Manchester Essex School Committee Hears Budget Preview Projecting 7.94 Percent Increase for FY27

ESSEX — December 10, 2025 — Manchester Essex Regional School Committee opens FY27 budget season with a $2.4 million, 7.94 percent spending increase driven by health insurance. Business Manager Michelle presented the tentative budget at a December 10 public hearing, projecting a 20 percent health insurance premium spike — adding $1.1 million to the benefits line — as the single largest cost driver. Essex Town Administrator Brendan Zabricki flagged a typographical error in the budget document showing district enrollment as 1,109 when the correct October 2025 figure is 1,190; administrators confirmed the underlying calculations were not affected. Essex Finance Committee member Nina McKinnon pressed the board on whether structural changes — including revisiting the vacant middle school principal position and examining long-term staffing levels against an enrollment drop of roughly 300 students — are on the table, warning that a projected budget of $40 to $41 million by 2030-31 is "not sustainable." A second public hearing is set for February 3, with budget adoption targeted for February 10.