Norwood schools propose $65.3 million FY26 budget to staff new middle school and expand special-education supports

School leaders presented the Norwood Public Schools' FY26 operating budget at the same information session, outlining staffing and program changes to support the opening of the district's new middle school and expanded student supports.

Tim Lawson, introduced as a representative of the schools, said the budget reflects months of review and community input and emphasized safety as a top priority: "One of the primary things that I heard from almost everyone was safety. Safety, safety, safety," he said. Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Sean Manny walked the audience through position changes, transportation costs and federal grant support.

The school proposal calls for a $65,292,117 operating budget for FY26, a 6.7 percent increase from the prior year. School staff numbers were shown as roughly 577.3 FTEs in the final proposal.…