As a result of special education needs, the Memorial Field project and an error in the original plan, the Concord Board of Education added about $2 million into its 2026-2027 budget, a little over $1 million of which will come from taxes.
This increase, from a little under $124 million in March up to $126 million, was made up of about $477,000 in added special education costs and $600,000 for a Memorial Field design. Additionally, the board folded in $475,000 in workers’ compensation that was left off the budget in March, the result of a technical mishap, according to Business Administrator Jack Dunn.
“We discovered it after the fact,” Dunn said.
The special education increase paid for 14 educational assistants, also known as aides, an expansion of the occupational therapist position at Broken Ground School from three days-per-week to four and the addition of a full-time charter school special educator.
Both the occupational therapist position and the charter school special educator had originally been funded as part-time, but both carry a near-full-time demand among students. Earlier this school year, an occupational therapist at the district resigned after stating the workload was too heavy for the part-time position outlined.
The school district is obligated to provide special education services to students enrolled in charter schools who reside in the city of Concord. A charter school special educator would provide specialized education to these students.
Memorial Field permitting and planning made up $600,000 of the new costs in the updated budget. Dunn said the district is pulling money from a trust fund to cover the Memorial Field costs, meaning this year’s taxes will not be impacted. The city and the school district are splitting the cost of design and permitting evenly.
Another $100,000 from taxes pays for remediation of a mold problem at Beaver Meadow School.
Superintendent Tim Herbert said the mold growth came from district error: HVAC settings tinkered with during cooler periods over the summer weren’t reset during waves of humidity.
“That led to the mold growing,” Herbert said.
Dunn said despite the increase, the school property tax rate is expected to decrease by about 27% due to revaluation. It doesn’t mean tax bills will decline. Property tax rates will be formally set by the Department of Revenue Administration later this month. The budget approved in March was projected to increase school tax bills by 12%.
