Woburn schools propose 7.65% FY26 spending increase; officials outline line‑by‑line reductions

WOBURN, Mass. — Woburn schools’ finance staff on March 26 presented a draft fiscal year 2026 budget that would total $97,275,867, a 7.65% year‑over‑year increase driven largely by salary step increases, raises and special‑education transportation and tuition costs.

Director of Finance Alex Dizzio walked the School Committee through 26 proposed changes that reduce or repurpose lines to contain the increase. He and district leaders emphasized that most of the district budget is student‑facing salaries: teachers, special‑education staff, nurses and related services.

Dizzio said the district’s FY26 proposal includes multiple targeted reductions and shifts, including trimming custodial and building supplies, leveling electricity and postage lines to FY25 actuals, repurposing a small contingency allotment into the legal line, and moving two interventionist positions from the operating budget into Title I grant funding. The presentation also recommended not backfilling several positions tied to attrition (two teachers) and reassigning a curriculum‑coordinator vacancy.

Key figures and drivers

- Proposed FY26 total: $97,275,867 (7.65% increase year over year). - Salary and personnel costs account for the largest portion of the increase; Dizzio said roughly three‑quarters of the proposed budget is salary driven. - Special‑education transportation is a major driver: out‑of‑district transport costs rose year over year, and contract bids for student transportation increased significantly. - Out‑of‑district tuition increases also contributed: Dizzio cited a near‑9% increase in tuition lines.

Selected line changes described to the committee

- Reduce homeless transportation estimate by $25,000 (the line still reflects an increase from last year). - Level‑fund electricity and reduce the building services and supply lines modestly, while preserving an electrical reserve account (Dizzio said the current reserve balance is about $750,000). - Repurpose a historical $5,000 contingency line to increase the legal budget (to prepare for pending collective‑bargaining negotiations). - Shift two interventionist positions to Title I funding and plan to cover pre‑K salaries from the preschool revolving account for one additional year (administration said the revolving account is likely only sufficient for one more year). - Reduce a temporary‑help ask for summer facilities staff from $50,000 to $25,000.

Dizzio said principals were consulted about building baseline reductions (about $65,000 total) and that adjustments were made only after each principal had a chance to comment. He also noted that some historical stipends and recurring items were never explicitly budgeted and have been added to give them a proper line in the FY26 draft (for example, chair stipends and trolley tours for field trips).

Budget next steps and timing

District leaders described the draft budget as a working document. The committee discussed timing for public hearings and votes; staff recommended moving toward a public hearing in late April and general committee action in May so the budget can be transmitted to the city on schedule.

Administrators noted the budget assumes continuation of federal and state grants that offset special‑education costs. They warned the picture would change materially if key grants were reduced or eliminated.

Quotations from the presentation

“Seventy‑five percent of the current proposed budget is salary driven,” Dizzio told the committee, adding that most of those salaries are in student‑facing roles such as teachers, special‑education staff, nurses, counselors and related positions.

Ending

School finance staff said they will continue to refine the draft and return to the committee with additional details, including specific student‑impact numbers, before the committee schedules a public hearing and a final vote. Committee members signaled a desire to hold a public hearing and to post the draft budget to the public for review prior to formal adoption.