[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6329871,"mediaKeyId","2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66","parentId",2315461,"title","Westwood Athletic Alumni donate $12,500 for uniforms; committee accepts donation","audioSeconds",5342,"startMs",111000,"endMs",5453000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66&start=111&end=5453","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66/thumbnail_111000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6329871/Massachusetts/Westwood-Athletic-Alumni-donate-12500-for-uniforms-committee-accepts-donation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329871-f8b0ff75ac14647ea82cf001311f9f53/orig.mp4?Expires=1770985301&Signature=QaiIkBGyaJhhMhZH5xMYMRe2iMH1r16ePHkPh6FovfOIyaDn~lVWCB2k5hVvngSSn2dABWESDAcCU3a1wFZfosaswsialwov-Sp8xvTN8f-dALQYiPoMciDfnZnBKEKP-Ri0qaGwY6sKers1lGy-~2Ji69DKE6MsJHleAKbfA2bfWU0pTdY4thvSpjZuhG9irin6xabbaU4jtOifKOxnl4pqT2RCYmAB8DYIuv0eXpSyHIH3jnH9HXrF296HtiuYW8ln90kzyH2lrNEt6DStWaBnE7WCaC6lqdXYiqelGmzypiCJ6QzWgZ0b4RgTo38mE4EANj1pfOIl-NGRbRPtag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Westwood Public Schools, MA","date","2025-02-14T13:24:28Z","article","Representatives of the Westwood Athletic Alumni presented a $12,500 donation to the Westwood School Committee on Feb. 13 to support school athletics, and the committee voted to accept the check.

Mike Griffin, representing the Westwood Athletic Alumni Group, told the committee the donation came from a golf tournament fundraiser and follows a $7,500 gift last year that the district used to buy uniforms. Griffin said the group has expanded its membership to bring in younger alumni and plans the April golf event as an annual fundraiser.

The committee accepted the $12,500 gift by unanimous voice vote; administrators said the funds will be used by the athletics department for uniforms and related needs.

Ending
The donation was acknowledged publicly at the meeting and the committee asked the athletics director to coordinate allocation and public acknowledgment in line with district policy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Committee - 02/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of the Westwood Athletic Alumni presented a $12,500 check to the school committee to support athletic uniforms; the committee accepted the donation unanimously.","taxTitle","Westwood Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",71411,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329876,"School Committee approves final Portrait of a Westwood Graduate content; student design workshop planned",340,1550000,1890000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66&start=1550&end=1890","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66/thumbnail_1550000.jpg","/articles/6329876/Massachusetts/School-Committee-approves-final-Portrait-of-a-Westwood-Graduate-content-student-design-workshop-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329876-4e0af4eb3add3bb975c517c73230cdf2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770985301&Signature=l~eYJCJ3VcovUBTFJygX0nKobC6nMpA0vfbQlj-3kHD1Gti9ESWp70YzTj~bMQQz2EmsOiO9i~jve-BIm-L~lK9RYIEp9CwHbvaEzb5-GRzfr6-jeS23mOrM28ZMm5BsJWYLCAMvI0rDZcbOHd1DN8tz561Z2m9Nk0mzJ0Z6NfO-amD1JfQAUQipJfTd-YXfFcLffjfUjWCCe9CmnFjqqreb5x9Rrs~eq-zPO~rQcftC97N9vo0f86URx2AbLAD~eqR6y0Bq5Ep4y-j92Ju80FuGuDvARPgAnMOOxCAzYW6zG5plEDljK5oaDLaXi-AdnuoIxKSp55xj5z3sIjCmGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Westwood School Committee reviewed the district’s final content for a Portrait of a Westwood Graduate and approved moving to a design phase that will engage students in creating a graphic representation.

Superintendent Tim Penrod presented the distilled portrait, which frames graduates as: critical and creative thinkers; collaborative communicators; individuals who act with integrity; and learners who engage locally and globally. Penrod said the document is intended to guide multi‑year strategic planning and to be inclusive of students “pre‑K to 22.”

Why it matters: the Portrait of a Graduate is the district’s statement of the skills and dispositions it wants students to leave with; staff described it as a foundation for curriculum and strategic priorities. Penrod said the working group used surveys, listening sessions and multiple stakeholder meetings to refine language and address community feedback, including requests to emphasize content mastery, ethical technology use and integrity.

Next steps
The district has arranged a half‑day design workshop at Westwood High School with a graphic designer from Doran Witte, the district’s architectural firm, and a representative cross‑section of students. The designer will develop artwork from the session for broader community review; staff said the visual will be used to inform strategic planning work to follow.

Committee comments
Committee members praised the stakeholder process and student involvement, and said the four‑area structure should be something teachers and schools can adopt and adapt to grade levels and classrooms. Penrod said the next phase—turning the portrait into strategic goals and implementation steps—will be discussed at the March meeting.

