The Mascenic School Board has begun preparing for a second year in a row under a default budget, after voters defeated the proposed budget at the polls on March 11.

The default – set at $21.96 million – was lower than the district’s proposed budget of $22.34 million by a difference of $362,654.

“That has an impact,” Superintendent Liz Pogorzelski said. “Our budget managers have been working to find the best way forward – how do we optimize what we have to do what’s best for the kids in our community.”

Additions in the proposed budget included increasing a librarian position from part-time to full-time at Highbridge Hill Elementary, adding a part-time reading and writing teacher at Highbridge, summer hours for a social worker, a new behavior technician, increasing groundskeeper hours and a new special education personal assistant.

The default budget is determined by using the previous year’s budget, plus increases such as teacher contracts that were previously approved by the public or legal obligations, and minus one-time expenses. The default budget for 2026 is more than the 2025 budget by about $679,374, but it is less than the budget originally proposed by the School Board for the coming year.

The default budget for the 2024-25 school year was $21.15 million, but district officials had encouraged voters to reject the budget proposal on the ballot because after a $1 million cut approved during the district’s deliberative session, the default was higher than the $20.45 million budget on the ballot.

Pogorzelski said that in the wake of the election, the positive news was that voters had supported the proposed teacher’s contract and additions to the capital reserves.

The capital reserve additions include $150,000 for the building repair and maintenance reserve and $50,000 for the special education reserve, which would come from the end-of-year fund balance for 2025, with the caveat that the district must have at least $700,000 in unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year in July.

Board member Tim Somero asked if the district was on track to have that $700,000 at the end of the year, but was told that while the district was well within its operating budget, it was too early to tell what the end of the year reserve would be.

The board began its meeting Tuesday by electing a new chair in Mitch Gluck and vice chair in Ellen Salmonson, both in unanimous votes.

Gluck started the meeting by thanking outgoing School Board member Steve Spratt, who has previously served as board chair, thanking him for his compassion, focus on student welfare, and vast institutional knowledge.