The Plympton School Committee convened on Feb. 9, 2026, for a wide-ranging session that included a favorable FY27 budget update, a discussion of mounting infrastructure challenges at Dennett Elementary School, and a vote to raise the administrative assistant’s hourly wage. A net increase of $93,000 in state education aid, released in the governor’s House 2 budget, arrived just in time to absorb an unexpected $84,000 cost tied to two new vocational school applicants.
The centerpiece of the evening was a budget update delivered by Chair Jason Fraser and Finance Director Sarah Hickey. Two Plympton students have applied to Norfolk Agricultural High School for the upcoming school year — one more than the single student that had been budgeted. The combined cost of tuition and transportation for those two students totals $84,000: $70,000 in tuition and $14,000 in transportation.
In the same week that cost became known, the governor released her House 2 budget, which showed Plympton netting $93,000 more in state education aid compared to last year. “I was excited that we had the $93,000 come in,” Fraser said, “and the next morning Sarah was like, ‘we have $84,000 more of vocational students.'” He noted the Finance Committee and Town Administrator have been informed and are comfortable with the committee proceeding on that basis.
“One hand giveth. One hand taketh. I’m happy being at net zero” Fraser added.
A complicating factor in the vocational budget line is the state’s new blind lottery process for Chapter 74 vocational program seats. Students who apply are no longer guaranteed admission even if qualified, meaning the committee may be budgeting for students who ultimately do not attend. Fraser noted the district will know by April 1 which students have applied, and if any are not admitted, the excess funds would be returned to the town at year-end. Final budget adoption is planned for the March 9 meeting.
Hickey presented the committee with a recommendation to exercise the seventh-year option year in the existing First Student transportation contract, which is shared across Silver Lake Regional School District and Superintendency Union 31. The option year comes in at less than a 5% increase over FY26 — a figure the committee viewed as a significant relief given broader market conditions.
“This is an absolute financial no-brainer with double-digit increases and many transportation costs,” Fraser said. “We’re going to be in a very interesting position when this contract runs out.” The vote on exercising the option will be taken by the Silver Lake School Committee and the Joint Committee; no Plympton vote was required that evening.
The discussion broadened into a candid conversation about the state of public school transportation procurement. Committee members noted that competitive bidding rarely produces more than one vendor in a given area. Wilhelmsen observed that the district had effectively no meaningful competitive alternative and that a 15–20% cost increase would be the likely result of going out to bid.
Fraser pointed to House Bill 4066, filed by State Rep. Michelle Badger — a former Plymouth school committee member — as one legislative attempt to address what he characterized as “predatory pricing” of school transportation. He said the Massachusetts Association of School Committees has long called for full reimbursement of regional transportation costs, which the governor’s budget is close to achieving, and has also advocated for either a circuit-breaker mechanism or direct regulation of transportation vendors. Hickey noted that the procurement is governed by M.G.L. Chapter 30B and that districts have no legal mechanism to control how many vendors respond to a bid.
The Capital Improvement Planning subcommittee, led by Wilhelmsen, reported on a meeting held the prior week and outlined a series of pressing facility needs at Dennett Elementary. The discussion painted a picture of a building with aging infrastructure across multiple critical systems — and limited funds to address them.
The subcommittee is focused on a building conditions assessment, initially estimated at $70,000. Wilhelmsen said the committee pushed back on that figure, arguing that a prior roof assessment has already documented the roof’s condition and does not need to be re-studied. He suggested a more targeted scope could bring the cost to $30,000–$35,000. As a reference point, Silver Lake recently completed a comparable assessment covering four buildings for approximately $67,000. The committee agreed to pursue a formal cost estimate before going out to bid, since any assessment project exceeding $10,000 requires a public procurement process.
Among the facility issues reviewed: the building’s roof is described as failing and in need of ongoing emergency repair funds — a $15,000 placeholder was discussed to keep the roof “limping through” additional school years until a full replacement can be financed. HVAC is a major concern, with six rooftop units in need of full replacement; one newer unit is already five years old, and estimates for individual replacements have ranged from $80,000 to $110,000 per unit. The gym floor requires a comprehensive resurfacing, with a rough estimate of $30,000 raised but not confirmed. A well cleaning and spare pump were estimated at $20,000. PFAS treatment equipment requirements from the state Department of Environmental Protection are also on the committee’s radar, though Wilhelmsen said he does not intend to plan for an expansion of the well room until DEP makes requirements clear.
The committee agreed that a building conditions assessment — and a roof repair placeholder — should be positioned as warrant articles or budget placeholders, with specific figures to be confirmed as the town meeting season approaches. Wilhelmsen said he expects major infrastructure work will require borrowing. Fraser added that having an active capital improvement program and engineering reports in hand strengthens any future application to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, potentially increasing the reimbursement percentage the district could receive.
Fraser provided a legislative update, noting that rural aid was increased to $20 million in Governor Healy’s House 2 budget — a substantial increase from last year. He cautioned, however, that the governor’s budget is expected to face significant resistance in the House, which he said may “not even pay attention to what she had and rewrite it themselves.” He warned that rural communities in particular could see funding cut back. He advised the committee to treat the governor’s budget as a floor, but with less confidence than in prior years.
Chapter 70 funding for Plympton has grown substantially in recent years, from approximately $570,000 to $1.2 million — a near-doubling, Fraser said, achieved in part through advocacy by the district’s state legislative delegation. Taking into account Chapter 70 aid, grants, and circuit breaker reimbursements, Fraser estimated that state funding covers roughly one-third of the district’s total budget. Wilhelmsen suggested that point be made clearly in budget presentations, as many residents may not realize the degree to which state dollars offset local property taxes.
The committee also noted that a joint meeting with the Silver Lake Regional School Committee is scheduled for Feb. 27 at 5 p.m., to be held in person.