Auburn School Committee approves FY27 budget at 3.92 percent increase

AUBURN -- March 4, 2026, Auburn School Committee approves FY27 budget at 3.92 percent after $100,000 town-requested cut. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt the revised budget, down from a 4.19 percent increase, after Superintendent Dr. Jack Chamberlain adjusted five open staff positions from a master's, step-two salary to a bachelor's, step-one rate, saving roughly $39,000, and accepted a $20,000 salary reduction on a position currently on leave and a $30,000 offset from the town for athletics and fine arts. Two members went on record warning that hiring new graduates into high school math and student-support roles "is going to be a challenge no matter how good the curriculum is." The board also unanimously approved a new required freshman experience seminar at Auburn High School and authorized Chamberlain to file a student-learning-time waiver with DESE covering a February 10 closure caused by a reported gas leak.