The Thomaston Board of Education held a special meeting on December 16th at the High School cafeteria to review the proposed budget for the 2025-2026 school year. The district administration’s draft budget called for a 7.8% increase over last year’s town allocation, with focus on addressing student safety, emergency management, and the evolving needs of the district.

A major addition to this year’s proposal is the creation of a new Emergency Management Department. According to the budget proposal, this department is designed to provide transparency on the costs of maintaining safety, security, and the emotional well-being of students and staff across Thomaston Public Schools. Notably, included in this proposed budget is funding for one security guard in each school building.

The inclusion of school resource officers (SROs) sparked discussion among board members. While there was broad agreement on the importance of prioritizing safety, the board wrestled with how to balance these costs with other areas of need. Superintendent Coss explained that achieving the board’s preferred increase of 4% to 4.75%—a reduction of approximately $540,000 to $673,000—would be challenging without cuts to current staffing. Specific positions, however, were not identified during the meeting.

The proposed budget included an increase across all departments, except Black Rock School. The reduction at BRS was primarily reallocating a classroom teacher to the Curriculum budget, who will serve as an interventionist, as well as the elimination of another classroom teaching position.

As the meeting concluded, board members emphasized the importance of presenting a budget that would gain the support of the town. The Board of Education plans to revisit the budget in January to refine their proposal before presenting to the Board of Finance for review. From there, the budget will be presented to residents for final approval, either at a town meeting or through a referendum.