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Committee reviews FY26 maintenance-of-effort budget; approves athletic-fee increase and backs longer food-service contract
Summary
Administrators presented a preliminary FY26 maintenance-of-effort budget showing a 5.84% increase. The committee approved an athletic-fee increase and the finance subcommittee recommended pursuing a five-year food-service contract; the latter requires select-board approval.
Winchester School Committee members on Jan. 9 received a preliminary maintenance-of-effort budget for fiscal 2026 and approved a proposed increase to athletic participation fees for the 2025–26 school year.
Finance staff presented a draft FY26 maintenance-of-effort budget that projects a 5.84% increase over last year, roughly $3.8 million, driven by contractual step/column changes, transportation and special-education placement inflation. The district said it will continue reviewing department-level requests and special-education placements and that negotiations with five bargaining units this year remain an input to the final budget.
The finance subcommittee reported that it recommends raising per-sport fees from the current level by $50 to $400 per student per sport and setting an annual family cap of $1,400. The full committee voted unanimously to approve the athletic fee schedule for FY26. Committee members and staff said hardship relief remains available through free-and-reduced-price eligibility and that administrators will monitor how the cap interacts with multi‑sport families.
The committee also discussed the district’s food service management contract. The finance subcommittee recommended pursuing a five‑year contract term with Whitsons (the district’s food-service provider) to allow amortization of planned capital investments such as an upgraded washing/dish line at McCall. The subcommittee noted the contract process must follow state procurement rules and require both School Committee and Select Board approval because of the multi‑year term. The School Committee gave consensus to pursue the five‑year procurement process and asked administration to return with contract language and a timeline; the committee did not take a final vote that evening.
Separately, administrators noted operational details: projected special-education inflation guidance of 3.67% used in FY26 numbers, an organizational housekeeping move to track general-education transportation separately, and continued review of departmental supply and equipment needs before a final budget proposal.
The committee directed administrators to continue refining the FY26 budget, consult with the finance subcommittee and return with more detail ahead of the public hearing and subsequent hearings with town finance bodies.
