Bellingham Finance Committee recommends $35.8 million school budget, cutting 37 positions

BELLINGHAM -- March 26, 2026, Bellingham Finance Committee recommends a reduced $35.8 million school budget that eliminates 37 positions. The committee voted 5-0 at its March 26 public hearing to recommend the Bellingham School Department's fiscal year 2027 budget of $35,842,585, a figure that cuts staffing from 348 to 311 full-time equivalents and zeros out the $299,000 athletics budget to close a gap created by stagnant state aid and rising special education and transportation costs. School officials warned that if the accompanying override ballot question fails, class sizes at the high school level will rise to as many as 30 students and specialized supports for students with disabilities and English language learners will be diminished; ELL enrollment has grown 173 percent over five years against a state average of 34 percent, and out-of-district residential placements can cost up to $400,000 per student annually. The committee also voted 5-0 on five additional town spending lines, including $11,696,396 for health insurance, a figure that will essentially zero out the town's health insurance trust fund by the end of FY26, $4,838,566 for retirement pension, and $4,103,690 for debt principal and interest.