Seekonk School Budget Approved

The Seekonk School Committee voted to approve an FY’26 budget of $33.7 million at their March 24 meeting. That figure represents a 2.66 percent increase over FY’25.

The initial level service budget projection had been a 6.5 percent increase, Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell told the committee on March 10.

The Town Administrator and Select Board requested the school department to work with a 2.5 percent increase, which amounts to $823,000.

Reductions include significant cuts in supplies and services, as well as positions reduced primarily through attrition across all unions and roles.

“None of these reductions are good,” said committee member Kyle Juckett. “They’re never going to be good. The reality is moving forward in the next couple of years, I’m greatly concerned as to what’s to come.”

Fixed costs, which include transportation and energy, have increased 10 to 16 percent.

Kidwell noted there 2032 students in the district. 505 at the high school, 500 at Hurley Middle School, 578 at Aitken Elementary, and 443 at Martin Elementary.

21.9 percent are students with disabilities and 36.7 percent are students with “high needs.”

The district has 339 employees, including 177 teachers and 13 custodians. There are two librarians.

The School Committee met with the Finance Committee in a joint session on March 25. The town election is on April 7. A thirty year debt exclusion to pay the town’s share of the Tri County High School construction project is on the ballot.

Kidwell said if the measure is rejected, the town will still be required to pay its share of construction costs, but the estimated nearly one million dollars per year will have to come from the town and schools' operating budget.