The Kingston Board of Selectmen met on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Chair Eric Crone told the Selectmen that they would be taking a “deeper dive” into the FY26 budget during the meeting. Crone said, “The schools are looking at some massive increases and we don’t have final budgets from them.” He continued, “Without overrides, the schools are going to be making massive cuts to positions. It’s not just going to be supplies and technology and projects; it’s going to be teachers and paras, and other staff.” He went on to say that the regional school budget was approximately $2 million over, while the local schools are “$1.7 million over the 4 percent that we had originally advocated.” Selectman Kimberley Emberg noted that the Selectmen had “no line item autonomy” over the schools.
Crone said that they had discussed a town-wide increase of 4.12 percent which included “a little bit more” for the Police and Fire Departments and “a little bit less” for other departments. According to Crone, without an override, the Police budget will still potentially lose personnel. Crone said that if the town wanted level services it would require an override.
Kingston Fire Chief Mark Douglass addressed Selectmen He said that their amended requests came in just above 4 percent. Douglass noted that sick leave is where they ended up reducing the budget. “To give you a little history; FY23 we spent $216,000 approximate, FY24 $257,000 approximate, and FY25, to date, we’ve spent $157,000.” Douglass said that they have had numerous injuries in the past years including long-term ones. Douglass said that last year himself and Town Administrator Keith Hickey reduced the budgeted amount for off duty personnel responding to an emergency. He said that the hope was that the lower amount would be sufficient, but it wasn’t.
Douglass went over call volume saying that it increased significantly from FY23 to FY24. For FY24, call volume was 8.75 calls a day. For the start of FY25, the Department was averaging around 10 calls per day. He said that sometimes you can pinpoint which days/times have more calls and reduce staff at other times. However, for the Kingston Fire Department, it is fairly spread out. Douglass said that the easiest place to pull money from is the overtime and sick timeline items though he did note it reduces staffing. “How severe is the impact? I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t honestly tell you.”
Hickey said that the requested budget amount is $4,326,000. Emberg asked him if he could make $4.1 million work. Douglass addressed the Selectmen and Hickey saying, “I can make $0 work, but don’t expect a lot… we can make whatever you give us work, it’s how well we make it work. It’s what you’re willing to sacrifice or provide – either way.”
Kingston Police Chief Brian Holmes also addressed the Selectmen and Hickey. He went over current staffing levels saying that they have 26 sworn in Police Officers, eight dispatch, one full-time admin., as well as an Animal Control Officer, Animal Inspector, Harbor Master, and Shellfish Warden. He also went over Kingston’s population growth from 1998 to 2023 saying it has increased by nearly 35 percent. Regarding call volume, from 2023 to 2024, there was a 23 percent increase in total logged events. There was a 10 percent increase in calls for service from 2022-2023 and a 6 percent increase from 2023 to 2024. He also showed Police Department staffing per resident for comparable communities. Kingston was in line or below the level of most of these communities.
Holmes showed the impact that the proposed percentage increases would have on the Department. A four percent increase would mean laying off two full-time officers while a six percent increase would mean laying off one full time officer and one dispatcher. An 11 percent increase would allow for the Department to maintain level services at 17 patrol officers, one deputy chief, and eight dispatchers at an increased cost of $504,740. A 21 percent increase would equate to 20 patrol officers, one deputy chief, and nine dispatchers at an increased cost of $1,156,951. “The town is a very far cry from being in a position to establish minimum staffing levels for the Police Department,” Douglass said. Regarding capital requests, he said that they do, in fact, need to increase from three to four cruisers.
Emberg asked, “Is there a way to get closer to 6 percent without laying off staff?” Douglass said, “You have to look at the fact that we are operating on a skeleton crew and have been since the last time there was growth – I think, 1997.” Crone said he would like to see them get to the 11 percent without losing people which he said amounts to finding roughly $211,000 elsewhere in the budget.
Crone said that for him, finding the $211,000 was higher priority than trying to find the sick/overtime funds for the Fire Department. “And I’m not choosing Police over Fire,” he said. Douglass responded by saying, “This isn’t going to be a battle but when you choose to staff one fully and not staff one fully; you actually are.” Crone said, “I’m trying to avoid layoffs.” Asked about priorities Douglass said, “cops on the street are the priority; I could live with the half year deputy.”
There was some discussion about implementing “pay as you throw” or raising the cost of a decal sticker for the Transfer Station for residents under 65 years old as a means of finding money for the Police and Fire Department. Selectman Don Alcombright said, “You can fund this entire budget if you raised, between $10 and $20, per senior and veteran decal.” Hickey said that he tried not to impact those over 65 or veterans.
