East Longmeadow School Committee Approves 3% Budget Hike, Leaving $1.2 Million Gap

EAST LONGMEADOW -- March 9, 2026, East Longmeadow School Committee approves a 3 percent FY2027 budget increase that leaves the district $1.2 million short of level services. The committee voted 5-0 Monday to submit the budget at the town's requested ceiling of 3 percent, well below the 6.24 percent, or roughly $2.3 million, that Assistant Superintendent for Business Emily Blair said is needed to restore all services cut last year. Non-salary strategies totaling $761,000, including a $125,000 school choice expansion approved the same night, still leave a gap of at least $433,368, a figure that could grow by as much as $188,000 if federal Title I funding is cut. Superintendent Gordon Smith warned that closing the remaining shortfall will likely require eliminating five or more positions, with notifications expected within four to five weeks. A committee member, seconding the budget motion reluctantly, called the situation "disgusting, actually, to think about what this might look like over the next few years."