FY26 ended $1.1 million short of money the FY27 budget counted on

What happened

Newton closed FY26 within budget but carried only $1.41 million of special-education (Circuit Breaker) money into FY27, about $1.1 million less than the $2.5 million the FY27 budget assumed. Utilities ran about $552,000 over and maintenance about $438,000 over.

Why it matters to families

The district starts this year with a gap to close. It has already cut costs such as kindergarten aides, bus contract savings, and substitute changes, and earlier talked about fewer buses or pausing repairs.

The evidence

The FY26 final fiscal report for Sept 28 gives the figures; Sept 14 and Sept 28 minutes confirm the $1.1 million shortfall.

The source