Three School Committee Candidates Debate Budget, High School Expansion Before May 5 Vote

SHREWSBURY -- April 16, 2026, Three Shrewsbury School Committee candidates staked out competing positions on budget oversight, high school expansion, and district culture at an April 16 community forum hosted by A Better Shrewsbury. Incumbent Vice Chair Rachel Sharif-Core, challenger and corporate finance veteran Michael Pacey, and challenger Nicole Torres, a real estate attorney, all addressed an active FY2027 budget dispute in which the district's initial 4.75 percent increase request was pushed back by the Select Board in favor of a target closer to 4.25 percent. Pacey called the Select Board's scrutiny "a relief" after 16 years of unchallenged budgets and argued the district should examine administrative overhead, including four assistant superintendents, before threatening teacher cuts, which he called "a scare tactic." Sharif-Core said the district is "already a fiscally responsible district" and disputed reports of a fall 2026 override, saying the town manager has indicated the current override can be extended. On the Massachusetts School Building Authority high school expansion, Sharif-Core cited current enrollment of roughly 1,900 students exceeding design capacity and said the state would cover approximately 50 percent of costs, with a special town meeting vote possible between fall 2027 and fall 2028. All three candidates expressed support for incoming Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Ostrander, who takes office July 1 after 17 years under the same leader, with voters choosing two of the three candidates on May 5.