School committee deficit drains reserves to near zero
School Committee - Finance Subcommittee · Meeting of July 20, 2026
Easthampton schools end fiscal year with $577,616 deficit, draining emergency reserves. The School Committee Finance Subcommittee heard from Director of Business Services Julia Saari-Franks that two late student placements at year end created the shortfall. The district covered it by withdrawing $137,560 from the School Choice fund and $440,056 from the Circuit Breaker fund, leaving both reserves essentially empty.
Finance Subcommittee Chair Megan Harvey and Superintendent Michelle Balch emphasized that unexpected costs in the coming academic year will now require close coordination with the city.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 214 words
Source: the School Committee - Finance Subcommittee meeting of July 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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