Hampden Select Board hears school budget request nearly $1 million above town's projection

Select Board · Meeting of March 2, 2026

Hampden Select Board hears school, police, and fire budgets amid nearly $1 million school assessment gap. The board's joint finance subcommittee session with Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District administrators revealed a projected fiscal year 2027 assessment to Hampden of $10,297,776 — up $964,991, or 10.34 percent — driven largely by a roughly $1 million increase in employee benefits and insurance costs through the Scantic Valley health collaborative. Select Board Chair John pressed Superintendent Dr.

Karabasi and Business Manager Doug on whether the collaborative had adequately pushed back on premium increases, calling the year-over-year jump a potential "opportunity" for plan design changes; Doug agreed the conversation was overdue. The Advisory Committee has reportedly been working with a placeholder of $450,000 to $475,000 in school budget growth — roughly half the district's current projection. The police department presented a budget up approximately $25,000, with the board directing the chief to raise the training line to $50,000 and the reserve officer rate from $25 to $28 per hour; a $15,000 weapon replacement is expected to be funded through off-duty account reserves in the fall.

A pole hearing for a National Grid and Verizon installation on Ames Road was continued to March 16 after the board found the applicant unable to answer questions about an associated solar project.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of March 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.