Ending
Staff asked committee members to expect a public share of the graphic and further discussion of strategies in March as the district aligns curriculum reviews and implementation plans to the adopted portrait.","The committee reviewed and advanced the district’s Portrait of a Westwood Graduate, endorsing four graduate attributes and approving a student design workshop to create a graphic representation that will guide strategic planning.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6329880,"Westwood School Committee adopts $58.76 million FY2026 budget; raises extended‑day, building‑use and Prodigy fees",4678,708000,5386000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66&start=708&end=5386","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2315461-3540f29929c322166fa452b539c1fa66/thumbnail_708000.jpg","/articles/6329880/Massachusetts/Westwood-School-Committee-adopts-5876-million-FY2026-budget-raises-extendedday-buildinguse-and-Prodigy-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6329880-0e618b677a2868ea0381ee7a226b709a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770985301&Signature=JVAh5RZsZKxSCye8JsFPN2V5209QTSEe9hFf2S5hAYLBlfvWAKfSMGHdjXeu0Qe7cIQCL9JMkluVpC-1TTFMt3JAOTLNmjxCVIpX3p-LhkXLhpfFIa3cWF-xukY8AiAE5tbi-20ZHqVzXuj2VODX9Bfg2YHcSCIzYuu8cCma~JoG9gRljrQ8K4rde25HlrCzKTZcnwgRHWeaJI7Gjzlrw3gyH7asfo8C10JW0jODtpkt4DzZeDYxV0k1~QMM8pwqOm9dQhmsfGE8bVNG~WNjJjR~sYKVbi3WAuDbfZlX~nJYHl4u3wqtzM-WQ6kvTIhCcs1y9CAfm6CLfQMfGntYYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Westwood School Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 13 to adopt a $58,761,682 operating budget for fiscal year 2026 and a $1,140,000 capital plan, and approved several fee increases intended to shore up self‑sustaining programs.

The committee approved an operating budget that includes three substantive midcycle revisions the superintendent presented: adding a fourth preschool classroom for 2025–26, an increase in contracted special‑education services, and additional phased funding for wellness and Mandarin language staffing. At the meeting the committee also approved an increase to extended‑day tuition, new building‑use rates that include a custodial charge, and higher Prodigy program tuition and instructor pay.

The changes come after the administration adjusted the January proposal in response to committee feedback and public comment. “So in FY ’26, an increase to $8 an hour as the base tuition rate,” said Leymah, a district staff member who presented fee recommendations, calling the initial jump “a substantial increase” but part of a plan to stabilize program finances. The committee then approved the fee schedule, including a $660 monthly rate for five‑day extended‑day enrollment (an 18% increase from current levels), by voice vote.

Why it matters: school officials said several programs have operated at or near break‑even and that delayed increases would create ongoing fiscal risk. Administrators told the committee the changes aim to keep extracurricular and after‑school offerings self‑sustaining while protecting the district’s core operating budget.

Most important facts
- The committee approved the FY2026 operating budget of $58,761,682 and a FY2026 capital budget of $1,140,000 by voice vote.
- Extended‑day tuition will increase to a base rate of $8 per hour; staff presented an example monthly rate of $660 for a five‑day program (representing about an 18% increase).
- Building‑use fees will now include a weekday custodial‑impact charge (staff estimated a 15‑minute custodial impact per hour of outside use) to better reflect indirect costs; the building‑use offset to the operating budget was noted at roughly $88,000.
- The Prodigy after‑school program will increase both tuition and instructor pay (presented as an 8.5% increase in rates) to remain competitive with peer districts and begin absorbing indirect administrative costs.

Discussion and committee concerns
Superintendent Tim Penrod and staff described revenues, offsets and constraints during the hearing. Penrod said substitutes and certain staffing lines were pressures to watch; the district had spent about $100,000 more on substitute teachers through the second quarter than it did last year. Committee members and public commenters pressed staff on program capacity, use of fee revenue, and whether fee increases would be spent on staff pay, behavioral supports or simply to shore up reserves.

Public comment and outreach
Several residents spoke during the budget hearing. Howard Heppelman, a parent, urged the committee to preserve language programs and to prioritize Mandarin in the district’s global offerings. Stacy Theophilou and other parents asked for earlier and broader engagement on proposals that change programming, saying the district’s approaches to preschool and world languages felt ‘‘reactionary’’ to some families.

How decisions will be implemented
Administrators said most of the extended‑day staffing can be maintained, but the program needed higher revenue to absorb normal step increases and cost‑of‑living adjustments. The wellness expansion will be phased in: the district allocated 0.6 FTE in FY26 (reduced from a proposal for a full 1.0 FTE) and said an additional roughly 0.4 FTE would be required in FY27 to complete the phase‑in so that current sophomores (class of 2027) would eventually have access to wellness all four high‑school years.

Votes and next steps
The committee approved the operating and capital budgets and the fee schedule by voice vote. The administration will present the budget to the town Finance Committee on Feb. 25; a final town‑level vote follows that process.

Ending note
Committee members said they were satisfied that staff had incorporated feedback but also warned that repeated small fixes in successive years could leave the district vulnerable if enrollment declines or cost pressures worsen. Several members urged continued outreach as the district moves into strategic planning and curriculum reviews tied to the adopted budget.","The Westwood School Committee approved the fiscal year 2026 operating budget of $58,761,682 and a $1.14 million capital plan, and also approved higher fees for extended‑day, building use and the Prodigy after weeks of public comment and staff adjustments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Westwood Athletic Alumni donate $12,500 for uniforms; committee accepts donation

School Committee approves final Portrait of a Westwood Graduate content; student design workshop planned

Westwood School Committee adopts $58.76 million FY2026 budget; raises extended‑day, building‑use and Prodigy fees