Norton Finance Committee Reviews School Cuts, $11.4M Roof Plan Before April 27 Vote

Finance Committee · Meeting of April 13, 2026

Norton Finance Committee reviews $11.4M middle school roof plan and looming school staff cuts ahead of April 27 deliberations. Superintendent Dr. O'Neill told the committee that 40 positions have been eliminated over the past two fiscal years and that reaching the scaled-back budget figure under discussion, roughly $771,000 above the current year, would still require cutting eight to 10 positions and restructuring elementary class sections.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority has approved a 55.63 percent reimbursement on the roof project, and a town meeting vote is set for May 18. Town Manager Gould projected $150,000 in new health insurance opt-out savings, enough to fund half a police officer and half a firefighter for six months beginning in January 2027, plus $50,000 for schools. A 13.4 percent salary increase for the assistant town manager drew pointed pushback from committee members, with one calling it "just fiscally irresponsible" given contracted teacher raises well below that figure.

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Source: the Finance Committee meeting of April 13, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.