School Committee Adopts Improvement Plan, 5-0

School Committee · Meeting of January 13, 2026

Sunderland schools preview an 11 percent FY27 budget jump tied to new special-needs students. Superintendent Darius and Business Manager Shelly walked the School Committee through a first-draft budget showing 7.67 percent level-service growth, just under $300,000, before principal's requests push it toward $400,000, an 11 percent rise, largely for up to three new instructional assistants required under students' IEPs. Central office health insurance costs are projected to jump another 20 percent on top of an already unbudgeted 20 percent hike.

Shelly flagged a $121,000 payroll overage she attributed to a misallocated funding source. "Having said all of that at 11 percent to get us anywhere near, even say five, it's a significant amount of money," Darius said. The committee also approved its school improvement plan, 5-0, and appointed member Amanda to a new superintendent's agreement subcommittee.

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Source: the School Committee meeting of January 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.