Wayland School Committee approves revised FY26 budget, restores one high-school FTE

The Wayland School Committee on Feb. 13 voted to approve a revised fiscal year 2026 recommended budget of $54,987,318 that restores one full-time equivalent position at Wayland High School, officials said.

Committee members said the change is possible because the town received more Chapter 70 state aid than expected and the district now expects health-insurance costs to rise less than originally projected. A staff member reading the revised total told the committee, "The revised total, FY 26 recommended budget is $54,987,318."

The vote followed a presentation from district staff explaining two developments since the budget was proposed: an unanticipated increase in Chapter 70 state aid to the Town of Wayland of more than $200,000, and updated estimates for health-insurance inflation that are lower than the 10% originally budgeted. Staff explained that each percentage point difference in the health-insurance estimate corresponds to roughly $100,000 in the budget; if the increase is 8% rather than 10%, that would free about $200,000 for the town.

District leaders said they recommend using part of those additional resources to restore a position at the high school primarily to support the Academic Support Center. The Academic Support Center currently serves about 105 students, each receiving an average of 4.7 blocks of support in an eight-day cycle, according to staff. The restored position, estimated at about $85,000, would provide direct intervention and preserve the coordinator’s capacity to track student progress and maintain data analysis.

Staff also noted a potential shortfall in social-studies coverage at the high school; the restored FTE could have a social-studies background to cover a class if needed. The committee discussed the district’s efforts to prioritize retirements and minimize cuts while maintaining program stability.

A committee member moved to approve the revised FY26 recommended budget, including restoration of the FTE, and another member seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote with no members recorded as opposed. Committee members said the approved revision will be shared with the town manager, who will present it to the finance committee and the select board for further review.

Committee members offered to attend upcoming town meetings to support the budget presentation. No public comments on the item were recorded during the meeting.

The revised FY26 recommended budget figure and the committee’s vote now move the district’s recommendation into the town-level budget process for final action by the town’s finance bodies.