At the September 16, 2025 meeting, the School Committee received and discussed the following:

The Committee approved the consent agenda and formally accepted a generous gift from the Wellesley Kiwanis Club to fund preschool scholarships at PAWS. Kiwanis representatives described the history of the pilot program, its impact on eight students so far, and the plan to make it a permanent scholarship to improve access to preschool for Wellesley families.

The Committee heard from Wellesley Sustainability Director, Marybeth Martello about plans to add solar panels to the new Hardy and Hunnewell Elementary Schools. Designed as all-electric, net-zero-ready, high-performance buildings, both schools are well suited for solar arrays that will reduce the schools’electricity needs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Martello highlighted the importance of currently available state and federal incentives that would provide outside funding.She emphasized that Wellesley’s Climate Leader Community designation strengthens its position for grants and confirmed that the project would be designed to minimize disruption to school operations.

The Committee approved performing arts stipend updates, previously presented by Lauren Saracino, WPS Performing Arts Director. The changes included updating and/or eliminating stipends (due to the addition of a theater technician) and increasing some stipends to be commensurate with the workload which will enhance recruiting and retention efforts and align with peer districts. The proposed changes result in savings of $1,960.

The Committee heard Assistant Superintendent Cindy Mahr report on the FY’25 financial closeout . Each summer, the WPS Business Office closes the prior fiscal year and opens the current fiscal year. Closing out a fiscal year requires the examination of all accounts in all funds. Accounting transactions are processed to correct any mis-posting of revenue or expenses and encumbrances are reviewed to ensure supplies or services are ordered and invoices are expected. This work is done in conjunction with the Town Finance Office. This memo outlines the closing position. The district returned to the Town $1.9 million, plus another $500,000 in unused set-aside funds, for a total of $2.4 million.

The Committee then reviewed the timeline for developing the FY’27 school budget. The process begins with the All (Town)Boards meeting on September 25th, followed by a series of planning meetings with WPS Administration. The Superintendent will present the budget on December 9, with additional review sessions with the Committee on December 17th and 18th. A public hearing is set for January 20, 2026. The Committee will vote on the budget February 3, before it moves to Advisory and then Town Meeting in March. This process provides multiple opportunities for community input.

Next, the Committee previewed a new long-term budget study to help explain school spending trends. Committee member, Linda Chow, presented a framework or series of 10-year data analyses focused on key budget drivers. She noted that Advisory and Town Meeting often ask why spending rises while enrollment declines. In addition to discussing an overall framework for this analysis, the Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Cindy Mahr, presented a deep-dive into transportation cost trends, the first topic of the study. At the next two Committee Meetings, the Administration will bring forward additional topics (Personnel/Collective Bargaining, Enrollment/Class Size, Mandated Programs,General Fund Expenditures, Historical Data around Strategic Priorities and Critical Needs) from this overall study and present similar deep-dive analyses into these topics.

Finally, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, Cindy Mahr, introduced a new job description for a Finance and Operations Manager, updating an existing support role to reflect expanded responsibilities. This change reflects the district’s increasing need for high-level analytical, financial, and operational support that extends beyond the scope of traditional administrative duties.

The meeting closed with a review of the draft Committee work plan for FY’26, which includes the major areas of Committee responsibility and focus for the upcoming year.

Coming Up………

School Committee Meeting:
October 7 HYBRID Zoom and in-person, The Great Hall, Town Hall - 525 Washington Street

Link to agenda with viewing instructions

School Committee Office Hours: October 7 9 AM (Zoom) Sign Up

Click to access documents from the September 16, 2025 meeting.

Click to watch the meeting on Wellesley Media.

Click to sign up for upcoming School Committee Office Hours.

Click to subscribe to this newsletter.