AIB releases FY26 funds to Worcester but flags budgeted data in letter of concern

The Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) met Dec. 1 and approved release of FY26 blueprint funds for 22 school systems, including Worcester County Public Schools, but issued a letter of concern to Worcester about FY26 budgeted data for minimum school funding, officials said.

Mr. Tolbert told the board the AIB’s concern was limited to FY26 budgeted data by program; he emphasized the legal requirement is based on actual expenditures, not budgeted figures, and said Worcester is in full compliance for FY25 and has since updated FY26 budget entries. Tolbert said the district will file a timeline with the AIB to show when corrected budget information will be available and that staff have been invited to a future AIB meeting to review the county’s plan.

Board discussion focused on the practical impact of the Blueprint law. Board member Dr. Andes described the Blueprint as an “unfunded mandate” from the state and thanked Tolbert’s team for ongoing work to align the district’s budgets and expenditures with state requirements. Tolbert explained the Blueprint statute withholding mechanism—25% of new funding is automatically withheld until the AIB confirms sufficient progress—and noted that FY25 actual expenditures show Worcester meeting roughly 75% allocation-by-school benchmarks in most programs.

The board was not asked to take formal action on the AIB letter at the meeting; Tolbert indicated staff will follow up with the AIB and return with any required documentation or additional recommendations.

Next steps: the district will submit the requested timeline and updated budget data to the AIB and attend a future AIB meeting to discuss the plan.