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Winchester schools report $622,466 city funding shortfall and plan staffing reductions
Summary
District staff said the city did not fund $622,466 requested for FY27 and proposed reducing remediation budgets by 25% and cutting roughly $562,466 in staffing costs (11 teacher positions and additional central-office roles). Staff said the district’s share of city funding has fallen to 32% of the city budget.
District staff told the school board on June 8 that Winchester will receive $622,466 less from the city than requested for FY27, and outlined how officials plan to close the shortfall.
The presenter said the recommended adjustments include a 25% cut in remediation-school budgets (about $60,000) and $562,466 in staffing reductions. Combined with prior adjustments, staff said total year-over-year reductions amount to roughly $1.22 million. The presenter listed planned position reductions including 11 teacher positions, four teaching assistants, one student services coordinator, one financial specialist and one administrative assistant.
A district official told the board the cuts are driven by the city funding decision and warned of impacts to class size and operations. “This is the worst budget I’ve experienced in 10 years,” the presenter said, and noted that the district’s share of city general-fund support is about 32 percent this year versus roughly 38 percent historically, a difference the presenter called equivalent to about $5 million annually.
Staff said they will monitor the state budget (the district expects a state allocation that may offset part of the gap), prepare amendments once the state budget is finalized and present further adjustments in the October amendment cycle. The board discussed the importance of competitive salaries and benefits to retain teachers and asked staff to return with updated numbers after the state budget is finalized.
