By Carol Britton Meyer

The proposed Hull Public Schools $18.9 million fiscal year 2027 budget represents a 3% – or $551,713 – increase over FY26, according to the presentation heard by the school committee Monday night.

In a recent letter to the community, Superintendent of Schools Michael Jette explained that the budget was built “with one clear goal: to provide every child with the academic and emotional support they need to be ready to succeed in college, career, and citizenship.”

The sources of funding, included in a 25-page presentation to the school committee by HPS school business administrator Diane Saniuk this week, are Chapter 70 state education funding, 19.7%; revolving funds, including school meals, 4.6%; state and federal grant funding, 2.8%; the special education circuit-breaker program, 3.3%; and the town appropriation less Chapter 70, 69.6%.

“This is a needs-based budget,” she said.

Click here for the full budget presentation from Monday’s meeting

The special education budget includes $4.4 million for salaries and $1.1 million for expenses, for a total of $5.5 million.

The budget breaks down this way – total salaries, 78.34%; non-special education transportation, 4.31%; technology, 1.51%; instructional supplies, professional development, vocational tuition, 2%; non-salary special education, 5.99%; maintenance (non-salary), 2.54%; utilities, 3.79%; and all other (non-salary), 1.52%.

Hull ‘values our youth’

According to the superintendent, district priorities to help ensure students meet with success relate to learning for life that promotes academic success and social-emotional growth; highly skilled personnel; pathways and opportunities that reflect student interests and voice; community engagement; and providing resources for learning – including investing in technology that prioritizes “safe, effective, and seamless learning.”

Jette also outlined key priorities, including a continued focus on academic excellence, with the budget designed to continue closing educational gaps and ensuring the social and emotional well-being of all students in a safe, inclusive, welcoming environment.

“Hull is a community that deeply values our youth. Our mission is to work alongside families to support the growth of our local youth through strong academic and extracurricular programs,” Jette said. “We take our responsibility to manage public tax dollars very seriously and are committed to using all available funds wisely and creatively.”

He also noted that with about 80% of the school budget going to salaries, in order to provide a high-quality education, “we must be able to attract and retain talented teachers and staff.”

Developing a school budget is complex “because we must plan for expenses 18 months into the future, using the most accurate projections possible to cover all educational costs through June 30, 2027,” Jette said.

School committee Chair Kyle Conley, who serves on the budget subcommittee with member Courtney Littlefield, reminded the public that even though the school buildings were recently consolidated from three to two, “the same services, classes, and staff” are still needed.

‘A very solid, secure budget’

“When I think about the presentation, I hear that our school district is narrowing in on priorities and being very intentional on how to expand opportunities for students,” Conley said. “It gives me optimism that we have a very solid, secure budget, and that we can feel as a school committee really good that we are solvent and aligning our funding to the priorities outlined. … We’re being budget smart – with use of limited funds that position our students to have phenomenal experiences.”

A spreadsheet is being compiled to ensure there are materials and books for every subject in response to a comment from committee member Aleeza Hagerty in support of including these as line items in the budget so that students and teachers have all the tools they need in their studies.

Saniuk outlined next steps, asking the school committee to look over the budget packet and give her direction and to ask questions about specific areas.

She and Conley expressed appreciation for the town’s support of the school district.

The advisory board will review the school budget in March, with a public hearing scheduled for April and the presentation to town meeting voters on May 4.

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