Dear Colleagues,
I hope you each had a productive week. I know December is a busy month with holiday preparations and a number of school activities. Special thanks to our Performing Arts staff for all of their work to support our December concerts, which our school community looks forward to each year.
On Monday of this week, we presented a preview of our FY’2027 WPS budget. As is the case each year, this budget is grounded in our best estimates of our student enrollment as well as specific student services for the following year. Our budget is also driven by the fiscal guidelines set for all Town departments by the Select Board. This year, that guideline is three percent, meaning that our FY’2027 budget cannot grow by more than three percent over the current fiscal year. Given that many of our cost increases are non-discretionary, this doesn’t give us much room to maneuver in developing a new budget. As such, our proposed budget for next year is almost exclusively a level-service budget.
I also want to reinforce a message we shared at our budget preview session on Monday. While this budget contains staffing reductions, right now it is not possible to identify each individual who will be impacted by these reductions. A variety of voluntary personnel changes – retirements, resignations, and staff beginning or ending leaves – will be important factors in determining the staff members impacted by reductions. As we navigate the process, we will be guided by our collective bargaining agreements and use an approach that is transparent and supportive.
Thanks for what you do each day in support of our students and have a great weekend.
Best regards,
David
