# WHRSD School Committee, Joint Meeting with Whitman & Hanson Select Boards - November 4, 2026.

The Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee held a joint budget-planning discussion with the Whitman and Hanson Select Boards on November 4, 2026, focused on the preliminary FY2028 school-district budget. Officials described a draft increase of 5.89% and an estimated roughly $70 million level-services budget, compared with the current approved budget of $66.7 million; they stressed that figures remain preliminary and no budget or town assessments were approved. Discussion centered on rising special-education and transportation costs, health insurance, retirement obligations, declining enrollment, state aid, town revenue limits, and how to avoid further staffing or service cuts. Members requested clearer advance materials and comparable enrollment, staffing, and cost data; participants also discussed possible overrides and agreed to pursue a joint conversation with state legislators about school-funding formulas and special-education reimbursement.

Procurement-related items included the district’s expectation that it will need to adopt a compliant reading curriculum by September 2027, with a potentially significant cost, and the need for a facilities audit to establish capital priorities; neither was approved for purchase. In the subsequent School Committee business, members approved an item transcribed as “wide MCA contract fees” (the vendor or contract title is unclear in the transcript), with confirmation that the fees would not affect families and that the approval covered this year only. The superintendent said the district is considering issuing an RFP next year for before- and after-school programs. No other contract award or budget allocation was made.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Education
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 04, 2026

### Sources
- [WHRSD School Committee, Joint Meeting with Whitman & Hanson Select Boards - November 4, 2026.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLXrDBeAejM) - Whitman-Hanson Educational Channel