Warwick School Committee Unanimously Approves $1.27 Million FY27 School Budget

WARWICK -- March 25, 2026, Warwick School Committee approves $1.27 million FY27 budget and adds school choice seats. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt a $1,268,480 fiscal year 2027 school budget divided across three accounts, $111,364 for account 301, $780,442 for account 302, and $376,673 for account 308, after revising the budget's format to show grant offsets that had caused confusion at a recent Select Board hearing, where some residents believed certain line items had tripled. School Business Administrator Matt, joining remotely, said he was "very comfortable with the budget" but stressed the importance of reaching the 25-student school choice enrollment target; current enrollment stands at 19. The committee also voted unanimously to open three additional kindergarten seats under school choice to close that gap. Members noted the town's overall tax burden increase is running near 17 percent and that health insurance costs alone are rising another 13 percent in FY27 after a 40 percent jump the prior year. The committee advanced plans for superintendent candidate interviews, expected within two weeks, with community members, parents, and students invited to participate in an open process.