Winchester Public Schools — Financial

Winchester Public Schools' FY27 budget cycle opened with a major setback when Town voters rejected the proposed override on March 21, 2026. In response, the School Committee adopted a reduced 5% year-over-year budget, a $2.3M cut below the 8.31% override version that required reductions including possible staff cuts.

To help close a $246,000 athletics program deficit, the School Committee voted unanimously in mid-April to eliminate the $1,450 family athletic fee cap and approved transportation fee increases of roughly 10% year-over-year plus meal fee increases, while a specific per-sport base fee increase remained pending. Two weeks later, Superintendent Hackett reported that nearly all FY27 reductions had been identified — 32.5 FTE positions, with affected staff notified — while holding the 5% year-over-year increase with no additional FTE cuts planned. Dr. Matthews characterized the budget as a one-year "bridge budget," warning that current program levels are not sustainable beyond FY27 without a future override, and the administration confirmed it would not recommend restoring the eliminated elementary math specialist positions.

The cycle concluded with a public forum in early June on a proposed FY27 athletics fee model that would raise the base fee 50% to $600 per sport, add facility surcharges for five high-cost sports (hockey, swimming, tennis, golf, skiing), and eliminate the family fee cap — still projected to leave a $61,892 deficit. A vote is planned for late June after extensive public pushback over the cost burden on multi-sport families.