The Belmont Public Schools are facing a projected budget deficit of $480,000 as it closes out the third quarter of the fiscal year.
The estimated gap is primarily due to increasing costs of contracted special education services, according to Anthony DiCologero, director of finance, business, and operations. The district budgeted a little over $1 million for non-salary special education costs, but has spent $1.48 million to date this year, he said.
Compared to last year, contract service costs are trending higher than the district expected, DiCologero said. Although the district plans to add additional in-house staff to ease its reliance on outside contracts, the positions haven’t been filled.
School leaders said the additional staff could save the district a little over $200,000 next year.
According to Superintendent Jill Geiser, a deficit at this point in the year isn’t wholly unusual for Belmont schools. At this time last year, the district projected an $185,000 deficit, including a $975,000 shortfall in special education contract spending. In 2023, the projected deficit was $696,000.
“I think we’re doing a better job of just kind of managing the expenses along the way,” Geiser said. This year, the district held back a portion of the materials and supplies budget in case it again ended up in a deficit. In prior years, the district would implement a budget freeze, which Geiser described as “jarring” for administrators and staff.
“We don’t plan to do that every year. We want to get to the point where we don’t have to do that at all,” Geiser said.
Geiser and DiCologero said the district is talking with town officials about next steps. Funds from the town through a warrant article set to be voted on at Town Meeting, a possible increase in state reimbursement, and budget restrictions for the remainder of fiscal year 2026 could bring the deficit down to $36,000.
The fiscal year ends June 30, though Geiser said it will likely take until the start of the new school year for the district to finalize all remaining payments.
“I’m confident that we’ll be able to do that. We are just trying to figure out which levers we’re going to pull as we get closer to the end of the year,” Geiser said.
