Saugus Finance Committee Recommends Eight School Support Articles, Postpones One

Finance Committee · Meeting of May 6, 2026

Saugus Finance Committee recommends eight school support articles totaling over $1 million and advances $14 million in infrastructure spending. The committee, chaired by Kenneth DePatto, voted to recommend Articles 21 through 29 drawn from the town's Supplemental Student Support Reserve Fund, indefinitely postponing only Article 23 — a $150,000 Belmonte Steam Academy enrichment request — after the superintendent confirmed $300,000 in unspent FY26 funds already sits in that school's account. Approved programs include $100,000 for English language learner tutoring, $250,000 for an athletic and co-curricular study center, a $300,000 behavioral specialist pilot at two elementary schools, and $22,000 in teacher stipends for expanded course offerings at the high school.

The town manager, identified only as Mike, warned repeatedly that the $3.8 million reserve is a one-time funding source and that any positions created must eventually be absorbed into the operating budget. On the capital side, the committee unanimously recommended $5,765,000 in sewer borrowing, $4,820,000 for a lead service line replacement program funded largely through the MWRA's zero-interest program, $2,121,000 for water pipeline improvements, and $500,000 each for street reconstruction and Griswold dam design — with all infrastructure articles headed to town meeting.

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• The complete report — 1,220 words

Source: the Finance Committee meeting of May 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.