Aldermen approve FY’ 26 school budget worth just under $238 million

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday night approved the Manchester School District’s Fiscal Year 2026 general fund budget with the amount of $237,999,925.

This marks an increase from the Fiscal Year 2025 approved figure of $227,982,610, and more than Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais’ initial proposal of $236,499,925; but less than the $246,050,206 figure the Manchester School District recommended. Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. Jenn Chmiel and her team predicted significant reductions if the mayor’s proposed budget, leading to extensive discussion at the next day’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.

Although the deadline for finalizing a budget number is June 30, Ruais sought to follow the guidance of Chmiel regarding the hunt for replacements in any teaching or staff positions that could and needed to be filled for the start of the next school year, as Chmiel has said that the best applicants often find jobs before summer.  With that in mind, Ruais asked the board to table the other eight Fiscal Year 2026 appropriation budget resolutions so there could be a focus on the school budget.

Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long presented the first proposed figure of $238,499,925 or $2 million more than the mayor’s initial amount. If this had passed, it would represent an approximate 2.7% tax increase, well below the 4.27% figure representing the maximum allowable increase without a tax cap override under the current fiscal year’s tax cap formula.

Alderman Joe Levasseur expressed frustration with the increase over the previous year’s initial amount. Levasseur said Chmiel’s outline of staff reductions and school bus pay-to-ride services were alarmist hyperbole; additional income yet to be determined from the state that is expected to be known in a few months would prove any dark projections unfounded.  Levasseur said that he would prefer to flat fund the school district and provide the full $12 million road repair request to the Department of Public Works if any budget increases were to be made, noting that the full request was not recommended in the mayor’s city budget and his opinion that the city’s roads were in desperate need of more repair.

Ward 4 Alderwoman Christine Fajardo asked why both the schools and the roads could not be fully funded given the remaining room for increases before reaching tax cap limits.

“Maybe that is a conversation we should be having,” said Fajardo. “We don’t have to choose between schools and streets right now; that is a distraction.”  Ruais said that the approximately $238.5 million figure represented a balance between the needs of the city, school district and taxpayers, a balance he has repeatedly stated that he has sought throughout the budget process. He also noted state aid calculations could ultimately supplement that figure in the near future when those figures become available.

Fajardo was somewhat incredulous with the mayor’s statement regarding the needs of taxpayers, noting that parents of students are also taxpayers.

“I think we have a fundamentally different worldview in what it means to invest in our city,” she said.

The approximately $238.5 million figure was voted down on a 7-7 vote, broken with a no vote from Ruais. The measure was supported by Fajardo and Long along with Ward 2 Alderman Dan Goonan, Ward 5 Alderman Anthony Sapienza, Ward 9 Alderman Jim Burkush, Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry and Alderman At-Large Dan O’Neil.

After that amount was defeated, the revised $237,999,925 – $500,000 less than the first figure – passed 10-4, with support from Goonan, Long, Sapienza, O’Neil, Long and Barry as well as Ward 1 Alderman Chris Morgan, Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio, Ward 11 Alderman Norm Vincent and Ward 12 Alderwoman Kelly Thomas.

“This is a thoughtful, balanced approach when it comes to finding the correct level of spending that meets the needs of our students, and our city while protecting taxpayers at the same time. The balance struck here is reflected in the overwhelming vote behind its passage,” said Ruais.

Following the vote, Manchester Board of School Committee Vice Chair Jim O’Connell released the following statement:

Tonight’s BoMA meeting approved a school budget that is not realistic and is inadequate for the needs of our students. Because of this poor decision, there will be less opportunity for our kids to learn next year. There were numerous statements made by Aldermen that were misleading to the public. Playing fast and loose with the truth by some members of the BoMA is a disservice to the taxpayers of Manchester. The BoSC will now be forced to use up another $8m of rainy day funds as well as increase class size and reduce programs and staff just to balance the budget.

Shame on them. Manchester can do better.

Claims that the Manchester School District does not respond to calls for clarification of expenditures are both incorrect and an insult to the hard working people in the District’s finance office. Every penny is fully accounted for in the school budget and available for inspection by any member of the public. School funds are audited and the school district has consistently received glowing praise for the accuracy and detail of its financial reporting. Sowing distrust within our community of our public schools is part of a national pattern of lies and deceit in the name of tawdry political gain.

Shame. Manchester can do better.

The decision to not fund the schools adequately is solely a political one. Despite being the lowest funded school district in the state (or close thereto) the increase in school budget has averaged less than 1.5% per year over the last 6 years! Mayor Ruais and the BoMA demonstrated tonight that they do not support the critical work of the teachers, staff and students of Manchester.

Shame. Manchester can and must do better.

During the meeting, aldermen also approved collective bargaining agreements with four AFCME unions (Central Fleet, Facilities, Health, Highway/Parks and Recreation/Environmental Protection), three Teamsters Unions (Airport, Library, Welfare), the International Association of Firefighters #856, the Manchester Association of Fire Supervisors #3820 and the Police Professional Staff Association.

Those agreements can be seen here.