Crone said, “I think the biggest goal is if we can get Fire taken care of and Police taken care of in terms of level service, still getting the overtime, the sick time, not reducing any staff without an override and then for an override – at that point, Fire’s budget is set and it’s just Police, maybe schools.” Hickey said that while he was not trying to be a “Debbie downer,” the school department’s budget was going to be a major factor. Hickey told the Selectmen that while the school department can make asks, it is their job to make decisions regarding the bottom dollar. He said that he wouldn’t wait another 45-60 days to disseminate information to the public regarding why an override may be necessary.
The Selectmen also went over various questions they had in the town budget. Hickey was asked about the elimination of the Assistant Town Planner in this budget. He explained that in FY25 they reduced the position from full-time to part-time. Hickey said that the one impact to existing labor in the operating budget, excluding public safety, is the elimination of the Assistant Town Planner. He said there was a decline in the Building and Planning departments. “I feel as though I can’t justify even a full-time and a part-time… there are as many Planning Board meetings being canceled as being held,” Hickey explained.
Emberg said one nominal way to help the budget would be for the Selectmen to forgo their $4,200 stipend. Hickey said there was a member of the Board of Assessors who said something similar.
Hickey said that he has included $30,000 in the budget for a Public Works Director. He noted that he thought the impact of the position would eventually offset the cost through engineering and other savings. Emberg asked if the departments that fall under public works would continue to have foremen and superintendents. Hickey said that the position would take the place of the Public Works Superintendent.
Emberg said that similarly to how they would like to eventually move to a system where the Transfer Station funds itself, she would also like to see Recreation eventually fund itself. “It’s user based so having more of the costs borne by the users, makes sense,” Emberg said. She did note that if not this year, then in the future.

Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
The Silver Lake Regional School District is confronting a potential budget crisis that could lead to cuts to athletics, extracurricular activities, and significant staff reductions for the upcoming fiscal year.
At a Jan. 9 school committee meeting, district officials presented a preliminary budget outlining cuts of up to $2.18 million to meet a 2% increase target requested by the committee.
Superintendent Jill Proulx said the proposed cuts would not allow the district to maintain current class sizes or support its improvement strategy.
“Even though we’re talking about a 2% increase, the level service budget, as you’ll find out, is more than 2%,” Proulx said. “While these are our goals, we recognize that what we’re going to present to you tonight at the 2% increase that the school committee asked us to prepare is not going to allow us to do that, and it would require staffing cuts as well.”
The district’s level service budget for fiscal year 2026 is $45,244,783. After deducting anticipated circuit breaker reimbursement of $2.5 million, there’s a gap of $2,180,343 to reach the 2% increase target of $40,564,440.
To bridge this gap, the administration proposed three tiers of cuts. Tier 1 cuts of $150,792 have already been made, primarily affecting supplies and technology.
Tier 2 cuts of $638,490 would eliminate late buses, safety supervisor positions, and all athletic and extracurricular stipends at both the middle and high schools.
The most severe reductions come in Tier 3, totaling $1,580,000. This includes cutting 16 full-time faculty positions, five support staff positions, and two administrative positions.
High School Principal Michaela Gill painted a stark picture of how these cuts would impact students.
“Core classes such as math, science, ELA, and social studies must be prioritized, which would leave little room for electives, special programs, or our historically low enrollment courses,” Gill said. “As a result, student schedules will become more rigid with fewer choices and less opportunity for personalized pathways.”
Gill added that class sizes could exceed 30 students, and the district might need to change graduation requirements if certain programs are eliminated.
The proposed cuts drew strong criticism from Jess Drew, president of the Silver Lake Education Association.
“Over the past decade at least the school committee has asked our schools to cut faculty and staff positions either through straight out cuts or through the school committee’s decision to not fill a position. Year after year supplies have been cut, consumables have been cut, programs have been cut, textbooks and databases have been cut all to the detriment of our students who no longer have access to these tools that they need to be successful in today’s world.”
“Our schools cannot sustain staff cuts especially as our towns continue to grow,” Drew said. “We are calling for the school committee to step up with their leadership.”
Committee member Jeanne Coleman echoed these concerns.
“This budget does not even meet the required needs of our students,” Coleman said. “We will be kicking the can down the road and offering our students less.”
The committee did not take any action on the budget at this meeting. Members expressed a desire to wait for public input at a Feb. 12 hearing and for more information on state funding before making decisions.
To help offset potential cuts, the district is considering raising user fees for athletics and facility use. Mark Guidoboni, a member of the Safety/Facility/Fees/Revenue Committee, reported that initial estimates suggest these increases could bring in approximately $70,000 in additional revenue.
“It’s a shame we can’t offer everything free, and we can’t say to our communities they can all come in and use our school facilities,” Guidoboni said. “We have to pay janitors, custodians, and maintain and everything down to the toilet paper.”
The installation of air conditioning at Silver Lake Middle School is expected to add $75,000 annually to the district’s electric bill, further complicating budget discussions.
