Wilmington School Committee approves FY2026 budget after public hearing

The Wilmington School Committee held a public hearing on Feb. 12 and approved Superintendent Dr. Brandt’s recommended fiscal year 2026 operating budget after a presentation and public comment.

The hearing satisfied a public-notice requirement: “Just a couple of reminders that this budget hearing is is is pursuant to Massachusetts general law,” Superintendent Dr. Brandt said as he opened the presentation. The committee voted unanimously to adopt the recommended FY2026 budget following the hearing.

Why it matters: Dr. Brandt told the committee the recommended plan reflects enrollment growth and continuing cost pressures such as out‑of‑district special education tuition and transportation, contractual salary obligations and expanding services for students with special needs and English language learners. He said the district is recommending personnel changes, non‑salary adjustments and capital requests that are not part of the operating total.

Major numbers and priorities - Dr. Brandt said the recommended operating budget increases roughly 4% compared with the current fiscal year; he described salary adjustments in the plan as a 4.7% aggregate change and said the increase from this fiscal year is “4% and just a little bit under $2,000,000 of change.” - He reported total salary-related costs in the budget planning documents of about $41,000,000 and non‑salary expenses “a little bit over $10,000,000.” - The presentation listed total staff allocation at about 489.55 full‑time‑equivalents (FTEs). - The district identified $631,000 in school capital requests for FY2026; Dr. Brandt noted capital proposals are handled separately from the operating budget and described a five‑year outlook for capital needs.

Personnel and program notes Dr. Brandt described modest personnel additions included in the recommended plan: an educational assistant districtwide, a social studies position that had been factored earlier in the development process, and a districtwide program coach. He also highlighted continued investments in special education and English language supports and said out‑of‑district tuition and transportation remain major budget drivers.

Public comment and committee discussion Jane Woods, an educational assistant and 22‑year district employee, spoke during the budget hearing in her capacity as an employee and asked the committee to support fair wages for educational assistants. “We are not just assistants. We are educators, mentors, caregivers, advocates, yet we’re not paid a wage that reflects the value of our work,” Woods said.

Committee members pressed on capital timing and enrollment. Member Mr. Jackson warned that repeatedly deferring capital upgrades can increase cost and operational risk over time, and Member Mr. Turner said the district should plan for staff needs at Wilmington High School as cohort sizes move up from middle grades.

Outcome and next steps The committee entered the formal budget hearing by motion, heard the presentation and public comment, and then voted unanimously to adopt the superintendent’s recommended FY2026 operating budget. The committee did not adopt capital requests as part of the operating budget; Dr. Brandt noted capital items will be considered as part of the town’s capital appropriation process. He thanked Town Manager Mr. Slagle and central office staff for their roles in developing the budget.

The approved operating budget will move forward as the school department’s recommended request in the town’s budget process and the district will proceed with staffing and program planning consistent with the approved allocations.