic partnership between the town and the university expires on June 30, 2027, and will be renegotiated early next year. The university pays the town for general support.

UMass also contributes $185,000 per year to the schools to compensate for students who live in tax-exempt university housing. The schools use this money to fund paraeducators for special education. The amount is based on the number of students in university housing and will be recalculated next year. The schools have asked to be involved in renegotiating the strategic agreement with UMass.

Early budget projections also include an $875,000 increase to the ambulance fund, which will help pay for three additional firefighters and a replacement ambulance. The town will reserve 10.5% of the budget for capital expenses. 

Projected Increase in Funding Is Not Enough for the Schools

At this stage, Mangano estimates that the regional school, elementary school, library, and town budgets will increase by 2.75% in FY28. He said this was a conservative starting place.

Regional School Committee (RSC) member Anna Heard … estimated that a 2.75% increase in the regional school budget would require cutting 30 or more teachers…

Regional School Committee (RSC) member Anna Heard immediately objected. She estimated that a 2.75% increase in the regional school budget would require cutting 30 or more teachers, and that even a 4% increase would require difficult adjustments in the schools to maintain services.

Heard noted that the Town of Amherst always seems to have a surplus at the end of the year that the regional schools cannot access. She suggested that all four towns establish a revolving fund into which they can pay a certain percentage of their annual surplus for the school district to use. She also recommended coordinating services, such as paving and trash collection, among the towns and the schools.

Town Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke said the regional schools already have an E and D (excess and deficiency) fund, but admitted that it is limited to 5% of the total regional school budget. She said she realized it was the job of the school representatives to advocate for their schools, but she was elected to advocate for the entire budget. She spoke about adhering to the town’s policies, such as keeping the capital investment at 10.5% and fulfilling the commitment to accelerate road repairs instead of taking money from those areas to give to the schools, as has been done in the past. She also pointed out that at least three of the four towns in the regional school district must agree to the annual budget, so it is not entirely in Amherst’s hands.

Town Councilor Lynn Griesemer said she would like the Budget Coordination Group (BCG) to approach the budget discussion without the usual animus between the schools and the town. She noted that Amherst voted for extra funding for the middle school roof and the new track and field, and that Amherst taxpayers are paying higher property taxes to fund the new elementary school. She encouraged the schools to apply for Community Preservation Act funds and other grants to cover the shortfall. She added that the town councilors were always eager to advocate for increased school funding. 

Library Director Sharon Sharry said the library does not have access to the end-of-year surplus either. She agreed with Griesemer that each department should advocate for the others as well as itself.

School Committee member Laura Jane Hunter then told the group there was still room on the bus to the State House for the November 20 hearing, where education advocates will push for a 30% increase in education funding and changes to how the state calculates foundation budgets. She urged town councilors to participate. 

Hunter also pointed to inequities in the town budget. She said that school committee members work hard, yet receive a stipend less than town councilors and have no travel or conference reimbursement as councilors do. In June, 2023, the Town Council increased its stipends from $5,000 to $10,000 per year, beginning in 2024. School Committee members are paid $3,000 a year.

Next Steps

Mangano will provide the Finance Committee with feedback from the BCG. The town will also hold a public forum on the budget before the November 16 Town Council meeting. The surplus from the FY2026 budget will also be certified in November, so the town can decide how to spend those funds. Mangano estimates that the surplus will be about $4 million after allocating $5 million to the general reserves to keep the reserves at 10% of the budget.