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Westwood School Committee approves FY27 budget after restoring elementary teachers
Summary
The Westwood School Committee unanimously approved a fiscal year 2027 operating budget that restores four elementary classroom teachers to address class-size guidelines and includes an increased annual capital allocation. The vote followed a public hearing and discussion of budget scenarios and next procedural steps.
The Westwood School Committee voted unanimously to approve its fiscal year 2027 operating budget and annual capital budget after a public hearing and committee discussion.
Superintendent Tim presented three scenarios and recommended "Scenario 2," which restores four elementary classroom positions that had been proposed for reduction and which the administration said will bring class sizes at the elementary level within district guidelines. Tim told the committee the recommended budget reflects a net increase of about 1.4 full-time equivalent staff and a proposed total in the neighborhood of $61.65 million. (The presentation cited $61,648,005.82 and the motion on the floor recorded $61,648,582.)
The superintendent said the original January proposed FY27 operating budget was $61,296,182, a 4.31% increase over FY26, and that Scenario 2 preserves student-facing positions and addresses elementary class-size pressures driven by recent enrollment patterns and reductions in some federal special-education grant funding. Tim said level-services costs, contractual obligations and nondiscretionary increases in transportation and tuition informed the original proposal.
In addition to the operating budget, the committee approved an annual capital budget increase, raising the districts annual capital allocation from $1,140,000 to $1,280,000 with shifted priorities between categories. Tim said the next procedural steps include a presentation to the town Finance Committee on March 10 and the annual town meeting scheduled for May 4.
During the public hearing and committee discussion, residents and committee members praised the cooperation between town hall and the district in revisiting the budget, and members asked for additional detail on reserve balances for capital categories such as roofing and HVAC. District staff said they would provide those balances and noted some capital funds are rolled from year to year.
The committee recorded roll-call votes in favor of the operating budget and capital budget; the chair announced the motions were approved unanimously.
