Belchertown School Committee Unanimously Approves $36.3 Million FY27 Budget

BELCHERTOWN — April 28, 2026 — Belchertown School Committee approves $36.3 million FY27 budget with a 2.26 percent increase. The three-member quorum — Chair Heidi Gutekenst, Vice Chair Ruby Bansal, and Member Lamikco Magee — voted unanimously Tuesday on the $36,281,954 figure, which reflects a $49,273 reduction conveyed by the town from an earlier proposal. Superintendent Brian Cameron credited a prior Proposition 2½ override and the closure of Cold Spring School — "we cut more than a million dollars" — for cushioning the district from the steeper reductions facing neighboring communities. The committee also approved an amended school choice allocation of 56 seats for 2026-2027, reducing sixth-grade offerings from five seats to one given projected average class sizes of 26 students, and adding seats at grades 7, 8, 9, and 10, partly in anticipation of families fleeing South Hadley's athletic program eliminations. Cameron reminded members that school choice revenue currently funds utilities, some teacher positions, and special education services, and that accepted students — including those with high-cost special education needs — become the district's responsibility through graduation.