Committee Chair Gordon Laws suggested exploring options to refinance the district’s debt, which is set to be fully paid off in two years. The district currently pays about $2.2 million annually in debt service.
“It just seems like it would be utterly ridiculous to be two years out from an increase that sizable of free cash and you know not just cut our noses off to spite our face but disfigure our whole face entirely,” Laws said.
The administration will present more detailed information on potential revenue increases, including higher athletic fees, at the public budget hearing on Feb. 13. There is also a joint meeting with town officials planned for Feb. 16 to discuss the shared budget and the possibility of a prop 2 ½ override.

Alan Ingram
Express correspondent
The Kingston School Committee grappled with a budget scenario Monday night that could lead to the loss of up to 18 teachers and 11.6 paraprofessionals if the town approves only a 4% budget increase for the upcoming fiscal year.
Committee members expressed deep concern over the potential impact on education quality and class sizes during a lengthy budget discussion at their Jan. 6 meeting.
“This budget we were presented was 4%. So, you know, we have to decide what we want to ask Dr. Proulx and Sarah to kind of bring to us the next time,” said Committee Chair Megan Cannon. “I mean, I will say, you know, all students are entitled to a free and appropriate education.”
The proposed 4% increase would require $1.7 million in cuts from what school officials say is needed just to maintain current services. Director of Finance Sarah Hickey presented three tiers of potential reductions to reach that target.
Tier 1 cuts of $57,950 have already been made, including reductions to supplies and equipment. Tier 2 would slash $799,000 through the elimination of 8.6 full-time and 3 part-time paraprofessionals, 2 custodians and 5 teachers.
The most severe Tier 3 cuts would eliminate an additional 13 teaching positions to reach the full $1.7 million reduction.
“Cumulatively, if we make it through Tier 3, we would be looking at an 18 teacher loss, and 11.6 paraprofessionals, and 2 custodians,” Cannon said. “Which, in my personal opinion, would cripple our schools, to say the least.”
Committee member Jeanne Coleman noted Kingston already spends about $4,000 less per student than the state average.
“We’ve been lucky that we are able to retain the staff that we have and we’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to provide the education that we have,” Coleman said. “But at some point, we need to really be honest that we’re not paying more for it. We’re just somehow getting charged a lot more.”
Officials said the cuts would lead to significantly larger class sizes and the loss of specialist positions. They also noted laying off staff would incur unemployment costs of potentially $850,000.
Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx said the district worked to build consensus on the proposed reductions but acknowledged there are “things that I would step in or Tricia would step in or Sarah would step in if we think something is not appropriate or, you know, completely unsustainable or inappropriate.”
The committee took no formal action on the budget at the Jan 6 meeting. Members said they want to wait for public input at a Feb. 3 budget hearing before providing further direction to administrators.
“I’d like to wait until the public budget hearing on Feb. 3 before we give more direction to what tiers of those cuts we can actually stomach or that I’d be comfortable stomaching because I think that the public deserves to be able to weigh in,” Coleman said.
Additionally, Kingston schools are not meeting state-recommended minutes for English Language Learner (ELL) services, prompting district officials to suggest adding a full-time ELL teacher to address the growing need.
The Committee heard a presentation on ELL services, where Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tricia Clifford outlined the current shortfall and proposed solution.
According to Clifford, there are currently 55 ELL students at Kingston Elementary School and 51 at Kingston Intermediate School. Services are provided by two Kingston ELL teachers – one for grades K-2 and another for grades 3-6.
“EL instruction is required to be delivered by a licensed EL teacher,” Clifford explained. “Students become former ELs or FELs when they score at least a 4.2 on that access test that I just spoke about. They’re monitored for four more years.”
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends at least two to three 45-minute periods of daily ELL instruction for foundational students and at least one 45-minute period for transitional students.
“At KIS and KES, they’re not meeting the recommended minutes for students this school year ’24 and ’25,” Clifford said. “And this often is seen not only in the access testing, but it’s really seen in our MCAS scores for sure.”
To address the shortfall, district administrators proposed adding a 1.0 full-time equivalent ELL teacher position to be split between the two schools.
“Almost all students at KES are within the foundational category requiring more instructional periods,” Clifford said. “At KIS, almost all students are level three or below, which can be considered foundational or transitional as I spoke about. Most would be considered foundational, which again requires more instructional periods.”
In other business, the committee:
– Learned Kingston was approved for a Massachusetts School Building Authority grant to help fund a new roof at Kingston Elementary School. The exact grant amount is still to be determined.
– Heard the district received a $12,500 grant to support multilingual learners.
The committee’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3, which will include the public budget hearing. Members urged residents to attend and provide input on the proposed cuts.
“I really hope that this room stays filled between now and town meeting because anyone that’s going to be requesting things at the budget, they’re going to want to stay involved,” Coleman said.