Belmont Schools’ Bite of the Budget

The BEA (Belmont Education Association) recently circulated a piece in which the schools’ portion of the General Fund budget is stated to be 42% of the total.  That 42% figure significantly understates how much of Belmont’s General Fund goes to schools.  The 42% figure is incorrect and only reflects part of the total expenditure.

In fact, the Belmont school’s allocation of the FY2026 General Fund is 66.9%, and the current union demands in contract negotiation would push that percentage even higher.

The 42% cited excludes spending on major budget items:  

65% of Belmont’s Employee and Retiree Benefits budget is spent on schools.  

65% of Belmont’s OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits) budget is spent on schools.

80% of Belmont’s Facilities budget is spent on schools.

65% of Belmont’s Liability Insurance budget is spent on schools.

89% of Belmont’s Debt Service budget is spent on schools.

85% of Belmont’s Discretional Capital budget is spent on schools.

Omitted items add $40.6 million to the school allocation, increasing the school’s bite of the total Belmont budget to 66.9% for the current fiscal year.

To review the source of these figures, please visit the FY2026 budget on the town website, Appendix A – “General Fund Budget Alignment Across Municipal and School Functions” (page XI-22)

I believe in supporting our excellent schools, but also in sustaining town services and our dedicated municipal staff.  That’s a challenge when only 33 cents of every tax dollar is allocated to the town.