Somerville Public Schools present proposed FY26 budget to council; superintendent cites enrollment rebound and federal funding risks

Superintendent Ruben Carmona presented the Somerville Public Schools proposed FY26 budget — approved earlier by the school committee — to the Somerville City Council during the council's special meeting.

Carmona said the district's budget aims to uphold investments in curriculum, special education and staffing while responding to fiscal uncertainty. The presentation described a school budget that the superintendent and school committee approved that totals roughly $105.6 million in school spending (the presentation described schools as the largest area of the city's combined municipal spending), with a general‑fund increase presented to the council of about 5.2 percent year over year. The mayor has also indicated a $1.5 million one‑time contribution to assist with teacher collective bargaining.

The superintendent and several school staff outlined targeted staffing investments in FY26: three additional resource teachers to bolster special education support, additional ESL specialists at the East to serve approximately 300 bilingual learners there, and a new digital literacy/computer…