ourschoolboard.org Find my school

District overview

Milford Public Schools

How Milford Public Schools is funded, governed, and run

How Milford schools are funded and who decides

State aid plus a town-capped local budget, run by a 7-member elected School Committee

Like most Massachusetts districts, Milford Public Schools runs on state Chapter 70 aid plus a required local contribution the Town of Milford raises through its own budget process. A seven-member elected School Committee formally votes the school budget and sets policy, but the town's finance office decides how much money is actually available. For FY2027, administrators first asked for an 8-9% budget increase; the town told them that would not work, and the district settled for about a $3 million increase, roughly 2.27%, instead. The Superintendent, Craig A. Consigli, Ed.D., runs day-to-day operations and also serves as the committee's secretary.

Two funding sources

State Chapter 70 aid plus a required local contribution the Town of Milford raises through its own municipal budget.

The town sets the ceiling

For FY2027, the School Committee wanted an 8-9% increase; the town's finance department capped it at about 2.27%, roughly $3 million more than FY2026.

A 7-member elected School Committee

Members are elected townwide and reorganize every April, electing a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary for the year.

School-level councils exist too

Each school has a statutory School Council; Stacy Middle School's council meets monthly on budget priorities, safety, and academics, but it advises rather than sets district policy.

A smaller-than-requested increase is not the same as a crisis. The School Committee adopted the FY2027 budget unanimously, and administrators said falling enrollment let them adjust staffing rather than cut programs.

Where the district stands

FY2027 School Department budgetverified
$81,413,472

Adopted unanimously at a public hearing on May 7, 2026. This is the School Department's own voted budget; it may not include every town-paid cost, such as some debt service or retirement contributions.

Increase over FY2026verified
$3,000,000

Described in the minutes as about 2.27%, far below the 8-9% increase administrators first proposed.

Total enrollment, 2025-26context
4,291 students

Across 6 schools: Milford High School, Stacy Middle School, Woodland, Memorial and Brookside elementary schools, and Shining Star Early Childhood Center.

State total expenditure per pupil (FY2024)context
$21,457.73

Up from $18,868.15 in FY2023, about 13.7% higher. This is the state's own figure and uses a different accounting basis than the district's FY2027 budget vote above, so the two numbers are not directly comparable.

FY2027 budget ÷ enrollment (calculated)context
$18,973

A rough calculation: the $81,413,472 School Department budget divided by 4,291 students. Not an official per-pupil figure.

Major projects

Milford High School building project (MSBA)

In design and feasibility phase

The district is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on a possible new or renovated Milford High School. Architect HMFH presented 16 different building-design and grade-configuration options to the School Building Committee in May 2026, and the district is now moving to hire a construction manager.

Next: Hire a construction manager (the RFP was out through NextLevel OPM as of April 2026) and narrow the building options ahead of the MSBA's mid-June 2026 program milestone.
  1. Designer Selection Sub-Committee discusses finalist architect
  2. HMFH Architects introduced to the School Committee as project designer
  3. NextLevel OPM explains the MSBA reimbursement-rate process; district's rate projected around 73% before required cost exclusions
  4. HMFH presents 16 building design/grade-configuration options to the School Building Committee

Funding

Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) reimbursement, projected around 73% before required cost exclusions, plus a local share the town would need to approve separately. Total project cost and the local share were not yet finalized in the collected record.

The 73% figure is before the MSBA subtracts required cost exclusions (items like site acquisition, demolition, and asbestos abatement), so the final reimbursement rate will be lower.

Stacy Middle School HVAC project

Assessment and design phase, running behind schedule

The district is replacing HVAC systems at Stacy Middle School. The architect, Helene Karl Associates, was selected in March 2026; the superintendent told the committee at the time that the district was running behind its original schedule for the project.

Next: Receive the HVAC assessment, expected in mid-May 2026, which will determine the project's scope and next steps.
  1. Architect Helene Karl Associates selected; superintendent notes the project is behind schedule
  2. Facilities Subcommittee expects the HVAC assessment back to determine next steps

Funding

Not specified in the collected record.

Project cost and funding source had not yet been presented to the School Committee as of the collected record.

This page is built from every School Committee, subcommittee, School Building Committee, School Council, and Community Use Program agenda and minutes document the town of Milford's AgendaCenter published for Milford Public Schools' School Committee (category 46) from August 2025 through August 2026, plus Massachusetts DESE enrollment and finance profiles for outside context.

Get alerts for Milford Public Schools

We read every agenda, packet, and set of minutes, and write up the decisions that affect families — each one linked to the document it came from.

View alerts for this district