LAKEVILLE — Input from legal counsel and the state led the Freetown-Lakeville School Committee to vote again on a final education budget during its May 21 meeting.

On May 7, committee members believed they had approved a final budget and avoided potential layoffs. However, after seeking legal guidance, the committee learned that the May 7 vote did not, in fact, pass.

On May 21, the committee corrected the error and approved the budget using financial moves similar to those implemented on May 7 to avoid layoffs.

The need for another vote stemmed from what Chair Jennifer Blum described as “semantics.” On May 7, four of seven members present voted in favor of the budget — a simple majority. Later, the committee learned a two-thirds majority was required. During the May 21 vote, members approved the budget unanimously.

On May 7, the committee made additional cuts to operational expenses, used $400,000 in school choice funds, and transferred $250,000 from the excess and deficiency account to avoid eliminating positions. The excess and deficiency account is composed of surplus funds from previous budgets.

On May 21, in a similar move with the same outcome, the committee transferred $665,960 from the excess and deficiency account to cover educator and paraprofessional contracts.

Following the ratification of those contracts, the committee approved a final 2026 budget of $48,640,993 — approximately $400,000 more than the May 7 figure.

Select Board members from each town contribute to school budget decision-making. Freetown’s Select Board member was absent. Lakeville’s representative, Chris Plonka, opposed the committee’s decision.

Plonka said he voted no because “[the Select Board] is opposed to using non-recurring revenue sources for salaries,” referring to the use of the excess and deficiency account.

The district originally sought a budget of $49,135,217, which would have funded all current staffing and expenses. However, town officials raised concerns about that figure and requested about $1 million in reductions, according to Director of Finance John Higgins.

The proposed cuts would have resulted in the loss of up to 17 positions. Educators vocally opposed the reductions, saying the quality of education would suffer. School Committee members also requested further budget revisions to preserve staffing.

This resulted in the decision to use funds from the excess and deficiency account to bolster the budget and maintain current staff.