Arlington School Committee Unanimously Approves Dual FY27 Budget Ahead of Override Vote

ARLINGTON -- March 12, 2026, Arlington School Committee approves two-version FY27 budget ahead of March 28 override vote. The committee voted 7-0 Thursday to authorize a $107.7 million spending plan contingent on passage of a Proposition 2½ override and a level-funded $103.6 million plan if the override fails. Superintendent Dr. Jenna Holman and Finance Director Christopher Schweitzer told the committee that even the higher override budget requires roughly $1.8 million in reductions because contractual salary obligations alone would exceed the 4 percent budget increase by approximately $28,000. The district also disclosed a new Title I federal funding risk: the state warned Arlington it sits within 1 percent of the eligibility threshold and could lose as much as $163,000 in grant funding for FY27. Holman called the revised budget "the most carefully constructed proposal that I have ever had the privilege to present to this committee," noting that the district outperformed demographic peers with 76 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in 2024 math assessments while spending at or below the middle of the pack on a per-pupil basis.