Natick School Officials 'Grateful' After Override Passes

NATICK, MA — Natick Public Schools officials are relieved about the passage of the town's ballot question.

The $7 million budget override lifts major anxiety over the district, which could've been forced to cut staff and raise costs on families.

"Superintendent Dr. Melissa Spash and the Natick School Committee would like to thank the community for the time they took out of their schedules to vote, for their careful decision making, and for engaging with us at our public forums and online," the district said in a statement.

They continued:

"Natick Public Schools is grateful that Question 1 passed–approving an override. This will allow us to continue delivering high-quality educational programming and support for all students.

We also recognize that it is not easy for residents to vote to voluntarily increase their taxes, and would like to acknowledge the challenge of balancing the needs of our schools alongside the realities of one’s own household.

As we move forward, Natick Public Schools remains committed to transparency, accountability, and responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. We are honored to serve this community and to continue working together for the success of every student."

Unofficial election results from Tuesday's annual town election showed that just over 60 percent of voters are in support of Natick's $7 million budget override proposal.

The hypothetical result is that the override will save town and city jobs, and keep costs for Natick Public Schools where they are now. To do so, Natick will raise the real estate tax by $7 million, an increase of $38 a month per household, officials said.

With the passage of the override, the district's budget would be $95,491,904, which represents an almost level-service budget that includes $460,000 in salary reductions and $940,000 in non-salary reductions.

Had the override not passed, officials projected available funding levels to be $92,714,346, which would require further reductions to staffing and expenses, as well as increases to fees in order to close the remaining funding gap, officials said in a Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal overview.