At the January 6, 2026 meeting, the School Committee received and discussed the following: 

The Committee discussed the WPS Administration’s recommended FY27 budget. The Administration first presented the budget at the December 9 Committee meeting, with additional working meetings on December 17 and 18 where members discussed and asked questions about spending and staffing decisions. What follows is a snapshot of the proposed budget and key updates discussed to date.

The proposed budget is largely a level-service budget, with limited new funding for strategic priorities or critical needs. The Committee discussed how this affects implementation of the Strategic Plan and heard from the administration that much of this work is already underway and expected to continue with existing staff, including teacher certification and professional learning related to instructional programs.

The discussion first focused on staffing adjustments tied to projected enrollment changes. Members reviewed how these reductions were calculated and discussed their potential impact on students and the district. The Committee then discussed staffing adjustments driven by projected student needs particularly in student services which are often tied to mandated services.

The Committee also revisited recently prepared longitudinal analyses on why overall costs continue to rise even as enrollment declines. Building on prior analysis, members discussed how student services—which make up a significant portion of the budget—are driven by student needs that change from year to year and do not track directly with enrollment. The administration explained that recent staffing shifts reflect a comprehensive review of student services and a continued commitment to meeting student needs. 

Expense reductions are based on reviewing prior years’ spending and allocations were adjusted where the full budgeted amounts were not used. The administration emphasized that these changes will not impact students and reflect careful fiscal stewardship. The Committee expressed appreciation for the time and care the administration devoted to preparing the budget materials and engaging in discussion throughout the review process.

The Committee also received updates on strategic investments made in last year’s FY26 budget. At the elementary level, the conversion of reading intervention paraprofessional positions into certified literacy intervention teachers resulted in one literacy intervention teacher in each school and assessments have shown improving early literacy outcomes. At the high school, additional staffing in the Family and Consumer Sciences department allowed new sections in cooking and business and finance, reducing waitlists and expanding student access. The addition of a part-time instructional library assistant improved coverage while librarians are teaching and supported implementation of the new cell phone policy. Members also revisited the elementary assistant principal and special education team chair position at Hardy, which continues to support instructional leadership and student services.

The budget will continue to be discussed at the Committee’s next meeting on January 20th, which will include the community’s public budget hearing.

The Committee then moved on to policy updates brought forward by the Policy Subcommittee, including Policy JECA (Middle School Pathways Exploration) and Policy JG-R (Elementary Transfer Option), both scheduled for discussion and action at the January 20 meeting.

Coming Up………

School Committee Meetings:

Jan 20 6:30 PM, Feb 3 6:30 PM

School Committee Office Hours: 

Feb 3 9 AM - 10 AM (Zoom) Sign up here

Link to agenda with viewing instructions

Click to access documents from the January 6, 2026 meeting. 
Click to watch the meeting on Wellesley Media.
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