Wellesley Public Schools: Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
As this table indicates, the taxpayers of Wellesley have been supportive of general operating budget overrides presented to them by the Select Board and the School Committee. Since 1998, the passage of budget overrides is at about 41.57% 7 which is lower than the experience in Wellesley (50.0%). Debt Exclusion Debt exclusions create temporary increases in the levy limit to fund the payment of debt service costs for the capital projects approved for borrowing. The additional amount for the debt service is added to the levy limit for the life of the debt. Exclusions do not become part of the base upon which the levy limit is calculated in future years. A majority vote of the Select Board is required to add a debt exclusion vote to the Town Meeting warrant. Town Meeting members must pass the warrant by a majority vote for approval. Below is a summary of votes since 2003:
Debt Exclusion Amount $17,205,979 $10,988,083 $10,409,960 $10,888,408 $0 $12,107,510 $12,203,081
Debt Exclusion Amount $12,324,555 $12,803,348 $9,158,514 $9,369,533 $10,322,960 $10,058,108
Debt Exclusion Amount
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011
2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
$6,504,370 $5,033,307 $3,743,003 $3,794,401 $2,416,689 $2,315,579
$8,965,943 $2,378,815 Wellesley taxpayers have voted in favor of proposed exclusions presented at the Town Meeting. A single vote can represent approval or denial of multiple projects. The debt exclusions above are a mix of Town and School related items. Town Costs for School Debt The issuance of debt is a function of the Town and cannot be granted to the School Department. Rather, the school administration works collaboratively with the Town to prioritize needs and fund projects that benefit all Town Departments. As part of this process, the Town Finance Director recommends the source of funds to cover the projects voted for based on the Town’s Financial Policies and the outlook on future needs. As part of the annual submission to the state, the schools report the school related debt as part of the end-of-year report submission. In FY’25, the debt payments are expected to total $22M for previously issued debt related to school projects. Below is a summary of the school related principal and interest debt payments over the past seven years.
7 Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services web site (1,898 ‘Yes’ Votes versus 4,566 Override Requests) since 1998.
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