Superintendent outlines FY26 budget with $1.12 million gap; proposes cuts, offsets and program shifts

Superintendent Doctor Chu presented the Westford School Committee with a proposed FY26 budget on Monday that she said would close a $1,122,377 gap through a mix of staff reductions, increased offsets from non‑general funds and an expected one‑time rise in special education reimbursement known as the circuit breaker.

The presentation outlined a level‑service budget of $70,510,949, a town allocation that Chu said would yield a recommended, balanced proposal of $69,388,572 and a financing strategy that combines $316,198 in reductions with $806,179 in increased offsets to reach the balanced figure.

Why it matters: Committee members and speakers said the district is still absorbing the effects of last year’s failed override, which Chu said required the elimination of 21.4 instructional positions in FY25 and contributed to lower staff morale and larger class sizes in some grades.

The committee heard public comment before the presentation from Ruthie Musso, a fourth‑grade teacher and the union teacher president, who warned of larger classes and a more complex student cohort. “Your street address should not determine your class size,” Musso said. She described elementary classes that could include “ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, mood disorders, academic disabilities, and unfortunately suffer from traumatic events earlier in their lives,” and urged the committee to prioritize small class sizes.

Chu framed the FY26 recommendation as a continuation of a multi‑year process. She said the administration adjusted FY26 projections after reconciling actual FY25 costs and enrollment. The presentation identified reductions already enacted or recommended, including 8.2 classroom teacher FTEs across grades, outsourcing some van drivers, merged administrative duties, and a consolidation of two part‑time special education administrative roles into a single assistant director position to realize an identified efficiency of $32,560.

On intervention staffing, the proposal would reduce elementary interventionists from 26 positions (24.2 FTE) to 15 (two per elementary school plus three floating interventionists), a change Chu said would save $292,509 while preserving a two‑tier intervention delivery structure based on universal screeners (I‑Ready for math; DIBELS and UFLI for literacy).

The administration proposed new or expanded programs: a medically fragile program extension at the Day School to keep students in‑district beyond grade 2, and an additional pre‑K/K reach classroom at Nabnasset (listed in the presentation as NavNasset) to better distribute specialized programming across neighborhood schools. Chu said the Day School has the physical capacity and an elevator to meet access needs and that some staff would transition with students.

Funding strategy: The administration proposed using targeted increases to offsets from a set of nine revolving and special revenue accounts summarized in a new Non‑General Fund Guidebook (NGFG), and applying an expected $400,000 increase in circuit breaker reimbursement to help balance the FY26 budget. Chu warned the committee the NGFG offsets are not permanent; using them will require identifying stable funding within three to four years to avoid a fiscal cliff.

Other details included projected utility savings of $42,000 from lighting upgrades funded by a facilities grant and projected FY26 out‑of‑district special education tuitions and transportation costs. Chu noted variability in special education placements and circuit breaker reimbursements that make multi‑year projections uncertain.

Committee process and next steps: Chu said the School Committee must hold a public hearing (posted for Jan. 6), aim to vote on a budget recommendation Jan. 21 and then present to the finance committee on Jan. 23. Town Manager Kristen Lass will present her town budget to the Select Board on Dec. 10, Chu said.

Votes and routine business: At the start of the meeting the committee approved the consent agenda by voice vote. The meeting concluded with a routine motion to adjourn that carried.

The presentation and linked materials (NGFG workbook) will be posted in the meeting packet and reviewed at the committee’s Dec. 16 and Jan. 6 meetings before the planned Jan. 21 vote.