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Winchester budget team reports FY26 community survey; class size and intervention supports top themes
Summary
District staff reported results from a ThoughtExchange community survey used in FY26 budget development: roughly 750 participants generated themes including smaller class sizes, curriculum/professional development, mental-health supports and expanded advanced programs; staff and committee members asked for deeper cross-tabs by school and grade.
Winchester district staff presented results from a ThoughtExchange survey used to collect community priorities for FY26 budget development, reporting roughly 750 participants, 681 ideas and more than 30,000 ratings.
Mr. Marin (staff) said the tool asked respondents to propose thoughts and then rate others' ideas on a five-star scale; the district received participation from parents, staff and community members across schools. "Majority of those who took the survey are current parents, guardians, or caretakers within the district," Marin said.
Both staff and community respondents called for improvements in curriculum and professional development (literacy and math), continued efforts to attract and retain teachers, more mental-health and social-emotional supports, better classroom intervention (tier 2 supports) and attention to class sizes. The community also raised interest in expanded advanced programs and in school nutrition.
Committee members requested more granular analysis. Christopher Nixon and others asked whether the comments about class size are concentrated at particular grades or schools. "Who's saying that? Are elementary community members or secondary?" Nixon asked, noting that solutions and costs differ by level. Doctor Hackett and others said pressures are notable at the middle and high school levels for some courses and that elementary-level equity issues persist where additional supports are needed. Committee members asked staff to run cross-tabs by school and grade and to supply more targeted summaries for future budget-subcommittee review.
Staff said the tool's AI-assisted summary flagged class size, curriculum, technology and mental-health support as common themes and that they will dig deeper into the data for the subcommittee. The district will continue budget-subcommittee work in March and plans community outreach on level-services and additional recommended investments for FY26.
The committee praised the level of public engagement and asked staff to return with more granular findings by school and grade so committee members can better assess equity and resource allocation.
