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.