Arlington Finance Committee unanimously approves $107.7 million school override budget

ARLINGTON — March 16, 2026 — Arlington Finance Committee unanimously approves $107.7 million school override budget, then votes to reopen capital plan. The committee voted 7-0 Monday to endorse the Arlington Public Schools fiscal year 2027 Scenario A budget, which assumes passage of a proposed tax override, then immediately voted 7-0 to reconsider its earlier approval of the capital budget after member Charlie argued a $375,000 Hardy School heating feasibility study would pave the way for a $4.5 million to $5 million electrification project the town cannot afford given a pending override vote and a looming middle school reconstruction. Superintendent Liz Homan and new CFO Chris Schweitzer presented both scenarios in detail: the override budget totals $107.7 million — a $4.1 million increase — and requires $1.8 million in staffing efficiencies to balance; the no-override level-funded budget at $103.6 million requires $6.7 million in cuts including nine elementary classroom teachers, class-size increases to an average of 27 in grades three through five, reductions to multilingual learner staff, and reinstatement of athletic and instrumental music fees. Homan also disclosed that Arlington is in a federal warning category that could mean loss of $163,000 in Title I funding for next year, a development she said emerged within the past week and a half.