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Worcester school finance panel reviews Q3 report, approves year‑end transfers
Summary
School finance staff told the committee the FY26 third‑quarter report projects offsets for some deficits and recommended several year‑end transfers (including $400,000 from substitute salaries to workers' compensation); the committee voted to file the report and the transfers for inclusion in year‑end closeout.
The Worcester Public Schools finance subcommittee reviewed its FY26 third‑quarter report and approved a set of year‑end transfers intended to cover staffing, utilities and overtime costs.
An administration official summarized the quarter‑three financial picture and the district’s projections through the June fiscal year end. “The third quarter report reviews our financial performance through the end of March and includes remaining projections through the end of the fiscal year in June,” the official said, noting that $1,800,000 of city free cash approved in January was included in the report.
Staff told the committee teacher salaries remain the largest variance between budget and projection and highlighted several accounts with notable movements. Administration recommended transfers including $400,000 from the teacher substitute salary account to workers’ compensation, $400,000 from paraeducator salaries to building utilities, $200,000 from transportation salaries to transportation overtime, and $100,000 from custodial salaries to custodial overtime.
Committee members pressed administration on operational drivers behind specific deficits: delayed solar‑panel connectivity at Doherty High, increased translation costs tied to expanded community sessions and IEP translation volume, and daily attendance shortages among bus drivers and monitors that have led to route consolidation and higher overtime. On Doherty’s solar connectivity, administration said it would “connect with the city's public facilities department,” which maintains the utility relationship with National Grid.
The board requested follow‑up information on several points, including a confirmation of the planned conversion of day‑to‑day substitute positions to school‑based building substitutes and a tally of spare bus drivers and absent‑day rates. A member moved that staff provide a multi‑year analysis of bus‑driver absence trends; administration said the district budgets about 10 spare drivers and will provide additional data.
After discussion the committee took a roll call and voted to accept and file the quarter‑three report and the recommended transfers so they may be incorporated into the year‑end close and compared with FY27 budget projections.
What’s next: The committee instructed staff to provide the requested detail on substitute conversions, transportation absence data and translation costs as the district finalizes FY26 closeout and prepares FY27 budget recommendations.
