PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council kicked off budget season on Wednesday with a preliminary approval of the Pittsfield Public Schools' $86 million spending plan.

The $86,450,361 budget for fiscal year 2026 includes an $18 million city contribution and more than $68 million of anticipated Chapter 70 funding. It is a $3,765,084 increase from FY25, totaling $86,900,361 with $450,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition funds.

"The Pittsfield Public School system is in a vital place in time," Mayor Peter Marchetti said.

"It is now our time to do the right thing and to fund our schools at the level that we can, and look forward to what the future brings us."

He emphasized that the city's contribution went down nearly $1 million from FY25 to FY26.

"The increase of the school department budget from fiscal year 25 to fiscal year 26 was $3,765,084. I will tell you that the Chapter 70 increase was $4.5 million," Marchetti reported.

"So the increase that we were getting from Chapter 70 monies, we kept some of that on the city side to help defray the cost of the rising health insurance. With this budget, it impacts positions, but will impact no city personnel."

Last year, local and statewide advocacy led to a correction in Chapter 70 funding, adding another $2.4 million in aid for fiscal year 2025.