Photo: WSSR TV
By Kendra Williams
Through several meetings during the past month, the Sanford School Committee has grappled with a lean 2025-26 budget affected by rising insurance costs and new wage laws.
Some challenges to maintaining current services and programming include increases in health insurance costs and a new minimum wage law for ed techs. New this year is the Family Medical Leave Act, which requires a match to the mandated employee payroll deduction.
The committee was ready to approve the budget at last Monday night’s meeting, but it got an unwelcome surprise when a renewal proposal from Harvard Pilgrim, which provides health insurance for most school employees, came in with a significantly higher increase than anticipated. This has necessitated additional budget meetings to consider some negotiation options with Harvard Pilgrim and potential additional programming cuts.
The committee will now have its final vote on the proposed budget at its regular meeting on March 3 for delivery to the City Council. Beginning on March 4, the council will work on the municipal budget along with the proposed school budget throughout the month. The School Department administration will be actively involved in the budget negotiations. A public hearing will be held on March 18. The council then gives its final approval on the full budget, to be finalized by the first week in April. Voters approve only the school portion of the budget, not the entire city budget, at a June referendum.
Administrators noted that Sanford ranks last of 24 school districts in Cumberland and York counties in its per-pupil costs.
For more detailed information on the school budget and to watch past meetings, go to https://www.sanford.org/documents and select Fiscal YR 2026 Budget Info.
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