District overview
Burlington Public Schools
How Burlington funds its schools, makes decisions, and builds for the future.
How does Burlington fund and govern its schools?
Burlington's annual school budget is supported mainly through the town budget—local property-tax and other municipal revenue—along with Massachusetts Chapter 70 and other state and federal aid. The elected School Committee sets policy and approves the education budget; representative Town Meeting votes the town appropriation and major borrowing.
School Committee authority
The five-member elected committee sets education policy, oversees the superintendent, and votes the operating and accommodated budgets.
Town Meeting authority
Town Meeting approves the education appropriation and the local debt needed for large building projects.
FY27 operating plan
The committee approved a $70.47 million operating budget after reducing its initial request to the town's 4.25% guideline.
Separate accommodated costs
Special-education and other accommodated accounts sit outside the operating total, so the operating per-student figure does not capture every education cost borne by the town.
A large local tax base supports the town budget, but enrollment shifts, special-education tuition, contracts, and construction debt still constrain annual choices.
Where the district stands
Salary and non-salary operating accounts approved by the School Committee on April 14, 2026.
Massachusetts DESE district enrollment; context outside the collected meeting set.
Context calculation: $70,474,253 divided by 3,457 students. It excludes the separately budgeted accommodated account, capital construction, debt service, and some townwide services.
Town-authorized total project budget for design, construction, equipment, and related costs.
Major projects
New Fox Hill Elementary School
Under construction on the occupied Fox Hill siteBurlington is building a two-story, 325-student elementary school while the existing building remains in use, followed by demolition and final site work.
- MSBA announced a grant of up to approximately $30.9 million
- Town Meeting authorized the $100.484 million total project budget
- The town held the construction groundbreaking
- Target for substantial completion of the new school building
- Target for demolition and final site completion
Funding
A Massachusetts School Building Authority grant of up to about $30.9 million plus the Town of Burlington's locally financed share, authorized through municipal borrowing
Recent alerts by topic
The overview uses collected official School Committee minutes for the FY27 budget and construction status, Massachusetts DESE enrollment, the Town of Burlington's budget and Town Meeting records, and official MSBA project information.
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