TURNERS FALLS — For the first time in more than a decade, Franklin County Technical School plans to cut staff as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget, citing high health insurance costs and limited state aid.
The monthly School Committee meeting on Wednesday included a public hearing for the preliminary FY27 budget. Superintendent Richard Martin announced that six positions, both student-facing and non-student-facing, are being cut to balance the $16.8 million budget. The overall operating budget represents a 3.72% increase from FY26.
Martin said that this is the “first time in more than a decade” that the school has had to make reductions to its workforce, citing health insurance increases as the main driver.
The cuts include a librarian, a carpentry instructor, two paraprofessionals, a public relations specialist and a part-time math instructor. Additionally, an English teacher set to retire will not be replaced as part of these reductions.
Martin confirmed Thursday that the employees were notified of the cuts ahead of Wednesday’s public hearing. The staffing changes represent a reduction of about $420,000 on top of another $500,000 that was cut from the operating budget in an attempt to rein in an initial $1.1 million deficit.
“It’s never easy. It doesn’t happen here often and when it does, we desperately need
it,” Martin said about the cuts after the meeting. “Everything was a perfect storm, and we’re not the only district.”
Franklin Tech is a member of the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, and recent rate increases have impacted the budget, necessitating these staffing reductions, Martin told the School Committee. With the district’s insurance rates having increased by about 60% — a figure that includes the anticipated increase heading into FY27 — since last summer, it equates to around $1.2 million in unanticipated spending.
School Committee Chair Richard Kuklewicz detailed the trust’s incremental rate increases, with Franklin Tech having to account for a 18% increase that took effect July 1, 2025, a 20% increase that took effect Oct. 1, 2025, and an anticipated 20% increase heading into FY27.
If the district were not facing such a drastic spike in health insurance costs, Martin said, there wouldn’t be a need for staffing reductions.
Contributing to the budget woes are limited increases in Chapter 70 state aid and regional transportation. The preliminary Chapter 70 figure from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue cherry sheet that is used for the budget shows a $49,104 increase over the current fiscal year for Chapter 70 and a $73,739 increase for regional school transportation.
Martin said the slight bump in Chapter 70 accounts for money lost due to the in-district enrollment decline from 591 to 579. Additionally, the district’s excess and deficiency account is running low, with $533,747 available. Excess and deficiency is the balance, whether positive or negative, in a district’s general fund at the end of a fiscal year. Martin said this is the lowest excess and deficiency number he’s seen in recent years.
As part of this budget, the total assessment for the 19 member towns is up 7%, with different percent changes for each town depending on student enrollment and minimum contribution requirements. Business Manager Elizabeth Bouchard said funding the six positions would be a “huge ask” on the towns as it would result in assessment increases.
By the end of the discussion, the motion to approve the preliminary budget passed. A final budget will be presented and voted on at the March School Committee meeting.