Westwood presents FY26 budget with small net increase; adds student supports, flags Thurston building issues

Superintendent Tim and his administrative team presented the Westwood Public Schools’ proposed FY26 budget to the School Committee on Jan. 16, asking the committee to support a $58.0 million operating request representing a 3.52% increase over FY25 (the administration said a level‑services budget would have produced 3.88%).

Budget drivers and context

Tim said the largest drivers are contractual salary obligations (salaries make up roughly 85% of the school budget), rising special‑education tuition and transportation costs, retirement assessment increases at the county level, and health‑insurance increases. He reported that the district negotiated most bargaining units through at least next year; teachers and administrative assistants were in active negotiations with contracts expiring in June.

Key staffing and program changes proposed for FY26

- Thurston (middle school): add 1.0 FTE language‑based special‑education teacher to continue the elementary LEAP program into middle school and add 0.4 FTE adjustment‑counselor to bring Thurston to two full‑time adjustment counselors. Reduce two instructional aide positions through schedule optimization.

- Westwood High School: add 1.0 FTE wellness teacher (to deliver wellness/PE programming for grades 11–12) and increase the substitute coverage line by 0.4 FTE. The administration said the wellness addition responds to curriculum review recommendations and state expectations on physical education while acknowledging scheduling and phased implementation questions raised by committee members.

- Preschool and K–5: a net reduction of two elementary classroom teachers driven by grade‑by‑grade enrollment shifts (one additional section at Pine Hill offset by reductions at Downey, MJ, and Sheehan). The budget also adds 0.125 FTE to reflect preschool administrative work already being performed.

Special education and non‑salary changes

Tim said special‑education tuition and placement costs remain the most variable portion of the budget. The regional Operational Services Division has set a minimum tuition increase assumption of 3.67% for FY26; some schools may request higher increases. Circuit breaker reimbursement timing and amounts (state reimbursement for some special‑education costs) were used to offset part of the tuition pressure in the proposed budget.

Capital and equipment

The administration proposed a modest increase in base capital (about $123,000) and reallocated some purchases (for example, science lab equipment and furniture/fixtures) into capital to better reflect inflation and to increase the district’s purchasing capacity for equipment. The district also plans a separate capital article for an estimated $530,000 electrical subpanel upgrade at Sheehan (to be considered at town meeting) to avoid a critical failure.

Thurston building incidents and facilities planning

Tim briefed the committee on two recent building incidents: a power outage and a separate sewage‑line leak earlier in January that required an early dismissal. He said an installation problem associated with Bunsen burners led to a release of gas contained in burners after a power event; the installation issue has been corrected. The district scheduled indoor‑air‑quality (IAQ) testing for the following Friday and said it will communicate findings and next steps to the community.

Tim emphasized the need for a master facilities study to set a mid‑ and long‑range plan rather than continuing to rely on piecemeal repairs. He said realistic major facility solutions are likely six to seven years away and that interim capital work and maintenance will continue in the short term.

Process and next steps

The administration noted public budget hearings and key dates: the committee’s vote is planned for Feb. 13; the Finance Committee hearing is Feb. 25; and annual town meeting is May 19. Committee members asked staff to explore scheduling permutations for wellness implementation, alternatives for Mandarin staffing, and to provide additional enrollment and kindergarten prediction details. The superintendent said administration will return with answers in February.

Ending

Committee members praised the work of the administrative and facilities teams, asked for district‑wide communication about recent building events and the facilities study timeline, and endorsed further review of staffing permutations and enrollment trends before finalizing FY26 decisions.