Sheffield Voters Approve $8.58 Million School Budget on Eve of Fiscal Deadline

SHEFFIELD — June 29, 2026 — Sheffield voters narrowly approved a contested $8,579,631 school operating budget on the final day of the fiscal year at a June 29 special town meeting, passing the Southern Berkshire Regional School District's assessed share 126 to 63. The budget represents a 7.1 percent increase to Sheffield's share, and Town Administrator Rhonda LaBombard's analysis — appended to the warrant — showed the increase costs the owner of an average $491,473 home approximately $181 more per year than a typical 3 percent increase would have. Select Board member Robert Kilmer and Finance Committee Chair Colin Smith spoke against the budget, citing per-pupil costs of roughly $35,000 and average class sizes of around nine students, while Superintendent Brian Ricca called the delayed, contentious process a one-time failure and promised earlier and more transparent future budgeting. Finance Committee member Will Conklin broke with his chair, saying publicly that Smith "does not speak for all the members of the panel." Voters also approved $157,888 for district roof and boiler debt (174-15) and $82,250 for the district capital budget (158-27), and passed a $100,000 free-cash transfer for town building repairs including mold remediation at the police station; a new fence bylaw failed 55-75 after unresolved questions about agricultural and mixed-use exemptions.