Gardner Finance Subcommittee reviews $1.5M budget deficit after cuts
School Subcommittees · Meeting of April 7, 2026
Gardner's School Finance Subcommittee reviewed a FY27 budget retaining a $1,533,366 deficit despite $1,005,106 in proposed cuts. Superintendent Dr. Mark Pellegrino expressed concern that the reductions will negatively affect school accountability ratings and warned of potential impact on Performance Review System complaints, noting the district achieved zero PRS complaints this year for the first time in his tenure.
The subcommittee also examined expense reports showing significant variances: Out of District Tuition down $24,000, Collaboratives Tuition negative $35,000, and Plowing and Sanding negative $60,000. Health insurance costs were identified as the largest budget driver.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 258 words
Source: the School Subcommittees meeting of April 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Keep reading with a 14-day free trial
Subscribe to Gardner News to keep reading this post and get 14 days of free access to the full post archives.
A subscription gets you:
- Subscriber-only posts and full archive
- Post comments and join the community
- 24x7 access to local news