BUCKLAND — With a $22.6 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 as a starting point, the Mohawk Trail Regional School District Budget Subcommittee will be working over the next few weeks to see what line items could potentially be trimmed.

The draft budget involves a nearly $1.17 million, or 5.44%, increase over fiscal year 2025’s figures. The change factors in increases in salaries for teachers and support staff, insurance and benefits, transportation costs, after-school and summer programming, classroom supplies and more.

“It’s probably not going to be acceptable to the finance committees of most towns,” Budget Subcommittee Chair Jason Cusimano said in an update to the full School Committee. “It could mean some cuts that might be disappointing.”

Cusimano, emphasizing that the budget is still a very rough draft, said the Budget Subcommittee will be working diligently over the next few weeks to see what line items could be trimmed. Additionally, state aid assessments will be released with the governor’s budget, which is due to be filed by Jan. 22.

Mohawk Trail Regional School

The draft budget for Mohawk Trail Regional School includes a total $10.09 million budget, a 4.72% increase.

Budget increases come from an increased number of students opting to attend a school outside of the district and increased costs for building maintenance. The draft also includes an additional $5,000 for the music and theater programs, $8,845 for special education summer programs and $3,000 to increase the stipend for the instructional team leader. The budget notes these programs were previously underfunded.

Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School

The draft for Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School includes a total $5.16 million budget, a 6.32% increase.

The budget includes $4,000 to expand special education services and $7,000 for building maintenance. The largest increases come from teacher and support staff salaries, as the budget notes that additional paraprofessionals were hired and an additional reading teacher is being added at a cost of $78,956.

Colrain Central School

Colrain Central School has a draft budget of nearly $3.46 million, a 0.94% increase.

The budget includes increased costs for building maintenance and repairs, including $1,500 for a sewer pump. There’s also a $13,247 increase to after-school staffing.

However, the school was able to see cost savings due to a decrease in the number of students enrolling in out-of-district schools. The draft budget shows a $50,000 decrease in tuition payments to out-of-district schools.

Sanderson Academy

Sanderson Academy in Ashfield has a draft budget of nearly $3.54 million, representing a 5.81% increase.

The budget includes $5,000 for a new gym floor, a $3,537 increase for after-school staffing, $500 for increased copy paper costs and a $35,000 increase to out-of-district tuition payments.

District

Across the district, individual school budgets noted increased costs for workers’ compensation, health and life insurance, and retirement funds. Approximately $200,000 is budgeted for employee benefits and insurance for both active and retired employees across the Mohawk Trail Regional School District.

Over the next few weeks, the draft budget will be presented to the finance committees of the member towns and any necessary changes will be made. The School Committee is expected to vote on the budget in February.

The full draft budget can be viewed at tinyurl.com/MohawkTrailFY26.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.