Finance Committee Flags Risk in Schools' Plan to Tap Circuit Breaker Funds for FY27 Budget

NORTH ANDOVER -- February 2, 2026, North Andover Finance Committee raises concerns over school budget's $1.5 million circuit breaker draw. The committee, chaired by Regina Keene, spent its February 2 meeting reviewing five years of school expenditure data provided by Finance Director Dennis Cohen and examining a proposed fiscal year 2027 school budget of $73.7 million, $1.5 million above Town Manager Melissa Murphy's recommended 4 percent increase of roughly $72.2 million. Members expressed concern that the superintendent's plan to close the gap by drawing from the circuit breaker special education reimbursement reserve repeats the pattern of relying on temporary funds for structural costs, a practice that contributed to significant overspending in fiscal year 2024 when federal ESSER grants dried up. School officials have signaled that an operating override will likely be needed in fiscal year 2028. A resident, John Waters of 2125 Turnpike Street, used public comment to ask the committee to scrutinize a separate $7.5 million CIP line item for a proposed new fire station, questioning whether the figure, identical to a prior renovation estimate, is accurate for new construction. Superintendent Pam and School Committee Chair Gail have been asked to appear at the committee's next meeting on March 2.