Carver School Committee Hears Balanced $28.8 Million FY27 Budget With No Layoffs

CARVER — March 9, 2026 — Carver School Committee hears a balanced $28.8 million FY27 budget with no staff layoffs. The business manager presented the proposed budget on March 9, showing a 3.8 percent increase over FY26 and closing a roughly $281,000 gap through retirement-driven attrition, a new 20-year solar alternative on-bill credit agreement projected to save about 12 percent on electricity costs, and a one-time Chapter 71 special education tuition prepayment. Four new positions — a preschool driver, a special education educational support professional, and two half-time positions in music and television studio instruction — will be added at a combined cost of about $118,000, while four positions vacated by retiring employees will not be filled. Declining out-of-district special education tuitions, described by the business manager as "almost never" falling, were cited as a key driver of budget relief. The committee also heard that pending state literacy legislation, which passed both chambers unanimously, may require the district to replace its current Units of Study reading curriculum as early as the 2027-28 school year. A formal budget vote is set for March 23, with Town Meeting on April 7.